KLAS: Nevada’s Treat Youth Act targets substance abuse rise

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Democrats and Republicans are coming together on a new law to fight youth substance abuse. While overdose deaths are going down nationwide, they went up more than 3% here in Nevada from December 2023 to December 2024.

“Youth are starting to experience with drugs and alcohol much earlier, so we need early intervention in order to prevent the development of longer-term substance use disorder as they grow up,” Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor Michelle Costigan said.

According to the Substance Use and Mental Health Service Administration, 22% of Nevadans aged twelve and older have used an illicit substance in the last month. For adults ages 18 to 25, that number jumps to more than 30 percent.

“When I first discovered alcohol, which was my drug of choice, I believed that it was going to be the solution for all that failed me because of the way it made me feel temporarily,” said Stewart Powell, Program Coordinator, The Phoenix, a sober active community.

Powell was just a kid when he first used, starting with alcohol and eventually turning to opioids.

“For 20+ years, I was turning to drugs and alcohol to address the ways that I felt about myself and to address my problems,” Powell said.

He is now recovering and helping others through their journey away from addiction and overdose. Meanwhile, a new law aims to help even more young people before they get that far.

“This is an issue that’s clearly bipartisan,” Representative Susie Lee said. “Fentanyl, substance abuse does not have an R or D behind it; it affects every community across this country, and this life-saving law will now better protect our children…”

The TREAT Youth Act, short for Treat, Recovery, Education, Awareness, and Training for Youth, focuses on prevention, treatment, and recovery support for kids most at risk.

“This is an issue that often begins in an individual’s youth, and the sooner it can be addressed, the sooner the tools can be made available to individuals,” Powell said.

The law provides grants to raise awareness, expand access to medication for opioid use disorder, and train educators and healthcare workers, including information about risks.

“A lot of opioids are being laced with fentanyl which is deadly. All opioids can be deadly, but folks don’t know what they’re using,” said Costigan. “The impact of using even just a very small amount of fentanyl can have devastating effects.”

The legislation boosts national funding for youth substance abuse programs by 50 percent from $10 million to $15 million through 2030.