National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week was launched in 2010 by the National Institutes on Drug Abuse, a branch of the National Institutes on Health, with the goal of erasing the myths teens and others are exposed to about drug use and abuse.

Real answers are best to deal with real problems.

Held the last week of January, National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week is an opportunity that Communicare takes in our community to share information to teens, young adults, and adults interested in more information about drug and alcohol use and abuse.

Hosted Saturday at the Oxford-Lafayette County Public Library beginning at 1 p.m., a speaker and panel discussion, open to the entire community, will be held in the effort to shatter the myths with frank discussion and pertinent information.

We appreciate the efforts in Oxford and Lafayette County to bring dialogue into the public light since substance abuse is one of the greatest challenges faced by our young people and our community.

We also hope that moments like National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week will serve as a moment for those worried that a family member may be struggling to reach out for more information and learning, so that they are better prepared to understand both the challenges and risks.