Substance Use Prevention News Post Archives

Plan My Ride Could Protect Young People from Increased Risk of Unsafe Driving Around the Holidays

Elizabeth Porter2025-12-11T19:58:13+00:00

December 11, 2025, Durham, NC – At the end of the year, drivers are at a higher risk for unsafe driving. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports an uptick in the number of deaths from traffic accidents involving alcohol impairment and occurring in the evening hours during the month of December.1 Holiday parties and get-togethers at this time of year may be related to increased driving while impaired. In addition, fewer daylight hours may mean more drivers are on the road after dark. To protect themselves and others, drivers must have skills to avoid unsafe driving and understand the [...]

Plan My Ride Could Protect Young People from Increased Risk of Unsafe Driving Around the HolidaysElizabeth Porter2025-12-11T19:58:13+00:00

iRT Supports the Southeast PTTC in Enhancing Digital Training Tools for Substance Misuse Prevention Professionals

Elizabeth Porter2025-11-19T17:19:05+00:00

November 18, 2025, Durham, NC – This year, iRT has been collaborating with the Southeast Prevention Technology Transfer Center (Southeast PTTC) to support their efforts to advance substance misuse prevention. The Southeast PTTC, housed at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, is one of 10 regional centers that are part of the Prevention Technology Transfer Center (PTTC) Network. The network was created to improve the implementation and delivery of evidence-based substance misuse prevention strategies across the nation. Funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Southeast PTTC offers training and technical assistance services to the substance misuse [...]

iRT Supports the Southeast PTTC in Enhancing Digital Training Tools for Substance Misuse Prevention ProfessionalsElizabeth Porter2025-11-19T17:19:05+00:00

Plan My Ride Found to Effectively Impact Safe Driving Attitudes, Knowledge, and Beliefs

Elizabeth Porter2025-10-20T19:38:14+00:00

October 20, 2025, Durham, NC – Distracted and impaired driving are two of the leading risk factors for vehicle crashes in the United States, and young people are at particularly high risk for engaging in these unsafe behaviors. iRT developed the Plan My Ride program with the goal of preventing distracted and impaired driving to support young drivers in staying safe on the road. A randomized controlled trial found that Plan My Ride is effective in improving young drivers’ attitudes and knowledge related to safe driving in the short- and longer-term. Findings from the evaluation were recently published in Transportation Research [...]

Plan My Ride Found to Effectively Impact Safe Driving Attitudes, Knowledge, and BeliefsElizabeth Porter2025-10-20T19:38:14+00:00

iRT and the Southeast PTTC to Host Webinar to Introduce New Curriculum on Policy for Prevention Providers

Elizabeth Porter2025-09-18T19:32:02+00:00

September 18, 2025, Durham, NC – This month, iRT and the Southeast Prevention Technology Transfer Center (Southeast PTTC) will host a live webinar to share information about the Southeast PTTC’s new curriculum for prevention professionals. The webinar, entitled The Power of Policy: Introduction to the Southeast PTTC Policy Curriculum, will be held on September 25, 2025 from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. EST. The new curriculum will help prevention providers build their capacity to enact or modify state and local policies related to alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, and other drugs. The curriculum is comprehensive and will offer diverse ways of gaining the knowledge [...]

iRT and the Southeast PTTC to Host Webinar to Introduce New Curriculum on Policy for Prevention ProvidersElizabeth Porter2025-09-18T19:32:02+00:00

Promoting Safe Driving in Teens with Plan My Ride: Reinforcing Safe Driving Skills

Elizabeth Porter2025-03-13T21:01:44+00:00

March 13, 2025, Durham, NC – iRT is dedicated to preventing distracted and impaired driving and helping drivers, prevention professionals, and community members protect themselves and others on the road. Plan My Ride is iRT’s interactive, multimedia, eLearning program developed with and for young drivers to teach safe driving skills to prevent distracted and impaired driving. Unlike many other safe driving educational programs, Plan My Ride uses a science-backed and theory-driven approach to change behavior by teaching concrete, practical strategies to avoid impaired and distracted driving, and providing opportunities for young drivers to practice the skills they have learned in 360-degree virtual scenarios. The [...]

Promoting Safe Driving in Teens with Plan My Ride: Reinforcing Safe Driving SkillsElizabeth Porter2025-03-13T21:01:44+00:00

iRT to Evaluate the Impact of Training Mentors on Youth Impacted by Substance Misuse

Elizabeth Porter2025-02-21T19:34:28+00:00

February 21, 2025, Durham, NC – iRT is excited to announce that it has received funding from the National Institutes of Health to evaluate the impact of a web-based training program on mentors working with mentees who have been impacted by substance misuse. Approximately 14.7% of youth 12 to 17 years old reported using illicit drugs in 2023, and more than 21 million children in the U.S. lived with a parent who misused substances between 2015 and 2019.1,2 Thus, youth can be impacted by substance misuse in more than one way – they may be at risk for misusing substances themselves; [...]

iRT to Evaluate the Impact of Training Mentors on Youth Impacted by Substance MisuseElizabeth Porter2025-02-21T19:34:28+00:00

Promoting Safe Driving in Teens with Plan My Ride: Practicing Avoiding Riding with an Impaired Driver

Elizabeth Porter2025-02-18T16:07:38+00:00

February 18, 2025, Durham, NC – iRT is dedicated to preventing distracted and impaired driving and helping drivers, prevention professionals, and community members protect themselves and others on the road. Plan My Ride is iRT’s interactive, multimedia, eLearning program developed with and for young drivers to teach safe driving skills to prevent distracted and impaired driving. Unlike other safe driving educational programs, Plan My Ride uses a science-backed and theory-driven approach to change behavior by teaching concrete, practical strategies to avoid impaired and distracted driving, and providing opportunities for young drivers to practice the skills they have learned in 360-degree virtual scenarios. The program [...]

Promoting Safe Driving in Teens with Plan My Ride: Practicing Avoiding Riding with an Impaired DriverElizabeth Porter2025-02-18T16:07:38+00:00

Promoting Safe Driving in Teens with Plan My Ride: Practicing Avoiding Substance Use and Driving

Elizabeth Porter2025-01-28T19:41:49+00:00

January 28, 2025, Durham, NC – iRT is dedicated to preventing distracted and impaired driving and helping drivers, prevention professionals, and community members protect themselves and others on the road. Plan My Ride is iRT’s interactive, multimedia, eLearning program developed with and for young drivers to teach safe driving skills to prevent distracted and impaired driving. Unlike other safe driving educational programs, Plan My Ride uses a science-backed and theory-driven approach to change behavior by teaching concrete, practical strategies to avoid impaired and distracted driving, and providing opportunities for young drivers to practice the skills they have learned in 360-degree virtual [...]

Promoting Safe Driving in Teens with Plan My Ride: Practicing Avoiding Substance Use and DrivingElizabeth Porter2025-01-28T19:41:49+00:00

Promoting Safe Driving in Teens with Plan My Ride: Communicate to Stay Safe

Elizabeth Porter2024-11-25T14:19:20+00:00

November 25, 2024, Durham, NC – iRT is dedicated to preventing distracted and impaired driving and helping drivers, prevention professionals, and community members protect themselves and others on the road. Plan My Ride is iRT’s interactive, multimedia, eLearning program developed with and for young drivers to teach safe driving skills to prevent distracted and impaired driving. Unlike other safe driving educational programs, Plan My Ride uses a science-backed and theory-driven approach to change behavior by teaching concrete, practical strategies to avoid impaired and distracted driving, and providing opportunities for young drivers to practice the skills they have learned in 360-degree virtual scenarios. The program [...]

Promoting Safe Driving in Teens with Plan My Ride: Communicate to Stay SafeElizabeth Porter2024-11-25T14:19:20+00:00

Promoting Safe Driving in Teens with Plan My Ride: Prevent Opioid Use and Driving

Elizabeth Porter2024-10-15T19:21:44+00:00

October 15, 2024, Durham, NC – iRT is dedicated to preventing distracted and impaired driving and helping drivers, prevention professionals, and community members protect themselves and others on the road. Plan My Ride is iRT’s interactive, multimedia, eLearning program developed with and for young drivers to teach safe driving skills to prevent distracted and impaired driving. Unlike other safe driving educational programs, Plan My Ride uses a science-backed and theory-driven approach to change behavior by teaching concrete, practical strategies to avoid impaired and distracted driving, and providing opportunities for young drivers to practice the skills they have learned in 360-degree virtual scenarios. The program [...]

Promoting Safe Driving in Teens with Plan My Ride: Prevent Opioid Use and DrivingElizabeth Porter2024-10-15T19:21:44+00:00