to our way of life.

SAY YES

SAY YES TO

basketball

fishing

family

dancing

academics

football

art

music

friendships

culture

softball

basketball fishing family dancing academics football art music friendships culture softball

And say no to underage alcohol & drug misuse.

The Association of American Indian Physicians (AAIP) in partnership with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and Native American Youth Influencers (NAYI) encourage Native youth in Osage County to say yes to a better tomorrow by saying no to alcohol and drugs.

American Indians in Osage County

Osage, Cherokee, Muscogee Creek and Choctaw Nations are a few of the many tribes residing in Osage County. They have a history of resilience and fortitude, despite great trials and persecution. Each person contains a tapestry of history, specificity and hope for a better tomorrow.

Underage drinking and drug use hampers Native communities’ ability to thrive. Elders, families, community members and children are all culture bearers – your decisions today matter.


Hear what our young people have to say.

Know the facts:

Myth: Everyone your age drinks alcohol. 

Fact: Among people aged 12 to 20 in 2021, 15.1% were past month alcohol users (2021, NSDUH). However, the percentage of people who were past month binge alcohol users was highest among young adults aged 18 to 25 (31.4%) (2020, NSDUH).

Myth: My children won’t benefit from me talking to them about underage substance use.

Fact: Parents have the most influence on whether or not their child will drink alcohol. Other relatives also have a significant impact on a child’s access to and willingness to drink alcohol at an early age (2020, Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility).

Myth: Underage drinking and drug use won’t impact a child’s future. 

Fact: Lifetime non-users of substances like alcohol reported greater academic self-efficacy and emotional engagement than past-year users (2020, National Library of Medicine). 

SAY YES

to your culture.

YOUR YES

No matter your language or culture, saying yes to a better tomorrow is the right first step.

vv (Cherokee)

Enka (Muskogee Creek)

Ome (Choctaw)

𐒹𐓂𐓏𐒷 (Osage)

𐒰𐒹𐒱 (Osage)

Yes (English)

vv (Cherokee) Enka (Muskogee Creek) Ome (Choctaw) 𐒹𐓂𐓏𐒷 (Osage) 𐒰𐒹𐒱 (Osage) Yes (English)

The risk is real.

According to SAMHSA, excessive alcohol use can increase your risk of liver cirrhosis, stroke, alcoholic hepatitis, cancer, and other serious conditions. It can also lead to risky behaviors, including driving while impaired.

Among those ages 12 or older in 2020, 9.5 million people misused opioids in the past year. Drugs and alcohol limit your ability to thrive, grow and learn.

Continue the conversation. Find your yes.