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Drugs & Alcohol

Drugs & Alcohol

Teens: Before You Dab, Get the Facts on Smoking Wax

What is Marijuana Wax? Marijuana wax is a highly concentrated cannabis substance recognized by its dark amber color and thick, waxy consistency. While it contains THC concentrations up to a 90%, it is easy to conceal due to its small size and unsuspecting appearance. Marijuana wax is a popular alternative to marijuana flowers because it is stronger and requires smaller amounts for users to achieve a substantial “high”. If you’re

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adolescent girl reads on couch
Drugs & Alcohol

The Results Are In: Adolescent Drug and Alcohol Use During the Pandemic

We wanted to take a look at the impact of the pandemic on adolescent drug and alcohol use. During 2021, Did Teens Smoke, Drink, and Vape More Than in 2020? In March of 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic swept across the United States, experts on adolescent development issued a series of dire warnings about the potential negative impact of the public health measures enacted in most states, cities, and communities.

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red telephone to represent 988 hotline
Addiction

New National Suicide and Mental Health Emergency Hotline: Call 988

Suicide Hotline, Mental Health Emergencies, Substance Use Emergencies Before the coronavirus pandemic swept across the country in early 2020 and created a mental health crisis for children and adolescents that prompted the Surgeon General of the United States to publish an advisory in early 2021 called Protecting Youth Mental Health, there was already a mental health crisis brewing. The crisis: suicide. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) published a series

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marijuana smoke coming from teen girl mouth
Drugs & Alcohol

Teen Marijuana Use in the New Era of Legalization

Does Legalization Mean Adolescents Think Marijuana is Harmless? “Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States.” That’s the first sentence in the article “Marijuana Legalization And Historical Trends In Marijuana Use Among US Residents Aged 12–25: Results From The 1979–2016 National Survey On Drug Use And Health.” That sentence – and others that say the same thing with slightly different words – also appears on websites

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teen girl looking sleepy
Addiction

Fatal Adolescent Drug Overdose: New Report Shows Alarming Trend

Fentanyl-Involved Deaths Drive Increase If you read or follow national news at all, you know that for the past decade, the nation has been in the grip of what’s called the opioid crisis. The opioid crisis – or the opioid epidemic, as it is also called – actually began over twenty years ago, around 1999, with an increase in opioid prescriptions driving upward trends in opioid addiction and opioid-related overdose

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Teens and Fentanyl: What Parents Need to Know

If you follow news on the opioid crisis in the United States, then it’s likely you’ve heard about fentanyl. Fentanyl is the drug responsible for driving overdose death rates to an all-time record high. In 2021, over 100,000 people in the U.S. died of drug overdose, with deaths involving fentanyl and other powerful synthetic opioids like carfentanil accounting for over 70,000 of those fatalities. In a public service warning published

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Post-Pandemic Socializing Might Mean Trouble for Teens in Recovery: Here’s Why

If you’re a teen, you’ve got to be excited the coronavirus pandemic is coming to an end. 2020 was tough. You endured a year of missed school, no friends, and no gatherings. Facemasks, anxiety, social distancing. Missed milestones, cancelled trips, and quarantines. It’s no wonder COVID-19 caused a mental health crisis for teens and young people. Globally, youth experienced unprecedented rates of depression, self-harming behavior, and suicidal ideation. Post-COVID Teens

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Drugs & Alcohol

National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week 2021

In 2010, scientists and experts on drug and alcohol use from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) launched a public awareness campaign to offer teenagers real facts about alcohol and drug use among their peer group. The purpose of the campaign was twofold: Present teenagers with the latest data on alcohol and drugs. Refute myths and misconceptions about alcohol and drug use teenagers find online and learn from television,

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Children of Alcoholics Awareness Week 2021

Each year during the week of Valentine’s Day, alcoholism awareness advocates around the U.S. and the world observe National Children of Alcoholics Week (COA Awareness Week) to draw attention to the challenges children of alcoholic parents face every day. In response to the growing epidemic of addiction in the U.S., COA Awareness week now includes all children of addiction – not just children of alcoholics. The information in this article

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How Many High School Teens in Santa Barbara Use Drugs? Where Do They Get Them?

If you’re a Santa Barbara resident – a parent, teen, or a professional who works with adolescents – the current data on substance use among high school students in your area may be of interest. The following information comes from the California Healthy Kids Survey. Officials administer the anonymous survey to every school district in California on an annual basis. The tables below show rates of substance use for high

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