Travis County Youth Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition

It’s April, Alcohol Awareness Month – and that means it’s time to engage parents with MADD’s Power of Parents program. Research shows that adolescents who are more connected with their  parents, for example, who attend family dinners more frequently, are less likely to drink alcohol or use other drugs among … Continue to full story .......

Addiction can happen at any age, but the DEA said it usually starts when a person is young. Look out when adolescents start behaving differently for no apparent reason, including acting withdrawn, frequently tired or depressed or hostile, a change in peer groups, carelessness with grooming, decline in academic performance, … Continue to full story .......

Teenagers’ cannabis addiction rates are about the same as those for prescription opioids, says a new study in JAMA Pediatrics.  “A year after first trying cannabis, almost 10.7 per cent of adolescents age 12 to 17 met the criteria of addiction.  Those in the same age group who tried … Continue to full story .......

In a nationally representative cross-sectional study of 15 200 parent-adolescent dyads from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, controlling for other factors, parental medical prescription opioid use within the past year was associated with adolescent medical prescription opioid use and misuse, whereas parental misuse was not.  These findings … Continue to full story .......

Feb. 21, 2021 – Bloomberg — A stronger version of a drug comes along and addicts a new generation of kids to an age-old vice.  Sound familiar? That narrative has ensnared the vape industry, resulting in regulatory challenges and ongoing lawsuits over high-nicotine products. And now cannabis faces a similar … Continue to full story .......

Suicide and opioid overdose contribute to substantial morbidity and mortality each year in the United States. In previous studies, researchers have reported that youth with a lifetime history of prescription opioid misuse (POM) are at increased risk for suicidal ideation, planning, and attempts.   During 2018, suicide was the second leading … Continue to full story .......

Feb 10, 2021 – Despite hard-fought progress in recent years, new data from the CDC shows that drug overdose deaths in the U.S. are now at their highest level ever, soaring to more than 81,000 in the 12-month period between June 2019 and June 2020. At the same time, … Continue to full story .......

Feb. 9, 2021 – Austin – State Representative John Raney (Bryan/College Station) filed House Bill 1694 that would protect from prosecution any Texan who calls 911 to aid an individual who appears to have overdosed as well as the person for whom aid is sought. The intent is to remove … Continue to full story .......