Travis County Youth Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition

Here we are again. Alarm bells are already sounding for the next threat to the health and safety of youth: marijuana edibles. And once again, government not only seems oblivious to it but is doing more to help the marijuana industry than to protect families from being blindsided yet again … Continue to full story .......

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 Look out when adolescents start behaving differently for no apparent reason, including acting withdrawn, frequently tired or depressed or hostile, a change in peer groups, carelessness with grooming, decline in academic performance, … Continue to full story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 .......