The number of people with insurance coverage for alcohol and drug abuse disorders is about to explode at a time when there’s already a severe shortage of trained behavioral health professionals in many states. Until now, there’s been no data on just how severe the shortage is and where it’s most dire. Jeff Zornitsky of […]
Many have heard the phrase coined among today’s teens, “Fear of Missing Out” (FoMO). While most perceive it as a harmless mantra for today’s hyper-connected youth, a new study released by Liberty Mutual Insurance and SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) reveals that the pressures of this “always-on” lifestyle have manifested in potentially deadly consequences behind […]
As more states legalize and decriminalize marijuana for recreational use—such as Oregon, which has moved toward legalizing recreational marijuana sales on October 1, 2015, rather than 2016 as originally planned—some question the effect that legalization has on adolescents’ perception of marijuana’s harmful effects. Studies show that while teens’ overall use of substances is decreasing, use […]
Summer Is Key Time to Step Up Prevention Efforts According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), July is a peak month for teens to try drugs, alcohol, or cigarettes for the for the first time. Summer, therefore, is considered a “heightened risk” time for substance use initiation. According to the national […]
After pressure from investors, studio prohibits smoking depictions in Disney-produced films with G, PG, and PG-13 Ratings. The Walt Disney Company has become the first major Hollywood studio to prohibit cigarette smoking depictions in films they produce with youth ratings. The company’s new policy will limit smoking depictions to films with an R rating, a […]
Thanks to years of concerted prevention efforts, fewer teens smoke cigarettes, but what about marijuana and e-cigarette use? Unfortunately, those rates are rising. Part of the problem is that, while adolescents got the message about the harmful effects of cigarettes and the manipulative marketing practices used by their makers, when it comes to other products, […]
Smokers who are able to quit might actually be hard-wired for success, according to a study from Duke Medicine. The study, published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology, showed greater connectivity among certain brain regions in people who successfully quit smoking compared to those who tried and failed. The researchers analyzed MRI scans of 85 people taken […]
Findings consistent among respondents who have attended college and those who haven’t A survey of almost 1,200 college-age youth from around the country found that almost 16 percent report having used pain pills not prescribed to them at some point in their life, while over 37 percent said they would not know where to go […]
Alcohol still remains the most widely used substance of abuse among youths aged 12 to 20 A new report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) shows a significant decline in the level of past month (current) underage alcohol consumption, as well as a drop in underage binge drinking. The report shows […]
Today the juniors and seniors at Tappan Zee High School had the opportunity to hear guest speaker, Bobby Petrocelli (www.10seconds.org). His powerful message about how one moment changed his life echoed around the silent auditorium as students listened respectfully and on the edge of their seats. We then moved on to a DWI Mock Accident. […]