(March, 2024) Facing Realities: Insights from National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week

From March 18th to the 24th, we had National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week (NDAFW) sweeping across communities nationwide! This amazing public health campaign, backed by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, aimed to spread crucial information about alcohol, drugs, and addiction.

But guess what? March also happens to be Vaping Awareness Month, which fits right into the spirit of NDAFW. Vaping is not just addictive; it can also mess with your brain and development. Big Tobacco often targets young folks with all sorts of tempting vape flavors. Thankfully, in 2022, California scored a big victory with Proposition 31, putting an end to most flavored tobacco products in the state. Yet, it's still super important to chat with kids about the not-so-great effects of tobacco. Did you know that nicotine salts in vapes pack a stronger punch, making addiction more likely? In fact, teens who vape are 3x more likely to become daily cigarette smokers!

Now, let's talk about another raising issue: fentanyl. More and more young adults and teens are hopping onto social media to score pills like Percocet, Xanax, and Adderall. But here's the scary part—they're often not the real deal. Sometimes, these pills are mixed with other drugs, like fentanyl, and shaped to look legit. But just a tiny 2 milligrams of fentanyl can be deadly. Shockingly, fentanyl overdoses made up over 80% of drug-related deaths among young people in California in 2021. Fentanyl isn't just dangerous; it's highly addictive and can even push folks towards other harmful drugs like heroin and meth. That's why it's crucial for parents and guardians to have honest conversations with youth about the risks of drugs, especially fentanyl.

Sources: Check out more about California's flavored tobacco law here!

Let's keep the conversation going!