Medicine is supposed to help you when you are sick… why is it dangerous?
Medicine abuse is a national epidemic. More Americans are abusing prescription medicine than ever, and like other types of drug use, problematic behavior often begins during the teen and young adult years. Learn more.
I keep hearing about fentanyl. What is it?
Deaths from fentanyl and other synthetic opioids (not including methadone), rose a staggering 72 percent in just one year, from 2014 to 2015. Government agencies and officials of all types are rightly concerned by what some are describing as the third wave of our ongoing opioid epidemic. Learn more.
Alcohol is legal… why can’t I drink it?
Teens try alcohol for a variety of reasons – to exert independence, escape from stress, peer pressure, rebellion and even boredom – but they tend to do so without fully recognizing alcohol’s negative effects or health risks. Learn more.
We eat mushrooms for dinner, how are magic mushrooms different?
Magic mushrooms contain hallucinogenic compounds which can cause a person to see images, hear sounds, and feel sensations that seem real but do not exist. Learn more.
My friends are using “study drugs”, can they help me improve my grades too?
Some students hear that Adderall can can help them focus and perform academically, and think of it as a ‘study drug.’ Many teens and young adults are under the mistaken impression that because prescription stimulants such as Adderall came from a doctor that they are safe or safer than ‘street drugs.’ Learn more.
What is “popcorn lung”?
The latest trend in smoking has been e-cigarettes and vaping… turns out they can cause a terrible disease called “popcorn lung”. Learn more.
What exactly is medical marijuana?
The term medical marijuana refers to using the whole, unprocessed marijuana plant or its basic extracts to treat symptoms of illness and other conditions. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not recognized or approved the marijuana plant as medicine. Learn more.
Juuling is safer than cigarettes… isn’t it?
Once you take the first hit, your brain automatically associates the sweet flavor as “good”, triggering your pleasure center to automatically equate juuling as good, fostering a lifetime addiction to tobacco and nicotine. So if you’re eighteen or older and feel like trying out a juul, please know exactly what you’re getting yourself into before you risk your health. Learn more.
What is binge drinking? Is it bad for you?
Binge-drinking is having five or more alcoholic drinks in a row or on one occasion. Some teenagers think of binge-drinking and getting drunk as a ‘rite of passage’. They might do it on special occasions such as 16th and 18th birthdays, school graduations or at homecoming week. Some teenagers binge-drink more often than that. Learn more.
I only use alcohol once in a while. Why is that so bad?
Using alcohol and other drugs in the teenage years is bad for your child’s brain development. It can also be bad for your child’s long-term physical and mental health. If you suspect your child is using alcohol or other drugs, you need to act. Learn more.