In February, the High School Positive Impact Club planned awareness activities related to “Marijuana Awareness Month”. At the beginning of February, there was a window display for “Marijuana Awareness Month” which included facts about marijuana and its impact on the teenage brain. The Positive Impact Club students hosted a marijuana “foggles” demonstration and information table for the “Marijuana Awareness Month”. The students guided their peers through a written maze activity to demonstrate executive functioning impairment as a result of marijuana use. The table also provided information about the risks associated with marijuana use, and National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) “Marijuana Facts for Teens” pamphlets were made available to students both at the table and in the high school main office.

Learn more about marijuana.

Lessons Learned After 4 Years of Marijuana Legalization.

The laws have had significant negative impacts on public health and safety, such as:

• Rising rates of pot use by minors

• Increasing arrest rates of minors, especially black and Hispanic children

• Higher rates of traffic deaths from driving while high

• More marijuana-related poisonings and hospitalizations

• A persistent black market that may now involve increased Mexican cartel activity in Colorado

Learn more.

April 20, 2016 – Westchester County Executive Robert P. Astorino gathered with nearly 100 high school students, teachers, health professionals and parents who make up the Westchester Coalition for Drug and Alcohol Free Youth to declare April 20th as “Healthy Teen Brain Day” in Westchester.

In recent years, April 20th has become known as a day when some young people gather to smoke marijuana. Throughout Westchester County, municipalities and coalitions are joining forces to raise awareness about the risks associated with adolescent marijuana use.

Read the full article.

Healthy Teen Brain Day

Irvington at “Healthy Teen Brain Day”

February was Marijuana Awareness Month, and this week is April 20th (also known as “4/20”) which is often associated with marijuana use. Teens receive mixed messages about marijuana almost every day, and it is helpful for them to learn the facts from the adults in their lives. Research shows that teens are less likely to use drugs if they clearly know their parents disapprove. Talk to your children soon & often about the risks of drug use.

Please view the pamphlet “Marijuana: Facts Parents Need to Know” from the National Institute on Drug Abuse. This informative document answers some commonly asked questions among parents, and it addresses how to talk to your kids about the risks of marijuana use.

For more information about this & other topics, please contact the Irvington High School Student Assistance Counselor – Jennifer Traditi, LMHC – Jennifer.Traditi@IrvingtonSchools.org or 914-269-5469.