
THE DANGERS OF TEEN VAPING: THIS FREE GUIDE EXPLAINS WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
A new generation of nicotine addicts have easy access to vaping, and they don't know the risks.
Read Article30 years ago actor Michael Keaton portrayed a recovering addict in the movie "Clean and Sober." Now in 2021, he returns to an addiction storyline as a small-town physician on Hulu's hit TV show Dopesick. The 8-episode miniseries chronicles the rise of the prescription narcotic Oxycontin from an unknown painkiller in the 1990s to one of the root causes of our country's ongoing opioid epidemic.
In real life, the crisis just took an even more dramatic turn. This summer the CDC reported that U.S. overdose deaths had skyrocketed to 93,000 in 2020. COVID-related turmoil and isolation had helped push a massive jump of around 30% over 2019. And even as the pandemic's effects are starting to fade, overdose rates are still continuing to rise.
New numbers just released show that more than 100,000 overdose deaths occurred in the previous 12 months. This 50% increase in preventable fatalities from just a few years ago marked the first time deaths had ever reached the 7-figure range. The crisis is forcing a strategy shift from treatment efforts to harm-reduction measures, including overdose awareness/education and over-the-counter availability of the overdose medication naloxone (trademark Narcan).
As with many other aspects of the pandemic, BIPOC communities were disproportionately affected by the overdose surge. St. Louis was the focus of an Associated Press feature that reported black men in Missouri were four times more likely than a white person to die of an overdose.
Children and teens are also being deeply affected. SAMHSA research showed that children 12 and up are part of the 1.6 million people with an opioid use disorder. Safe and Sober has actively addressed this issue in our past school videos and will continue to make it a focus of our substance misuse messages.
As reported by the American Psychiatric Association, Opioid Use Disorder is defined as "a problematic pattern of opioid use leading to problems or distress". Red flags include at least two of the following situations occurring within a 12-month period:
A new generation of nicotine addicts have easy access to vaping, and they don't know the risks.
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Read ArticleLearn about the dangers of the wide-spread drug, cannabis
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Read ArticleVaping paves the pathway to other addictions for young nicotine users.
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Read ArticleLearn why alcohol impaired driving has been on the rise, and what you can do to stop it.
Read ArticleA look at how alcohol affects the developing brains of teenagers.
Watch VideoThis product was supported by SAMHSA grant funding.
Watch VideoReal talk from real teens on avoiding alcohol in high school.
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Watch VideoBro! For the first time ever, teenage girls now consume more alcohol than their male peers. Read why this flip of the alcohol gender gap has serious implications.
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Watch VideoFor your family. For your friends. For your future. For you.
Watch VideoMany teens are still struggling with emotional challenges as the world moves on from COVID-19. Our featured guest contributor breaks down some of the warning signs.
Read ArticleOpioid prescriptions are often misused. Safety is a top priority.
Read ArticleMiddle and high school students have been in the center of a mental health crisis for years, but the COVID-19 pandemic brought the situation into sharp focus.
Read ArticleStart the conversation about mental health with your teen.
Read ArticleThe earlier you can start the conversation, the better.
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