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Austin Public Health (APH) has unveiled a comprehensive resource aimed at tackling the opioid overdose epidemic in the community. This new hub provides essential information and tools to raise awareness and offer support for individuals struggling with opioid addiction. Continue reading
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If you suspect that your child or adolescent is at risk for developing mental illnesses or substance use disorders, the best thing you can do is intervene with services as soon as possible. Research has indicated that adolescence is a … Continue reading
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Aug. 5, 2020 – (KXAN) — COVID-19 is tough on all of us, but on top of that stress imagine battling addiction along with isolation, depression and constant change. If you are struggling with alcoholism and need help, Austin AA … Continue reading
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Teens may have found a loophole in the FDA’s ban on most flavored e-cigarette. The policy does not apply to non-refillable devices designed to be discarded, which teens have quickly taken advantage of, according to the Times. The Trump administration outlawed the sale of flavors like fruit and mint for e-cigarettes that use refillable cartridges earlier this month. Continue reading
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Alcohol causes more deaths than all drug overdoses combined. So perhaps America needs to take a more comprehensive view of drug policy in general. One example for booze is raising the alcohol tax. There is a ton of research that suggests this would reduce alcohol-related deaths. One review by David Roodman, a senior adviser and researcher for the Open Philanthropy Project, found the “literature on this topic is large,” and “the preponderance of the evidence says that higher prices do correlate with less drinking and lower incidence of problems such as cirrhosis deaths.” He concluded “a 10% price increase would cut the death rate [from alcohol-caused diseases by] 9-25%. For the US in 2010, this represents 2,000-6,000 averted deaths/year.” Continue reading
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A man who became known as the “affluenza teen” for his unusual defense at a 2013 manslaughter trial was set to be released from a Texas jail after prosecutors raised questions Friday about a drug test that triggered an alleged probation violation. Ethan Couch, 22, avoided prison following his initial conviction for killing four people while driving drunk. Continue reading
A Florida District Court of Appeal overturned a Leon County judge’s dismissal of felony hazing charges against three men charged in the 2017 death of Florida State fraternity pledge Andrew Coffey finding the three fraternity leaders directed training, indoctrination and other activities and had been trained on the dangers of binge drinking. Continue reading
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Children of parents with substance use issues are more likely to experience trauma and its effects, which include difficulties with concentration and learning, controlling physical and emotional responses to stress, and forming trusting relationships,” and it is critical for teens who live with a parent who has an SUD to learn how to talk to others about what happens at howhy we need sadnessme. “These kids need support from other caring adults, whether that be at school, at places of worship, at after-school programs, or at work.” Continue reading
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Because alcohol changes the way the brain processes information, it also makes it difficult for people to make suitable decisions or assess their own behavior. For example, people who are very drunk might underestimate how intoxicated they are. Some might not even know that they are drunk. BAC is a measure of how much alcohol is in a person’s blood. This number represents a blood alcohol percentage. For example, a BAC of 0.05 means that the person’s blood is 0.05% alcohol. Continue reading
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Michigan on Wednesday will become the first state in the nation to ban flavored e-cigarettes, a step the governor said was needed to protect young people from the potentially harmful effects of vaping. It also noted that nicotine can affect the developing brain and that studies indicate that young people who vape are more likely to start smoking regular cigarettes. Continue reading
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“No amount of marijuana use in pregnancy or adolescence is safe,” said Surgeon General Jerome Adams who issued an advisory Thursday warning against marijuana use by teens, pregnant women and those who are breastfeeding because of its effects on the “developing brain.” The advisory also addressed the growing problem of cannabis-induced psychosis and schizophrenia linked to marijuana use. Continue reading
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With more than 800 new state laws taking effect at the start of September, including the legal age for tobacco and vaping products rises from 18 to 21. SB 21 makes it illegal to buy, use or possess tobacco and vaping products for those under age 21. Violations could bring a $100 fine, although members of the military who are at least 18 years old are exempted from the new age limit. Texas becomes the 15th state to raise the legal age to 21, with similar laws in three additional states taking effect by Dec. 1, according to the Tobacco 21 advocacy group. Continue reading
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The Texas Alcohol Beverage Commission announced Monday that agents have begun the agency’s annual undercover operations during back-to-school season. TABC will use minors to try and buy alcohol from retailers, and if a sale happens, agents will go in and inform the manager of the violation. Selling alcohol to minors is considered a Class A misdemeanor that’s punishable by up to a $4,000 fine and a year in jail. Continue reading
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Below are some of the major laws that passed and what they mean for Texans. The descriptions are not all-inclusive, just summaries of some of the high points of that particular piece of legislation. Click each bill to read more. … Continue reading
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As a teen growing up in the Philadelphia area, when summer rolled around, I was dedicated to the pool, the Jersey Shore, Rita’s Water Ice, and unlimited sleepovers. As an eighth-grade graduate, I looked forward to the longer days and freedom that summer had always provided. No school, no homework, no sports … no structure. I had no idea this summer I would smoke marijuana and drink alcohol for the first time. Continue reading
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Pediatricians should continue to screen for alcohol use as part of routine care by sending a clear, consistent message against the use of alcohol by those under age 21 years,
providing SBIRT (screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment) in everyday practice by screening for alcohol use, and by educating families about the hazards of alcohol use in youths and how parents’ alcohol use and disapproval of alcohol use by their children affect youths’ decision to use alcohol. Continue reading
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Although hazing has rarely been prosecuted since the law against it was established in 1995, and excessive consumption of alcohol has figured in a number of hazing-related deaths over the years. Now the Texas Legislature is expected to give preliminary approval to legislation that would add coercing a student to consume an alcoholic beverage, liquor or drug to the definition of hazing making it is a crime under state law and a violation of college and university conduct codes. Continue reading
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The Texas House gave initial approval Tuesday to raising the legal age to buy, use or own tobacco products or electronic cigarettes from 18 to 21, turning aside two amendments that sought to weaken or gut the restriction. Raising the age would help keep tobacco and vaping products out of schools and away from younger people who are highly susceptible to addictive behavior, said state Rep. John Zerwas, a physician. Continue reading
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A survey last year of University of Texas students found, for example, that more than one-fourth of roughly 1,000 undergraduates experienced hazing behaviors that included consumption of large amounts of an alcoholic beverage and being screamed and cursed at by other members of a group. Senate Bill 38, authored by Texas Senator Zaffirini, is intended to make the state’s current law on hazing more enforceable. Continue reading
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Investigators think the stabbing of an Anderson High School senior in January happened in a robbery-gone-wrong by two middle school students, according to four people involved in the case. A 13-year-old and 15-year-old, whose names have not been released, are charged with murder in the death of 18-year-old Carson Smith. Reportedly both students at Murchison Middle School, told Carson, who previously attended Murchison, that they wanted to purchase liquid cartridges with marijuana that they could use for vaping. Continue reading
