Alcohol is the most widely misused substance among America’s youth. Consumption of alcohol by anyone under the age of 21, also known as underage drinking, remains a considerable public health challenge. Adolescent alcohol use is not an acceptable rite of passage, but a serious threat to adolescent development and health.
Engaging young people in advocacy, education & prevention
Creating social change around alcohol, drugs, and more
Creating social change around alcohol, drugs, and more
Resources for Youth
Drugs can impair your ability to drive safely and increase the risk of getting into a collision. In fact, cannabis increases your chance of a car accident. The percentage of Canadian drivers killed in vehicle crashes who test positive for drugs (40%) now actually exceeds the numbers who test positive
Information and resources from the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI)
Without mental health we cannot be healthy. We all experience emotional ups and downs from time to time caused by events in our lives. Mental health conditions go beyond these emotional reactions to specific situations. They are medical conditions that
Information taken from CDC.gov
Every day, 29 people in the United States die in motor vehicle crashes that involve an alcohol-impaired driver. This is one death every 50 minutes. The annual cost of alcohol-related crashes totals more than $44 billion.
About one in three traffic deaths in the United States involve a driver with a
Brought to you by How High Ventura County and Ventura County Behavioral Health.
1 in 4 Ventura County high school juniors has smoked weed in the past month. How High Ventura County is a health initiative designed to teach parents and youth that marijuana affects teens differently. It's not about politics.
Are today's teens and young adults at risk of developing depression and anxiety due to our constant use of technology, screen time, and social media? And does this impact their alcohol and drug use or abuse? How can parents encourage healthy use of technology and better coping mechanisms
Someone in this country dies by suicide every 12 minutes, but suicide deaths are not inevitable. For every person who dies by suicide, 278 individuals think seriously about suicide but do not die. For some, the difference may be connecting with a compassionate, trained crisis center volunteer or staff member who
Elizabeth D'Amico is a senior behavioral scientist at RAND and a licensed clinical psychologist. She is nationally known for her work on motivational interventions that help adolescents and young adults make healthier decisions, especially around alcohol and drug use. She leads a large and ongoing research project at RAND to
Originally, the mission of Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) was to help young people say “No” to drinking and driving. Today, the mission has expanded. Students have told us that positive peer pressure, role modeling, and environmental strategies can prevent other destructive decisions and set a healthier, safer course for
The author of this post is going to be a junior in high school in Ventura County in the fall.
Are you stressed or depressed? Stress and depression are very similar but they have different affects on the body.
Stress is good for you when it motivates you, but not when it