According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, more than 38,000 Americans are diagnosed with HIV every year. Moreover, one in ten of the new infections are among users who inject drugs. Did you know that Howard County is next to 3 counties of only 48 in the entire United States responsible for more…
In 1987 the United Nations General Assembly declared June 26th as International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. “The aim of this year’s campaign is to raise awareness about the importance of treating people who use drugs with respect and empathy; providing evidence-based, voluntary services for all; offering alternatives to punishment; prioritizing prevention; and leading with…
Beginning on July 1st Maryland residents 21 years or over will be able to purchase marijuana for recreational use from licensed dispensaries. The Centers for Disease Control issued a public warning about how using marijuana can increase the risk of mental illness, including schizophrenia, depression, and suicidal ideation. Concerningly, a graph from the National Institutes of Health shows marijuana…
Every June the CDC partners with The National Safety Council to provide weekly topical information to celebrate National Safety Month. Summer Solstice happens on June 21st, so appropriately, the theme for this week is “heat-related illnesses.” Thankfully, Howard County has not experienced any heat-related deaths in the last 5 years, according to the Maryland Department of Health 2022 Heat-related Illness…
June is PTSD Awareness Month, officially declared by President Barack Obama in 2014. PTSD is an acronym for “Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.” This mental health disorder, originally identified in Veterans as early as the Civil War, has been recognized since 1980 in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM), which mental health professionals use for guiding diagnoses. According to…
On May 31, 1994, President Bill Clinton signed Men’s Health Week into law to encourage men to visit the doctor as much as women to close the age of mortality gap. Initially, the bill had been introduced by Senator Bob Dole who survived prostate cancer because it was identified early. Now the U.S. Department of…
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) today released a new data report Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Behavioral Health: Results from the 2021 and 2022 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (PDF | 2.1 MB), indicating that lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults are more likely than straight adults to use substances, experience mental…
More information about future Life Skills and other classes and events will be shared in our newsletter. FREE and back by popular demand!!! Life Skills Training for Grades 6-9 (or slightly younger or older) The 8 FREE online sessions will be offered during the 2023-24 school year…Stay tuned for future dates HC DrugFree will provide another…
I didn’t expect to learn so much when I started the Guiding Good Choices parenting classes offered by HC DrugFree several years ago. I wish I had taken these classes sooner. My older children would have benefitted greatly – and so would I. I’m a relatively well-educated person, but I wasn’t prepared for the requirements…
As a parent, you are bursting with pride at the sight of your high schooler walking across the stage at Merriweather Post Pavilion. They are about to embark on an exciting journey towards full fledged adulthood. But they aren’t there yet! Their brain won’t be fully developed until 25 years old (we used to think 21!) They…
