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…
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…
Usually, I think of myself as a kind, thoughtful & compassionate person – I probably pride myself on that, or at least carry a sense of “I’m a good and decent person” around in my mind and spirit. But my adult child pointed something out to me recently which I had not realized: I can…
According to the CDC, there are many risks to teens who drink and take drugs. Movies and television shows depict parties filled with care-free, beautiful, youthful, smiling faces cavorting and drinking alcohol and taking drugs. So, parents worry their children may be influenced by these messages and get carried away by end of year high school festivities…
When is the “right” time to start talking with kids about vaping? Probably earlier than you think! Results from the 2022 National Youth Tobacco Survey indicated that 380,000 middle school students and 2.14 million high school students reported using e-cigarettes. Not sure how to start the conversation or what to say? Check out the American Lung Association’s Vaping Conversation…
Recent research by the American Heart Association has found that teens and young adults (ages 13-24) who vape nicotine and/or THC are more likely to also report symptoms of anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts than teens who do not vape. Of those who vape, around 20-30% reported that they started vaping to help cope with stress,…
“Senior Week” may be every parent’s worst nightmare. Should I let my child go to the beach unchaperoned for the week or not? Do I give into peer pressure from other parents, or will my student be ostracized if they don’t go to this expected event? This practice seems to be an east coast tradition.…
Many of us grandparents have kept our medications in the same place since we were young parents, which most likely we learned from our parents. Times have changed and we need to be more aware of the dangers of keeping medications within reach of our grandchildren. In a recent study it showed that 80% of…
Many parents struggle with when to start allowing their teens to travel with friends without adult supervision. While 18 is the magical age of adulthood, not all teens are equally mature and ready for the same level of responsibility at that age. If only there were some test that we could just give our teens…
Recently we watched an episode of the television show How I Met Your Father, a loose spin-off of How I Met Your Mother with a similar format. Characters and setting are like twins to the earlier show although some of the characters have different careers – including a wannabe photographer and a fashion stylist. In…
“NOOOO! Not my Skittles!” One Howard County middle school student lamented. “I can’t believe the companies would allow this,” another replied. “But I like Nerds…” another concerned student chimed in. These are just a few examples of the reactions we received when Howard County students in HC DrugFree’s Life Skills Class were shown photos of…
Submitted by a Howard County parent and teacher According to a poll of students in the HC DrugFree Spring 2023 Life Skills class, of the 62% of the students who answered the question “What do yo think influences your decisions the most?” almost HALF said their parents. A little less than half of respondents said peers. What…
On Wednesday, August 31st, Howard County held an International Overdose Awareness event at St.Johns Episcopal Church in Ellicott City to recognize those who have overdosed or been affected by opioid misuse . Many organizations were present. The event offered different resources, including Naloxone Training, an Overdose Response Demonstration, and a Program of Celebration. I represented…
Recently, on Facebook, a friend posted that she was approaching 100 days without alcohol and feeling thankful to have stopped drinking and started living.I was surprised at her post because I’ve known her for more than 15 years, she’s always been extremely responsible in every area of her personal and professional life, and even with…
I am a parent of two college students that grew up in Howard County. Thinking back to their middle school years, opportunities for exposure to life skill building outside of the home environment would have provided an excellent opportunity for additional growth. Such experiences were rare to non-existent in Howard County Public School System (HCPSS)…
I heard an uplifting story on the radio this morning. The DJ was talking about today being the last day of 2020 and asked what one word would describe this year to his listeners? He shared how his daughter used chicken wire and lights to create a sign in their front yard that greeted him…
HC DrugFree’s Guiding Good Choices class has exceeded expectations and we are only 2 classes in. The range of topics covered has been very helpful. While I assumed that it would be a class about telling our kids not to drink alcohol or take drugs, it is much more than that. The class teaches us…
Volunteering at HC DrugFree’s drive-thru Take Back Event during a pandemic was a positive experience. Not only were the staff and other volunteers warm and welcoming, they took the proper precautions to ensure the environment was COVID safe. There were volunteers there doing many different tasks. Students and parents were holding signs and arrows pointing traffic towards…
I just read an excellent article that very clearly lays out the aspects of an adolescent’s life that can lead to minor or major depression and the hope and help available. In my teen years I was fortunate to escape anxiety and depression, but I have danced with both as an adult and I feel…
My recovery journey began about 32 years ago. My 14-year-old son led me into action. He was skipping school and not obeying the rules of our home. I was reacting like a crazed mother. Mainly, I was worried sick about his actions and knowing that he was using substances. I was afraid for his life.…
Not my kid, not my kid. How many times have I said that in my head and out loud. When the truth was, it is my kid. I am a daughter, a sister, a wife, a friend, a nurse and a mother of a heroin addict. This journey was fast and furious starting with marijuana at age…
Last night I attended my first Senior Week: Staying Safe in OC program. When it concluded, all I could think about was that every family that goes near a beach needs to hear this valuable information! While the focus is to keep high school seniors safe as they celebrate their “rite of passage,” there were…
Last year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 91 Americans die from an opioid-related overdose every day. Now, that average has increased to 115 Americans a day. This is a national crisis that has serious, lasting effects on our society’s public health, as well as our social and economic welfare. To combat…
While the weather was far less than ideal, HC DrugFree’s most recent Drug Take Back Day turned out to be terrific! Even while out in the cold, wet, breezy atmosphere of the October 27 medication and sharps drive-thru collection in the Wilde Lake Village Center parking lot, I knew the weather could have been far…
My son and several friends were going out drinking for Cinco de Mayo. They said they were going to be safe because they were going to take the train from our town just 3 short stops to a village that had many bars and restaurants where young folks were celebrating the holiday. After many hours…
My nephew, Ryan, and his girlfriend, Lauren, met on the streets of Dallas, Texas where both were homeless and shooting up heroin whenever they could get it. They were two attractive, blonde, privileged kids from upper middle class homes–bright and well-educated. Their parents and extended families loved them deeply, but could not tolerate their behavior.…
“As a parent of a young man in Recovery, I can say with confidence that it feels good to have hope again. There were times when it was all we could do as parents to face the day, knowing that our son was in the fight of his life. But with love, encouragement and some…
“Listen, nothing in life is ever perfect. Nothing ever goes as we want it to. So is life in Recovery. It is filled with ups and downs, emotions crawling to the surface that used to be numb, buried. Anyway you see it, Recovery is a journey. It’s a struggle to fight each day but the…
Like so many of you, my family has been focused on the end-of-summer rites of passage…back to school shopping, first day of school photos, life revving up into high gear again. Buses and car pools, PTA meetings, after-school activities, the list goes on. Kids and parents alike are both excited and stressed. For those transitioning…
(To HC DrugFree staff) Remember, I emailed you about my son and wondering whether to give him the oxycodone for wisdom teeth removal? Well….I did NOT even fill the prescription for oxycodone. He did fine with Motrin 600 mg and Tylenol. He said he did not even think he needed the oxycodone. When I told the dentist of…
We are now in an age where widespread drug and vape usage has increased; now it is not an uncommon sight for school bathrooms or classrooms to be shut down because of needed cleaning or prevention of rapid drug use. Soon where students leave high school environments or go to college there will be more…
Wow…I just read the blog, “Setting Realistic Expectations for Struggling to Launch Adults” by Dr. Rick Silver. I am exhausted. This issue is my story. I have been stressing and struggling for years to understand, accept and assist my young adult, first to become what I thought he should/could be, then what I hoped he…
