By Nathan Grounds March 17 is St. Patrick’s Day; a time filled with parades, shamrocks, green clothing, and plenty of alcohol. But how did this centuries-old holiday evolve from a day to commemorate the patron saint of Ireland to the biggest beer-drinking holiday in the United...
By Joseph Byrum How much do you know about electronic cigarettes? Before becoming coalition coordinator for the Piney Woods Substance Abuse Coalition last September, I didn’t know much about electronic cigarettes or how they can affect your health, particularly the health of adolescents. To be completely honest,...
Across the board, substance use is down in East Texas. Here at Next Step, we focus our work on preventing the use of four main substances most likely to be used by teens: alcohol, tobacco & vape, marijuana, and prescription drugs. The data we use comes...
by Joseph Byrum Coalition Corner is an opportunity to highlight the good work that coalition members do every day and to hear their thoughts about coalition work. Crystal Dykes is a Health Educator with the Prevention Network for North East Texas (PREV-NET). How long have you been a...
by Joseph Byrum Coalition Corner is an opportunity to highlight the good work that coalition members do every day and to hear their thoughts about coalition work. Officer Patricia Davis is a School Resource Officer at Kilgore Middle School and serves as the Youth Director for the...
by Joseph Byrum There are several reasons why kids and teens experiment with alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs. They may try a drug because they feel like all of their friends are doing it, but there are also other factors that can lead kids and teens...
By Nathan Grounds Substance Abuse Prevention Month This October marks the 10th annual National Substance Abuse Prevention Month, a designation designed to honor those who have lost their lives to substance abuse and to highlight the significance of prevention efforts nationwide. Substance misuse is not something foreign to...