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The consequences of youth substance abuse are serious, resulting in brain development problems, car accidents, risky sexual behavior, school dropouts and more. (You can read about the 7 consequences of underage drinking here). In addition, teens are using substances at a surprisingly early age. The average...
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) reports hospital emergency visits dealing with drinking are high during the Fourth of July holiday, doubling when it comes to underage drinking. A 2014 study by SAMHSA showed the number of underage drinking-related visits to the emergency...
Summer is a time for teens to experience freedom from school and spend time with friends and family. However, extra free time and lenient rules can also increase underage drinking. A new survey by Caron Treatment Centers reveals 61 percent identified summer as the season teens...
It’s time to talk about a serious issue: the effects of marijuana legalization on youth. Marijuana is already legal in some states, and with local news breaking stories like “Rep. Simpson files bill to end marijuana probation in Texas,” it’s time we start talking about how...
With it being National Drug Facts Week, which was started in 2010 to counteract the myths that teens often hear from the Internet, TV, movies, music, or friends, we thought we would go over some of the common myths we hear about youth drug and...
2014 Monitoring the Future Survey Results Youth use of alcohol, cigarettes and illicit drugs are steadily declining, but e-cigarette use is high and the perception that marijuana is harmful is low, according to the 2014 Monitoring the Future Survey, released by the National Institute on Drug...
As talked about in a previous blog post, December is National Impaired Driving Prevention month due to the high number of deadly car crashes, with 830 who lost their lives due to drunk driving in 2012. Some of the reasons for the increased number of...
All too often we’re hearing the story of another star athlete, college-bound, honor-roll student who made a poor decision to use synthetic marijuana and ended up dead or severely impaired. It’s time we educate ourselves and loved ones about the dangers of synthetic marijuana. The basics of...
Throughout the United States, too many lives are cut short by drunken driving, drugged driving or distracted driving. It takes a devastating toll on communities and families everywhere. This month, road traffic will increase with holiday traffic. Unfortunately, DUI and fatal drunken-driving crashes also increase. During...
Welcome to the Next Step Community Solutions Blog! If you are familiar with our services, or have looked around the website, you know the majority of our work is in substance abuse prevention. We have three coalitions that cover 13 East Texas counties and use evidence-based...