by Joseph Byrum Every year, approximately 100 million people watch the Super Bowl on their TVs. Some people tune in for the sport, but if you’re like me you watch for the commercials. Almost as talked about as the winner of the event are the memorable...
by Joseph Byrum As a parent, you want your children to grow up to lead happy and healthy lives. This, of course, includes protecting them from drugs and alcohol. You can always encourage your kids to make positive life choices, but you’ll want to address the...
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,...
It’s day four of the National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week and today’s topic is marijuana. In the US, marijuana is defined as any cannabis plant that has greater than 0.3% THC. THC is the naturally occurring psychoactive compound found in the cannabis plant. THC...
Today is Day 2 of National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week. Today let’s talk about vaping and its potential complications with the COVID-19 pandemic. Top priority for everyone right now is not only preventing the spread of the coronavirus to other people but keeping ourselves and...
E-cigarette companies were just spreading their wings a decade ago but have recently grown at a furious pace. According to the BBC, the global market for vaping has increased 280% from 2014 to 2019. This rapid growth has left US lawmakers and regulators lagging behind...
If ever there was a situation fitting of comparison to “Pandora’s box,” it’s where the country is with e-cigarettes. E-cigarettes, or vapes, were originally created to be a device that could still deliver the nicotine to someone with a smoking addiction, without all the known carcinogens...
Vaping. E-cigs. JUUL. Vaporizer. E-cigarette. Vape pen. These terms refer to the latest trend among teens and is the topic of day four for National Prevention Week. Many parents are aware of the vaping trend, but aren’t sure exactly what it is, what e-cigarettes look like,...
One of the most controversial topics lately is marijuana legalization. When considering this, it’s important to understand the effects of marijuana use on the growing teen brain and to understand that even in states where marijuana is legal, it is still illegal for anyone under...
Last week, this headline from Vox News caught my eye: “Drug companies shipped nearly 21 million opioid painkillers to a town with 2,900 people.” That takes your breath away, doesn’t it? The town is Williamson, West Virginia. West Virginia has suffered the most overdose deaths per capita than any...