According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), during the 12-month period ending in April 2021 more than 100,000 Americans died from synthetic opioids. Between May and September of this year, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents around the country seized more than 10 million fentanyl pills and hundreds of pounds of powder, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced in September.

Topics: parenting, teenagers, teens, drugs, fentanyl

One of this month’s Family Table Time topics is safety and behavior. While it’s important not to blame victims when bad things happen to them, it’s also important that teens know which behaviors might put them at risk.

Topics: Family Day, parenting, teenagers, teens

Red Ribbon Week, celebrated annually from October 23-31, is the nation’s oldest and largest drug prevention awareness program targeted to K-12 students. The purpose of the commemoration is to raise awareness among the young about the use and abuse of alcohol, tobacco, and other harmful drugs.

Topics: Family Day, parenting, teenagers, teens

President's Message - October 2022

Red Ribbon is about creating herd or community immunity to the alcohol and drug problems America is facing.

Topics: President's Message, teenagers, alcohol, Informed Families, teens, drugs

We know there’s a mental health crisis in our young people. It predates the pandemic, but the COVID-based disruptions to their lives made things worse. This has led many schools to initiate various programs to help kids cope with the stress.

Topics: Family Day, parenting, teenagers, teens

Once each year, we take time to celebrate the people that make our lives meaningful: our families. Family life isn’t always what you’d find in a Hallmark movie, but at the bottom, the love and support we find there offer a sense of belonging and stability in our lives. Sociologists point out that families are critical for healthy development.

Topics: Family Day, parenting, teenagers, family bonding, teens, family dinner, Family Table Time

Unfortunately, the news on the popularity of marijuana keeps getting worse, not better.

Topics: parenting, marijuana, teenagers, teens, drugs, vaping

A 2016 survey found that about 10 million Americans vaped regularly. Nearly half of those were under the age of 35, with 18-24-year-olds the most frequent users. In 2018, over three million high school students and 570,000 middle school students reported they were using e-cigarettes, according to the CDC. And the trend is rising: In 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that one in nine high school students said they had vaped in the past month.

Topics: parenting, marijuana, teenagers, teens, drugs, vaping

President's Message - August 2022

Over the years, it has been interesting to me that parents consistently think Informed Families is not talking to them but to some other family with problems. Denial is a trademark of addiction!

Topics: Family Day, President's Message, teenagers, Informed Families, teens, Family Table Time

As kids transition back to school, they’ll need to brush up on their organizational skills. This is one of the topics in this month’s Family Table Time activity kit, which provides materials, tips, and conversation starters designed to foster family togetherness and participation.

Topics: parenting, teenagers, children, teens, back to school, organization