April marks Alcohol Awareness Month—a powerful opportunity for families to open the door to conversations that can shape a child’s future.

Topics: President's Message, lock your meds, club drugs, safe parties, safe homes smart parties, alcohol, Informed Families, lock your meds pledge, alcohol use, summer, alcohol abuse, substance abuse, spring break

March is here, and it’s time to talk about something that’s putting young people at serious risk—dangerous party drugs being disguised as something else. A synthetic stimulant called N,N-dimethylpentylone is being sold as MDMA (also known as ecstasy or molly), but it’s far more harmful than people realize.

Topics: President's Message, lock your meds, club drugs, safe parties, safe homes smart parties, alcohol, Informed Families, lock your meds pledge, alcohol use, summer, alcohol abuse, substance abuse, spring break

Creating holiday crafts with kids is more than just a fun activity; it's an opportunity for family bonding, which is crucial for the healthy development of children and teens. At Informed Families, we understand the significance of family togetherness in reducing the risk of substance abuse among young people. Parental involvement is indeed the most potent weapon in preventing substance abuse among youth.

Topics: holidays, lock your meds, family bonding, safe homes smart parties, alcohol use

The holiday season is a special time for family, warmth, and creating lasting memories. One of the most cherished traditions in many households is cooking together. It's more than just preparing food; it's an opportunity for bonding, sharing stories, and reinforcing family ties.

Topics: holidays, family bonding, safe homes smart parties, alcohol use, family dinner

The holiday season is a time of joy, celebration, and connection. However, amidst the festive spirit, it's crucial to ensure our homes remain safe and welcoming for everyone. Drawing inspiration from Informed Families' "Safe Homes Smart Parties" campaign, this blog aims to provide you with practical tips to make your home a safer place during the holiday celebrations.

Topics: holidays, lock your meds, safe homes smart parties, alcohol use

It’s hard enough to teach our kids to avoid drugs when even popular celebrities and members of Congress, not to mention the cannabis industry, are trying to normalize its use.

Topics: parenting, addiction, teenagers, safe homes smart parties, children, teens, drug trend

When it comes to addiction, a lot of young people think it can’t happen to them. But it can, and it does. Especially with a drug like Xanax. 

Topics: parenting, addiction, teenagers, safe homes smart parties, children, teens, drug trend

Too many people think that illegal drug use and drug overdose deaths can only happen to other people’s kids. Or to “losers” who come from a “bad” background.

Topics: safe homes smart parties

While the Media Was Focused on Opioids Look What Happened

While the media has been focused on the opioid crisis, the number of alcohol-related deaths more than doubled from 35,914 in 1999 to 72,558 in 2017. Women have been impacted the most.

According Dr. George F. Koob, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) Director, “alcohol is a growing women’s health issue. The rapid increase in deaths involving alcohol among women is troubling and parallels the increases in alcohol consumption among women over the past few decades.”

Trends like Mommy wine culture, which normalizes the idea of drinking alcohol as a way to cope with stress, and sipping while shopping have become commonplace. We should always keep in mind that our kids are watching our behaviors. Do we want them to turn to alcohol as a way to escape from everyday stress or as the only way to relax and unwind?

They are bombarded with images promoting alcohol in that way already. A new report from the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs says alcohol ads are leading teens to drink. A study in the Preventive Medicine journal found that social media could be sending out positive messaging about alcohol use as well.

Sign the Safe Homes Smart Parents pledge, and let’s work together to stem the tide of alcohol-related deaths by discouraging underage and binge drinking.  

Peggy

Topics: President's Message, safe homes smart parties, underage drinking, alcohol, teens, binge drinking, Peggy Sapp, media, alcohol abuse

“I learned how to handle peer pressure and say no to drugs.”

“I didn’t know people could die from alcohol poisoning.”

“I didn’t know how much of a problem prescription drug abuse was.”

“Many of our peers are dealing with drug issues themselves or have a family member with a problem.”

Student ambassadors in the Miami-Dade County Public Schools Creating Community Change: Youth Engagement Program (CCC:YEP) program shared these messages and much more during their end of the year presentations at the Betty T. Ferguson Center in Miami Gardens on May 22, 23 and 24. 

Topics: red ribbon week, ambassadors, prescription drug abuse, lock your meds, safe homes smart parties, middle school, peer pressure, drug free, drug prevention, parent peer group, miami gardens, miami