News & Events
Much of our work involves measuring the difference others make. Getting involved and making our own difference is also an important part of who we are as individuals and as an organization.
However, according to Dr. Ken Finn, a Pain Medicine Specialist in Colorado Springs with more than 33 years of experience in the medical field, we are now in the middle of a multi factorial mental health crisis with youth substance abuse, particularly cannabis, affecting developing brains. “I think the medical literature is pretty clear that during the pandemic kids were not in school, they were isolated, they tend to use substances in isolation, particularly cannabis,” explained Finn.
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In just five years, the number of small children in the US exposed to cannabis after accidentally eating an edible rose 1,375%, a new study says.
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San Diego County supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to fight the illicit fentanyl crisis by increasing education, outreach and early intervention, working to detect “outbreaks” or clusters of overdoses, and expanding distribution of overdose medication.
Tuesday’s action comes after the Board of Supervisors and County District Attorney’s office declared fentanyl deaths a public health crisis in late June.
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During the holiday season, many of us look forward to get-togethers with friends and family. Unfortunately, holidays can also be a dangerous time for alcohol- and drug-related traffic incidents. SAMHSA is observing National Impaired Driving Prevention Month in December to raise awareness of this deadly yet preventable problem.
Since the early 1980s, public policy changes, school and community interventions, and grassroots advocacy have significantly decreased alcohol-related driving fatalities. Yet, driving impaired (by alcohol or other drugs) continues to take lives.
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People who smoke marijuana were more likely to have certain types of lung damage than people who smoked cigarettes, according to a new study that reviewed lung scans of smokers. The researchers who led the study say their findings suggest smoking marijuana may be more harmful than people realize.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates at least one-fifth of Americans have tried marijuana at least once. With more states legalizing the drug, it has become the most commonly used drug that is still illegal at a federal level.
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