FREE and back by popular demand!!! Life Skills Training for Grades 6-9 (or slightly younger or older) The next FREE 8 online sessions will be offered July 17, 18, 19, 20, 24, 25, 26, and 27. HC DrugFree is providing another series of FUN and interactive skills-based classes designed to promote positive health and personal development. This curriculum was designed for students in grades 6 to 9, but for slightly younger or older students, we will consider each request. If you have questions about the appropriateness for your students, . We encourage siblings and friends to take these classe ..read more

I didn’t expect to learn so much when I started the Guiding Good Choices parenting classes offered by HC DrugFree several years ago. I wish I had taken these classes sooner. My older children would have benefitted greatly – and so would I. I’m a relatively well-educated person, but I wasn’t prepared for the requirements of parenthood – at least not for my older children. Much of what I learned from my kind and thoughtful parents and the way I was raised was not applicable to them. My older kids had very different temperaments from me, were not rule followers, and had some depression, anxiety a ..read more

As a parent, you are bursting with pride at the sight of your high schooler walking across the stage at Merriweather Post Pavilion. They are about to embark on an exciting journey towards full fledged adulthood. But they aren’t there yet! Their brain won’t be fully developed until 25 years old (we used to think 21!) They need all their neurons firing optimally all the time to make the right decisions to be successful, healthy, and happy. Despite how tempting it is to allow your graduate to toast the momentous occasion, now is not the time to introduce alcohol to your child. Not only ..read more

HC DrugFree is proud to partner with the DEA and the Howard County Police Department for our twice a year medication and sharps collection event. On April 22, 2023 we collected 1,234 lbs. of medication at the HC DrugFree site in the Wilde Lake Village Center. Below is an excerpt of the press release from the DEA outlining the National numbers, as well as the impact of this important community event. Washington – On April 22, 2023, DEA and its partners came together once again to protect our communities from prescription misuse by safely disposing of 663,725 pounds of unneeded medications ..read more

Usually, I think of myself as a kind, thoughtful & compassionate person – I probably pride myself on that, or at least carry a sense of “I’m a good and decent person” around in my mind and spirit. But my adult child pointed something out to me recently which I had not realized: I can be judgmental. Judgmental, who ME? That doesn’t fit my perception of myself at all! Though, with 30+ years of Al Anon experience, I have gradually learned to hear a criticism and not be completely devastated, overly defensive or to discount it right away, but rather take a moment to ponder its legitimacy. I ha ..read more

In case you missed it! We have made the Zoom replay available for HC DrugFree’s recent Town Hall, Vaporized Youth: Navigating the Effects of Youth Vaping. DID YOU KNOW…? • Nearly 40% of high school students will try vaping • More 8th-10th graders vape than drink or use cannabis • Despite being promoted as a healthier alternative to smoking, vaping poses numerous health risks Featuring Joan Webb Scornaienchi, Executive Director HC DrugFree, Mark Donovan, LCPC, LCADC of Congruent Counseling, and Dr. George Kolodner, DFASAM DLFAPA TTS Founder and Medical Director of Triple Track Treatment, a boar ..read more

Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy Urges Action to Ensure Social Media Environments are Healthy and Safe, as Previously-Advised National Youth Mental Health Crisis Continues Today, United States Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released a new Surgeon General’s Advisory on Social Media and Youth Mental Health – PDF. While social media may offer some benefits, there are ample indicators that social media can also pose a risk of harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents. Social media use by young people is nearly universal, with up to 95% of young people ages 13 ..read more

According to the CDC, there are many risks to teens who drink and take drugs. Movies and television shows depict parties filled with care-free, beautiful, youthful, smiling faces cavorting and drinking alcohol and taking drugs. So, parents worry their children may be influenced by these messages and get carried away by end of year high school festivities and forget the good sense we tried to instill in them. Most parents can rest assured. According to recent research published in the Journal of Addictive Behaviors, over two thirds of students do not drink alc ..read more

When is the “right” time to start talking with kids about vaping? Probably earlier than you think! Results from the 2022 National Youth Tobacco Survey indicated that 380,000 middle school students and 2.14 million high school students reported using e-cigarettes. Not sure how to start the conversation or what to say? Check out the American Lung Association’s Vaping Conversation Guide, which includes important facts and tips on how to talk with kids and teens about the dangers of vaping. You can also use the video below as a discussion starter for tweens and teens. T ..read more

Recent research by the American Heart Association has found that teens and young adults (ages 13-24) who vape nicotine and/or THC are more likely to also report symptoms of anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts than teens who do not vape. Of those who vape, around 20-30% reported that they started vaping to help cope with stress, anxiety, and symptoms of depression and more than half were considered “dual users” in that they vape both nicotine and THC. Learn more about the study here or watch this interview with Dr. Loren Wold about the study. Learn more about how vaping is aff ..read more