Here at BRITE, we include a focus on mental health and wellness as a component of our drug and alcohol abuse prevention programs. When you take care of yourself and feel grounded, you are more likely to see things clearly and make better decisions. We found this article’s tips helpful, especially during the darkest season of the year when we tend to hibernate and our thoughts can become...

Alcohol is the most widely misused substance among America’s youth. Consumption of alcohol by anyone under the age of 21, also known as underage drinking, remains a considerable public health challenge. Adolescent alcohol use is not an acceptable rite of passage, but a serious threat to adolescent development and health. Medical research shows that the developing adolescent brain may be...

Drugs can impair your ability to drive safely and increase the risk of getting into a collision. In fact, cannabis increases your chance of a car accident. The percentage of Canadian drivers killed in vehicle crashes who test positive for drugs (40%) now actually exceeds the numbers who test positive for alcohol (33%). Impaired driving is the leading criminal cause of death and injury in...

Information and resources from the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI).

Without mental health we cannot be healthy. We all experience emotional ups and downs from time to time caused by events in our lives. Mental health conditions go beyond these emotional reactions to specific situations. They are medical conditions that cause changes in how we think and feel and in our mood.

The...

Information taken from CDC.gov

Every day, 29 people in the United States die in motor vehicle crashes that involve an alcohol-impaired driver. This is one death every 50 minutes. The annual cost of alcohol-related crashes totals more than $44 billion.

About one in three traffic deaths in the United States involve a driver with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08% or higher. Drivers with...

Underage and Binge Drinking in Ventura County

Underage drinking is when anyone under the minimum legal drinking age of 21 drinks alcohol. It is a risk to youth and a widespread public health problem.

• In Ventura County, 6% of 7th graders, 14% of 9th graders and 26% of 11th graders currently use alcohol.

• Lifetime alcohol use by ninth and eleventh graders has declined by 20 percentage points...

Someone in this country dies by suicide every 12 minutes, but suicide deaths are not inevitable. For every person who dies by suicide, 278 individuals think seriously about suicide but do not die. For some, the difference may be connecting with a compassionate, trained crisis center volunteer or staff member who is ready to help them when they need it most. In recognition of the need to provide...

The author of this post is going to be a junior in high school in Ventura County in the fall. 

Are you stressed or depressed? Stress and depression are very similar but they have different effects on the body.

Stress is good for you when it motivates you, but not when it wears you down. You can get stress from your job, school, and even at home when you are relaxing. Stress can affect your...

This article was written with information taken from the International Overdose Awareness Day website and Ventura County Responds.

In honor of International Overdose Awareness Day on August 31st, here’s some information and resources about the signs and statistics of overdose.

Drug overdose is the leading cause of unintentional injury death in the United States, causing more deaths than...

This article is based on resources provided by Ventura County Behavioral Health.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among young people aged 16 to 19. Teen drivers are more likely than older drivers to underestimate or not recognize dangerous situations. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, a 2011 survey of middle and high school students showed that the number of...

The following article is from Mental Health America’s website.

July was designated as Minority Mental Health Awareness Month in 2008 to bring awareness to the unique struggles that underrepresented groups face in regard to mental illness in the United States (US).

While the term ‘minority’ is traditionally associated with racial, ethnic, or cultural minorities within the US,...

How High Ventura County is an online resource from Ventura County Behavioral Health that addresses the growing need in Ventura County for facts to educate teens and their families about marijuana use. How High Ventura County is a health initiative designed to teach parents and youth that marijuana affects teens differently. From their website,

“It’s not about politics. It’s...