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The LGBTQ+ community suffers from high rates of substance use. Up to 30% of the LGBTQ+ community struggles with substance use compared to 9% of the general population. Why is this? Some factors include their experiences of bullying, hate, discrimination, stigmatization, rejection by those around them including their family and/or peers, isolation, and other extreme stressors. LGBTQ+...

This article is from Opioid Help, one of our community partners. From their website, “The world is facing an Opioid Epidemic that is unlike anything seen before. For this reason, Opioid Help has sought to be an extensive resource and community for information and support for people who have been affected by the prevalence of Opioids since 2019.” Visit their website and sign up for...

Two decades ago, a new generation of supposedly “safer and less addictive” painkillers triggered an epidemic of opioid abuse in the U.S. Since then, opioid overdoses have killed over 400,000 Americans. Now, more than half of opioid deaths are caused by synthetic opioids such as fentanyl. Beyond the death toll, at least 2 million Americans have become addicted.

U.S. deaths from...

This article is from the website of Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, an invaluable resource for both teens and parents. View the original article here: https://drugfree.org/article/brain-development-teen-behavior/. 

There’s a reason that teenagers act the way they do. Understanding the brain science behind teenage behavior can help parents better prepare their kids to avoid drugs and...

This post was written by a CSUCI student. 

Through working with BRITE, I’ve been able to reflect on my own experiences involving drug and alcohol abuse. By bringing awareness to these dangerous activities, I’ve been able to get a better understanding of why underage kids and even my own siblings participate in them. I wasn’t able to help or essentially persuade my...

This post was written by Tamara E. Citrowske.

Hello everyone, my name is Tamara E. Citrowske. I am here to share my personal story of a family member who suffered from alcohol and substance abuse, and ultimately got the help she was looking for to live a sober life. This person who suffered from alcoholism and drugs is my cousin who is now 24 years old, living a happier and healthier...

This post was written by a CSUCI Service-learning student. 

Hello Everyone! I am writing this blog to give people some healthy alternatives to dealing with life that do not involve drugs or alcohol. Growing up in a drug-addicted family where most of my relatives did drugs was very stressful because I got to see the negative effects and tolls that drug and alcohol consumption have on the...

By Stephanie Escobedo Tirado, local CSUCI student.

It’s easy to say, “You’re young; live a little!” Or, “That stuff only happens in the movies.” What are the effects of these words on young people? 

Here’s the impact that many don’t want to admit: it’s hurting teenagers. 

Now, I don’t mean all teenagers have that one person...

A Letter to Parents

Although NIDA’s annual Monitoring the Future survey shows that daily marijuana use in teens is mostly steady, the survey also shows that as cigarette smoking rates drop, daily marijuana smoking has become generally more common than daily cigarette smoking among teens. By the time they graduate high school, about 45 percent of teens have tried marijuana at least once in...

1 in 5 Ventura County teens have abused prescription drugs. 

Over 50% get them from friends and family. 

9% of 9th graders and 14% of 11th graders in Ventura County say they’ve used prescription medications to get high.

The countywide report of the California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS) indicates a hopeful decline in lifetime misuse of prescription drugs. However, prevention of...

This post was written by a CSUCI Capstone student featuring artwork from Ventura High School students. 

It was sixth grade History class, and we were about to end our day and move to our next class. There was this one kid named Jeff (not his real name, but for the purpose of this story we will call him Jeff), I knew Jeff was a kid who was a big trouble maker. He was always picking fights...

Originally, the mission of Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) was to help young people say “No” to drinking and driving. Today, the mission has expanded. Students have told us that positive peer pressure, role modeling, and environmental strategies can prevent other destructive decisions and set a healthier, safer course for their lives. That is why SADD has become a...