From pedestrian deaths to drunk driving, tricks and treats and spooky parties, Halloween can be a fun but dangerous time for teens. Here are some tips for both parents and teens for how to have a safe and fun Halloween!

Tips for Parents

1. Behavior – Halloween is a fun night but occasionally teenagers can behave differently at night, and with their friends. Discuss appropriate behavior in...

The first National Fentanyl Awareness Day was May 10, 2022, and was recognized by organizations across the U.S. including the DEA. It was created to address our national public health crisis of deaths and overdoses due to fentanyl use. People, especially young people, are ingesting illegally manufactured fentanyl without knowing it and dying at alarming rates as a result.

The statistics...

In an average year, 30 million Americans drive drunk, and 10 million Americans drive impaired by illicit drugs. A 2010 survey by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) revealed that 13.2 percent of all people aged 16 or older drove under the influence of alcohol and 4.3 percent drove under the influence of illicit drugs during the past year. ...

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...

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...

Brought to you by Ventura County Responds and Ventura County Behavioral Health.

SAFE AND SECURE RX DRUG DISPOSAL

Ventura County is actively engaged and committed to preventing prescription drug misuse and abuse. One of the ways the County works to address the issue locally is by reducing access, especially to teens. The VCSO, in collaboration with Ventura County Behavioral Health (VCBH),...

As part of the Department of Ventura County Healthcare Agency, Ventura County Behavioral Health has created new online resources for teens, parents, families, and individuals within Ventura County who might be struggling with addiction, underage and binge drinking, prescription and over-the-counter drug abuse, cannabis use, mental health issues, and suicide prevention. Their website, Ventura...

Written by David Zecua, a CSU Channel Islands Service-Learning student.

Think about how you feel after you exercise. Aside from some soreness, depending on how intense the session may have been, do you generally feel better about yourself? Physical activity is often talked about as a great way to improve one’s health, and according to the CDC (2021), it has many health benefits...