May is mental health awareness month and I would like everyone to have a conversation with someone about mental health. Let’s be honest, we all may be struggling right now to maintain our mental health, so these discussions might be more crucial than ever. Mental...
By Gina Sisca Hazlett When Susan Parmelee asked me to write a guest Wellness & Prevention column the answer was an easy yes. The Wellness & Prevention Coalition was established to bring resources together that support healthy youth and families in South...
By Amarii Sandoval, Wellness & Prevention Coalition Youth Leadership Member In February of this year I had the opportunity to attend the 29th Annual National Leadership Forum led by the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA). The Forum was made up of...
I have asked Ashley Granger to write this month’s column as a preview to our January Teen Toolbox panel presentation. The pressures on our teens continue to increase, and sadly suicide is now the 2nd leading cause of death for youth ages 11-24, second only to...
As we transition from Thanksgiving into the winter holidays, I find myself both excited and a little anxious as in the past I was known in my family for being so worried about the perfect Christmas that I often turned into the Grinch. Now, a few years older and wiser,...
Both parents and educational professionals often ask me what substances young people seem to use the most and what today’s trends are. Often, adults who pose this question have a preconceived notion of what the predominant substances are and, not surprisingly these...
A huge thank you to Love San Clemente for deep-cleaning the offices of the Wellness & Prevention Center. Our staff feels healthier and more productive, thanks to all your hard work. Love San Clemente is an annual event sponsored by the faith community. The focus...
June is an exciting time of year, particularly for our high school graduates and their families. May and June are also the months where youth impaired (this includes illegal substance use, distractions and cell phone use) driving accidents peak. Tie a red ribbon on...
Acetaldehyde, benzene, cadmium, formaldehyde, isoprene, lead, nickel, n-nitrosonornicotine, and toluene have been found in e-cigarettes and vapes. Sadly, the FDA decided to allow Phillip Morris to advertise a vaping device as “safer than cigarettes.” And even more...
When you Google the phrase “change is hard,” there are over 122 million results. Some results are just validating what we already know, and other results give some decent advice about how we can all make a real effort for lasting and effective change. As we start out...