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Sober St. Patrick’s Day 2023: A Fantastic Day of Irish Celebration
Sober St. Patrick’s Day continues to reclaim the true spirit of St. Patrick’s Day with a celebration rich in Irish culture with a New York parade, music, dance, and storytelling instead of alcohol. This year, NACoA co-founder Patricia O’Gorman was the Grand Marshal of the day, with fellow co-founder and NACoA board member Ellen Morehouse as Grand Marshal aide. The event kicked off by presenting former Congressman Patrick J Kennedy with the Sober St. Patrick’s Day Emerald Spirit Award, a traditional honor for professionals working with families in recovery. Past recipients include: Ellen Morehouse (2021), Patricia O’Gorman (2016), and Jerry Moe (2013). Past NACoA CEO Sis Wenger was the initial award honoree in 2012. Patrick provided a passionate and motivational acceptance speech, which should be available for viewing soon.
Patricia speaks for many when discussing a healthier version of celebration for this treasured American holiday: “Crying tears of joy as we Reclaimed the Day for ourselves and for our children, I marched as the Sober St. Patrick’s Day Foundation’s Grand Marshal in this our 12th year, and second march in NY’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade. I hope you can spread the word about our power, as our speaker Patrick Kennedy did, for if we harness our rebellious nature we can change St. Patrick’s Day from the bar crawl it has become to the family celebration it once was. I encourage you to proclaim: Shockingly-Sober On St. Patrick’s Days… is a thing. Join us next year!”
SSPD Grand Marshal Patricia O’Gorman is featured above with Patrick Kennedy on left and her husband and retired St. Joseph Addiction Treatment and Recovery Centers CEO Robert Ross on right. |
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Embrace, Encourage, and Engage: Family and Caregiver Access to Child and Youth Mental Health Resources
TOMORROW, Wednesday 3/22, 6 PM ET
The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA), and parent, youth, and community leaders for a virtual event designed to provide parents and caregivers with tools and skills they need to support their children’s mental health. If any questions, contact: lauren.behsudi@acf.hhs.gov or gary.blau@samhsa.hhs.gov.
To Register>> |
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Family Connections: It’s All Relative: Grandfamily & Kinship Care
Thursday 4/6, 1:30 – 2:30 pm ET
What happens when adult children can no longer care for their own children? Over 7.6 million children in the United States live in a home with a grandparent or relative other than their parent as the head of household. The need for caregiving can happen without warning, when a parent suddenly experiences health issues such as mental health and/or substance use challenges, incarceration, or unexpected military deployment. Hosted by the National Family Support Technical Assistance Center, “Family Connections” is a virtual community for parents and caregivers who support loved ones facing substance use and/or mental health challenges. These sessions provide credible resources, guidance on accessing help, and the opportunity to connect with others facing similar challenges. Monthly gatherings focus on a specific topic, provide tips and tools, and offer the opportunity to network with other families. Family Connections takes place the first Thursday of every month.
Learn More and Register>> |
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Advocacy Alert: Disposable ENDS Product Enforcement Act of 2023
Help Protect Youth from Harmful Nicotine Products
According to Partnership to End Addiction, in 2022, 12% of 8th-graders, 20.5% of 10th-graders, and 27.3% of 12th-graders reported vaping nicotine in the past year, numbers that have greatly increased in the past five years. Nicotine exposure before age 25 can harm parts of the brain that control attention, learning, mood, and impulse control and can increase the risk for future addiction to other substances and the use of traditional cigarettes. Vaping also exposes users to toxic chemicals and other harmful ingredients. Youth vaping led to an outbreak of lung injuries (EVALI) among adolescents in 2019. In 2020, the federal government prohibited the sale of flavored, refillable cartridge-based e-cigarettes. However, this left a loophole for the now popular disposable flavored e-cigarettes. The Disposable ENDS Product Enforcement Act of 2023 would close this loophole. It would direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to update guidance to describe how the agency will prioritize enforcement against disposable electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), including non-tobacco-derived (synthetic) nicotine products. The time is now to contact your congressmen and women and urge them to protect youth from the negative outcomes of vaping and the ease of access to the products most popular among them – flavored, disposable vapes.
Learn More and Complete the Letter Template to Send to Congress>>
Read The Hill February 6th opinion article Biden should close the disposable e-cigarette loophole |
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NIDA and NIAAA Announce the 2023 National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week
Participate in National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week® (NDAFW) and help share facts about drugs, alcohol, and addiction in your community. NDAFW is an annual, week-long health observance that inspires dialogue about the science of drug use and addiction among youth. NDAFW provides an opportunity to bring together scientists, students, educators, healthcare providers, and community partners to help advance the science and address youth drug and alcohol use in communities and nationwide.
A simple and easy way to begin a conversation with teens is by having them test their knowledge about drugs, alcohol, and drug use by taking the interactive National Drug and Alcohol IQ Challenge quiz.
Find more information about navigating a discussion about drugs with your teen>> |
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