National Association for Children of Addiction to Take Part In New Research Center to End Opioid Addiction Funded by NIH HEAL Initiative 

National Association for Children of Addiction (NACoA) will take part in a new project funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Helping to End Addiction Long-term Initiative, or NIH HEAL Initiative, to support the creation of a new center to deliver lay-friendly, culturally-appropriate information of the latest scientific findings to communities most affected by the pain, opioid and overdose crises.

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Red Ribbon Week: October 23rd – 31st

National Family Partnership (NFP) established the Red Ribbon drug awareness campaign in 1985. The campaign serves as a catalyst to mobilize communities to educate youth and encourage participation in drug prevention activities though its advocacy, community education efforts, and suggestions of community activities such as a Red Ribbon “Cruiseby” caravan, planting red flower bulbs, and its #LiveDrugFree social media challenge.  This year’s theme – Celebrate Life. Live Drug Free – was created by Emily King, Chelsea Abbott, and Celise Wicker, 7th graders at Wayland-Cohocton Middle School in Wayland, New York.

Learn more about how to get more involved>>

National Conference on Alcohol and Other Substance Use Among Women and Girls: October 20th – 21st

This scientific conference will review key findings from current research on the causes, consequences, prevention, and treatment of harmful alcohol, opioid, and other substance use among women and girls, and best approaches to sustaining recovery. The overarching goal of the conference is to identify important directions for future research on harmful alcohol and opioid use among women and girls, and to highlight strategies that are already working to address these problems, with the goal of replicating and bringing effective interventions to population scale. In addition, the conference will provide a platform for the development of a coordinated public-private response to recent alarming trends in harmful substance use among women. This virtual conference is free and open to the public. Registration deadline is 10/19.

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Adverse Childhood Experiences Led to Poorer Mental Health During Pandemic

Experience of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) was associated with poorer mental health and increased suicidal behaviors during the pandemic, according to research published in the Oct. 14 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Kayla N. Anderson, Ph.D., M.P.H., from the CDC in Atlanta, and colleagues used data from the 2021 Adolescent Behaviors and Experiences Survey to examine associations between ACEs occurring during the pandemic and mental health or suicidal behaviors among U.S. high school students.

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University of British Columbia FASD Study

Researchers from the University of British Columbia are conducting a virtual study to learn whether exposure to alcohol prior to birth changes the microbial population of the gut, possibly leading to lifelong effects on a person’s health.  Participants must be 19 yrs+.

Learn more or participate in the study>>

Count, Breathe, Relax with the Count and Cookie Monster
Sesame Street in Communities helps kids manage big feelings and stay calm, through simple methods to deal with overwhelming emotions. In this short video, Count von Count and Cookie Monster demonstrate how to Count, Breathe, Relax. It’s a great video to share with kids who can practice this simple technique.