Alternatives for a Merry Holiday Gathering

Is it bad to let underage kids have a couple beers around the bonfire?

Providing Alcohol to Minors Is Risky Business

Raising Good Humans Podcast – Teens and Drinking: What You Need to Know and How Parents Can Influence Behavior

Should Parents Let Teens Drink Alcohol as Long as It’s Under Their Roof?

Staying Sober During the Holidays

Students Who Use Alcohol, Cannabis or Nicotine are at Higher Risk for Mental Health Disorders. What Parents Should Know.

University Warns of ‘Borg’ Drinking Trend

Adolescent Marijuana Use Webinar by Leslie H. Lundahl, PhD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University of Medicine

Curious about Marijuana? Here are six things you should know.

It’s Just Pot: What’s the Problem? Webinar by Roneet Lev, MD, Emergency and Addiction Medicine

Not ‘Just Weed’ – What Every Parent Needs to Know

Dangers of Vaping Webinar by Dr. Varun Vohra, Academic Director and Clinical Toxicologist, Michigan Poison & Drug Information Center at Wayne State University.

How Nicotine Affects the Developing Adolescent Brain

Resources for Quitting Vaping

Vaping Basics: What Parents Should Know

Vaping: The Teen Health Crisis

Local Medicine Drop Box Locations

Medicine Abuse: What’s Happening & Why

Taking Adderall Could Be Gateway to More Drug Abuse

Taking Multiple Medications? Beware of Side Effects

Information about Kratom from the Mayo Clinic

Nicotine Pouches are Growing in Popularity. Are They Safe?

What is ketamine? Understanding the drug after Matthew Perry’s death

Whippet Use On The Rise

2024 U.S. National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

Experts provide key insights about addiction and treatment options

Is Gym Culture Contributing to Orthorexia and Body Dysmorphia?

Face Addiction Now (formerly Families Against Narcotics)

Dunya Barash

Dunya Barash
Director of Operations

Practice/Mission/Vision Statement

• Mission: To empower communities through education and recovery services that enhance the quality of life and health of all family members.
• Vision: To promote a healthy community by reducing stigma and providing a comprehensive continuum of care that empowers individuals and families.
• Purpose: Support all individuals affected by the disease of addiction/substance use disorder. Destigmatize the disease of substance use disorder. Provide education and resources to the communities we serve.

Specialties and Services

• Hope Not Handcuffs
• Community Naloxone Training
• Peer Recovery Coaching
• Family Recovery Coaching
• Stronger Together Family & Friends Support Group
• Comeback Quick Response Team Post-Overdose Wellness Check
• Education and Community Outreach
• FAN Community Forums

Professional Degrees/Credentials/Certifications/Licenses

• Juris Doctorate/former judge
• Michigan Certification Board for Addiction Professionals
• Board-Certified Adult, Adolescent and Child Psychiatrist
• Family Recovery Coach-Supervisor/Prevention
• Peer Recovery Coach Certification
• Doctors and Nurses on our Board of Directors

Affiliations

• Greater Detroit Area Health Council
• Blue Cross Oakland/Macomb/St. Clair Counties Community Advisory Council
• Michigan Prevention Association
• Michigan Public Health Institute
• Macomb County Office of Substance Abuse
• Macomb Partnership for Overdose Prevention
• Macomb County Bar Foundation
• Sterling Heights Drug-Free Coalition
• Sterling Heights Chamber of Commerce
• National Rural Health Association & Rural Communities Opioid Response Program

About

• In Practice/Business Since: 2007
• Client Ages Served: Middle school age and up
• Insurances Accepted: All services are free

Michigan Poison & Drug Information Center

The Michigan Poison and Drug Information Center at the Wayne State University School of Medicine is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to prevent poisonings, reduce severity of toxic exposures, educate care-givers and professionals, and promote poison prevention by providing high quality toxicological expertise. Physicians, pharmacists, poison center specialists, and educators with the Michigan Poison and Drug Information Center are principle information resources available to Michigan residents and health care professionals for poisonings and toxin-related emergencies.

Our center imparts expert guidance to callers, provides education for health care providers and laypersons via outreach throughout the state, collaborates with state agencies, and participates in dynamic clinical research. These efforts culminate in the Michigan Poison and Drug Information Center fostering the progressive development of standards and practices for treating and preventing toxic exposures.

Operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, the center triages, diagnoses, and treats more than 70,000 exposures to chemicals, drugs, environmental toxins, gases, and envenomations each year.

National Institute on Drug Abuse

NIDA’s mission is to advance science on drug use and addiction and to apply that knowledge to improve individual and public health.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is a federal scientific research institute and the world’s largest funder of biomedical research on drug use and addiction. NIDA’s mission is to advance science on drug use and addiction and to apply that knowledge to improve individual and public health. NIDA is one of 27 Institutes and Centers that comprise the National Institutes of Health, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

NIDA supports and conducts a wide range of preclinical, clinical, and population-level research to address key questions about drug use and health. NIDA then disseminates key findings of the research it supports to the public, health professionals, researchers, policymakers, and other stakeholders.

NIDA is a biomedical research organization and does not provide personalized medical advice, treatment, counselling, or referral services.

• IN AN EMERGENCY: If you or someone you know is experiencing severe symptoms or is in immediate danger, please seek immediate medical attention by calling 911 or visiting an emergency department. Poison control can be reached at 1-800-222-1222 or poison.org.
• NEED SUPPORT NOW? If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. 988 connects you with a trained crisis counselor who can help.
• FIND TREATMENT: For referrals to substance use and mental health treatment programs, call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration National Helpline 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or visit FindTreatment.gov.
• For other personal medical advice, please speak to a health care provider. Find more health resources on USA.gov.

The emergency and referral resources listed above are available to individuals located in the United States and are not operated by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Information provided by NIDA is not a substitute for professional medical care.

SAMHSA – Talk They Hear You – Parent Resources

US Department of Health & Human Services

About the “Talk. They Hear You.” Campaign

The “Talk. They Hear You.” Underage Drinking Prevention National Media Campaign empowers parents and caregivers to talk with children early about alcohol and other drug use.

Problem of Underage Drinking and Substance Use

High rates of youth alcohol use, shifting state laws regarding marijuana, and the nation’s opioid crisis are prevalent health concerns that affect America’s parents and caregivers. Preventing underage alcohol and substance use is critical for the following reasons:

• Approximately 88,000 Americans die from alcohol-attributed causes each year, making alcohol the third leading preventable cause of death in the United States.
• An estimated 2.1 million people ages 12 or older had an opioid use disorder, and nearly 30 percent of those who use marijuana may have some degree of marijuana use disorder.

Through the Sober Truth on Underage Drinking Act, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) created the “Talk. They Hear You.”® campaign to address the problem of underage drinking and substance misuse.

The “Talk. They Hear You.”® campaign’s goal is to provide parents and caregivers with the resources they need to address the issue of alcohol and other drugs with children under the age of 21. The campaign has historically equipped parents with the knowledge and skills to increase actions that reduce and prevent underage drinking. Recently, it has expanded its messaging to include other substances such as marijuana and prescription drugs. The campaign now offers resources to help parents talk to children of all ages about alcohol and other drugs.

Consequences of Underage Drinking and Substance Use

Rates of underage drinking and substance use in the United States are high. (See the latest statistics.) Underage drinking and other drug use can have severe consequences for children under 21, including the following:

• Injury or death from accidents;
• Poor school performance; and/or
• Poor judgment and decision-making.

Alcohol and other drugs can also harm child brain development.

Importance of Parents

Parents have a significant influence in their children’s decision to experiment with alcohol and other drugs. Although it may not seem like it, when parents talk about underage drinking and substance use, their children do hear them.

Help Talking with Children Under 21

“Talk. They Hear You.”® originally focused on helping parents with children ages 9–15 to prevent young people from starting to drink. However, research suggests the chances that children will try alcohol or other drugs increases as they get older. Around age 9, children begin thinking alcohol may not be just for adults. By the time they are seniors, almost 70 percent of high school students will have tried alcohol, half will have taken an illegal drug, and more than 20 percent will have used a prescription drug for a nonmedical purpose.

In 2018, “Talk. They Hear You.”® expanded its resources to include tools for parents and caregivers of children of all ages under 21 to help them continue having underage drinking and substance use prevention conversations beyond age 15.

Practice/Mission/Vision Statement

SAMHSA provides support for issues with mental health, drugs, or alcohol. Visit our website to:

• Find health care or support.
• Learn signs you may need help, how to ask for help, and how to take care of yourself.
• Find out about treatment types, how to make an appointment, and how to prepare yourself for treatment.
• Find options for covering treatment costs without insurance.
• Learn how to talk to a loved one about getting help.
• Get help now – call, text, or chat for immediate assistance.

Specialties and Services

• Mental Health
• Substance Use Disorder

About

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is the agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation and to improve the lives of individuals living with mental and substance use disorders, and their families.

Mission

SAMHSA’s mission is to lead public health and service delivery efforts that promote mental health, prevent substance misuse, and provide treatments and supports to foster recovery while ensuring equitable access and better outcomes.

Vision

SAMHSA envisions that people with, affected by, or at risk for mental health and substance use conditions receive care, thrive, and achieve wellbeing.

Truth Initiative

Truth Initiative is America’s largest nonprofit public health organization dedicated to creating a future free from lifelong addition, fostering healthier lives and a more resilient nation. Our mission is clear: prevent youth and young adult nicotine addiction and empower quitting for all.

Truth Initiative conducts groundbreaking research and policy studies, giving people the facts they need to know about smoking, vaping, nicotine, and the commercial tobacco industry. We engage individuals and groups to make change in their communities, innovate new ways to end tobacco use, and join forces with collaborators committed to preventing youth and young adult nicotine addition and empowering quitting for all. In short: we seek, speak, and spread the truth about smoking, vaping and nicotine.

What Is Prevention? Video Series

“What is Prevention?” is a three-part video series made in collaboration with the Addiction Policy Forum that explains the nuts & bolts of evidence-based prevention and seeks to empower everyone to play a role—at home, at school, and throughout our communities.