Resources

• Youth who start drinking before age 15 are 5x more likely to develop a dependency or abuse later in life
• Underage drinkers on average consume more drinks per drinking occasion than adult drinkers
• Drinking during the teen years can potentially interfere with normal brain development and have negative effects on processing information
• 90% of alcohol consumed by teens involves binge drinking
• Problems in school are common among teens who abuse/use alcohol
• Only 1% of parents believe their teen binge drinks
• Youth between the ages of 12-20 drink 1% of all alcohol consumed in the U.S.
• Youth ages 11-14 see about 1,000 advertisements a year on alcohol
• Peer pressure and “social influence” are the leading causes of underage drinking in the U.S.

• E-Cigarettes and other Vaping devices are not risk free:
  • Can cause damage to the brain, heart and lungs
  • Can cause Cancerous tumor development
  • Has harmful effects on brain and lung development on adolescents.
• Not FDA approved:
  • Not approved to be a smoking cessation aid
  • Not held to FDA standards for safety
  • Free to market a “Risk-free image”
• Difficult to assess the danger of any specific Vaping product because there is limited federal oversight.
• Most E-Cigarettes contain Nicotine
• Youth are 4x more likely to start smoking cigarettes if they Vape
• 1 Juul Pod = 20 Cigarettes worth of Nicotine
• 7% of all E-Cigarettes contain Nicotine ( Youth don’t usually know this)
• Youth report that e-cigarette flavors are the main reason they trying vaping.
• Youth can order “e-juice” on the internet. Websites don’t always ask for proof of age

• Teens are more likely to use Marijuana than Tobacco
• Recreational use of marijuana by teens is not legal in any state in the U.S.
• Research shows that even short term use of marijuana can lead to:
  • Problems with memory and concentration
  • Increased aggression
  • Use of other drugs or alcohol
  • Interference with prescribed medication
• Long term use of marijuana can lead to:
  • Same breathing problems as smoking cigarettes
  • Decreased motivation or interest
• Most teens do not see marijuana as harmful. They think it is safer than other drugs leading to more teens willing to try marijuana.

• Opioids are Vicodin (Hydrocodone), Oxycontin (Oxycodone), Percocet, Oxymorphone (Opana), Morphine, Codeine, and Fentanyl.
  • These are all somewhat common prescriptions that doctors may give out.
• As many as 1 in 5 teens admit to taking a prescription drug that was not theirs.
• Teens abuse Adderall and Ritalin in addition to opioids.
• Opioids have addictive qualities to them.
• Most teens get the prescriptions from their own medicine cabinets, friends’ medicine cabinets, or even grandparents’ medicine cabinets.
• 12% of teens admit to using and over the counter cough medicine to get high.
• Teens who learn about the risks of drugs from their parents are up to 50% less likely to use drugs than those who don’t.

There are two locations for safe prescription drop off locations in Cranston:

1. Cranston Police Department
   5 Garfield Ave Cranston, RI 02920
   
2. 24 Hour CVS on Reservoir Ave
   681 Reservoir Ave Cranston, RI 02910

Also, any 24-hour CVS has a safe Prescription Drop off box.