News & Events
Much of our work involves measuring the difference others make. Getting involved and making our own difference is also an important part of who we are as individuals and as an organization.
An article was released yesterday by CDC's Office on Smoking and Health is releasing the following tobacco-related article in the CDC journal, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR):
Key findings include:
- Pod-mods, a type of e-cigarette with prefilled or refillable pod cartridges, were the most commonly confiscated devices from high school youth in California (64%) and North Carolina (74%).
- More than 1,000 e-cigarette products were confiscated at 25 public high schools in California and North Carolina during the 2018–2019 academic year.
- E-cigarette, or vaping, products typically contain nicotine, which is highly addictive, can harm adolescent brain development, and prime the brain for addiction.
- School-level efforts to prevent and reduce e-cigarette use among youth could include adopting and enforcing tobacco-free policies; measures that provide access to resources and treatment for students rather than punishment; implementing evidence-based curricula not sponsored by tobacco companies; and educating school staff and parents about the changing product marketplace and health risks of youth e-cigarette use.
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Yesterday we had a successful press conference to release the PDATF Safe Medication Disposal Survey findings and to promote the upcoming DEA Take Back Day on Saturday, October 24th from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. These bi-annual events provide an opportunity to prevent drug misuse and overdose deaths by proper disposal of unused, expired, or unwanted prescription medications. Learn more about the event here.
To learn about how to dispose of your unwanted, expired, or unused prescription medications year-round, click here.
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The MPI recently recorded a webinar with the Partners in Prevention, Missouri's higher education substance misuse coalition. The webinar is part of a recently developed training series in partnership with the PTTC. Our presentation discusses data from the most recent MPI Impact Report, COVID-19 impacts, and future prevention recommendations.
There are five webinars on a variety of topics related to substance use prevention and they are all free, you just need to register to access the series. Registration information can be accessed here: https://www.mopiptraining.org/
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The Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) is promoting the value and role of health education specialists through a variety of webinars this week for National Health Education Week. There will be webinars through Friday, with two highlighted below.
Supporting Employee Mental Health and Well-being during COVID-19
Tomorrow, October 21st @ 2:00 – 3:00 PM
Learn more about Washington County’s experience and efforts promoting mental health for its employees and the larger community with an emphasis on the response to COVID-19.
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZclfuytrDsvHtKT3MM2D_hoLrYLiEIH0Do4
Health Literacy: Words Matter
Thursday, October 22nd @ 2:00 – 3:00 PM
When organizations or people create and give others health information that is too difficult for them to understand, we create a health literacy problem. When we expect them to figure out health services with many unfamiliar, confusing, or even conflicting steps, we also create a health literacy problem. Even the publics with advanced education can face health literacy issues. Health literacy is important for everyone because we need to find, understand, and use health information and services.
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMkdu-urT0vGdVIhhjAt4FtRFb8EVPtQoel
For more information, visit https://www.sophe.org/focus-areas/national-health-education-week/nhew-activities/.
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Cannabis is a plant that has been used for its intoxicating effects for at least a century in the United States and for longer in other cultures. It also has a long history of use around the world for purported medical benefits. More than 100 different cannabinoids have been identified in cannabis. The primary intoxicating cannabinoid in cannabis is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The cannabinoid cannabidiol (CBD) has received increasing public attention in recent years; preliminary findings suggest that CBD may be a useful treatment for several medical conditions and it is not reported to be associated with intoxication or addiction, unlike THC. 1 In this document, the term “cannabis” is used to describe the plant-based products. When the document refers specifically to individual cannabinoids, they are identified as such.
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