“When I wrote my first article on fentanyl, I was floored by the devastation and loss that it is inflicting on communities. Since that time, I have done my best to help spread awareness surrounding the dangers of fentanyl. I’m happy to play a part in our community’s response to this crisis.”

As the leaves start to turn, the days shorten and the morning air gets crisp, Halloween lights emerge in our little neighborhood. This indicates the beginning of the winter holiday season. The holiday season starts on October 31st with Halloween, which has become a notorious holiday for youth trick-or-treating and adult drinking.

Simple searches with hashtags like #weed4sale, #oxy or #painpills will pull up story after story (that is IG or Snapchat stories) with pictures of drugs and cash and emojis such the Christmas tree, fire, and $$ that means it’s for sale. Requests are left in the comments or you can direct message the dealer.

The harmful combination of a still-forming mind, high-potency THC products, and a high frequency of use = Cannabis-Induced Psychosis. Yes, that’s a real diagnosis.

I write to honor and share with my own community and perhaps a broader one, the legacy of a brilliant young soul that I have had the privilege of being the mother of. These words will not be soft or vague or pretty. My vibrant boy/ man is dead.

The complete access to drugs, most of us have never heard of, are 5 minutes away from our homes. And any young person who is hurting knows right where to get them. I keep asking the question. Where is the outrage?

“The gap between what parents know and what teens know about the drug scene here is huge,” is how Don Carney opens our conversation. He informs me bluntly, “Parents are out of the loop.” Despite the knowledge gaps, Don asserts there is plenty we can do to influence behaviors and take care of our children. The keys he offers coalesce around attention, attachment and agency.

Nic Sheff talked about how he started smoking pot at 11 years old and how that ended up spiraling into a full addiction. David Sheff contributed the parent side of the issue. Both Sheffs stressed the point that to counter the isolation of those who suffer from substance abuse – relationships and a community effort are needed.

“I love the youth-driven aspect of MHYP work. We are not treated like kids here, but real members of a meaningful community. This is happening to US — our generation and our peers. And local action is very important because we can react faster than national movements. This is a very real and pressing issue.”

“This is not the pot we grew up with,” is a phrase often used to sum up the complexities of what has happened to cannabis over the course of a generation or two. And yes, when left to stand alone as a justification for “just say no,” this statement rings hollow and hypocritical – but it actually hits at the core truth of the issue. 

Most Marin parents will tell you that it isn’t uncommon to see alcohol consumed on the sidelines at youth sporting events or at team parties. Or that they have been offered a drink while out trick-or-treating with their kids. Or they have sent their nervous teens off to their first prom while sipping wine with other parents. It’s completely normal. But, some are questioning, should it be?

Every stage of parenting presents a brave new world of challenges. What other job can you imagine doing that, even after a decade of experience, can still have you feeling like you’ve been suddenly blindfolded and dropped into the front seat on the wildest ride of your life?

Having young children and teens is a grand opportunity to re-examine our attitudes and habits. With Alcohol Awareness Month as our prompt, let’s invite each other to consider the role of alcohol in our childrens' lives.

Consider this: You would be hard-pressed to find a teenager who is not aware that driving after drinking alcohol is unsafe and unacceptable. Decades of well-funded public health education campaigns have elevated this message to common knowledge status, and medical research and traffic safety statistics confirm it as an inarguable reality.

Across Marin County, local town boards and councils are considering regulations on the sale of flavored tobacco products. The goal: make it harder for young people to obtain tobacco products, which they are suddenly using at an alarmingly higher rates throughout Marin and across the nation.

Surprised that you could be held responsible for teen substance use at your home? Whether or not you are there? Consider how lightweight that fine seems in comparison with the cost that could result if there are any injuries or accidents that occur as a result of underage substance use at a residence.

While trying to get kids to stop using and abusing alcohol and other drugs through educating them on the dangers or by trying to curb our own alcohol use in order to set a better example may have some success, these methods only treat symptoms. Like eradicating any disease, calming symptoms is only a temporary fix until the root cause of the disease is addressed.

I am constantly asking questions like: Why are our kids making unhealthy choices?  What are they seeking (mostly implicitly) as they make unhealthy choices?  What is being modeled for them?  Are the community leaders helping them to make wise choices? and more…