One Choice for Health: A Data-Informed, Youth-Driven Prevention Message
Featured expert: Caroline DuPont, MD
Cost: $0 (But we would welcome your donation!)
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Description
What if substance use disorders come down to a single choice? When a young person uses any one substance – alcohol, nicotine, or marijuana – does it increase the likelihood of using the other substances? Does not using one substance decrease the likelihood of using others? The Institute for Behavior and Health analyzed national data on youth substance use behaviors and found that for young people, the use (and non-use) of all substances is closely related. Once the decision to use a substance is made, that individual is faced with many decisions about when and how much to use, with whom to use, and whether or not to use other substances. What if the age of first use really matters? The adolescent brain continues to develop into the mid-20s, making it uniquely vulnerable to addiction: 9 in 10 adults with substance use disorders began using before age 18. Science supports a clear health standard for prevention of One Choice: Do not use any alcohol, nicotine, marijuana, or other drugs under age 21 for reasons of health. What if there is good news? More than ever, American youth are already making One Choice, and they are leading this new movement for youth prevention efforts across the country.
Learning Objectives
At the end of this one-hour webinar, participants will learn:
- Describe the unique impact marijuana, alcohol, nicotine, and other substances have on the adolescent brain.
- Articulate how all youth drug use is connected (why “it’s just a little weed” is not based in reality)
- Know the facts: it’s possible for young people to make the choice to be drug-free…the number of teens choosing to be drug-free is growing every day.
Speaker Bio
Dr. DuPont is Vice President of the Institute for Behavior and Health, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that identifies new ideas to reduce illegal drug use. In her role she focuses on the areas of substance use disorder treatment and youth prevention. She maintains a private practice specializing in anxiety and addiction.
Formerly she was the founding President and Principal Investigator of DuPont Clinical Research, Inc., where she directed a team that conducted studies of investigational medication for the anxiety and affective disorders.
Dr. DuPont received her MD from the University of Texas Health Sciences Center, Houston and completed her training at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, where for years she held an appointment on the clinical faculty of psychiatry. She is board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and by the American Board of Addiction Medicine. She is the co-author of numerous publications and several book chapters on anxiety and addiction.
The IBH websites include www.IBHinc.org and www.OneChoicePrevention.org.
Questions?
Email Founder & CEO, Laura Stack, at [email protected].