Prevention Services, Arlington MA

08/07/2026

08/07/2026

How to talk to your kids when a family pet dies

Experts say avoiding the truth about a pet's death can hurt children. Learn how to guide them through grief.

07/29/2026

New data on American substance use
Yesterday SAMHSA released the results of its 2025 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Here are some highlights:

More than half (56%) of people age 12 and older used to***co, ni****ne, alcohol, or an illicit drug in the past month. Most of those people were drinking alcohol.

Among those who were currently drinking, 44% engaged in binge drinking over the course of the year. In the past month, 19.5% had binged, a decrease from nearly 22% in 2021.

The percentage of people who used ni****ne products largely didn’t change from 2022, the earliest year to which comparisons can be made. But among ni****ne products, the percentage of people smoking ci******es decreased across age groups while the percentage of people va**ng mostly increased.

Ma*****na was the most commonly used illicit drug, with 21% of people using it in 2025. By comparison, just 3% used hallucinogens and 2% misused prescription opioids.

The survey found no change in the number of people knowingly using illegal fentanyl at 0.3%.

Forty-four million people had a substance use disorder last year. Among adults 18 and older, 54.6 million (almost 21%) had any mental illness.

There’s a lot more data — you can check out the agency’s highlights here.

07/28/2026

In this special re-release for the Season 5 finale of Awkward Conversations, host Jodie Sweetin and co-host Amy McCarthy revisit a critical conversation about the dangers of counterfeit pills and the ongoing fentanyl crisis affecting families across the United States. They are joined by DEA experts Richard Lucey and Joe Bozenko, who explain how illicit drug manufacturers are producing increasingly dangerous synthetic opioids and distributing counterfeit pills that can be deadly.

The discussion highlights how social media and online drug markets are reaching young people, why even a single pill can be fatal, and what families should know about prevention and lifesaving tools like naloxone. This episode reinforces an essential message for parents and teens alike: never take pills that were not prescribed to you and dispensed by a trusted pharmacy.

In this special re-release for the Season 5 finale of Awkward Conve...

07/06/2026

FDA finally analyzed its own youth to***co data
Last year, 7.2% of middle and high schoolers in the U.S. reported using any sort of to***co product, according to newly analyzed federal survey data. That represents an overall decline from 2022, though interestingly, use of ni****ne pouches among young people increased to 1.7%, compared to 1.4%. Vapes were the most popular to***co product, with 5.2% of survey respondents reporting current use in 2025.

Among young v**e users, nearly 90% used flavored products, with fruit, candy, dessert, and other sweet flavors the most prominent. Despite the popularity of sweet flavors among young people, the FDA touted its recent approval of four flavored e-cigarette products as a mitigation strategy.

“We call on FDA to reverse its decision to authorize flavored e-ci******es and ni****ne pouches,” Thomas Carr, the director of national policy at the American Lung Association, said in a statement. “And on the federal government to restore staffing at CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health to help prevent to***co use and help people quit for good.”

07/04/2026

https://scboston.substack.com/p/thinking-about-not-drinking-or-drinking?r=6dmowu&utm_medium=ios&utm_id=97758_v0_s00_e0_tv4_a1demonz4j0ick&fbclid=IwY2xjawS12p9leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFWdDlicHoydDlETUpSTVZqc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHt3Qyx8DjoERu-zL0V534-2MqiIQlzUFfC-E5gsMOgBjlThRmHLPrhBmblt5_aem_oxVTR7SZTT32gAJv-tpKuQ&triedRedirect=true

Whether you’re sober, sober curious, moderating, or simply wondering what summer might feel like with less alcohol, you’re not alone.

06/04/2026

1 in 5
That’s the number of adolescents aged 12 to 21 who reported going to an AI chatbot for mental health advice, according to a RAND survey of more than 1,000 young people published yesterday in JAMA Pediatrics. The survey, conducted in November 2025, showed an increase from the 13% who reported AI use in a similar RAND study from earlier in the year.

Among those who used AI, nearly 43% did so monthly, and about 92% rated the advice as at least somewhat helpful.

Chatbots like Gemini and ChatGPT are becoming more common, but growing in parallel are major concerns about how these tools respond to mental health problems.

05/18/2026

For Inclusion month in May, AHS Students attended a presentation by Mathematics-mx Grands and team. This program was funded by the Arlington Prevention Coalition and funds from the opioid abatement funds.

05/15/2026

May 2026 eNews from the Arlington Prevention Coalition - https://mailchi.mp/da393b7382ea/march2026-enews-from-the-arlington-prevention-coalition-13883266

05/04/2026

May is recognized as Mental Health Awareness Month—a time to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and support those facing mental health challenges.
Let’s take this opportunity to educate ourselves, show compassion, and stand behind initiatives that promote mental wellness in our community. Together, we can help create a more inclusive and understanding environment where mental health is treated with the same importance as physical health.
Remember, it’s okay to ask for help—you are not alone. If you need assistance, we are always here. Call (781) 643-1212 or dial 911 in an emergency.