Author Archives: TCYSAPC

About TCYSAPC

Travis County Youth Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition

Top 7 Teen Substance Use Trends Parents Need to Know in 2025

Posted on June 8, 2025 by TCYSAPC

Talking to Teens About Drugs and Substance UseTeen substance use trends are always changing, and staying informed can help parents have better conversations with their kids. The good news? Teen substance use is at an all-time low! According to the Monitoring the Future survey, fewer teens are drinking, vaping, or using drugs compared to previous years.1

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Travis County offers free naloxone training as opioid deaths decline

Posted on June 7, 2025 by TCYSAPC

As part of its ongoing response to the opioid crisis, Travis County is now offering free training on how to use Narcan, the life-saving medication that reverses opioid overdoses.  The free course can request training through the county’s opioid response website. The training is available to any individual,

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Senate Bill 650 – TX Legislature passes alcohol ID law inspired after 18 year old dies in car crash

Posted on June 6, 2025 by TCYSAPC

billmom.png A bill requiring electronic ID readers at grocery and convenience stores that sell alcohol is now just a signature away from becoming law in Texas – a move being hailed as one of the most transformational changes to the state’s liquor laws in three decades.  A mother’s mission begins  The … Continue to full story .......

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Why beer and liquor distributors are split on THC ban as Abbott weighs veto

Posted on June 5, 2025 by TCYSAPC

Petitions are delivered to the governor’s office asking Gov. Greg Abbott to veto SB3, which would restrict THC, on the last day of the 89th Texas Legislature at the Capitol in Austin, Monday, June 2, 2025.As Gov. Greg Abbott weighs Texas’ proposed THC ban, one industry is working overtime to influence his decision: the alcohol lobby.   Amid plunging alcohol sales, some groups representing liquor stores are opposing the ban as they see THC beverages as an opportunity to draw in more business. Beer distributors,

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Texas Legislature on verge of completely banning THC products after key House vote

Posted on May 28, 2025 by TCYSAPC

The Texas House gave final approval to a bill that would ban all products containing tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, likely spelling the end for the state’s short-lived hemp industry. Under the legislation, hemp retailers and recreational users would be allowed to sell and consume only the non-intoxicating, non-psychoactive cannabinoids known as … Continue to full story .......

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Father arrested after daughter reportedly dies from alcohol poisoning

Posted on May 25, 2025 by TCYSAPC

SHERMAN, Texas — Michael Cain, 35, was arrested on a warrant for Criminally Negligent Homicide.  An investigation, reported that Cain was consuming alcohol with his 17 year old daughter, Patience Cain, before her death. A medical examination showed that Patience died as a result of acute ethanol toxicity, more … Continue to full story .......

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Texas moves forward with expansive social media ban for minors, reigniting debate

Posted on May 23, 2025 by TCYSAPC
A child's hands hold a cellphone on top of a desk with homework and pens (Marijan Murat / dpa / picture alliance via Getty Images file)

Texas is poised to become the second state to enact an across-the-board ban on social media for minors before its state legislative session ends in a little over a week.  Advocates on both sides of the issue have said the bill would be the strictest state-level regulation yet on social

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Heated tobacco products show unclear health risks as evidence remains limited

Posted on May 11, 2025 by TCYSAPC
vape

Heated tobacco products are often marketed by tobacco companies as less harmful than cigarettes, but they can pose health risks to users, according to a new review  in the journal Tobacco Control. Evidence on their health risks in people who smoke is limited, sometimes contradictory, and hard to make sense

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Medicaid unwinding linked to disruptions in opioid addiction treatment, study suggests

Posted on May 11, 2025 by TCYSAPC
buprenorphine

The massive national effort to return the Medicaid enrollment process to its pre-pandemic rules starting in April 2023 may have disrupted the care of people receiving treatment for opioid addiction, a new University of Michigan study suggests.  The researchers call this finding concerning, because the disruption may increase the risk

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SAMHSA Faces Significant Cuts, Uncertain Future

Posted on May 7, 2025 by TCYSAPC
SAMHSA | Arizona | Intensive Treatment Systems of ArizonaThe U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has announced that (SAMHSA)  the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration will be absorbed into HHS’s newly created Administration for a Healthy America—leaving experts concerned about the potential effects on a country grappling with mental health and substance use crises.
Under
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Texas House unanimously gives initial approve to bill that would legalize fentanyl testing strips

Posted on April 25, 2025 by TCYSAPC

Amazon.com: Emnce Fentanyl Test Strips Home Drug Testing Kit - Accurate for Powder Substances, Liquids & Pills | Urine Test Kit for Synthetic Detection | for Forensic Use [5 Pack] : Health & HouseholdThe Texas House has given unanimous initial approval to a bill to legalize fentanyl testing strips. Currently, state law classifies the strips as drug paraphernalia.   On Tuesday, state lawmakers passed House Bill 1644 on second reading by a vote of 145 to 0. It would legalize testing strips for fentanyl

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The risks of teen drinking and the role of family medicine physicians with conversations about alcohol

Posted on April 25, 2025 by TCYSAPC

Teen drinking poses serious risks to adolescent health, affecting brain development and increasing addiction potential. There are effective strategies to address this issue.  Teen alcohol use is far more common, and far more consequential, than many family practitioners realize. According to recent surveys, nearly one in three high school

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