Author Archives: TCYSAPC

Feb. 4, 2019 — The Sobering Center in downtown Austin started 24/7 operations on Oct. 1 and so far has seen more than 600 clients. Its goal, executive director Rhonda Patrick said, is to provide police and emergency officials with an alternative, safe place to take people under the influence … Continue to full story .......

The Travis County Youth Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition will be meeting next week, Tuesday, February 5 from 2:30 pm – 4:30 pm at LifeWorks East, 835 N. Pleasant Valley Rd., 78702. RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ysapc-february-5th-meeting-tickets-55656909314.

At this meeting:
Julie McElrath will present on strategic planning updates with the Youth Recovery Network … Continue to full story .......

Jan 22, 2019 – Statesman.Com — State health officials on Tuesday unveiled a new website they hope will help educate people about prescription opioid misuse and encourage patients to safely dispose of their unused medications so they don’t end up in the wrong hands, the latest in an effort by … Continue to full story .......

(Science News) – As public health officials tackle opioid addiction and overdoses, another class of prescription drugs has been contributing to a growing number of deaths across the United States.

Benzodiazepines, such as Valium and Xanax, are commonly prescribed for anxiety and insomnia. The drugs are also highly addictive and … Continue to full story .......

Jan. 17, 2019 – AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Faced with the task of curbing opioid misuse in the state of Texas, some lawmakers are exploring several avenues to improve the workflow of the Texas Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP), as well as clarifying how parents can access their kid’s prescription information. 

“As … Continue to full story .......

Drug overdoses resulted in 70,237 deaths during 2017 nationwide, according to data released from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
–  47,600 (67.8%) involved opioids (14.9 per 100,000 population), representing a 12.0% rate increase from 2016.
–  Synthetic opioids were involved in 59.8% of all opioid-involved overdose deaths; the … Continue to full story .......

Jan. 9, 2019 – Statesman.com — A Houston lawmaker has filed the 86th Legislature’s first three bills aimed at tackling the state’s opioid crisis, including one that would require pharmacists to put a red cap on all prescription opioids warning patients of their risks.

Another bill would require a label … Continue to full story .......

Almost 9,000 children and teenagers died from opioid poisoning from 1999 to 2016, and annual deaths increased threefold over the 18 years, ateam of researchers at Yale University reported Friday. 

The finding suggests the opioid epidemic will likely continue, the team said, unless legislators, public health officials, doctors and parents … Continue to full story .......

An annual survey that tracks drug use by American teenagers found that smoking, binge drinking, and abuse of prescription drugs is way down. But teen vaping is up—and not just a little bit. Vaping is way up.   The study, conducted by the University of Michigan, asked roughly 45,000 … Continue to full story .......

Dec. 10, 2018 – Statesman.Com — As Texas lawmakers wrestle with some of the state’s core issues related to substance use, a new House panel report is offering nearly 100 recommendations, including more treatment options, improved prescription drug monitoring and expanded access to detox medications.

While opioids … Continue to full story .......

(Click for Parent Guide) Vaping’s popularity exploded seemingly overnight, and it took many parents and families by surprise. Attached is a vaping guide for parents to help you understand what vaping is, its appeal to youth and what research has to say about both the risks and unknowns.

Vaping, or … Continue to full story .......