Should Parents Tell Kids About Their Past Cannabis Use?
Talking about cannabis with your teens can be unnerving, especially if you’re a past or present cannabis user yourself. If your child asks, should you disclose your own experience with cannabis to them? Will honesty hurt or help this conversation?
Cannabis is now legal for adult use in 21 states and decriminalized in another 10, but it still poses a variety of dangers for teens and adolescents. It’s crucial to talk openly about cannabis with your kids before they ever have the chance to try it. Bringing your own experiences to the table can help to strengthen your message—as long as you know what to say and how to say it.
Since Connecticut’s legalization of adult-use cannabis last year, there’s been a lot of discussion about the potential ramifications for teens and adolescents. Becoming part of this conversation—and the solution—starts with getting informed. Here’s what you need to know about the complex relationship between mental health and cannabis use among young people, whose brains are still developing.
Adult use of cannabis is now legal in Connecticut, and retail sales will officially begin in January 2023. However, the new law’s impact on teens and adolescents—who are most at risk for developing Cannabis Use Disorder—remains to be seen. Here’s how you can help steer kids away from underage use and keep them safe from CUD.
Drinking at college has long been thought of as a rite of passage. Students turn to alcohol expecting a good time and a relief from social anxiety, but far too often, this “campus experience” has lasting and even deadly consequences. That’s because college students are especially vulnerable to binge drinking—a pattern of drinking alcohol that brings one’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08% or higher. 
September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. For parents and other members of the community, this is an opportunity to broach what can often be an uncomfortable or difficult topic with teenagers. 
In Connecticut, 27% of high school students use electronic cigarettes—a product that many of them see as a healthier alternative to traditional cigarettes. Unfortunately, many teens are still not aware that vapes contain more than just flavored liquid. The harmful chemicals in vapes include nicotine and caffeine, as well as many others which haven’t been adequately studied.