Partner Awareness Information
Realizing that drugs/drug abuse is prevalent in our communities, the DCPP has agreed to provide eductional information concerning drugs and various forms of addictions to The Herald Record to hopefully educate their readers so as to prevent more abuse.
The Herald would like to thank the DCPP for providing this information.
So, What’s the Deal with Pod Vapes?
Pod vapes use sleek, high-tach designs to get your attention. But it’s a marketing trick with one purpose-to deliver the addictive drug nicotine, which is contained in tobacco products. Pod vapes may be small, but they pack a big punch with some pod vapes containing as much nicotine as an entire pack of cigarettes. Many first-time users try pod vapes because of the flavors. What many people don’t realize is that with every puff of flavor comes a high dose of nicotine.
Nicotine is not harmless; it damages blood vessels and increases the risk of heart disease. Nicotine also affects the development of brain circuits and may increase the risk of mood disorders and problems with impulse control. Nicotine changes certain areas of the brain to make you feel like you need the drug. This is called addiction. Some new users of Pod Vapes report feeling “hooked” on nicotine within a few days of regularly using a pod vape. Once a person becomes dependent on pod vapes, there is a greater risk of using regular cigarettes or other tobacco products.
Pod vapes contain toxins. Many people believe that vaping is not harmful. While vapes don’t have tar and some of the other chemicals that regular cigarettes have, they do have toxins that can harm a person’s health. Some toxins found in vapes include heavy metals such as nickel, tin, and lead, diacetyl (a chemical that can cause serious lung disease when inhaled), ultrafine particles that can damage lungs, and chemicals that are known to cause cancer (Nancy Calhoun, 2021).
If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about vaping or how to quit, contact Brian Lipscomb with the Doddridge County Prevention Partnership at (304) 871-1090, Candi Travis with the West Virginia Prevention Solutions at (304)-677-0970, or the West Virginia Quit Line at 1-800-QUIT-NOW.
“Talk. They Hear You.” ®
Research suggests that one of the most important factors in healthy child development is a strong, open relationship with a parent or caregiver. It is paramount to start takin to your children about alcohol and other drugs before they are exposed to them-as early as 9 years old.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) has a new “Talk, They Hear You.” ®campaign which features a mobile app to help parents and caregivers prepare for some important conversations they may ever have with their kids. This app shows adults how to turn everyday situations into opportunities to talk with their children about alcohol and other drugs, and equips them with the necessary skills, confidence, and knowledge to start and continues these conversations as their kids get older.
The “Talk. They Hear You.” ® app is designed to help parents and caregivers, educators, and community members to:
Get Informed. Increase awareness about underage drinking and other drug use.
Be prepared. Introduce skill-building techniques, and share available resources and tools.
Take Action. Increase actions to help prevent underage drinking and other drug use.
The app features simple conversation starters, ways to keep the conversation going, an interactive practice simulation section, and the opportunity to earn badges for practicing and having real-life conversations (SAMHSA, 2022).
Addressing Stigma and How You Can Take Action
What is stigma? Very simply, a mark of disgrace or dishonor associated with a particular circumstance, quality, or person. In general, stigma appears as a feeling of disapproval that most people in a society have about something. Stigma can generate negative attitudes about people with a condition. These negative attitudes can lead to discriminatory practices against people with certain conditions as well as structures in groups, organizations, and various public systems that negatively impact people with these conditions. Many people with substance use disorders and mental heath disorders are faced with stigma each day that can ultimately discourage them for seeking treatment for their condition or even discontinuing existing treatment.
Ways that you can take action to address stigma include changing the language. We get to choose the language we use and how we talk about others. Using person-first language can help destigmatize the words that we use. For example, saying “Angie is an addict” suggests that Angie and addict are one and the same. However, saying “Angie has a substance use disorder” conveys that we acknowledge that this person has a condition and that the person is not the condition.
Learn about the issue. Education is about learning new ideas. To specifically address stigma, education is about learning factual information about stigmatized conditions and correcting misinformation. It is about contradicting negative attitudes and beliefs. Being willing to learn and share information and to counter misinformation.
Personal Experiences. We can reduce stigma is by engaging in more direct (and even indirect) experiences with people experiencing the condition. Experiences change our beliefs. We can put ourselves in a position to have intentional experiences. However, often because of stigma we may be afraid to do this. Experiences can overcome this divide between those with stigmatized conditions and those without.
Review practices and policies. Ask people who are being served with various conditions how practice and polices may impede access to services, compliance with treatment, and overall healing and well-being. Finding this information out can help put into motion change in practices and policies.
Stigma is complex, manifesting itself in different ways at the societal level, at the personal level, and in the structures, we have built. Stigma decreases quality of life, negatively impacts one’s sense of hope, self-esteem, and self-efficacy.
What if we could eliminate stigma? One would venture to guess and to hope that a world without stigma would be more tolerant, more proactive, and would alleviate the suffering of many people. Each of us plays a role. Each of us has a stake in this outcome (StigmaFreeWV, 2021).
To learn more about addressing stigma and Talk — They CAn Hear You contact Brian Lipscomb with the Doddridge County Prevention Partnership at (304) 871-1090, Candi Travis with the West Virginia Prevention Solutions at (304)-677-0970, or visit www.stigmafreewv.org.