News & Updates

  • Platique con sus adolescentes sobre maneras saludables de enfrentar momentos difíciles

    08/14/2020

    Read this page in English. Los padres están lidiando con muchas cosas en casa en este momento. Muchas familias están experimentando niveles más altos de estrés y ansiedad debido a problemas de salud y seguridad y/o problemas económicos. En tiempos difíciles, es especialmente importante que los padres se conecten con sus hijos, muestren maneras saludables de lidiar con el estrés, platiquen con

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  • Talking to teens about healthy ways to cope during difficult times

    06/17/2020

    Lea esta página en español. Parents are dealing with a lot right now. Many families are experiencing higher levels of stress and anxiety due to health and safety concerns and/or financial issues. In difficult times, it is especially important for parents to bond with their children, model healthy ways to deal with stress, talk with them about how they feel, and help them find positive ways to

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  • Observing Alcohol Awareness Month during COVID-19

    04/23/2020

    You may have seen reports of increased alcohol sales as people are stocking up on grocery items and looking for ways to relax and de-stress. As April is Alcohol Awareness Month, this is a good time to reflect on how alcohol affects our lives, and to consider if it should be part of a healthy response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Alcohol may appear to temporarily lower stress: it is a sedative and

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  • Vaping-associated Lung Injury and Young People: What You Need to Know

    09/26/2019

    The Washington State Department of Health is monitoring the outbreak of vaping-associated lung injury that has sickened hundreds across the country, including six people in Washington State (as of 9/24/2019). The condition is linked to the use of e-cigarettes and vapor products, which can contain THC (marijuana), nicotine, or flavored oils. Symptoms include coughing, shortness of breath, nausea

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  • High School Senior Shares Reasons to Celebrate Sober

    03/14/2017

    As prom and graduation season approaches, this is a time when students, and their parents, celebrate their accomplishments. The following was written by a graduating senior of Mercer Island High School. It reminds parents that, while their children are graduating and entering adulthood, they still need your encouragement and reminders about why it is so important to keep making healthy

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  • Help Teens Enjoy Holidays Safely

    03/14/2017

    The holiday season is a time of joy, giving thanks and celebrating with family and friends. Not a time to be marred by the memory and sadness of a loved one involved in a fatal traffic collision. The sad truth is that impaired driving is the leading cause of traffic deaths in Washington, and these deaths are preventable. The Washington Traffic Safety Commission reports that from

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  • With poisonings on the rise, parents reminded to lock up marjuana edibles

    03/14/2017

    The Washington Poison Center is warning parents about an increase in calls about kids accidentally eating marijuana-edibles. A variety of candy-style products exist in the medical marijuana market. Marijuana-edibles can be found in a variety of shapes, sizes, and types that often resemble traditional candies and sweets in their product name and/or appearance, such as brownies, candy bars,

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  • New Interactive Tool Helps Parents "Start the Talk"

    03/14/2017

    SAMHSA recently launched Start the Talk, an interactive, online simulation tool that helps parents and caregivers of children ages 9 to 15 practice tough conversations about alcohol. Start the Talk is the newest component of "Talk. They Hear You.", SAMHSA's national underage drinking prevention campaign, which launched last May. The Campaign equips parents and caregivers with the information,

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  • Alcohol Advertising: Does It Affect Kids?

    03/14/2017

    Washington State has new outdoor advertising rules to reduce the alcohol ads youth are exposed to in their communities. See the Get Involved page for ways to educate your community about the rules and laws to reduce underage drinking. Let's draw the line! Visit the Facebook and YouTube campaign pages. Here are some facts about alcohol marketing and youth: According to the Federal Trade

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  • Parents are the best teachers about healthy choices

    03/14/2017

    As a parent you will likely recall your own sense of excitement on returning to school after summer break. You also may have experienced a touch of anxiety in thinking about whether your new teachers would be soft or strict, whether your stories of summer fun would match up to those of your friends, if your new clothes would cause a splash, a ripple or a thud, and if your new classes would be

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