News & Updates

  • There's No Trick to Keeping Teens Away From Alcohol

    03/14/2017

    There’s no trick and there’s no treat when it comes to underage drinking on Halloween. The spookiest holiday of the year is also considered one of the biggest drinking holidays, so it’s no surprise that the alcohol industry wants to cash in on getting into the spirit. Unfortunately, the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth researchers have found that that there is a link between minors who

    Read More

  • 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

    Read More

  • 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

    Read More

  • 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,

    Read More

  • 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,

    Read More

  • 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

    Read More

  • 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

    Read More

  • Mercer Island High School club shows it's fun to be drug-free

    03/14/2017

    A new club at Mercer Island High School is offering a safe haven for students who want to steer clear of marijuana, alcohol and other substances, and is in turn inspiring others to make that choice too. Mercer Island’s S.A.F.E. Club (for Super Awesome Fun Events) was initiated by senior Sarah Stewart, who transferred from a high school in northern Michigan where problems with substance abuse

    Read More