Be Informed

Choose a topic to learn more about it, or explore the featured resources below.

  • Monitoring Your Teen’s Activities

    Monitoring Your Teen’s Activities

    What Parents and Families Should Know to reduce the risks for injury, pregnancy, and drug, alcohol, and cigarette use Parents are a powerful influence in the lives of their teens. When parents make a habit of knowing about their teens—what they are doing, who they are with, and where they are and setting clear expectations…

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  • 14 Tips on Teens

    14 Tips on Teens

    Tips to connect with teens. Adapted from “14 Tips on Teens” by Evelyn Petersen, ParentTalk Newsletter

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  • “By Your Side” SAMHSA Video

    “By Your Side” SAMHSA Video

    This video from SAMHSA’s “Talk. They Hear You.”® campaign shows the value in talking with your kids about underage use of alcohol and drugs early and often. Keeping kids safe from underage use of alcohol and other drugs is a concern for parents. In this public service announcement video from SAMHSA’s “Talk. They Hear You.”®…

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  • The Facts about Fentanyl

    The Facts about Fentanyl

    Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. It is a major contributor to fatal and nonfatal overdoses in the U.S. Learn more about fentanyl in this fact sheet from the CDC. Source: CDC National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Division of…

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  • Fentanyl Conversation Starters

    Fentanyl Conversation Starters

    Facts and conversation starters to help protect your kids Fueled by fentanyl, the number of overdose deaths in Oregon has soared since 2019. Many fake pills are made to look just like prescription medications. These fake pills are increasingly common, and fentanyl, an opioid up to 50 times stronger than heroin, may be mixed into…

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  • Teen Medicine Abuse Fact Sheet

    Teen Medicine Abuse Fact Sheet

    Read this fact sheet for more information about teen prescription and over-the-counter medicine abuse. Each generation of kids looks for new ways to get high. Recent trends indicate they are increasingly turning to prescription (Rx) or over-the counter (OTC) medicines. Teens report getting many of these medicines from home medicine cabinets and mistakenly believe that…

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  • Prescription Drug and Over-the-Counter Medication Safe Storage

    Prescription Drug and Over-the-Counter Medication Safe Storage

    Prescription medication is secured from the time it leaves the manufacturer until the time it’s dispensed at a pharmacy. At that point it becomes our responsibility to safely store medication at home. Safe Storage Steps  More Storage Tips Learn more at TakeMedsSeriously.org

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  • Prescription Drug Safe Use

    Prescription Drug Safe Use

    You can help combat the dangers of prescription drug abuse by using your prescription drugs only as directed. Source: TakeMedsSeiouslyOregon.org Safe use guidelines and tips Additional Safety Tips Learn more at TakeMedsSeriouslyOregon.org

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  • Talking to Your Kids About Prescription Drug Abuse

    Talking to Your Kids About Prescription Drug Abuse

    Learn more about how to talk to your kids about prescription drug abuse in this resource from SAMHSA. Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

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