Last week, team members from our Healthy Living program attended Hidden in Plain Sight, an interactive event that encourages parents, caregivers, and those who work with youth to gain a better understanding of current trends surrounding commercial tobacco and nicotine use and potential issues on social media, like bullying and inappropriate content, that could impact youth mental health. Attendees also had a chance to walk through a mock youth bedroom to try and identify 70+ items that could indicate problem or risky behaviors. 

Jennifer Dorsett, Target Zero manager, has presented Hidden in Plain Sight to various communities in Spokane County, and she once again delivered a wonderful and informative presentation to residents in Airway Heights. Our Healthy Living program also took part again to provide additional resources related to mental health, nicotine and commercial tobacco cessation, and substance misuse prevention. If you didn't have a chance to attend, we want to share a few key points from the presentation so you, too, can stay informed and support youth in making healthy choices. The data presented in this blog is taken from the Healthy Youth Survey, which includes data from across the state and locally. Learn more: Home - Healthy Youth Survey (askhys.net)

Let's talk first about why youth might choose to use substances. Among those mentioned during the presentation, the most common reasons include:

• Using substances to cope (33% of 6th graders reported bullying at school while 20% of 8th graders reported bullying on social media; local data) 

• Using substances to fit in.

• Using substances because family members do.

• Trying substances out of curiosity or as a means to feel independent.

It's important to remember that a teen's brain doesn't fully develop until their mid to late 20s, which means the use of substances, such as nicotine or marijuana/cannabis, can be harmful to their growth and development.

Unfortunately, vaping devices have become increasingly more accessible, and new devices make it possible to inhale even more nicotine than a pack of cigarettes. For example, a box and a half of cigarettes has about 300 puffs of nicotine, while some vaping devices on the market today contain up to 8,000 puffs. Marijuana/cannabis has also seen an increase in the level of THC present from 4% in the 80s to up to 35% today.

During the presentation, Jennifer recalls having her kids try and purchase vape devices online to see how easy or difficult it would be for someone underage to get a hold of them. The verdict? It was VERY easy. Her kids also mentioned they saw advertisements for vaping devices on the popular social media app, Snapchat.

The use of vaping devices from 6th to 10th grade continues to increase in Spokane, with 2% of 6th graders reporting they vape to 8% percent of 10 graders. Vaping devices are becoming easier to purchase, and vaping has become the #1 school violation for all schools in Washington State. Since most vape devices contain nicotine, a highly addictive substance, youth who choose to vape can develop a reliance that impacts their ability to concentrate and participate in class. With nicotine withdrawals happening in as little as 20 minutes, students might start to experience feelings of anxiety, irritability, restlessness, and frustration while at school.

Speak to the youth in your life about the negative effects of vaping or using marijuana/cannabis and let them know you're there if they have questions or face peer pressure. In addition, having clear family rules, locking up alcohol and other substances in the home (including prescription medication), and promoting healthy activities to relax and de-stress, are all protective factors that can decrease the chance that youth will use substances.

We hope you took a few things away from the information and data we shared, and we encourage you to learn more and find resources to start a conversation with the youth in your life.

Not sure where to start? We've listed a few resources below! Interested in attending a Hidden in Plain Sight event? Stay tuned on our social media for upcoming dates and times. We'd love to see you there!

Talk. They Hear You."® Underage Drinking Campaign | SAMHSA

Start Talking Now

Cannabis Laws, Safety & Health | Know This About Cannabis

Cannabis and Health | Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board

Partnership to End Addiction (drugfree.org)