USM Hosts Substance Misuse Prevention Education

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USM Hosts Substance Misuse Prevention Education

University School of Milwaukee hosted Stephanie Haines from Soundcheck Prevention Network for substance misuse prevention education. Haines visited USM on Wednesday, Nov. 12 and hosted a variety of discussions for parents, 6th through 12th grade students, and faculty and staff.

With 6th through 8th grade students, Haines discussed medication safety, brain development, and protective strategies for avoiding substance misuse. She spoke about the benefit of pausing before impulsively reacting to offers one is unsure about, the importance of connecting with trusted adults, and the value of practicing refusal strategies. You can view the slides used with these Middle School students here. 

With Upper School students, Haines focused on how cannabis and nicotine hijack the developing brain and can alter the user’s ability to learn, focus, and stay motivated. Nicotine and cannabis’s effect on mental health were also discussed, as were local cannabis laws. (No slides were used in the Upper School presentation.)

Haines’s presentation to parents and caregivers focused on the changing landscape of teen substance abuse and included advice about how parents can model and talk about healthy choices with their children. You can view the complete slides from Haine’s presentation to parents here; a summary of key takeaways is also shared below.

Trends and drug information

  • While adolescent use of all substances has trended down over the last four decades, nicotine and cannabis use have decreased less than alcohol use.
  • Modern e-cigarettes are far more potent than traditional cigarettes, with many single products containing the amount of nicotine found in 20 traditional cigarettes.
  • Marijuana has also become far more potent; cannabis products in earlier decades were often 2-4% THC, while today’s products are 15-90% THC.
  • As a result of both increased potency and legalization in some states, emergency room (ER) visits related to cannabis have significantly increased in the last 10 to 15 years, as has the percentage of drug-related ER visits involving cannabis (12.8% in 2024). Individuals 18 to 25 years old had the highest rate of cannabis-related ER visits in recent years.
  • Alcohol is significant factor in the top three causes of premature death in teens: accidents (including car accidents), suicide, and homocide.
  • In adolescence, the earlier someone begins drinking alcohol, the higher the incidence of alcohol dependence is later in life.

Advice for caregivers

  • It’s never too early to start preventing substance misuse. For young children, this is social-emotional learning: how to make difficult decisions, how to ask for help, and knowing when to tell an adult if they are worried about something. As kids get older, incorporate conversation around healthy ways of managing stress, peer pressure, and begin to talk explicitly about substances.
  • Strong relationships, community, and engagement are some of the biggest protective factors against substance use in adolescents.
  • Don’t assume your children know your rules and expectations. Have explicit conversations with them.
  • At the same time, know that your rules will help, but adolescents will eventually be making their own decisions about whether or not to use. When talking about substance use with them, help them identify what their goals and values are so that they are motivated and prepared to make healthy choices for themselves.
  • It can be very helpful for students to prepare a way of saying no to alcohol or drugs in advance of situations in which they may encounter them. Ask your child how they plan to say no if they are offered something they don’t want. Rehearsing an “out” can build confidence in saying no—for instance, saying “I can’t, I have a game tomorrow” or “I can’t, my parents always check my breath when I get home.” (This is a time when white lies are OK.)
  • Parents asked whether it is acceptable or not to drink in front of their children. Haines’ advice was to be aware of whether your behavior is sending a message that alcohol is necessary for socializing or relaxing. If you have a drink at dinner sometimes in front of your kids, make sure they see you enjoying meals when you’re not drinking; if you host social events with friends where alcohol is served, make sure your kids also see you hosting or enjoying social events where it is not served. 
  • Haines also advised parents to model any hard-and-fast rules; for example, if you have proactively discussed the dangers of drinking and driving with your child, model having a designated driver if you and your spouse go out to dinner with your kids.

Haines also shared the following resources for parents seeking additional information:


 

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