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Orange Partnership Lunch and Learns

Fri, 10 Nov 2023 21:40:15 GMT

Listen to our coalition partners share resources and discuss important topics such as youth mental health and substance use, suicide prevention, and high-risk drinking. Orange Partnership strives to prevent the early onset of substance use by addressing root causes.

September Lunch and Learn: Mental Health Awareness

October Lunch and Learn: Youth Substance Use

Youth Drug Trends

Wed, 04 Oct 2023 17:01:21 GMT

More adolescents use alcohol than tobacco or marijuana. 30% of high school students reported having their 1st drink before age 15 . 50% of those who reported drinking, said they binged on alcohol. And 20% of middle school students reported getting access to alcohol from their own home , or from someone else's home .

However, a concerning trend has emerged among middle school students , with the significant rise in the use of any tobacco product reaching 6.6% in 2023, up from 4.5% in 2022. And 64% of high school current nicotine users have also vaped cannabis .

What's concerning?

Product packaging and advertising make substances more appealing to our impressionable youth and normalizes the behavior. On-the-go pre-mixed drinks, sweet flavoring, and easy-to-disguise vape devices are readily available.

Know the Harms

The adolescent brain is not fully developed until age 25. When youth engage in substance use, the brain region responsible for decision making, moderating social behavior, and personality, is particularly affected.

Additionally, the aerosols in e-cigs/vapes include heavy metals such as lead, nickel and zinc, and cancer-causing substances such as benzene. A recent study found that half of the 56 devices tested produced vapor that contained lead, at levels above federal government limits.

How to Help?

3 out of 4 teens say their PARENTS are the leading influence on their decision about drinking alcohol or using other mood-altering substances. Talk early and often to your kids about substance use and don't provide alcohol to your teens at home.

Coalition Resources:

Listen in to our 97.9 WCHL PSA's about youth substance use and get reminders about preventions and interventions. See More Info. above.

Fall Mental Health Campaign

Wed, 06 Sep 2023 23:07:33 GMT

Orange Partnership is committed to connecting our youth to the resources they need to be healthy and prosper. Be on the lookout for the coalition's educational and public awareness campaigns promoting mental health and preventing substance use.

Mental Health Awareness Events:

“988” Suicide Lifeline Chapel Hill transit bus advertising de-stigmatizing mental health language and encouraging friends to check in.
Orange Partnership's newspaper article announcing campaign kick-off. Link to article: Orange Partnership provides events to mark Mental Health Awareness | Community | newsoforange.com
Coalition partners' WCHL radio interviews promoting "Wellness Wednesdays" and share resources about mental health awareness. September 6th broadcast features Alliance Health, El Futuro and Freedom House Recovery Center partners. Recording: Wellness Wednesday Archives - Chapelboro.com
Partners record WCHL PSA's reminding young adults in crisis to text or call “988” Lifeline. See More Info. button.

Talk it UP! Reality check on dangers of alcohol

Fri, 01 Apr 2022 13:17:36 GMT

It is no secret that alcohol and certain activities don’t mix such as operating heavy machinery, swimming and driving. Alcohol’s immediate side effects such as delayed reaction times, impaired coordination and loss of critical judgement far too often lead to injuries and even fatalities.

Over 12% of trauma patients tested for alcohol at UNC Medical Center from 2019-2020 had alcohol in their system at the time of their injury, with 25% of patients ages 16 to 21 testing positive. The percentages are likely even higher since more than half of the patients were not tested for alcohol. Orange County residents under the influence of alcohol have sustained traumatic injuries from burns, falls, assaults, stabbings and wrecks.

However, despite the known effects of alcohol and the injuries that result, it is not often viewed as a dangerous substance. Alcohol is the most frequently used drug and, as a result, has become a normalized aspect of daily life for many. But the reality is that more teens die as a result of alcohol use than all other illicit drugs combined.

On average, youth try alcohol for the first time at 14, when they are in middle school. The vast majority of North Carolina’s youth — 94% — say underage drinking is a problem, according to Talk It Out NC. The 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that among high school students, 29% drank alcohol in the past 30 days and 14% binge drank.

While not everyone who drinks does so at heavy levels, studies show underage drinkers are more likely to engage in binge drinking, which involves having four or more drinks at a time.

Underage drinking, especially binge drinking, is harmful on the brain’s development and can lead to consequences such as blackouts, unplanned and unwanted sexual activity, fights, accidents and driving while intoxicated.

North Carolina loses at least one person per week due to underage drinking.

Josh Helm, an 18-year-old freshman at UNC Charlotte from Hillsborough, died from underage drinking in 2014. His mother, Vicki Helm, said she learned her son spent the day drinking with a friend in his dorm and ultimately fell out his seventh-floor window to his death.

She said his binge drinking left him incapacitated where he was no longer capable of seeing what was dangerous. Binge drinking is not uncommon, as 1 in 6 teens binge drinks, according to Talk It Out NC.

Helm said the current drinking culture of people overconsuming and becoming blackout drunk is troubling and tempts fate every time they do so.

“All the kids that come to the University of Chapel Hill or Charlotte or State, they have big dreams. And yet, drinking can take it all away,” Helm said.

In the aftermath of her son’s death, Helm said she nor her son were prepared for the drinking culture he would be surrounded by.

With her younger son headed to college shortly after, she said she navigated conversations about drinking differently. Instead of saying “Just don’t drink,” she turned to providing scenarios and evidence of what alcohol does to your body.

Helm emphasized the importance of parents and children discussing drinking openly and urged parents to initiate the conversation at an early age. While she said children may be reluctant to listen, short and frequent discussions can have an impact on your child’s decisions about alcohol.

In fact, 84% of middle school students surveyed said they felt parents talking with them more about alcohol would help stop underage drinking, according to Talk It Up NC.

But Helm doesn’t want conversations about alcohol to end once a child reaches the legal drinking age. She said ongoing conversations about drinking habits between people of all ages is important because it’s impossible to know when drinking may become a problem. However, individuals who start drinking before age 15 are five times more likely to develop alcohol use disorder.

Regardless of age, alcohol consumption can have physical, emotional, financial — even fatal — consequences.

“Each person has to see themselves as my son, and they have to see me as their mom,” Helm said.

It’s the harsh reality of loss she wants people to reckon with so behaviors and understandings shift from alcohol as a means to have fun and relax to a serious substance that could cost you your life.

-Rachel Crumpler is a UNC Journalism major and intern with Safe Kids of Orange County, an Orange Partnership coalition member.

Talk it UP! Navigating the Mental Health Needs of Orange County’s Youth: How We All Can Help

Fri, 04 Mar 2022 14:17:35 GMT

Speak to your audience
You know your audience better than anyone else, so keep them in mind as you write your blog posts. Write about things they care about. If you have a company Facebook page, look here to find topics to write about

Take a few moments to plan your post
Once you have a great idea for a post, write the first draft. Some people like to start with the title and then work on the paragraphs. Other people like to start with subtitles and go from there. Choose the method that works for you.

Edit carefully before posting
Once you’re happy with the text, put it aside for a day or two, and then re-read it. You’ll probably find a few things you want to add, and a couple more that you want to remove. Have a friend or colleague look it over to make sure there are no mistakes. When your post is error-free, set it up in your blog and publish.

Talk it UP! Make the call: Good Samaritan Law saves lives

Tue, 01 Mar 2022 14:17:35 GMT

Teenagers are known to be greater risk-takers and believe they are invincible. Some teens may experiment with alcohol and drugs recreationally or use them to self-medicate. But all drug and alcohol misuse has the potential of becoming dangerous and deadly from overdose. Even if a teen won’t be using themself, they will likely be around a friend who is, be a bystander, or see someone post about it on social media. With the prevalence of substance misuse and the recent rise in overdoses, it is crucial to know about the Good Samaritan Law.

Under North Carolina’s Good Samaritan Law enacted in 2013, a person can seek medical assistance by contacting 911, a police officer, or EMS for themselves or someone else experiencing a drug overdose without fear of prosecution for the following:

• Underage possession or consumption of alcohol

• Possession of small amounts of drugs

• Possession of drug paraphernalia

• Violating conditions of probation, parole or post-release

Currently, the law requires the caller to provide his or her name to law enforcement or EMS to qualify for legal protection. While it may feel uncomfortable to share your name, you will not get in trouble and it is far more important to help the person in need. “In an overdose situation, minutes count,” Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood said. “We do not want someone to delay calling for help out of fear of legal action. The Good Samaritan Law addresses this.”

Fear of getting in trouble with law enforcement or parents is what deters people from taking action and calling for help. Mary O’Donnell and Julie Boone Cummins know this all too well. Both mothers lost their sons, Sean O’Donnell and Boone Cummins, in the summer of 2017. They believe it’s possible their sons would still be alive if their friends knew about the law and sought help. Sean died June 4, 2017. He was out drinking at Sugar Lake in Chatham County with friends who at some point left as he passed out. Alone at the quarry, he fell into the water and drowned. Boone died July 19, 2017. Friends dropped him off by the quarry after he had taken high doses of Xanax. As he was at the quarry alone, he sent texts and social media calls for others to join him to memorialize Sean, his best friend. Cummins said she believes Boone rolled into the water and drowned due to his inability to swim in his compromised condition. “There were so many points during that night and so many different people who could have called,” Cummins said. In honor of their sons, both families dedicated themselves to raising awareness about the Good Samaritan Law. In sharing what happened to their sons, they have attached faces and names to the law in a way they hope helps kids remember. While awareness of the Good Samaritan Law has improved since 2017 in part due to the two families’ advocacy and their talks at area high schools and sororities and fraternities, they still think more needs to be done. O’Donnell said she believes education on the Good Samaritan Law should begin in middle school so teens are informed prior to the peak time of experimentation in high school and college. After first learning of the law, she said there needs to be continued, periodic education in order for teens to absorb the information.

When employed, the Good Samaritan Law is powerful and can save lives. But people first have to know about it. Familiarize yourself with the law and tell others about it.

“You will not be held accountable if you call for yourself or someone else in a medical crisis,” Sheriff Blackwood said. “We are not just about enforcing laws, we are also about saving lives.”

If there is an overdose situation, make the 911 call. As both mothers say, “It’s just a no-brainer.”