Thank you!
Thank you for attending Dr. Ruth Potee's presentation, "The Physiology of Addiction: Effects of Drug-Taking Behavior on the Brain."
The presentation was filled with a lot of important information about how substances impact the brain and the increased risk of addiction in youth. Dr. Potee presented it all in a digestible format and left the audience feeling empowered by knowledge.
Some of the key takeaways identified by presentation attendees include:
- Learning about contributing factors of addiction.
- Understanding that the developing brain plays a huge role in addiction - As a pediatric disease, youth are most at risk.
- Delaying substance use (until at least age 24) dramatically reduces risk of addiction, even with other contributing factors associated with addiction.
- Educating youth early and talking to them often about substances, addiction and their risk is critical.
We also wish to thank our volunteers who helped make the evening go smoothly. A special thank you to WHS National Honor Society for helping us with childcare, to Westborough TV for being here to record the presentation, and to the Worcester County District Attorney’s office for displaying the Hidden in Plain Sight exhibit.
Feedback and Next Steps
Dr. Ruth Potee's presentation in Westborough was made possible through a collaborative partnership with Rotary Club of Westborough, Westborough Youth & Family Services, Westborough Public Schools and Westborough Connects. The first event organized through this collaboration was
Square One: A Community Conversation about Substance Use Awareness and Prevention
held on March 28th. That evening, community members gathered to begin discussions about education and resource needs relative to substance use.
Across both the Square One Community Conversation and Dr. Potee's presentation, attendees identified these
3 top-priority issues
:
- Vaping
- Helping parents talk to kids about substance use and other difficult topics
- Managing and decreasing adolescent stress and anxiety
In response, the Square One Planning Team invites you to participate in the planning for the following fall programs in the fall:
- A panel presentation on vaping
- Parents/Guardians workshops
- How to talk to kids about substance use and other difficult subjects
- How to build skills to manage stress and build social/emotional tolerance and regulation for yourself and your kids
We are also exploring the formation of a
local task force or coalition
to address substance use, beginning with collecting information from other area towns who have formed their own groups.
In support of these plans, we are
researching funding options
to support these and other activities to promote awareness, education and prevention related to substance use.
To participate in the planning of these and other activities—or for more information about the work that’s already being done- contact Cara Presley, Director of WYFS, at 508-366-3090 or Kelley Petralia at westboroughconnects@gmail.com.
We also welcome your ideas about additional programming!
Thank you.
The Square One Planning Team