August news: Job post, teen opportunities, substance & mental health updates
- info450094
- Aug 6
- 4 min read
The Norwalk Partnership is hiring!
We have big shoes to fill now that our wonderful events coordinator, Dayna Macari has moved on from TNP. Our ideal candidate is a Norwalk resident dedicated to working with youth, who has great organizational and communications skills. Apply today!
In this blog post:
Substance news: Illegal cannabis & the Attorney General, Safe at College Narcan event, vaping campaign results
Mental health news: Op ed on the importance of supporting Norwalk youth mental health services, and sign ups for focus groups
Youth opportunities: TNP Teens, regional youth team, CT Support Group
Check out our infographics!
Substance news
The 2025 legislative session updated the state's cannabis laws:
PA 25-19 allows law enforcement to stop drivers when they see them using cannabis and smell burnt cannabis
PA 25-166 increases THC concentration rates for cannabis flower (from 30% to 35%) and concentrated products (from 60% to 70%). It also makes it a Class E felony to sell cannabis to minors in retail stores. This law now allocates all civil penalties from illegal retail cannabis sales to municipalities, incentivizing municipalities to prosecute non-compliant retailers. Finally, it bans online e-cigarette sales, since youth have been able to circumvent age-verification.
PA 25-101 makes commercial kratom sales illegal at any age.
Norwalk participated in a Law Enforcement Summit with the Attorney General:
Norwalk sent law enforcement officers, zoning, health and prevention professionals to the recent law enforcement summit convened by the Mid-Fairfield Youth Cannabis Prevention Project, a five-town project led by Positive Directions. Attorney General William Tong shared legal tips for prosecuting non-compliant retailers--including putting a chain on the door when retailers are repeated bad actors! He pointed out that police departments can now retain all the money from civil penalties, and he emphasized that his office will have law enforcement's back when it comes to dealing with bad actors. Meeting participants also discussed how the region can implement DMHAS's Landscape Analysis tool to benefit our region.
Norwalk PD continues to be on top of illicit retail sales:
Less than a week after the law enforcement summit, Norwalk police made two more busts for illicit cannabis. We're grateful for their ongoing work to keep our kids safe.
Smoky Bear was found selling THC gummies, prewrapped marijuana cigarettes, and marijuana flower.
R&R Convenience Smoke was ordered to cease all immediate sales after Norwalk police, with the Department of Consumer Protection, found over 1,400 cannabis products - including edibles packaged like candies.
Safe at College: Drop in to pick up harm reduction kit with Narcan
College students: Be prepared to keep your friends safe at college! Positive Directions is providing safety kits to college students while supplies last. Drop in on Thursday, August 14th, between 1pm and 6pm, for 15 or so minutes. You'll learn risks & resources, overdose warning signs, and how to administer Narcan. Walk away with a lock bag containing Narcan, fentanyl test strips, and more.
RSVP preferred. (Note: This event is funded only for college students from Norwalk or Westport.)
TNP's vaping campaign results: over 245,000 social media impressions!
TNP's anti-vaping ads were a resounding success! About a quarter of this reach came from July's geofencing campaign, which uses student-designed posters created by the 2025 NPS Student Council working together with TNP. You may also have seen or heard our audio and video PSAs. Thank you to the amazing students who helped start conversations about youth substance misuse!
Mental Health news
Importance of Mental Health Support for our Youth
Read this editorial by Marissa Mangone, a lifelong Norwalker and member of the city-wide Social Emotional Health leadership team (convened by Norwalk ACTS), on the importance of preserving the lifesaving mental health treatment resources we've developed for youth.
Mangone shares how a strong network of family, peer, and professional support boosted her own recovery. And, she cites the suicidal ideation and drop in anxiety reported in our 2024 Youth Survey and links readers to our resource guides. Thank you, Marissa, for your great advocacy!
Community Focus Groups on Youth Behavioral Health
We're still recruiting!
Norwalk teens & parents/guardians of teens: Have you (or your teen) recently struggled with mental health or substance misuse? Do you have ideas on how to make getting help easier? We want to hear from you! No judgment. Just real talk. Sign up for a focus group & we'll be in touch!
Youth Opportunities
Join our TNP Teens clubs!
We have clubs that meet weekly in each high school building and serve as The Norwalk Partnership's youth coalition. Clubs provide awareness and education to their peers, serve as the youth voice in coalition meetings, help with campaigns and data sharing, and can contribute to our policy and environmental efforts. Contact Margaret Watt if you're interested!
Regional youth team
As part of the Mid-Fairfield Youth Cannabis Prevention Project, which is working across Norwalk, New Canaan, Weston, Westport, and Wilton, Positive Directions is putting together a Regional Youth Team. Youth must be of high school age, abstinent from all substances, interested in serving as role models and educators and in being a part of a multi-town effort to address cannabis. The regional youth team will provide education and gather data through focus groups and landscape analysis. Contact Francesca Guerrier to learn more!
Volunteer with CT Support Group
Are you a youth or young adult interested in supporting mental health? CT Support Group is a digital peer support platform that connects young people across Connecticut. If you're interested in creating content, sharing resources, building connections, growing the Discord, or have other ideas, consider volunteering! Contact Quinn Jannetty and check out the volunteer description:
That's all for now! Check out our infographics below from our 2024 Norwalk Youth Survey--and see you all at Norwalk Night Out next Wednesday, August 13th, from 5-8pm, in front of the Police Station!
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