Starting in June, Norwalk households of middle and high school students are receiving our prevention postcards. These postcards have valuable information to inform parents about the dangers of marijuana and vape use for teens. With vaping increasing among youth post-COVID, and marijuana retail sales starting up in the coming months for adults, it's important for parents to be educated and talking to their kids.
Scroll down to see the first couple of postcards.
NOTE: Click on the images to open & download.
Marijuana Postcard
Both TNP's community survey and teen survey in 2021 found that Norwalkers were unaware of the risks of today's marijuana for youth. It's been engineered to be so much stronger than in nature, and it's used in concentrated forms that can be virtually pure psychoactive drug, with no plant matter left.
Marijuana is associated with many risks to teenagers' brain development and mental health. We encourage parents to educate themselves and talk regularly to their kids! Teens whose parents talk to them about substance use are MUCH less likely to use alcohol and other drugs.
Vaping Postcard
Vaping among teenagers became an epidemic a few years ago but decreased during COVID. Last year very few Norwalk teens were vaping, but students tell us vaping has been increasing during the past school year. Often kids are vaping THC (marijuana), not just nicotine.
Did you know the legal age to
purchase vapes is 21? Make sure to remind your kids that not only is it bad for their health, but it is illegal as well. A common misconception is that vaping is better than smoking cigarettes, but vaping devices have dangerous foreign substances that are not meant to be in your lungs.
Also, let your kids know that even secondhand smoke from vapes is a danger to their lungs as well.
For more information, please visit our marijuana page or our vaping page. And consider downloading the free "Talk. They Hear You" app (available on Android and Apple) for conversation starters, information, and resources to help you support your kids in being healthy and substance free.