Focus groups with youth last year taught us that teens want MORE conversation with their parents, not less....even if they don't act like it. TalkSooner can equip you with the ways to have these conversations. To help spread this message, our teens have been on WZZM 13 as well as the Maranda Show! Check out our PSA and remember, #justtalktome your teen!

It's often tough to tell if a teen is struggling with addiction. Experimentation with alcohol or other drugs during adolescence is often seen as a right of passage. But, research shows that people who use alcohol or other drugs during their teen years are 40 times more likely to struggle with addiction. Addiction really comes from changes to our brain chemistry. Alcohol and other drugs release dopamine, which regulates our moods. In some cases, a substance can impact our brains ability to later create dopamine. Our friends at Wait21 have a fantastic video that helps explain this process. Check out their video to better understand the process of addiction and talk to your teen about addiction and it's realities and why waiting to try alcohol and staying away from other drugs is really the best way to protect themselves.