Today's reflection is brought to you by the letter 'S'. ☀️⚽⭐🍭😄

Lately, I’ve been feeling a little salty, stressed, and not-so-Springlike (close enough to theme!). 🌧️😅

Then BAM!💥...my Facebook memories showed up this morning with two different “motivational” posts—both with the same message: however we get through these non-Super days, what matters is that we keep moving forward. 🎯

So whether you need an inspirational pick-me-up 🫶 or a slightly sarcastic reminder 😏, I hope you find what you need this week.✨

Got a good meme or quote to share? Send it my way! 📲

📸: Be Happy, Purple Clover

Don't try to vape e-cigs while visiting certain vacation hotspots - or face jail time and fines up to $1500 New York Post

...The full list of roughly 30 countries that have totally banned e-cigarettes...including Mexico, Thailand, and Australia...

Vape makers turn to 'Made in America' credentials amid Trump's tariffs, crackdown Reuters

1.6 million teens are vaping. Health risks are worse than you think Forbes

Vapes replace cigarettes as the TOP nicotine threat to young children Rutgers

...Children’s exposure to conventional tobacco products has dropped by 43% while e-cigarette poisonings have reached record highs...

California bill to prevent vaping among student-athletes heads to state assembly CBS News

💭Do you agree with this punitive action? What about other activities?

Why does alcohol make us both happy and miserable - and what else does it do to our minds and bodies? The Guardian

I cut out alcohol for 2 weeks, and this is what happened Prevention

CDC warns about 'rhino tranq,' a mix of fentanyl and animal sedative that resists overdose reversal ABC7 (CA)

'Ketamine Queen' sentenced to 15 years in Matthew Perry overdose death NBC News

Designer drug stronger than fentanyl sparks an 'alarming' overdose trend USA Today

...Known as cychlorphine, the synthetic opioid is relatively new, having first been identified overseas in 2024...Like fentanyl, another highly potent synthetic opioid, it is used recreationally on its own or mixed with other drugs like heroin...Its strength means that the drug used to reverse opioid overdoses, naloxone, more commonly known as Narcan, may not be as effective and may require several doses to work...

The question is...have we as a society grown a tolerance for fentanyl? What are your thoughts! 💬

Within minutes of starting an Old Drugs, New Threats® webinar this week, I received an alert from partners at the Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention (CTRI) at the University of Wisconsin about a new vape trend—one I’m guessing many of you haven’t heard of yet… I know I hadn’t! 👀

Here’s the slide I quickly integrated into the presentation to keep the conversation current. What trends are you seeing?

In Case You Missed It!

Are you working in prevention and looking for a free ethics training? 🧠



Check out the Great Lakes PTTC’s May offerings, featuring 6 hours of expert-led training designed to strengthen your skills and support your work!

We already covered that April is Alcohol Awareness Month—a time to raise awareness of alcohol misuse — but did you also know that it is National Volunteer Month and Sexual Assault Awareness Month?

Plus, this week (April 6-12) is National Public Health Week...a profession that I've proudly dedicated 25+ years to!

Each year, the President submits a proposed budget to the Appropriations Committee for consideration in the upcoming fiscal year.

Last week, POTUS once again proposed cuts to critical public health funding—changes that could impact essential programs, services, and grants supporting mental health, addiction, and prevention efforts in communities across the country.

A similar proposal last year was not adopted, thanks in large part to advocacy from professionals and community members like you. You can learn more about this year's proposal through the American Public Health Association.

If you’re able, consider making your voice heard. For those in Wisconsin (Sen. Tammy Baldwin) and West Virginia (Sen. Shelley Capito), both serve as chairs of the Senate Committee and may be particularly interested in hearing from constituents. And as always, be mindful of advocacy guidelines—engaging on your own time, using your own resources.