Disclaimer: The Activator is designed to keep prevention professionals informed about emerging products, industry marketing, public messaging, research, and current events. Content is shared to promote awareness and informed discussion—not to endorse, recommend, or promote any product, opinion, organization, or viewpoint featured within the newsletter.

🤝One Connection Can Open a Whole New Door!🚪

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: We don't all know everyone we need to know, but we all know someone who knows someone we need to know!🙌

One of the things I love most about prevention is the connections we make along the way. And as M3 Consulting continues to grow, I'm asking YOU to help me make a few more! 💛

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I've often described myself as the Swiss Army Knife of prevention—from emerging drug trends and community engagement to coalition building, leadership, sustainability, strategic planning, and communications. I bring more than 25 years of experience, a whole lot of energy, and a passion for moving ideas into action! 🚀

Curious about what I can bring to your organization?

Check out my M3 Consulting Contractor Folder, which I update nearly every week with presentations, trainings, and more about me.

One introduction, one forwarded newsletter, or one shared opportunity can open a whole new door. So let's keep connecting, collaborating, and making things happen—together! 💛

And THANK YOU for helping me spread the word!

⚡From this Week's Headlines📰

⚠️More Pouches. More Flavors. More Reason to Pay Attention.👀

On October 30, the FDA authorized marketing of 24 VELO nicotine pouch products, all containing 4 mg of nicotine, in flavors including Crema, Lime, Orange Crema, Passion Fruit, and Cinnamon.

📸Read the FDA release

For those of you who are counting...That brings the total to 67 FDA-authorized nicotine pouch products. View the list

Remember: FDA authorized does NOT mean FDA approved, safe, or recommended. And here's another connection worth knowing: VELO's parent company, Reynolds American, is also behind familiar cigarette brands like Camel and Newport through R.J. Reynolds.

Different products. Familiar tobacco industry.

As the nicotine marketplace expands, so should our prevention conversations. What's showing up in local stores? How are flavors and packaging influencing perceptions? What are youth seeing, and are our policies and education keeping pace?

It starts with paying attention, asking questions, sharing accurate information, and making sure prevention has a voice.

Nicotine pouch use triples among US tobacco users EMJ

🎁 Nicotine Pouches Get a Holiday Makeover!🎄

And from the 'you can't make this stuff up' headlines...Nicokick is bringing back its nicotine pouch Advent calendar, turning a familiar holiday countdown tradition into a promotional opportunity for nicotine products. For prevention, it's another example of how seasonal marketing can make nicotine products seem festive, familiar, and gift-worthy. 📸Nicokick

Nicokick brings back its nicotine pouch advent calendar USA Today

🍬'Nic Tacs' From Across the Pond 🇬🇧

Vapes, pouches, and now tablets: The tobacco industry's newest nicotine product worries public health advocates 📸The Examination

...Perlz, a flavored nicotine tablet launched in the UK by Japan Tobacco International, melts in the mouth and delivers nicotine. Unlike nicotine pouches, there's nothing for users to discard...

Worth noting: The company says it doesn't ship outside the UK…yet.

And one more thing that caught my attention: Perlz's website age gate asks whether visitors are 18 or older—not 21. Another reminder to look beyond the products and pay attention to how they're marketed, accessed online, and shipped to your door. 🔍

⚡ Energy Drinks & Young People🥤

I always start with caffeine when talking about emerging substance-use trends. Why? Because it's everywhere, easily accessible, and generally has no age restrictions on purchase. But just because something is legal, familiar, and readily available doesn't mean it's safe—especially for young people!

New studies are raising additional concerns about energy drinks and their potential effects on youth health and well-being. With products packing hundreds of milligrams of caffeine, additional stimulants, and marketing that promises bigger boosts and longer-lasting energy, it's worth taking a closer look at what our kids are consuming—and what they think is harmless.

Energy drinks, stimulant products linked to cardiac arrest, heart attack in young adults American Heart

Additional coverage: Energy drinks can be a heart stopper for young adults US News & World Report

Schools crack down on energy drinks as health experts sound the alarm Education Week

Why decaf coffee, alternative energy drinks are buzzing

C-Store Dive

Energy drinks are exploding. Why is Celsius stock fizzling? Barron's

🔎What's New📦

'New' Trends, Products, & Resources

⚠️ Instant Buzz. Clean Piss. Seriously?!🚛

This Euphoria Pouches ad stopped me in my tracks. The headline? “Instant Buzz. Clean Piss.” Followed by claims of “DOT Safe,” “Non-Addictive,” and “Discreet.” And the accompanying testimonial? “Zero issues with DOT. I wish I found these Euphoria Pouches sooner.”

Let's think about the message being sent here. It's not just about selling a pouch—it's about promoting a buzz while reassuring consumers they won't have problems with drug testing. And when that message is directed toward people in safety-sensitive professions, particularly commercial drivers, it raises some serious questions.

This is where the work of organizations like the National Drug & Alcohol Screening Association (NDASA) becomes especially relevant. Just because a substance isn't included in a standard DOT drug-testing panel doesn't automatically mean it's safe, doesn't cause impairment, or is appropriate to use before driving.

When did finding another way to catch a buzz become more important than the responsibility of keeping our roads safe? 🚛 The issue isn't simply whether someone can pass a drug test. It's whether they're making responsible choices behind the wheel, where their decisions affect everyone sharing the road.

Passing a test and being fit to drive are NOT the same thing. That's a distinction worth talking about—and a marketing message worth watching. 📸EuphoriaPouches

😲 INSANITY…In a Can?!⚡

Here's another new-to-me energy drink that caught my attention! BODi's INSANITY Liquid Shock packs 300 mg of caffeine into a single can—and apparently, that's not enough! It's also marketed as containing TeaCrine® (theacrine) and Dynamine® (methylliberine), two additional stimulant compounds with fancy trademarked names. The marketing promises a “colossal jolt of energy that hits hard and holds.” And yes, this is made by the same folks who brought you INSANITY workouts y'all might still have in your DVD collection!

300 mg of caffeine is already a substantial dose, especially for young people. Add other stimulants, and questions about cumulative effects and safety become even more important. And with new reports this week highlighting concerns about energy drinks and kids, the timing couldn't be more relevant.

The big question is...When caffeine alone supposedly isn't enough, what message are we sending about how much stimulation is normal—or necessary? 📸BODI

📣 Election Day Is Over. Advocacy Isn't!🗳️

The votes have been cast, but the conversations about what comes next are already underway. This week's midterm elections are a reminder that elections don't just determine who holds office—they can also influence which policy issues gain momentum. And marijuana legalization is one to watch.

As the latest election results take shape, advocates for marijuana legalization are already looking ahead to 2027, identifying states where they see opportunities to advance policy changes.

For prevention professionals, that's a reminder that our work doesn't begin when legislation is introduced or a ballot measure appears. It begins with staying informed, building relationships, understanding the issues, and making sure public health and prevention perspectives are part of the conversation.

Remember...Advocacy is your superpower! 🦸‍♀️ You don't have to wait for an invitation to share your expertise, ask questions, or help decision-makers understand the potential implications for youth, families, and communities. If we want prevention represented in the conversation, we need to be part of it.

NORML's November 5 article specifically identifies Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Iowa, Kansas, Georgia, and Texas as states where election outcomes could affect marijuana policy discussions. 📸norml.org

📰Related Article: Wisconsin election brings hope to cannabis shops facing hemp ban Fox6 (WI)

🌿Speaking of Advocacy...Hemp Laws Are Changing. What's Happening Near You?🔍

With federal hemp law changes approaching on November 12 and December 11, now is the time to keep an eye on what's happening in our communities. Are retailers offering “fire sales,” clearance discounts, or bulk deals on intoxicating hemp products? What are you seeing in local stores AND online? Are new products or marketing strategies emerging?

Remember, a change in the law doesn't mean our local prevention work is done! Keep watching, documenting, asking questions, and sharing what you're seeing. The rules may change, but the prevention work continues! 📸offfield.com

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

🔍 Down the Rabbit Hole…Again🐇

I hadn't heard of Offfield before, so naturally, I started digging! After getting past the typical “Are you 21?” age gate—and a cartoon of Senator McConnell (with his name misspelled, no less!)—I was greeted with the headline “Fastest Way to a Runner's High.” 👀

And it didn't stop there. References to “performance energy,” “focus,” and “full training recovery support” were woven throughout the marketing. That's quite the positioning for a cannabis-related product, especially when you consider the connections being made to fitness, wellness, and athletic performance.

This is exactly why I always say: When something catches your attention, DIG DEEPER! Look beyond the product itself. Explore the messaging, the intended audience, and the claims being made.

You never know what you'll uncover—or what it might mean for prevention in your communities! 🔍📱

⏪ Activator Rewind👀

🪟 From Vape Shop Window to an Investigation🔍

Last week, I shared how a neon “Jelly” sign in the window of my local vape shop sent me down a rabbit hole. I didn't recognize the brand, so I started digging. Before long, Jelly products from Not Your Bakery were showing up all over my social feeds, too!

What caught my attention? Eye-opening THC concentrations, candy-inspired flavors, and marketing that ranged from “microdose” to “ultra-potent.” But the deeper I dug, the more interesting the story became.

According to WPBF, a former co-owner/CFO and a current co-owner/managing member were arrested in connection with an ongoing investigation involving allegations that products marketed as compliant hemp exceeded legal THC limits, along with allegations of money laundering and organized fraud. These remain allegations, not convictions.

And while I was putting last week's edition together, the company's website went dark for product sales. But that doesn't necessarily mean the products disappeared from local shelves or third-party seller or can be found under another name with the same 'look'. Case in point...Jam by Jelly and other versions still found at CBD.co.

Think about where this started: one neon sign in a vape shop window. That single observation led to product research, social media marketing, potency concerns, and an active criminal investigation.

The prevention takeaway? Our environmental scans need to include BOTH the storefront AND the screen. Keep looking, asking questions, and following the trail. You never know what one observation might uncover! 📸Not Your Bakery

Keep the Conversation Going

The Activator arrives on Fridays, but there's more all week! 📱 Follow me on Facebook and LinkedIn for emerging trends, practical tools, funding opportunities, leadership and sustainability tips, prevention strategies, and a little fun!

From Trend Tuesday to Toolbox Thursday, Funding Friday, and more, there's something new every day. Follow along, like, comment, and share—let's keep the conversation going!💬