New non-profit campaign aims to educate parents and kids about dangers of vaping
SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Alcohol & Addictions Resource Center (AARC) on Jefferson Blvd in South Bend launched a campaign on April 20 aimed at helping parents better understand the risks of youth vaping and THC use among teenagers.
The campaign is called "Before the Habit Hits" and is meant to be practical and informative, to give parents the tools that they need to avert an addiction before it begins by teaching parents what to watch for, and when to be concerned for their children.
Executive Director of AARC Frank Spesia told ABC57:
"AARC is a nonprofit or license 501, c3, we do addiction prevention and connections to treatment. We've been in the community for well over 50 years. We were initially kind of founded in the late 60s under a slightly different name, and the kind of the ongoing mission has largely been around raising awareness around, initially just alcoholism, and now substance use and addiction more broadly, and to help people understand the realities of addiction and help connect people with treatment options that are right for them."
The AARC provides clinical and educational services for self-guided learning when it comes to addiction.
"...but (the campaign) it's really speaking directly to parents and is encouraging parents to talk to their children about vaping and THC before the habit hits... talking to parents around the community, there's not a lot of understanding. I think parents don't always recognize how accessible these drugs are to their kids. And I think parents don't always see that the best way to get ahead of your child vaping or child using THC or marijuana is to talk to them about it, and that these conversations aren't difficult to have. They're not scary, but they are important, and they're really valuable tool in prevention."
And finally, Spesia says "That you know this is this type of nonprofit work, and this grassroots approach is a two-way street, and so as much as you know, we've got some information that could be valuable for parents. Parents are the most valuable asset here, right? And we want to learn from them about what they need, what they're seeing, what they're concerned with, and how we can help."