SAMHSA’s National Helpline 1-800-622-HELP (4357)

Drug Free Workplace Helpline 1-800-WORKPLACE (967-5752)

CT Narcotics Anonymous 1-800-627-3543

CT Alcoholics Anonymous 1-866-STEPS12 (783-7712)

Rivereast Day Treatment Center : 428 Hartford Turnpike, Vernon, CT 06066 : 860-870-0119 : M-F 8:30am-4:30pm

Services include: Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) for opioid recovery, including either Buprenorphine (Suboxone) or Naltrexone (Revia, Depade, or Vivitrol). Along with prescriptions and monitoring, the MAT program focuses on treating adults 18+ with psychosocial and other core therapies, all provided with the utmost privacy and discretion. There is a “Working Professionals” program, where therapy sessions are offered early mornings or evenings.

Hockanum Valley Community Council, Inc : 27 Naek Road, Suite 4, Vernon, CT 06066 : 860-872-9825 : M-Thr 8am-8pm & Fri 8am-1pm

Services include: HVCC is a state-licensed outpatient mental health and substance abuse clinic, offering a wide range of counseling services and group work. HVCC helps clients experiencing emotional, behavioral, or substance-related disorders through individual, family, and/or group therapy, as well as medication management. HVCC has a Suboxone program for individuals who qualify that are struggling with opiate and prescription drug dependence. Depending on the program, HVCC services adults, adolescents and children (7+).

The Bridge Family Center : 26 Union Street, Suite 2, Vernon-Rockville, CT 06066 : 860-521-8035

Services include: The Bridge offers therapy treatments to address a broad range of concerns for children, teens, adults, couples and families. They focus on issues such as depression, anxiety, grief, divorce, substance abuse, defiance, anger management, self-destructive behaviors, and identity/LGBTQ-related journeys.

Community Health Resources (CHR) : 444 Center Street, Manchester, CT 06040 : 860-646-3888

Services include: CHR has several locations throughout the area. These locations include programs for substance-abusing individuals such as detoxification and stabilization, residential (inpatient) programs, outpatient services including counseling and medication-assisted treatment, and housing support services. For more information about their programs and services, visit their website at the link above or call 1-877-884-3571 to connect with their assessment center.

ROOT Center For Advanced Recovery : 335 Broad Street, Manchester, CT 06040 : 860-643-3210 : M-F 5:30am-1:30pm & Sat 6am-9am

Services include: Outpatient behavioral health care services including medication assisted treatment services (such as methadone maintenance treatment), substance abuse prevention programs, and infectious disease services. ROOT Center treats adults 21+ who are addicted to narcotics through individual, group and family counseling, health services, and rehabilitation services. Pregnant women 18+ and people with more than one diagnosis are also treated.

Eastern Connecticut Health Network (ECHN) : 150 North Main Street, Manchester CT 06040 : 860-533-3434 : M, Tu, Thr 8am-9pm & W 8am- 5pm & 8am-4pm

Services include: ECHN offers two programs to help individuals get started on their road to recovery.  They address mental health symptoms related to depression, anxiety and mood changes often seen when people are dealing with addiction.  They offer medication assisted recovery services as an option for people experiencing opioid addiction and/ or alcohol dependence.

InterCommunity, Inc : 16 Coventry Street, Hartford, CT 06112 : 860-714-3704

Services include: InterCommunity has several locations in the Hartford area that offer a wide range of services to individuals with chemical dependencies, including detoxification, residential treatment, outpatient services, medication assisted treatment, recovery support programs, and recovery housing. View their website or call their main number to find out what programs are best for your needs!

 Saint Francis Opioid Treatment Program : 114 Woodland Street, Hartford, CT 06105:  860-714-4000

Services include:  St. Francis provides acute, inpatient child, adolescent and adult psychiatric and substance abuse treatment on four specialty care units.  It includes a 4-bed in-patient psychiatric unit for adult patients 18 yrs+ with substance use disorders, and co-occurring psychiatric and substance use disorders.  Three treatment services are provided: medically managed inpatient detoxification; medical and acute psychiatric stabilization for patients with co-occurring psychiatric and substance use disorders; and chemical dependency rehabilitation services to provide recovery maintenance skills training, and individualized relapse prevention planning for patients requiring this level of ongoing post stabilization structure, and medical supervision to achieve and sustain recovery goals.

Perception Programs, Inc : 54 North Street, Willimantic, CT 06226 : 860-450-0151

Services include: Perception Programs has several locations that offer services from residential services, outpatient behavioral health services, recovery housing, and medication assisted treatment. Outpatient services are provided for individuals 12+, while residential services are providing to individuals 18+. All services are available in Spanish.

United Services Inc. Addiction Recovery Services : 132 Mansfield Avenue, Willimantic, CT 06226:  860-456-2261

Services include:  Promoting physical, social, emotional and spiritual recovery from the effects of various types of addictions and substance abuse including: alcoholism, drug addiction/ substance abuse; dual diagnosis (psychiatric illness couple with addiction), and codependency.  Groups include:  men/women relapse and recovery, psycho-edcational groups around substances, and dual diagnosis recovery.

Johnson Memorial Hospital Chemical Dependency Program : 201 Chestnut Hill Rd, Stafford Springs, CT 06076: 860-684-4251

Services include:  CDP is part of the psychiatric services offered by Johnson Memorial Hospital, treating individuals who have substance abuse disorders, as well as those with co-occurring disorders.  It focuses on education and support of those in early recovery.  CDP treats individuals 18+.  The cost of the program is generally covered by insurance.

 Rushford Center INC :  110 National Drive, Glastonbury, CT 06033:  860-657-8910 

Services include:  Programs for 18+ are focused specialized assistance for those needing behavioral health, addiction, or supportive services, catering to the requirements of the busy professional by providing flexible scheduling and discretion.  For adolescents (age 13-17), there is a five-day- a- week after school outpatient program.  It is open to male and female adolescents with mental health or substance use problems.  There is also Medication Assisted Treatment Close to Home (MATCH) for ages 16+.   This program combines group therapy for those addicted to prescription painkillers or heroin with buprenorphine (Suboxone®).

Risk Factors

What are risk factors?

Risk factors are defined as an agent or situation that is known to make an individual or population more susceptible to the development of a specific negative condition.

Through a data driven process DPYC determined risk factors that contribute to underage drinking in the community.

Ease of Access:

How easy is it for youth to obtain alcohol in Ellington?

Facts about Ellington:

• The number one source of alcohol is “other people their own age” (67.8%) (Erase Survey, 2017).

Facts from US:

• 43.5% of youth in the United States usually obtained the alcohol they drank by someone giving it to them (YRBS)
• In 2019, among 12- to 14-year-olds who reported that they drank alcohol in the past month, 96.5 percent reported that they got it for free the last time they drank.
• In many cases, adolescents have access to alcohol through family members or find it at home (niaaa).
• Youth ages 12-14 report that the most common sources were getting it from a parent or guardian (19.7%) taking it from their own home (18.5%) receiving it free from someone under age 21 (16.9%)
• Youth ages 15-17 report most common sources were receiving it free from someone under age 21 (22.8%) receiving it free from an unrelated person age 21 or older (15.1%) taking it from their own home (13.7%) or giving someone else money to purchase the alcohol (13.2%).
• For youth ages 18-20 the most common sources were receiving it from an unrelated person age 21 or older (26.8%) or giving someone else money to purchase the alcohol (20.5%)
• Most underage people who drink reported last using alcohol in someone else’s home (47.8%)

Peer Approval/Disapproval:

How are youth perceiving alcohol use among their peers?

Facts about Ellington:

• Youth perceive that 63% of their peers had used alcohol in the past month when 18.2% reported that they had (Erase Survey, 2017).

Facts from US:

• Youth drinking is correlated with adult drinking behaviors (Nelson et al., 2009; Xuan et al., 2015)
• In 2020 45% of students aged 16-17 years reported perceiving that all or most students in grade level drank alcoholic beverages and 26.5% of students aged 14-15 years reported perceiving that all or most of students in their grade level drank alcoholic beverages. In 2020 25.3% of students aged 12-17 years reported perceiving that all or most of students in their grade level drank alcoholic beverages (University of Michigan- Monitoring the future).
• In 2020 92.3% of people aged 12-17 years reported strongly disapproving or somewhat disapproving of peers having one or two rinks of an alcoholic beverage nearly every day
• (Mental health) Drinking for some may be viewed as fun but for others it can be used as a way to cope with troubles at home, school and anxiety and stress from new responsibilities. Using alcohol as a way to relieve stress may increase the risk of developing alcohol problems later in life.

Protective Factors

What is a protective factor?

Protective factors are defined as characteristics or situations at several levels including family and community, that reduce the likelihood of an individual to engage in risky behaviors such as drug and alcohol abuse.

Family

• Structured and nurturing household
• Positive learning environment
• Having supportive role models
• Close relationships with parent and or another adult
• Family stability
• Clear behavior guidelines and values

Peers

• Having access to resources
• Access to creative activities and youth programs
• Having friends who model responsible behavior
• Encouragement from parents and teacher for youth to do well
• Having a strong connection to their community

Youth who drink alcohol are more likely to experience:

• Social problems, such as higher rates of absences or lower grades
• Social problems, such as fighting or lack of participation in youth activities
• Physical problems, such as hangovers or illnesses
• Disruption of normal growth
• Increased risk of suicide
• Memory problems
• Misuse of other substances
• Changes in brain development that may have life-long effects

Underage drinking is preventable:

What can Parents do?

• Talk to your children about the dangers of drinking
• Set the example by drinking responsibly if you do choose to drink
• Serve as a positive role model to children
• Being aware of the availability of alcohol
• Get to know children’s friends
• Have open and frequent conversations about life in general
• Connecting with other parents about clear messaging about drinking alcohol
• Supervising all parties to make sure there is no alcohol use
• Encourage kids to participate in healthy and fun activities that do not involve drinking

Moderate Alcohol Consumption for Adults:

• Women - Up to 1 drink per day 

• Men - Up to 2 drinks per day

Binge Drinking:

Binge Drinking is a pattern of drinking alcohol that brings your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08% or higher. It can lead to overdose or a blackout. Women= 4 or more drinks within 2 hours, Men= 5 or more drinks within 2 hours.

High- Intensity Drinking:

High-intensity drinking is a pattern of drinking alcohol at levels twice or more of the thresholds for binge drinking. Research suggests that this pattern of drinking peaks around age 21 and is most common among young adults attending college. This type of drinking is particularly concerning because it is associated with an even greater risk of severe health and safety concerns. For women= 8 or more drinks on one occasion, Men= 10 or more drinks on one occasion.

Heavy Alcohol Use

• Women - More than 3 drinks per day,
• Men - More than 4 drinks per day
• or binge drinking on at least 5 days per month

Binge drinking, High-Intensity Drinking, and Heavy Alcohol Use can all increase risk for alcohol use disorder.

Resource List

Here at EYS we strive to create and offer a range of resources for our community:

• Addiction

• Parent Education

• Underage Drinking

Additional resources:

DrugFreeCT.org

• This site includes drug use facts & warning signs, information on statewide initiatives and campaigns, strategies for overdose prevention including access to the life-saving drug naloxone (Narcan®), and access to treatment and recovery supports.

Is Substance Use a Part of "Normal" Teen Behavior? 

Podcast: What Parents Are Saying — Prevention Wisdom, Authenticity, and Empowerment

• The goal is to provide a platform where parents and caregivers can get informed, be prepared, and take action by having open and honest conversations with their kids about substance use and mental health.

NIDA for Teens

• The trusted source for science-based information on teen drug use and its effects.

Talking to Kids About Alcohol and Other Drugs: 5 Conversation Goals

Why Your Child Might Start Drinking Alcohol

What is it?

Vapes are electronic devices that are used to consume the drug nicotine or thc products for more information about thc check out our Cannabis/Marijuana page. These devices heat a liquid solution to create an aerosol, often referred to as vapor and come in various shapes, sizes, and flavors. Disposable vapes are now the most popular type of device, accounting to 54.8% of total e-cigarette sales in 2023. These devices come fully charged and are filled with e-liquid by the manufacturer. Vaping was found to be in the top 2 highest lifetime substances used in grades 9-12 at 11.9% in the 2024 Youth Voices Count survey. Due to changes in the brain, quitting is harder for those who start at a young age.

Advertisement

These products are now being marketed towards youth with colorful packaging, sweet flavors, and appealing advertisements. These marketing tactics can potentially attract youth to start using vaping products without fully understanding the risks involved. Among youth who used e-cigarettes in 2022, 55.3% used disposable e-cigarettes. The most popular flavors of disposable e-cigarettes were fruit then followed by candy/desserts/other sweets.

Myths about Vaping 

Myth: Flavored Tobacco is now banned 

Fact:

• Flavors are banned for reusable vapes such as Juul.
• There is currently no ban on flavors for disposal vapes such as Puff Bar.
• Some argue that flavor bans should be extended to all types of vaping products to discourage use among youth.

Myth: Vapes are not dangerous

Fact: The majority of vaping products include nicotine, a highly addictive substance. Along with this they also contain a mixture of chemicals including:

• Ultrafine particles that can be inhaled deep into the lung.
• Diacetyl which is chemical linked to serious lung disease.
• Heavy metals such as nickel, tin, and lead.

These chemicals can lead to both short-term and long-term health consequences.

Myth: Vaping helps relieve stress and anxiety

Fact: There is a misconception that nicotine alleviates stress. In reality, when nicotine is absorbed into the body, it prompts the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with relaxation. Once nicotine exits the system, typically after a few hours, dopamine levels decrease, leading to feelings of anxiety and irritability. This is referred to as nicotine withdrawal.

Speaking with your Youth

Know the facts

• Learn about all the misinformation about vaping and what the real harms are. 

Set an Example

• Be an example for your youth by not engaging in risk behaviors and promoting a healthy lifestyle. 

Have an Open Conversation

• Start the conversation by mentioning an observation.
• Ask questions to see what your youth already know and clear up any misconceptions they may have. 

Set Clear Rules 

• Set boundaries and expectations for your youth so that there is no confusion.

Help Quitting

Additional Resources

THC

Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the primary chemical in cannabis responsible for its intoxicating effects. Found in the buds or “flower” of cannabis plants, THC is one of over 500 chemicals in cannabis, including various cannabinoids. It travels through the bloodstream to organs, where fatty tissues absorb it, leading to intoxication.

Today’s cannabis is significantly stronger than in the past, with average THC content rising from less than 4% in the early 1990s to over 15% in 2018. New consumption methods like dabbing and oils can deliver even higher THC levels, with extracts averaging over 50% THC, and some exceeding 80%.

Cannabis (Marijuana) | National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

CBD

CBD can be obtained from either hemp or non-hemp cannabis plants. Hemp is defined as any part of the Cannabis plant that contains no more than 0.3% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

CBD is marketed in many consumer products such as foods, oils, lotions, capsules, and cosmetics products are not overseen by the FDA. This means it is essential for consumers should be aware that items labeled as hemp or CBD are not regulated and may contain other substances like THC, pesticides, heavy metals, or bacteria.

About CBD | Cannabis and Public Health | CDC

Cannabis use can have permanent effects on the developing brain when use begins in adolescence, especially with regular or heavy use.

Short Term

• Poor memory and ability to learn
• Problem solving difficulty
• Poor muscle coordination
• Poor judgment
• Short attention span
• Delayed reaction time
• Dangerous driving behavior
• Altered sense of time and space
• Delusions
• Food cravings

Long Term

• Cancer
• Coughing and wheezing
• Immune System
• Memory impairment
• Learning impairment
• Energy impairment
• Cannabis Use Disorder
• Mental Health Risks
• Brain Development

Cannabis can significantly impact a teen’s life through:

• Mental Health Issues: Increased risk of depression, social anxiety, temporary psychosis, and long-term disorders like schizophrenia, particularly for early and frequent users.
• Impaired Driving: Cannabis affects essential driving skills such as reaction time, coordination, and concentration, making it dangerous and illegal to drive under its influence.
• Potential for Addiction: 3 in 10 cannabis users develop cannabis use disorder, with a higher risk for those who start using in adolescence or use frequently. Signs include inability to quit and neglecting important activities.
• Athletic performance: Affects coordination, reaction time, and overall motor skills decreasing sports performance and athletic ability

Cannabis Health Effects | Cannabis and Public Health | CDC

Ways to consume?

Understanding the Risks of Cannabis Edibles

Edibles which are food and drink products infused with THC, carry a higher risk of poisoning.

• Delayed Effects: It can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours to feel the intoxicating effects, leading some individuals to consume too much
• Prolonged Intoxication: The effects can last longer than anticipated, depending on various factors such as the amount ingested, whether consumed on an empty stomach, interactions with medications or alcohol, and other circumstances.
• THC Concentration: Measuring the amount of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which indicates the concentration or strength, can be difficult, and the labeling on edible products is often inaccurate or misleading.
• Child Safety Concerns: Some cannabis edibles are packaged to resemble popular snacks and candies, which can attract children. Consumption of THC-containing products can lead to severe illness in children, including difficulties in walking, sitting up, or breathing properly.

Cannabis and Poisoning | Cannabis and Public Health | CDC

Understanding the risk of Smoking Cannabis

In general, cannabis is smoked using joints, bongs, bowls, blunts, or vapes. Regardless of the method it can harm lung tissues, cause scarring, and damage to small blood vessels.

• Cannabis compounds can be extracted to create oils and concentrates, which can be vaped or inhaled using devices similar to e-cigarettes.
• Vaping THC also carries the same risks as vaping nicotine, including the exposure to toxic chemicals.
• Smoking or vaporizing highly concentrated oils or extracts referred to as wax or shatter is known as dabbing. This method can quickly deliver significant amounts of THC to the body, heightening the risk of side effects.

Cannabis Health Effects | Cannabis and Public Health | CDC

Cannabis (Marijuana) | National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

Safety:

If you use cannabis products, store them in a locked childproof lockbox, ensuring they are out of children’s sight and reach.

Should your child access these products, immediately contact the regional poison control center at 1-800-222-1222, or call 911 in case of an emergency.