#NDAFW: Prescription Drugs

#DidYouKnow that the United States represents 5% of the world’s population, yet are home to 75% of prescription drugs in the world? Add to that startling statistic that 60% of teens who abuse prescription drugs, get them from friends or relatives. The Alliance for Safe Kids has partnered with the Yorktown Police Department to have a permanent […]

January 23 – 29: National Drug & Alcohol Facts Week

Teenagers from the Alliance for Safe Kids (ASK) have joined forces with other teens and scientists across the United States as part of “National Drug & Alcohol Facts Week” (NDAFW).  The week-long health observance, organized by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), both part […]

2016 Year in Review

As the new year approaches, we have a unique opportunity to pause and reflect on the many gifts that we have received in life, express our grateful appreciation and remember our obligation to the community: to promote awareness and prevention of substance use/abuse and other destructive behaviors damaging to our youth. It takes courage, determination and […]

Celebrate Red Ribbon Week!

DID YOU KNOW? Children of parents who talk to their teens regularly about drugs are 42% less likely to use drugs than those who don’t; yet, only a quarter of teens report having these conversations. The Alliance for Safe Kids (ASK) invites the community to take a visible stand against drugs by celebrating Red Ribbon […]

Talking Points on Substance Use for Parents

Here are some facts to keep in mind when talking to your kids about drugs: Addiction is a complex brain disease with roots in adolescent use. Talk to your child about how nicotine, alcohol and other drugs can impair brain function. Teens are exposed to an excessive amount of promotion for alcoholic products like beer, […]

33 Overdose on K2… but what is it??

July 12, 2016 – Thirty-three people were hospitalized after an apparent K2 overdose in Brooklyn, police said.  What is K2-Spice (or synthetic marijuana)? K2 or Spice is a mixture of herbs, spices or shredded plant material that is typically sprayed with a synthetic compound chemically similar to THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. What does it look […]

Heroin: A Dangerous Drug

What is Heroin/Why is it so dangerous? Heroin is a powerful narcotic and central nervous system depressant that is particularly additive and dangerous because it enters the brain so What is a heroin overdose? When heroin enters the body, breathing and heart rate may slow to dangerous levels. This can lead to overdose. An overdose may result […]

What is Ketamine?

In light of the recent arrest of individuals possessing Ketamine in Yorktown, please find more information about this dangerous drug below: Ketamine (also known as Special K) is a dissociative anesthetic developed in 1963 to replace PCP and currently used in human anesthesia and veterinary medicine. Much of the ketamine sold on the street has […]

‘Study Drugs’: What Parents Need to Know

3 Things Parents of High Schoolers Need to Know About ‘Study Drugs’ Just because amphetamines like Adderall are prescribed by a doctor doesn’t necessarily make them safe to use, one expert says. The second half of the school year can be a stressful time for high schoolers with the SAT, ACT, final exams and other important academic […]