Photo/submitted
Shrewsbury – A community awareness forum will be presented by the Shrewsbury Coalition for Addiction Prevention and Education (SCAPE) and sponsored by Representative Hannah Kane (R-Shrewsbury) on adolescent brain development and its impact on teen risk taking, including alcohol, vaping and substance abuse.
The program will be held Thursday, Nov. 21, at 6:30 p.m. at Shrewsbury High School, 64 Holden St.
This is an opportunity for parents of elementary, middle and high school students and all community members to learn from the latest medical science and research on adolescent development, particularly when it comes to healthy brain development. Middle school and high school youth are also highly encouraged to attend.
Speaker Dr. Ruth Potee is a board-certified family physician and addiction medicine physician, as well as a nationally featured speaker and recognized expert in the area of adolescent brain development and its impact on teenage risk taking.
“Dr. Potee is returning to Shrewsbury after an informative and impactful presentation in November 2017,” Kane said. “A dynamic speaker, Dr. Potee helps parents better understand the brain development in our youth and how and why risk-taking and substance abuse can be more prevalent for young people, and the life-long impact of early use of drug and alcohol. I think her forum is a critical learning opportunity for parents and students.”
Massachusetts is still battling an opioid addiction epidemic and with the legalization of adult-use marijuana, it is also important to understand the increased risk of dependency when youth use and the long-term impacts on brain development.
“Addiction cuts across every socio-economic class, race, ethnicity, and gender and we have unfortunately seen the devastating impact of substance abuse, particularly opiate and nicotine/vaping addiction, has had upon families in our community,” explained Shrewsbury High School Principal Todd Bazydlo. “If you can only attend one evening meeting per year, this is the one you should attend.”
The Shrewsbury Coalition for Addiction Prevention and Education (SCAPE) is comprised of a wide representation of the community joining forces to help reduce substance abuse and its consequences and impact among youth and adults in Shrewsbury.
For more information, contact Representative Hannah Kane at 617-722-2810 or [email protected] or Christine Mowry of Shrewsbury Youth and Family Services at 508-845-6932, ext. 306, or [email protected]. In addition, more information on Dr. Ruth Potee can be found at ruthpotee.com.
