Pickaway Addiction Action Coalition

05/26/2026

Come hang out!

Come join our FREE Summer Program for Middle Schoolers! 😎

05/25/2026

This Memorial Day, we honor and remember the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

As we gather with family and friends, let’s also remember the importance of supporting one another, checking in on those who may be struggling, and creating a community rooted in hope, healing and connection.

From all of us at PAAC, we wish you a safe and meaningful Memorial Day.🇺🇸

05/25/2026

Graduation is a time for celebration, but don’t let one night change the trajectory of your child’s life. 🎓 In this episode of the Step Up to Save Our Children podcast, our Executive Director, Fran Gerbig, discusses why alcohol is never a safe reward for success.
From the legal risks of Social Host Laws—which can result in fines and jail time for parents—to the impact on a graduate's future scholarships and sports eligibility, the stakes are too high to look the other way. Because , you can choose to be the welcoming home that prioritizes safety over popularity.
📺 Watch the full episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tAOvSgwd60

05/25/2026

Join in by dressing up and participating in the self care challenges for our Mental Health Spirit Week! Fight the stigma! Promote awareness! 💚

05/24/2026

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and it’s a good time to remember how closely mental health and substance use can be connected in young people.

Anxiety, depression, and ADHD can increase risk for using things like alcohol or ni****ne to cope, and substance use can also make those struggles harder to manage, especially when they show up together.

Learn more: https://loom.ly/1KHsIQQ

Via Operation Parent

05/24/2026

It’s National Mental Health Awareness Month, and this Know! Prevention tip highlights how year-end pressure can impact student well-being. While some stress is normal, watch for persistent physical signs like headaches or behavioral changes like withdrawing from friends. If stress begins to interfere with daily life, it may be time for extra support. 💚
Download the full PDF here: https://preventionactionalliance.org/resources/know-to-help-kids-manage-test-season-stress/

05/21/2026

🚨“Every week in 2022, the equivalent of a high school classroom's worth of students — an average of 22 adolescents — died of drug overdoses in the United States.”

(The Overdose Crisis among U.S. Adolescents, Friedman and Hadland, M.D., M.P.H, 2023.)

Fentanyl is a very strong synthetic opioid that is often illegally mixed into drugs purchased on the street, online, or from fake pharmacy sites—often leading to unintentional drug overdoses and even death.

Illegally produced fentanyl is especially dangerous because…
•You can't see, taste, or smell it
•The deadly dose is small enough to fit on the tip of a pencil

05/21/2026

Va**ng puts health at risk. Ni****ne in e-ci******es is highly addictive and especially harmful for youth.

Image Description: FDA advertisement warning about the risks of va**ng, including ni****ne addiction and exposure to harmful chemicals. Transcribed text from the image states: "THE RISKS OF VA**NG, VA**NG CAN EXPOSE YOU TO DANGEROUS CHEMICALS AND CAN LEAD TO NI****NE ADDICTION. V**es contain a battery and e-liquid. The battery heats the liquid and produces an aerosol or v***r that you inhale. Many e-liquids contain propylene glycol, glycerol, flavorings, and ni****ne — the same highly addictive drug found in ci******es. Some v**es contain as much ni****ne as a whole pack of ci******es. Ni****ne addiction causes you to crave ni****ne and makes it hard to stop va**ng. Teens are more vulnerable than adults to addiction because their brains are still developing. Exposure to ni****ne as a teen can cause short-term and long-term effects on attention, learning, and memory that promote addiction to ni****ne. V**e aerosol can expose you to harmful chemicals like formaldehyde, acrolein, and acetaldehyde, as well as harmful metal particles like nickel and aluminum. STAY VAPE-FREE. Avoid ni****ne addiction. If you already v**e, you can quit. It may take several tries, but you can do it.

05/20/2026

Memorial Day weekend is a perfect time to get a jump start on your Summer Bingo!☀️

Get out, explore Pickaway County, and complete fun, healthy, drug-free activities all summer long for a chance to win prizes!

📅 Now – July 31
📍Turn completed cards in to the Pickaway County Library

Details:https://drugfreepickaway.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Summer-Bingo-2026.pdf

05/19/2026

WEBINAR: Cannabis and Youth Mental Health: New Research on Cannabis Use in Adolescence and its Association with Serious Mental Illness

Learn more: johnnysambassadors.org/ja260623/

05/18/2026

What. A. Day. Thanks to everyone who participated in this year’s Color Run! What a beautiful day of color, fun and community!🎉