Community Fund of Darien 2021
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Five-Year, $625K Fed Grant Includes Funds to Expand Pot, Alcohol Education for Darien Kids, Parents

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More education efforts about teen marijuana and alcohol use will be coming in the next five years now that the Thriving Youth Task Force of Darien has been awarded $125,000 per year for the next five years by a grant from the federal government. The federal Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Grant, managed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will support TYTF activities. The task force is organized by The Community Fund of Darien, which runs the TYTF program. Janet King, executive director of The Community Fund of Darien, said the funding will not only allow her organization to continue the Thriving Youth Task Force’s programs in teen substance use prevention and education, but to expand them. “The DFC Grant gives us a fantastic opportunity to further engage our community to work together towards this goal,” she said.

Deepak D'Souza
Deepak D’Souza, MD expert on Marijuana and mental health

Cannabis Use & Mental Health — Online Talk by a National Expert

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Cannabis use and how it affects mental health problems is the subject of a Zoom webinar by Deepak D’Souza, MD, on Wednesday, April 14 from 7 to 8:15 p.m.

Dr D’Souza is a professor of psychiatry at the Yale University School of Medicine and a long-time, nationally recognized researcher on cannabis use and psychotic disorders. You can register here or at the New Canaan Parents Support Group website.

Healthy Living

AAA: Driving Can Be Risky; With Booze, Riskier; With Pot — Well, You’re Just a Magnet for Risk

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People who use alcohol and marijuana — not necessarily while on the road — are significantly more likely to speed, text, and adopt other reckless behaviors when they do drive, says a AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety study. — an announcement from AAA Northeast
These same drivers are far more likely to drive under the influence of alcohol and to ride with an intoxicated driver compared to those who only drink, but don’t puff, the AAA study also reports. Compared to alcohol-only users, the research also found people who admitted to using both drugs were more likely to self-report such behaviors as:

Speeding in residential neighborhood (55% vs 35% for alcohol-only)
Aggressive driving (52% for both vs. 28% for alcohol only)
Running red lights (48% for both vs. 32% for alcohol only) and
Texting while driving (40% for both vs.