Podcast | Business of Medicine | December 16, 2020

Prevention of Youth Substance Use: The Changing Landscape and What We Need to Know

In this podcast Carissa Anthony, the Prevention and Development Coordinator with the Safe & Healthy Homewood Coalition, in Homewood, Alabama, discusses the changing face of alcohol and drug prevention in today’s youth. She also shares how the risk and protective factors for drugs and alcohol are also the same factors for suicide, teen pregnancy, mental health struggles, and juvenile delinquency. In addition, Ms. Anthony provides insight into how everyone, including those in the healthcare community, can work together to help promote prevention and positive behavioral norms through advocacy and policy initiatives.

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Resources and References

  1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
    Quick Facts on the Risks of E-cigarettes for Kids, Teens, and Young Adults
  2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
    Marijuana and Public Health: Adolescents and Young Adults
  3. Alabama Public Health
    Vapes and E-Cigs
  4. Homewood City Schools
    Alcohol & Other Drug Prevention
  5. Homewood City Schools
    Safe & Healthy Homewood Coalition
  6. CDC Statistics

Disclosure: Carissa Anthony has nothing to disclose.

Carissa Anthony is the Prevention and Development Coordinator for Homewood City Schools and serves as the Coordinator of the Safe & Healthy Homewood Coalition. She has over 20 years of experience in prevention.

Carissa grew up on a family farm in south Alabama. She received her Bachelors from Auburn University and Masters from Georgia State University in Professional Counseling. She began her career as a community educator with the University of Tennessee and then with the University of Florida. In 2002 she and her husband moved to Birmingham and Carissa became the Prevention Coordinator for Hoover City Schools and coordinated the Hoover Coalition, a youth drug prevention coalition. In 2004, while serving as the Coordinator of the Hoover Coalition, Carissa received an award from the Office of National Drug Control Policy, for the Coalition’s successful efforts in reducing youth substance use. In 2007 she was a special guest at a Presidential Press Conference held by President George W. Bush recognizing outstanding drug free community coalitions.  Working at the local level, helping communities come together to support healthy youth development is Carissa’s life work and passion.

Carissa is married to John Anthony who is a Traffic Engineer with the City of Hoover. She has two lovely daughters and a very energetic golden retriever.