Thursday, September 29, 2016

October 13: North Suffolk to offer Community Education Forum for Families Marijuana’s Effect on the Developing Brain


Chelsea, MA (September 22, 2016)- North Suffolk Mental Health Association, with support from the East Boston Neighborhood Health Center and the East Boston Substance Abuse Coalition will be offering a Community Education Forum for parents and early teens to learn about marijuana and its effects on the developing brain at the Mario Umana Barnes Middle School on Thursday, October 13th from 4:30 to 7:30 PM. 

This completely FREE event will offer dinner, translation services, childcare for children 3-10 and a presentation by Rick Cresta, a social worker from Boston University. This free event is open to everyone in the community.

This forum is in response to the recent MGH Youth Risk Behavior Survey which polled students at the East Boston High School. The survey showed a majority of students had tried marijuana, and a significant number are regular users. Rick Cresta focuses on Marijuana and Adolescent Substance Use. He doesn’t argue with those who say that marijuana causes less harm than other drugs. “That, however, does not mean it’s harmless,”

The schedule for the evening has a resource fair and dinner being served from 4:30 to 6:00 PM in the Umana cafeteria. At 6:00 pm, childcare will start while Rick presents to parents and kids above 10 in the multi-purpose room. Parents will have the opportunity to ask questions directly, and learn about how to talk with their kids about what they have learned.

Source: 

Margaret Farmer
617.912.7932
mfarmer@northsuffolk.org