MIAMI, June 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Recent data has started to raise the concern of health professionals and educators in New Jersey, showing a disturbing rising trend in substance use among middle school students.
Dr. Maria Rodriguez, a renowned community health professional, is running a new summer program called EmpowerU in her small hometown to address this problem. This program will run for six weeks, starting in the first week of July, and will target all middle school students in the town to help them develop coping strategies to handle peer pressure.
Recent data support Dr. Maria’s concerns: in the 2023 National Youth Tobacco Survey, tobacco use in middle schoolers increased by nearly 50%.
Teenagers between 12 and 17 years old in New Jersey have been confirmed to have used drugs in the last month, with marijuana being the most common substance used.
Additionally, up to 19% of eighth-graders reported using a vape to have inhaled some substance at least once, which indicates that vaping is also a huge challenge.
Dr. Maria Rodriquez’s hometown has also been affected by the rise of substance use among younger adolescents. For this reason, EmpowerU underscores the urgent need for local intervention, even in communities that may appear unaffected at first glance by such problems.
“Despite living in a charming and seemingly safe small town, it is alarming to observe the significant substance use among middle school students. As a parent raising children in this community, I am deeply concerned about the potential long-term impact on their well-being and development,” Dr. Maria explains.
EmpowerU is expected to address this problem by creating an environment where students learn how to deal with substance use risks through interactive workshops, peer discussions, educational sessions, and activities building self-esteem, resilience, and informed decision-making.
EmpowerU will also involve parents and community stakeholders to create a cohesive network.
Their pre-teen wellness and support group topics will be the effects of drugs on the brain and the body, health and wellness, decision-making skills, and building a drug-free lifestyle. To sign up for this free-of-cost program, interested students between 6th to 8th grade can reach out to [email protected] or (908) 617-3234, and the occurrence is set to every Friday, 07/12/2024 – 08/16/2024 between 1 PM to 2 PM.
Dr. Maria has devoted her life to her three counseling centers, which help families build healthy relationships and offer services that focus on specialized immigrant support while addressing their mental health concerns.
EmpowerU also intends to reach out to parents to engage them in creating a unified support system for the student. This system will reiterate the program’s messages and ensure healthy habits, reinforcing the program’s messages and encouraging healthy behaviors at home and in the community.
Dr. Maria’s approach to addressing the issue at the local level is intended to set a precedent that can be followed in other communities with similar problems.
For communities across the nation fighting with such problems, local leaders like Dr. Maria Rodriguez are crucial to building healthier and safer environments for the coming generations.
About the Company:
Dr. Maria Rodriguez supervises three counseling centers and introduces EmpowerU to tackle middle school substance use. The EmpowerU program provides an environment for students to learn about substance risks, resist peer pressure, and foster positive peer relationships while actively involving parents and community members to reinforce its impact on promoting healthy behaviors.
To learn more about Dr. Maria Rodriguez, click here.
Contact:Paula Henderson
561-768-4444
[email protected]
SOURCE Care Counseling Center
