Evidence shows that where people live plays a key role in their health. Substance use prevention is a proactive approach that increases the protective factors that can support a healthy lifestyle and reduces the risk factors to the lifestyle, particularly those that contribute to young people using substances early and often.

There were a number of changes to VT cannabis laws that folks from a variety of sectors of the state were advocating for this past session, but only a few changes actually passed. Here are a the main highlights of what the governor signed into law this month from Bill H.32

Cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug among youth today and is more potent than ever before. The chances of our kids encountering cannabis or seeing it promoted in the community and their social media feeds has increased. We know that the teen brain is much more susceptible to problems from THC use than the fully developed adult brain. The goal for adults supporting teens is to help kids delay substance use for as long as possible while their brains are still developing (through early to mid 20s).

The Burlington Partnership for a Healthy Community invites you to attend our 15th annual Roots of Prevention Award Celebration to honor the outstanding contributions of the awardees below to support a safe and healthy place in which we all can live, work, and thrive!

Please join us Thursday, May 15th at Contois Auditorium in Burlington City Hall as we gather with neighbors over food, listen to our guest speakers, and of course celebrate our community changemakers!

We all want Burlington to be a great place to live. A big part of that is making sure everyone is healthy and safe, especially our young people. Excessive alcohol use is a leading cause of preventable death in the US and here in Vermont we have the highest prevalence of underage alcohol use in youth and some of the highest alcohol use rates in the country across all age groups (youth, young adults, and adults). The amount of alcohol Vermonters are drinking is not without consequences for our state.

BHS Elevate, our wellness campaign centering youth substance use prevention and mental health support for Burlington high schoolers has been continuing to grow in popularity at the high school.

Last month, HealthyBTV hosted 2 community dialogue dinners at Hunt & Edmunds Middle Schools, drawing over 55 participants. Discussions focused on challenges and opportunities for preventing substance misuse and fostering youth resilience.

BPHC is proud and excited to welcome two new members to our Board of Advisors: Michael Hill, Jr. and Ian Speers.

Last month, Mariah and Evan took the Church Street to talk with passersby and connect with community members who helped champion this groundbreaking policy shift a decade ago.

Read on and enjoy our short 10-year lookback video interviewing some of those changemakers who helped make the shift to a smoke-free marketplace.

BPHC is proud and excited to welcome two new members to our Board of Advisors: Sam Donnelly and Sierra Serino.

Research shows that reducing promotion, easy access, and the normalization of substances in communities can help reduce high-risk use and the development of substance use disorders, particularly for adolescents.

The tobacco industry has been rolling out a lot of new products in recent years that are hooking a new generation of users on nicotine. The rise of use of nicotine pouches like Zyn, On!, and Velo highlights the urgent need for stronger local regulations to protect youth in Burlington.

Burlington middle schoolers showed their passion for supporting health and wellness when a group of 9 students from Edmunds and Hunt Middle Schools accompanied two BSD Student Assistant Program Counselors and Burlington Partnership for a Healthy Community staff to Lake Morey Resort in Fairlee, Vermont. They joined other teens from across the state to learn about tobacco related issues impacting youth at the OVX Youth Leadership Summit.

BPHC works closely with many staff in the Burlington School District on a variety of initiatives to support substance misuse prevention and health and wellness in our district. The Student Assistance Program (SAP) Counselors at the middle schools and high school are some of our strongest collaborators in this work. Mariah was excited to sit down with Hunt's new SAP, Marissa Stokes, to learn more about her and her plans.

This school year BHS Elevate, our new wellness campaign centering youth substance use prevention and mental health support, has entered its newest messaging phase “Stronger Connections, Stronger School.” Building and maintaining social connections with peers and adults helps ensure young people are better prepared to deal with stress, anxiety, or other difficult situations that often become drivers for substance use such as vaping nicotine and cannabis.

Even when BPHC staff are not working for BPHC they are thinking about substance misuse prevention and how to improve outcomes in Vermont!  For this reason, our Coalition Director, Mariah Flynn, recently completed her third Fellowship project with the New England Prevention Technology Transfer Center (PTTC).

The facts are clear, tobacco use carries health risks and secondhand smoke is dangerous. We’ve been working with MyHealthyVermont, Cathedral Square at Juniper House, and Champlain Housing Trust partners at Laurentide Apartments in Burlington to provide resources and support for maintaining smoke-free residences, including supporting residents with efforts to quit. To support these efforts we helped organize a new smoking cessation group for their tenants to help residents comply with their non-smoking policy and improve their own health.

We continued to offer students at Edmunds Middle School (EMS) opportunities to come together weekly this quarter to plan fun social and prevention activities for their peers.

Just six months ago our team launched an ambitious messaging campaign at the high school called BHS Elevate, which is framed for students as a movement designed to support and uplift one another to live healthy lives and achieve their goals.

While quitting can be hard at first, finding the right help makes it easier. Creating new habits without nicotine or vaping often takes multiple tries. Businesses can help employees who smoke or vape by taking simple steps to support their journey to becoming tobacco-free.

On May 16th, BPHC hosted our 14th annual Roots of Prevention Award Ceremony at Contois Auditorium in City Hall. This year's theme, "Unity through Community," highlighted the exceptional contributions of community changemakers dedicated to fostering a safer and healthier Burlington. The event was a great success and we were honored to recognize these amazing individuals for their outstanding efforts.