Health
Youth Mental Health and Substance Use
Substance use, including tobacco products such as electronic cigarettes, has increased among youth in our community. Starting in middle school, we have seen that vaping has been recognized as something cool that everyone was doing. At one point or another, we all have experienced moments where we felt peer pressure to take up this new thing that all our friends were doing. For instance, we might have heard our friends say it helps them deal with stress and anxiety. A close friend might have told us to “try it” and some of us might have been tempted for a second. In other instances, we have contemplated substance use of any kind because we wanted to fit in a new environment with a new crowd because we thought “how bad can it really be?” However, substance use poses many dangers to your physical health and mental health. By writing this, our goal is to inform not only our peers, the Somali youth, but also our parents and/or guardians about the prevalence of substance use among youth in our community. More people need to acknowledge the extent of this issue that is not only causing significant physical health issues but also worsening the mental health of our youth.
Vaping by Somali youth has increased significantly in recent years, and starts as early as middle school. At this age, peer pressure can make vaping seem “cool” and lead to youth using it to fit in with their peers. However, vaping at this age primes the developing brain for more substance use such as Marijuana or other harmful substances which can result in serious mental health issues. A 2017 report on substance use found that Somali youth in middle school and high school are more likely to use illicit drugs and misuse prescription medication in the state of Minnesota than their non-Somali peers. Consequently, many of our Somali youths are struggling with mental health issues.
What a lot of youth are not well-informed about are the serious health problems that vaping and substance use can cause. Besides addiction, substance use can cause long term health issues that are often irreversible. For example, most vaping products, such as JUUL, contain high levels of nicotine, which is the drug found in tobacco products to make them addictive. A single JUUL pod contains at least as much nicotine as a pack of 20 regular cigarettes. Nicotine is quickly absorbed into the body and goes directly to the brain. It activates areas of the brain that make you feel satisfied and happy, so the person using these products may think that vaping is helping them when in reality, it is just providing a temporary feeling that will make the person addicted and only worsen their mental health. Besides nicotine, e-cigarette aerosol and flavorings can contain cancer-causing chemicals, heavy metals, and ultrafine particles that can be inhaled deeply into the lungs and harm your body.
Nicotine in vaping products is dangerously addictive and can lead to other addictions to different tobacco products or other harmful substances. Substance use might provide temporary happy sensations, excitement or relaxation, but it impacts your body, thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and even affects the loved ones around you. Continued substance use can cause serious health issues such as lung disease, liver problems, and increased risk for stroke. It can also drastically change your physical appearance and cause or worsen mental health.
Therefore, when it comes to stress, anxiety or any other issues with mental health, it is important to find healthy ways of coping, rather than turning to substance use. Find practical ways that work for you to quiet the noise inside your mind and the world around you. For example, try going on a walk, taking time off from technology, and surrounding yourself with nature. You can also try mindfulness, a type of meditation that helps you focus and be aware of what you are feeling at that moment. It is important to engage in other productive activities such as art, sports, or learning a new skill to fill your time. Engage in activities that also help you avoid isolation and keep you connected with your family and friends, such as sharing a meal or taking a walk with someone.
Our community, both adults and youth, should unite as one to fight against these dangerous products and poisonous advertisements that target the youth in our community. We should stand up against this problem and provide a safe environment that promotes healthier coping strategies. For our parents and guardians, we want to say that communication is very important. Most youths might be afraid of being judged by family or friends when they talk about their addiction or seek help with their mental health problems. The more we engage in open communication within ourselves and our community, the more we can understand what our youth are going through and provide them with the help they need. We need to you create a space where we feel safe and cared for so we can tell you about our problems and come to you for help.
For our peers, be careful with your choices. Remember that your brain is developing until the age of 25, so you wouldn’t want to negatively affect your brain during this important developmental stage. Keep your brain as healthy as you possibly can by staying away from substance use of any kind. Always stand by your choice to refuse drugs. Saying no takes courage and practice and you should not feel guilty about putting your health and safety first. We’ve all experienced some sort of peer pressure, but remember that you are your own person. You are living for yourself, not others, so think about what’s right for you and don’t let what others do dictate your choices. Be yourself, no matter what. Always remember that a true friend should respect a friend’s choice to say “no”. If your friends are not willing to understand, then you likely have the wrong friends.
Written by:
Aisha Mohamud
Mumtaza Mohamed
Socaad Haille
WellShare International
Widespread naloxone availability is a key response to average of three deaths a day
Overdose deaths held steady from 2021 to 2022, 1,356 to 1,343, marking a plateau after several years of sharp increases, according to the Minnesota Department of Health’s (MDH) Statewide Trends in Drug Overdose: Preliminary 2022 Data Update (PDF). At the same time, the preliminary data showed fentanyl-related overdoses continued to take a tragic toll, keeping deaths at a historically high level.
Fentanyl, which is more deadly and 50 times more potent than heroin, has made Minnesota’s drug supply more dangerous. Fentanyl is now involved in 92% of all opioid-involved deaths and 62% of all overdose deaths in Minnesota, according to preliminary 2022 data. Opioid-involved deaths increased 3% (977 to 1002 deaths) from 2021 to 2022, according to preliminary data.
“We are responding to the more deadly threat of fentanyl with several new tools for saving lives that were passed by the Legislature in 2023, such as expanding the availability of naloxone, and covering the costs of having it on hand, in school buildings, treatment programs, and during emergency and law enforcement calls,” said Minnesota Commissioner of Health Dr. Brooke Cunningham.
Meanwhile, deaths involving prescribed opioids, heroin and methadone decreased. Deaths involving heroin fell to a 10-year low, decreasing 56% (103 to 45 deaths) between 2021 and 2022.
Psychostimulants (e.g., methamphetamine) and cocaine also contributed to the number of drug overdose deaths. Cocaine-involved deaths saw the largest increase of any drug category, increasing 27% (165 to 210 deaths).
Drug overdoses have a larger impact on individuals, families and communities than deaths alone. For every one drug overdose death, there were nearly 13 nonfatal drug overdoses in 2022. The number of hospital-treated nonfatal overdoses remained relatively stable, decreasing 5% from 2021 to 2022 (17,792 to 16,934 overdoses), according to the data brief.
Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan’s 2023 One Minnesota Budget included over $200 million to address substance use and overdoses—with $50 million of that coming to MDH over the next four years. The investment addresses prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery. Additionally, the governor and Legislature passed a policy to reduce drug overdose deaths by requiring all schools, law enforcement officials, emergency responders and residential treatment programs to have naloxone on hand. MDH and the Minnesota Department of Education have posted a toolkit to help schools obtain cost-free naloxone and implement the new requirement.
Additional state-led activities include expanding medication-assisted treatment, establishing new peer recovery support systems and launching the MN Naloxone Portal where mandated groups can access no-cost naloxone. Collaboration with other state agencies and federal funding partners help make this overdose and substance use response work possible.
-MDH-
MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL (10/10/2023) — Despite the U.S.’s perceived wealth and abundance, food security remains a public health challenge for millions of Americans. In 2021, 13.5 million U.S. households were food insecure — meaning they did not have access at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life — and rates of household food insecurity were especially high among single-parent households, Black and Hispanic households and low-income households. A new study from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health (SPH) researchers, published in Food Policy, analyzes food security among a relatively new U.S. immigrant group — Somali Americans.
SPH researchers focused their research on social capital, which is the beneficial exchange of information and other intangible non-monetary support offered within an individual’s social network or cultural community. Specifically, the research team analyzed the ways in which social capital impacts the food security of people in the Somali-American community. Social capital was measured objectively by using the size of each local Somali American community, as well as subjectively, which involved surveying community members about their day-to-day interactions with other members of the community.
Despite their significant presence in the U.S., Somali Americans are not well-represented in national research datasets such as the Current Population Survey. To overcome this, SPH researchers used a case-study method to collect and analyze data from 249 Somali-American households across seven cities in the Midwest. The study found:
- Rates of food insecurity are higher than the average U.S. household. 22% of Somali-American households in the Midwest were food insecure, compared to 10% of all U.S. households.
- The size of the ethnic enclave in a particular community (objective social capital) had a significantly positive association with rates of food security. Adding 1,000 Somalians to an urban center increased food security among local Somali American households by 0.5 to 0.6 points.
- Subjective measures of social capital were less conclusive. While subjective measures studied are not positively associated with food security, some informal interactions help people engage with their local Somali American community in ways that can stave off food insufficiency.
“Social capital can include anything from borrowing cooking ingredients from neighbors, helping community members who do not speak English or just asking other members of the community for advice,” said Harshada Karnik, SPH researcher and lead author of the study. “By examining the relationship between social capital and food security in the Somali-American community, we found that people who belonged to larger Somali American communities experienced greater food security. We are able to provide some evidence suggesting that factors other than income might also affect people’s ability to ensure food security. These findings are relevant to not only refugees, but also to other low-income, immigrant communities that develop informal or unorganized systems in the absence of formal services.”
The researchers note that social capital should not be viewed as solutions to food security, but rather as temporary arrangements for which policymakers need to develop more permanent, inclusive and reliable substitutes.
About the School of Public Health
The University of Minnesota School of Public Health improves the health and wellbeing of populations and communities around the world by bringing innovative research, learning, and concrete actions to today’s biggest health challenges. We prepare some of the most influential leaders in the field, and partner with health departments, communities, and policymakers to advance health equity for all. Learn more at sph.umn.edu.
E-cigarette and young people
You may have seen e-cigarettes/vapes shaped like USB flash drives, such as JUUL. They are very easy for young people to sneak into the house and school without the notice of adults that are unfamiliar with these products. Tobacco companies are intentional in the design of these products for this particular reason and appeal to youth due to their discreet appearance.
E-cigarettes in all their forms and shapes are dangerous and can cause irreversible lung damage. Aerosol released in e-cigarette smoke contains harmful ingredients such as nicotine, cancer-causing chemicals, heavy metals and many others. Vaping is highly addictive because of the amount of nicotine that it contains. In fact, one JUUL pod contains the same amount of nicotine as 20 cigarettes or a pack of cigarettes. Just think about that. No amount of smoking or vaping is safe for young people because nicotine can harm their brain development which continues until about the age of 25. Tobacco companies target kids with their ads at store fronts, TV, movies, social media. As a parent, you are in the best position to protect your kids against big tobacco companies.
Educate your kids early
There is a misconception among parents in our community about educating children on the dangers of vaping at an early age. During a recent community event, a mom stopped by at our Wellshare table with her two boys, 7 years and 5 years old. I gave the mom a few posters on tobacco education and as I started to talk to her about youth vaping in our community, the mom turned to her two boys and asked them to stand a few feet behind her out of fear that they might hear what I was talking to her about. The truth is, children are exposed to e-cigarettes as early as in middle school. In 2022, 1 in 30 children in middle school reported that they have vaped, while 1 in 7 high school students reported that they have vaped1. According to the CDC, many young people start tobacco use by the age of 11 years and can be addicted by the age of 142, so it is recommended that parents start the conversation about tobacco use as early as 5 or 6 years old and continue to talk to them through their high school years. As a parent, you are the greatest influence in your child’s life. By starting a conversation about the harms of vaping at home, you are helping inform them to take a stand against these products.
Have a healthy discussion
Make sure you are prepared for your conversation with your children by learning about the different types and shapes of e-cigarettes and the dangers they pose to health. Talk to your children about the health risks and make sure to state your firm expectation that they stay away from tobacco use, especially e-cigarettes. Additionally, make sure you are aware of any friends of your kids that vape so that you are able to talk to them about ways of saying no to peer-pressure. Don’t let tobacco companies glamorize tobacco use for your kids. Take a stand!
Program Coordinator
WellShare International
Reference
- Youth and tobacco use. (2023, June 1). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/youth_data/tobacco_use/index.htm
- Youth tobacco prevention. (2023, January 27). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/youth/index.htm
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