VAPR News

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - Summer brings an increase in teenage admissions to drug and alcohol rehabilitation clinics, according to addiction specialist Jessica Wong of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation San Diego. Teenagers have less supervision and more time to experiment when they're out of school and parents are at work, said Wong. Wong is spreading the word about the dangers of summer through "The Top Secret Project".  Parents can tour a staged teen bedroom to learn how their children may be consuming drugs and alcohol, and the devices they're using. SLIDESHOW :  The Top Secret Project Click on the link above to see how teens are using innocent items like jewelry, gummy bears and tampons.

SAN DIEGO (NEWS 8) - Opioid addiction is a problem that many Americans don’t have an answer for. This month, federal authorities claimed one of the largest fentanyl seizures in U.S. history-- 97 pounds representing millions of lethal doses --from a house in San Diego. The San Diego County Medical Examiner’s office confirmed three adults found dead in a Vista home a few weeks prior to the bust were killed by fentanyl overdoses. Dr. Brian Couey, Clinical Director for the  Hazelden  Betty Ford Foundation, joined News 8’s Heather Myers  Wednesday  to talk about the opioid epidemic and how the foundation is working tirelessly to fight it. A recent collaborative study between the foundation and the University of Maryland suggests that people have varying levels of susceptibility to opioid addiction and misuse. The research claims that mental health, substance abuse history and family history are all considerable factors. “We can always look at a drug and vilify it… but the p