Healthy Routes

A recent incident in Barrie involving the distribution of
𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗻𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘀 in a high school has sparked an important conversation.

I am grateful that concerns were raised and that the distribution was STOPPED.

Here is the thing, the fact that it happened AT ALL should stop us in our tracks.

We need to ask ourselves what kind of message we are sending our young people????

Our youth are facing record levels of anxiety, depression, loneliness, addiction, and mental health challenges.

And yet somehow, 𝘄𝗲'𝘃𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀.

As an addiction counsellor, that crosses a line for me.🤬

If we have resources to invest, let's invest them in 𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁, 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻-𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

The youth I work with don't need better instructions for drug use.

👉𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞.

What if every high school student 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗱𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 in human understanding, personal development, emotional regulation, communication skills, healthy relationships, and resilience?

I would argue that would do FAR MORE to prevent addiction than any safer-use resource ever could.

That is the conversation we should be having.

Our youth deserve better. 🫶

If this resonates with you, please share it. The more we talk about prevention, and mental health, the more likely we are to create meaningful change for our young people.

Today we celebrate dads. Happy Father’s Day!

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐒𝐇 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞. 𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞.

FINALLY! 🙌

A meaningful step in the right direction.

For years, we've watched 𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙖𝙣𝙭𝙞𝙚𝙩𝙮, 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙪𝙡𝙨𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙩𝙮, 𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙜𝙜𝙡𝙚𝙨, 𝙨𝙡𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙧𝙪𝙥𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙘𝙮𝙗𝙚𝙧𝙗𝙪𝙡𝙡𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙡𝙤𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙙𝙙𝙞𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙨 among young people.

Yet somehow, questioning unrestricted social media access for children became the controversial position.

Kids are 𝗡𝗢𝗧 the problem.

The problem is expecting developing brains to 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗣𝗘𝗧𝗘 with platforms designed to capture attention, trigger dopamine, and keep users coming back for more.

Will an age restriction solve everything? NO.

Will some young people find ways around it? ABSOLUTELY.

That doesn't diminish the importance of Canada taking action. It simply reminds us that this is a 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭- not a finish line.

I applaud those willing to take this first step.

👉Now let's keep going...

Let's continue asking what 𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗘 can be done to better protect developing brains in a digital world.

And if this post happens to reach the 𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬, 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐲𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧-𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬 who can help move this conversation forward, 𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗧 𝗠𝗘 𝗜𝗡!

The voices of those working directly with youth and families 𝗗𝗘𝗦𝗘𝗥𝗩𝗘 a seat at the table.

Please share this post. 🙏

Because if we're finally paying attention, let's not stop halfway.

Our responsibility doesn't end when a law is passed—it begins with what we do 𝗡𝗘𝗫𝗧.

Let's use this momentum to build a larger movement focused on protecting developing brains in an increasingly digital world. 🙌

👋 𝗔 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗺 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝘀!💛
It's been wonderful to see so many new faces here over the past month.

For those who have been following me for some time, you may have noticed I've been a little quieter on social media lately.

Sometimes life hits, and you need to find the right balance between 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝, 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠, 𝙛𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙮, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨 that come with everyday life.

I felt it was important to 𝙥𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙨𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄 𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 about creating space, setting priorities, and looking after my wellbeing, so I took a step back for a little while.

Thank you for being here.🙂I'm looking forward to reconnecting and sharing more resources, insights, and practical support for teens, young adults, and families in the weeks ahead. 🙌