Teen Drug Prevention - Courage to Speak Foundation's Blog

Ginger and Larry Katz Welcome You to Our Blog About Teen Drug Prevention!

ByTeen Drug Prevention

Here is a overview of what our teen drug prevention blog will have to offer. There will be a variation of different ideas, tips, and stories, all pertaining to youth substance use and drug prevention education. My goal is to use this new outlet to connect to youth, parents, teachers and our other supporters. What…

How It All Started – The Courage to Speak

ByGinger Katz

September 10th, 2022 marks 26 years since my son Ian Eaccarino died from a drug overdose. He was just 20 years old. It still feels like yesterday and my emotions are still raw, especially this time of the year. I am reposting an article I wrote in the Principal Leadership Magazine below, to remind our…

drug prevention | Drug Prevention Speaker | Substance Education

Evaluation of Courage to Speak Programs at the Connecticut State Capitol

ByTeen Drug Prevention

Hartford Opioid Forum | Connecticut State Capitol | The Courage to Speak® Foundation was proud to present a preview of our new Parenting Program, Courage to Speak® Courageous Parenting 101- “Parenting through the Opioid Crisis and Beyond™” at the state Capital Opioid Forum on January 25. In addition, we showcased our other programs including the…

In Memory of Ian James Eaccarino

ByTeen Drug Prevention

This blog is dedicated in Memory of Ian. No more families should have to experience this devastating tragedy. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) drug-related deaths have more than doubled since the early 1980s. There are more deaths, illness, and disabilities from substance abuse than from any other preventable health condition. Today,…

drug prevention | Drug Prevention Speaker | Ginger Katz | Substance Education

Courage to Speak – Courageous Parenting 101®

ByTeen Drug Prevention

The Courage to Speak® Foundation began shortly after I lost my son Ian to heroin and prescription drug overdose. In the years that followed, I came to understand first hand the behaviors that enabled and perpetuated the disease of addiction. I did the best I could as a parent, but the disease was bigger than…

drug prevention | heroin | Prescription Drugs Abuse | Substance Education

Starting the conversation, parenting through the opioid crisis

ByTeen Drug Prevention

By Julia Werth Kileen Doyle never spoke to her son about drugs while he was growing up. She wasn’t even aware that some of his classmates and friends in Norwalk were using. That changed abruptly when her son’s long-time friend, a boy who had been on his swimming team and in his martial arts classes,…

drug prevention | Drug Prevention Speaker | Ginger Katz | Substance Education

Family Focus: Ginger Katz of the Courage to Speak Foundation

ByTeen Drug Prevention

Posted by Informed Families When Ginger Katz’s 20-year-old son Ian died of a drug overdose, the doctors suggested she tell people that he died of a heart attack or brain aneurysm. Katz said that the night before the funeral, she couldn’t sleep, feeling “physically, spiritually and intellectually” unable to attend the next day’s events. “I felt…

Drug Abuse | drug prevention | Ginger Katz | Prevention

Addiction – Drugs Don’t Discriminate™

ByTeen Drug Prevention

Addiction – Drugs Don’t Discriminate™ Written by Ginger Katz | On September 10, 1996, I lost my 20-year-old son, Ian, to a drug overdose just before he was going into a rehabilitation program the next day. Ian had used marijuana, tobacco and other drugs in high school. At one point he was picked up by an officer at…

Why is Teenage Drug Abuse on the Rise?

ByTeen Drug Prevention

The staff writer of Sober Living looks into the rise in teenage drug abuse. Partying with innocent drugs like cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana is usually the gateway to more dangerous substances like OxyContin, heroin, LSD, and cocaine. The teenage years are ones of change, learning, discovery, and for many, experimentation. Some may try drugs such…

Want to save a life? Become a Facilitator Today!

ByTeen Drug Prevention

Courage to Speak – Courageous Parenting 101® “Train the Trainer” NEW Facilitators Training Want to make a difference and save children’s lives? Fill out an application today! The Courage to Speak® Foundation is offering a training opportunity for new facilitators to teach Courage to Speak – Courageous Parenting 101®. The training is for individuals who…

A Great Read: Sunny’s Story

ByTeen Drug Prevention

Looking for a great read? Sunny’s Story! A great read, Sunny’s Story is a drug prevention story for children, adolescents, teenagers, parents, grandparents, and teachers. Written by Courage to Speak ®Foundation CEO and Founder, Ginger Katz, this is a true story about her son, Ian James Eaccarino, who fell victim to drug addiction. Sunny’s Story is narrated through the eyes,…

Resources for Help in Your Community

ByTeen Drug Prevention

Get to Know THE RESOURCES in Your Community Each community has their own RESOURCES to effectively treat addiction of alcohol and drugs. Many fellowships, including NA and AA, exist worldwide. Narcotics Anonymous was founded in 1953 and is a free support system to anyone struggling with drug addiction. Every week, over 58,000 meetings are held in…