Salmon Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition

 When people hear “substance abuse prevention coalition,” they may imagine meetings, pamphlets and presentations about drugs. Those things are part of SSAPCO's work. But community prevention is much bigger. It looks like a teenager finding a group where they belong. It looks like parents setting clear expectations. It looks like law enforcement responding to illegal drug activity. It looks like a school changing an environment where vaping is occurring. It looks like a community event creating an alcohol-free family space. It looks like DFY members planning something fun for other teenagers. It looks like bringing a speaker such as VIVE18 to Salmon so students hear prevention from another voice. And it looks like adults paying attention when young people tell us what they need. Our local data gives us areas of concern, but it also gives us reasons to be encouraged. We have young people with strong refusal skills, parents who overwhelmingly disapprove of youth substance use, student...

 7-OH. Kratom. Nicotine pouches. THC concentrates. Counterfeit pills. Fentanyl analogues. For parents, keeping up with the changing drug landscape can feel overwhelming. Here's the good news: You don't need to be a drug expert to be an effective prevention parent. You need a relationship. Ask questions when you don't know something. “What is that?” “Is that something kids at school are talking about?” “What have you heard about it?” “What do your friends think?” Then listen. Parents can also establish a few expectations that don't change every time a new substance appears. Don't take medication that wasn't prescribed to you. Don't get into a vehicle with someone who is impaired. Call me if you're somewhere you don't feel safe. Don't bring alcohol or drugs into our home. And if you make a bad decision, I still want you to call me when you need help. The substances may keep changing. The importance of parent connection doesn't.

 There is encouraging news in our 2026 student data. Past-30-day vaping among Salmon High School students declined from 18% in 2023 to 12% in 2026. That's worth recognizing. But good prevention doesn't look at an improving number and declare the problem solved. Instead, we ask: What's working, and what still needs attention? Students participating in our conversations have told us vaping doesn't seem as common as it was previously, and some have mentioned existing detection efforts. We've also identified a specific environmental concern: school bathrooms. Bathrooms can provide the privacy students legitimately need while also creating areas where groups can gather with limited supervision. That made them a vaping hotspot. This year, SSAPCO worked with the school to help address the physical environment through redesigned bathroom spaces intended to increase visibility and reduce opportunities for groups to gather and vape while still preserving appropriate privacy. ...

 When we ask how teenagers get alcohol, it's easy to picture someone sneaking into a store. Often, youth access is much closer to home. Through SSAPCO's local assessment work and conversations with young people, we've heard about access through friends, older youth, siblings, family members and adults. We've also heard the argument that allowing teenagers to drink at home is safer because at least an adult knows where they are. Our youth themselves have challenged that thinking. Their message to adults has been remarkably straightforward: Don't be the source. Most local parents strongly disapprove of youth substance use. That's a protective factor worth preserving. But it only takes a small number of adults willing to provide alcohol to create access for a much larger group of teenagers. Parents can help by securing alcohol in their homes, knowing what's happening when teenagers gather, communicating with other parents, and setting clear expectations with ol...

 Homecoming brings football, dresses, dinners, pictures, dances, parties and a little more independence. It also gives parents a natural opportunity for prevention. You don't need a 45-minute lecture before your teenager leaves. Five short conversations can accomplish much more. Where are you going? Know the actual plan, including what happens after the dance. Who will be there? If they're gathering at someone's home, communicate with the parent hosting. Who's driving? Don't wait until midnight to discover the transportation plan changed. What's our rule about alcohol and drugs? Say it clearly. Teenagers shouldn't have to guess what their parents expect. What happens if you need me? Give them an exit. “If you ever feel unsafe, call me. I will come get you.” That doesn't mean there won't be a conversation later. It means the first priority is getting your child safely home. Our local data continues to show strong parental disapproval of youth substanc...

 Teenagers pay close attention to what other teenagers are doing. That's nothing new. The problem comes when their perception doesn't match reality. If a student believes almost everyone drinks at parties, vaping is normal, or marijuana use is simply part of high school, saying no can feel like choosing to be the outsider. That's why positive social norms are an important part of SSAPCO's prevention work. Our 2026 local student data gives us a message worth repeating: Most Salmon High School students are not currently using alcohol, vaping, or using marijuana. We shouldn't ignore the students who are using substances. They need prevention, intervention and support. But we also shouldn't unintentionally make substance use sound more common than it really is. Adults do this surprisingly often. “Kids these days all vape.” “They're going to drink anyway.” “Everyone experiments in high school.” Those statements may be intended as frustration or realism, but they ...

 This week, Salmon middle and high school students had a different kind of prevention experience when Kyra from VIVE18 visited our schools. And “different” is intentional. VIVE18 describes its approach as prevention without shame or scare tactics. Its presentations use interaction, storytelling and student participation while addressing topics such as vaping, marijuana, alcohol, fentanyl and prescription drugs. The larger message focuses on healthy choices, positive social norms, connection and showing young people that being substance free doesn't mean being left out. VIVE18 | Youth Drug Prevention Programs That approach fits well with what SSAPCO has learned through years of working with local youth. Information matters—but information alone isn't enough. Young people need skills. They need confidence. They need healthy ways to handle pressure. They need friends who support good decisions. And perhaps most importantly, they need to believe they can have fun and belong without...

 A decade ago, most parent prevention conversations focused on alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and a relatively familiar list of illegal drugs. Today, that landscape can change in a matter of months. In September, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy issued a Drug Threat Notice identifying three fentanyl analogues; carfentanil, fluorofentanyl and methylfentanyl, as significant emerging threats. Federal officials reported that the three substances have been involved in at least 12,500 deaths since 2023. Carfentanil can be up to 100 times more potent than fentanyl. The White House For families in Lemhi County, the important message isn't memorizing the names of every new drug. It's understanding that the illicit drug supply is unpredictable. Counterfeit pills may look like legitimate prescription medications. Synthetic opioids can be mixed into other illicit substances without the person using them knowing. And this isn't only a big-city problem. A recent Lemhi ...