Category Archives: Teens

e-cigarettes – health risks for teens

Posted on March 6, 2019 | Comments Off on e-cigarettes – health risks for teens

From my American Association for Justice morning newsletter –

juul

E-cigarettes may pose health risks, especially for minors.

Business Insider (3/5, Brodwin, 4.07M) reports that e-cigarettes “are not without health risks,” and since “they contain nicotine, e-cigarettes are especially dangerous for kids and teens whose brains are still developing.” Specifically “in young people, nicotine appears to blunt emotional control as well as decision-making and impulse-regulation skills,” which “most likely helped prompt a warning about e-cigs from the US surgeon general in December.” In that public advisory, US Surgeon General Jerome Adams “discussed these concerns and said young people should never use e-cigs.” He said, “We need to protect our kids from all tobacco products, including all shapes and sizes of e-cigarettes.” The article adds that some e-cigarettes “appear to contain toxic metals, and using them has been tied to an increased risk of a heart attack.” Experts “say there’s a lot we still don’t know about” vaping “and how it could affect the body.”

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Posted in health, MCAP - Medfeild Cares About Prevention, Teens

Maeve Devlin is the 2019 MFi Youth Volunteer of the Year

Posted on March 2, 2019 | 1 comment

Maeve Devlin photo

MFi Salutes Maeve Devlin – Youth Volunteer of the Year!

Medfield Foundation, Inc. is proud to announce this year’s Youth Volunteer of the Year – Maeve Devlin.  Through the nomination provided by her Teacher, Gail Duffy, it is clear that Maeve exemplifies the qualities MFi looks for:  a dedicated volunteer who is driven to provide a meaningful impact in the town of Medfield.

Ms. Duffy describes Maeve this way: “One of the most striking aspects of Maeve Devlin is the fact that she really doesn’t see the enormity of what she’s done.”  In her work with the Best Buddies program at Medfield High, Maeve has “fostered a transformative experience” for all students, both those with cognitive delays, as well as those without.  In her 2 years working with this program, Maeve has led by “example, enthusiasm, warmth and tenacity.”  She has succeeding in transforming this into a club where “all students look forward to meeting as friends.”

Maeve has been a force for good in her school, leading other classmates, both those in her class, as well as upper classmen, to become part of her revolution.  By her Sophomore year, Maeve was on the Leadership Board of the Best Buddies, and began organizing some fantastic initiatives such as a pre-Trick-or-Treating party for all of the participants.  Maeve has also organized her friends to participate in the Friendship Walk, catapulting her Chapter into the top 15 of fundraisers.

In her spare time, when not giving her heart to this program, Maeve is the Captain of the Girls Varsity Basketball team, serves as her class’ Vice President, works as a waitress, and does it all with an optimistic smile.

Although Maeve’s accomplishments are amazing in of themselves, what is truly spectacular is that she has developed true, authentic and long-lasting friendship with the participants in the Best Buddies program.

Maeve had tough competition this year, and we would like to take a moment to thank the other Youth Volunteer of the Year nominees.  Hannah Rogan, Morgan Caro and Sam Joline we sincerely thank you for your dedication and volunteer spirit focused on improving our town!

 

Please join us on March 31, from 3pm to 5pm at The Center at Medfield to honor all of this year’s very special Volunteers! 

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The Medfield Foundation Volunteer Awards are made possible through the sponsorship of Roche Bros. and Brother’s Marketplace.

 

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Posted in Events, Medfield Foundation, Medfield High School, People, Schools, Teens, Volunteers

Teen vaping use spikes

Posted on December 28, 2018 | Comments Off on Teen vaping use spikes
From my Route Fifty newsletter – click here to view online.  I recently also heard that there is now monitors that can be installed that sense when vaping is occurring. Vaping can also be used to smoke marijuana. –

 

New Survey Finds Big Increase in U.S. Teen Vaping

A hand holding an e-cigarette that was found at a 2018 high school graduation ceremony in California.

A hand holding an e-cigarette that was found at a 2018 high school graduation ceremony in California. SHUTTERSTOCK

Quartz

| 

One in five high school seniors vaped in 2018.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is taking action against e-cigarette companies out of fear that vaping by teens is skyrocketing. New data from this year’s Monitoring the Future survey suggests it’s true.

Between 2017 and 2018, the nationally representative survey of 13,850 teenagers found that the number of 12th graders who had vaped nicotine in the past 30 days grew by nearly 50%. In 2017, roughly one in 10 seniors had vaped, and in 2018, that number was roughly one in five. The jump from 11% to 21% is the largest increase among 12th graders using any substance in the survey’s 44 years.

The survey, funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, has been conducted annually since 1975 by researchers at the University of Michigan (surveys on 8th and 10th grades only began in 1991). This year’s results reflect a trend the National Youth Tobacco Survey highlighted earlier this year, which found that the total number of high-school students who reported vaping in the past 30 days more than doubled.

“The policies in place as of the 2017 [to] 2018 school year were not sufficient to stop the spread of nicotine vaping among adolescents,” the authors of the Monitoring the Future survey wrote in an accompanying commentary published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

There are two two main health concerns with adolescent vaping. First, there’s limited evidence that the chemicals in vape cartridges—particularly the sweetly flavored cartridges—are completely safe. As Quartz previously reported, researchers have found entirely new compounds created when the chemicals in cartridges are vaporize and preliminary work has shown that some of the known compounds found in vapes can irritate immune cells within the lungs. Second, authorities are worried that vaping nicotine could lead to smoking tobacco cigarettes later on. However, it’s not yet clear that this claim is valid—a review published earlier this year suggested that e-cigarettes could actually be helping cigarette use fall among teens.

Nevertheless, these concerns led the FDA to take some action regulatory action against e-cigarettes and other tobacco products earlier this fall. In November, the regulatory agency announced that e-cigarettes could only be sold in stores in areas closed off to minors, although it’s already illegal to sell to people under the age of 18. Additionally, it’s now focusing on banning menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars.

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Posted in health, Teens

Volunteer Sunday for Angel Run

Posted on November 26, 2018 | Comments Off on Volunteer Sunday for Angel Run

angel-run-2016

The Medfield Foundation Angel Run, which starts at 12:30 this Sunday, is the town’s most fun family friendly event.  The Angel Run is still in need of volunteers, so you and your family can still get in on the activities:

  • baked goods
  • donations for the party
  • party set up and clean up
  • parking
  • directing runners along the route

Don’t miss the Angel Run – sign up to volunteer, individually or with the family, at

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/904084eadaa2da20-volunteer3

The MFi Angel Run is a family fun run holiday themed 5K race, that entertains 1,500 participants, hnudreds of volunteers, and raises monies for Medfield families in need.

Today is the last day to register online to run, and day of race registration is also possible.

 

 

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Posted in Charity, Children, Entertainment, Medfield Foundation, Sports, Teens

Volunteers Needed for the 2018 Holiday Stroll

Posted on November 6, 2018 | Comments Off on Volunteers Needed for the 2018 Holiday Stroll

From Diane Borrelli of the Medfield Cultural Alliance –

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Volunteers Needed for the 2018 Holiday Stroll

 

The Cultural Alliance of Medfield is seeking volunteers for the 4th annual Holiday Stroll. Friday December 7, between 3:30 and 9:30pm, we’ll need volunteer ‘greeters’ in 2 hour shifts.

Greeting duties include smiling, welcoming visitors, tallying head counts, helping some artists set up/break down booths, and providing general event information to visitors. It’s fun, social, and easy, and you work in pairs, so sign up with a spouse or friend!

Click here for information on time slots, and the link to “Sign Up Genius”. And, visit www.medfieldculture.org and check out the “2018 Holiday Stroll” tab to learn more about this annual Medfield event!

Thank you,

Diane Borrelli
D.frances@verizon.net
MedfieldCulture.org

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Posted in Cultural Alliance of Medfield, Downtown, Events, Medfield Cultural Alliance, Teens, Volunteers

2018 Holiday Stroll Medfield

Posted on November 5, 2018 | Comments Off on 2018 Holiday Stroll Medfield

From Diane Borrelli of the MedfieldCulture.org –

Holiday Stroll 2018

2018 Holiday Stroll Medfield

(Medfield MA): The Cultural Alliance of Medfield (CAM) announces its fourth annual Holiday Stroll on Dec. 7, 2018 from 4 – 9 pm. This is a festive family event that takes place at seventeen venues along Main Street (Route 109), North Meadows Road (Route 27), North Street and the Dwight Derby House on Frairy Street. Included are 40 juried artisans at three main locations, an outdoor ice sculpture demonstration, food vendors, carolers, photos with Santa and M.E.M.O.’s outdoor tree lighting ceremony. All events are within walking distance, FREE admission and parking nearby. For more information visit https://medfieldculture.org/holiday-stroll-2018/

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Posted in Art, Children, Cultural, Downtown, Entertainment, Events, Teens

QR signs are up and running on Medfield’s historic buildings

Posted on July 9, 2018 | 1 comment

This is a really cool and a really useful Eagle Scout project by Caillian Sheehy.  Given our critical mass of historic houses in town, Medfield has an opportunity to be a destination for those interested in things historic.  We just need a good “Medfield Trail” for visitors to follow, and now we have a good start on that history trail.

The material below was an email from David Temple of the Medfield Historical Society.  I believe that the Medfield Historical Society funded Caillan’s project.

Dwight-Derby House-3

QR signs are up and running on Medfield’s historic buildings

For his Eagle Scout project, Caillian Sheehy created signs (using the library’s 3D printer) with QR codes on the Peak House, the Dwight-Derby House, the old meetinghouse, the grist mill, the Baptist church, the historical society, Vine Lake cemetery, and the Inness studio.

 

When you go to any of these historic sites, get out your smart phone and use it to read the QR code.  (If you don’t already have one, free downloadable QR code reader apps are widely available.) You’ll be led to the historical society web site, with more information about each historical site, and you can play the one-minute audio intro that Caillian recorded for each site.

 

When Caillian first approached me, I thought it was a great idea – why didn’t we think of this before? But Caillian had the idea and made it happen. Bravo, Caillian!

 

In your reply, please include my original message.

David F. Temple
President, Medfield Historical Society

Co-chair, Medfield Historical Commission

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Posted in History, Teens, Trails

New Life’s 5K

Posted on February 15, 2018 | Comments Off on New Life’s 5K

This from Susan Maritan –

Registration is Open for New Life’s 5K Fundraising Run/Walk

New Life Furniture Bank is excited to announce its 1st Annual New Life 5K Trail Run. This fundraising event will be held at 9 AM on Saturday, May 5th at the scenic Medfield State Hospital grounds in Medfield, MA.

Come out for a day of competition and fun in the fresh air at a beautiful and natural venue for the area’s most avid runners, walkers and everyone in between. (Pets welcome too!) The New Life 5K Trail Run is open to the public, and all ages are encouraged to run, jog or walk in what promises to be an annual family event not to be missed!

Registration is open now! The first 200 registrants will receive a free t-shirt. To register or for additional information, go to www.newlifefb.org/5ktrailrun.

New Life Furniture Bank is a 501(c)3 non-profit that collects high-quality gently-used furniture and household essentials and makes them available at no cost to individuals and families in extraordinary need.

New Life has made a difference in the lives of thousands of people transitioning from a homeless environment, victims of fire, military veterans and refugees, among others.  Visit us at newlifefb.org.

New Life 5k

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Posted in Charity, Children, Entertainment, Events, Medfield State Hospital, People, Recreation, Seniors, Teens, Trails, Volunteers

Mental health referral service

Posted on November 30, 2017 | Comments Off on Mental health referral service

The William James Interface Referral Service

The School Department and the town signed up with The William James Interface Referral Service, which is a mental health referral service for any resident.  Interface phones are answered by mental health professionals, and they match callers with appropriate clinical staff.  Interface does the legwork, and makes referrals based on the variables. The service became available for Medfield residents November 1.  See the Interface website for other resources – William James Interface Referral Service
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20170926-William James College-Interface Referral Service_Page_2

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Posted in health, Information, Police Department, Schools, Teens, Town Services

Screen time and depression correlate

Posted on November 24, 2017 | Comments Off on Screen time and depression correlate

Author Jean Twenge Professor of Psychology, San Diego State University Academic rigor, journalistic flair Around 2012, something started going wrong in the lives of teens. In just the five years between 2010 and 2015, the number of U.S. teens who felt useless and joyless – classic symptoms of depression – surged 33 percent in large national surveys. Teen suicide attempts increased 23 percent. Even more troubling, the number of 13- to 18-year-olds who committed suicide jumped 31 percent. In a new paper published in Clinical Psychological Science, my colleagues and I found that the increases in depression, suicide attempts and suicide appeared among teens from every background – more privileged and less privileged, across all races and ethnicities and in every region of the country. All told, our analysis found that the generation of teens I call “iGen” – those born after 1995 – is much more likely to experience mental health issues than pimchawee November 14, 2017 9.36am EST With teen mental health deteriorating over five years, there's a likely culprit https://theconversation.com/with-teen-mental-health-deteriorating-over-f... 1 of 3 11/24/2017, 4:21 PM their millennial predecessors. What happened so that so many more teens, in such a short period of time, would feel depressed, attempt suicide and commit suicide? After scouring several large surveys of teens for clues, I found that all of the possibilities traced back to a major change in teens’ lives: the sudden ascendance of the smartphone. All signs point to the screen Because the years between 2010 to 2015 were a period of steady economic growth and falling unemployment, it’s unlikely that economic malaise was a factor. Income inequality was (and still is) an issue, but it didn’t suddenly appear in the early 2010s: This gap between the rich and poor had been widening for decades. We found that the time teens spent on homework barely budged between 2010 and 2015, effectively ruling out academic pressure as a cause. However, according to the Pew Research Center, smartphone ownership crossed the 50 percent threshold in late 2012 – right when teen depression and suicide began to increase. By 2015, 73 percent of teens had access to a smartphone. Not only did smartphone use and depression increase in tandem, but time spent online was linked to mental health issues across two different data sets. We found that teens who spent five or more hours a day online were 71 percent more likely than those who spent less than an hour a day to have at least one suicide risk factor (depression, thinking about suicide, making a suicide plan or attempting suicide). Overall, suicide risk factors rose significantly after two or more hours a day of time online. Of course, it’s possible that instead of time online causing depression, depression causes more time online. But three other studies show that is unlikely (at least, when viewed through social media use). Two followed people over time, with both studies finding that spending more time on social media led to unhappiness, while unhappiness did not lead to more social media use. A third randomly assigned participants to give up Facebook for a week versus continuing their usual use. Those who avoided Facebook reported feeling less depressed at the end of the week. The argument that depression might cause people to spend more time online doesn’t also explain why depression increased so suddenly after 2012. Under that scenario, more teens became depressed for an unknown reason and then started buying smartphones, which doesn’t seem too logical. What’s lost when we’re plugged in Even if online time doesn’t directly harm mental health, it could still adversely affect it in indirect ways, especially if time online crowds out time for other activities. With teen mental health deteriorating over five years, there's a likely culprit https://theconversation.com/with-teen-mental-health-deteriorating-over-f... 2 of 3 11/24/2017, 4:21 PM Mental health Suicide Depression Generations Smartphones Friendship Screen time teen depression Teens For example, while conducting research for my book on iGen, I found that teens now spend much less time interacting with their friends in person. Interacting with people face to face is one of the deepest wellsprings of human happiness; without it, our moods start to suffer and depression often follows. Feeling socially isolated is also one of the major risk factors for suicide. We found that teens who spent more time than average online and less time than average with friends in person were the most likely to be depressed. Since 2012, that’s what has occurred en masse: Teens have spent less time on activities known to benefit mental health (in-person social interaction) and more time on activities that may harm it (time online). Teens are also sleeping less, and teens who spend more time on their phones are more likely to not be getting enough sleep. Not sleeping enough is a major risk factor for depression, so if smartphones are causing less sleep, that alone could explain why depression and suicide increased so suddenly. Depression and suicide have many causes: Genetic predisposition, family environments, bullying and trauma can all play a role. Some teens would experience mental health problems no matter what era they lived in. But some vulnerable teens who would otherwise not have had mental health issues may have slipped into depression due to too much screen time, not enough face-to-face social interaction, inadequate sleep or a combination of all three. It might be argued that it’s too soon to recommend less screen time, given that the research isn’t completely definitive. However, the downside to limiting screen time – say, to two hours a day or less – is minimal. In contrast, the downside to doing nothing – given the possible consequences of depression and suicide – seems, to me, quite high. It’s not too early to think about limiting screen time; let’s hope it’s not too late. With teen mental health deteriorating over five years, there's a likely culprit https://theconversation.com/with-teen-mental-health-deteriorating-over-f... 3 of 3 11/24/2017, 4:21 PMWith teen mental health deteriorating over five years, there's a likely culprit_Page_2With teen mental health deteriorating over five years, there's a likely culprit_Page_3

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Posted in health, Teens