Stanford REACH Lab

Welcome to the Stanford REACH Lab Twitter!👋🏽 Follow our page to stay connected with our team about announcements, updates on our curricula, research, advocacy, and much more. Learn more about the REACH Lab by visiting: med.stanford.edu/halpern-felshe…

🫁 Your lungs work hard for you every day—during sports, music, dance, sleep, and all the moments in between. The choices you make today can help protect your lung health for the future. This May, in recognition of Adolescent Health Month, learn how substances can affect the lungs in both the short-term and long-term by exploring resources from the Stanford REACH Lab! 🔗 REACH Lab website: tinyurl.com/REACHLabHome 📌 Explore additional events and resources for National Adolescent Health Month here: tinyurl.com/NAHM26 #stanford #stanforduniversity #stanfordsom #stanfordmedicine #nationaladolescenthealthmonth #lunghealth #lungs #publichealth #vapes #ecigarettes

This May, for National Adolescent Health Month, Stay True to YOU! There can be a lot of pressure online and in social spaces to use different drugs and substances. Everyone deserves the chance to make choices based on what feels right for them and their future. For more information on how to handle peer pressure or to better help youth in your life navigate peer pressure, view our “Staying True to You” videos! These videos are available in 3 developmentally appropriate versions to best reach specific audiences. 📺 Watch now: tinyurl.com/REACHLabYouTube #stanford #stanforduniversity #stanfordsom #stanfordmedicine #NationalAdolescentHealthMonth

Cannabis products are more potent than ever, raising growing concerns about youth health and the risk of cannabis use disorder. In this @AddictionPolicy “Ask the Expert” video, Dr. Bonnie Halpern-Felsher breaks down what these changes mean for young people and how U.S. cannabis policies compare to those in other countries. She also highlights practical tools for early screening, evidence-based prevention strategies, and free resources designed to help youth build the knowledge and skills needed to make informed decisions. 🎥Watch the video: tinyurl.com/yc2k9ur6 🔗 Blog post: tinyurl.com/3wrsyn9b #Stanford #StanfordMedicine #StanfordUniversity #StanfordSOM #NationalAdolescentHealthMonth #substanceuse #DrugPrevention #PublicHealth

🧠 Your Brain Is Still Growing! Did you know our brains continue developing into our mid-20s? That’s why delaying substance use—or choosing not to use at all—matters. The choices you make now can impact learning, memory, emotions, motivation, and decision-making for years to come. This May during National Adolescent Health Month, take a moment to learn how substances affect the developing brain and why protecting your mental and physical health now is so important. 🎥 Watch our “Drugs & The Brain” educational video: tinyurl.com/WhyWaitVideo 📌 Explore additional events and resources for National Adolescent Health Month here: tinyurl.com/NAHM26 #NationalAdolescentHealthMonth #Stanford #StanfordMedicine #StanfordUniversity #StanfordSOM #BrainDevelopment #Youth #SubstanceUse

Stress is real—and support makes a difference. 🌟 Young people today are navigating extremely high levels of stress and anxiety. This May, in recognition of National Adolescent Health Month, the REACH Lab is sharing resources and opportunities to help youth—and the broader community—build practical skills for managing stress and supporting mental well-being in healthy, sustainable ways. ✅ Upcoming Webinar: Community of Practice: Taking Action for Adolescent Well-being Featuring Stanford's Adolescent Health and Well-being Project ( May 6, 2pm EST) 🔗 Register: tinyurl.com/4pmanvhf _______________ ✅ REACH Lab Resources: 🔗 Box Breathing Video: tinyurl.com/BoxBreathingRE… 🔗 Stress & Anxiety Infographic: tinyurl.com/Stress-Anxiety… ✔ You and Me, Together Vape-Free (Lesson 5) ✔ Smart Talk (Lesson 5) ✔ Safety First (Lesson 4) Let’s work together to support youth in building resilience and navigating mental health with confidence! #stanford #stanforduniversity #stanfordmedicine #education #adolescents #youth #drugprevention #nationaladolescenthealthmonth #stress #mentalhealth

🌟 May is National Adolescent Health Month! 🌟 This month, we encourage you to explore and utilize our FREE evidence-based drug education and prevention resources available on the Stanford REACH Lab website! Our resources include: ✔️ Harm reduction and intervention programs ✔️ Prevention, education, and awareness curriculums ✔️ Educational infographics and posters ✔️ Educational videos ✔️ Campaign Kits ✔️ And much more! Using our resources, you can play a role in encouraging healthier decisions around substance use. Together, we can promote a more informed, healthier future for all young people. 🔗 Visit our website: tinyurl.com/REACHLabHome 🔗Additional resources & events this month: tinyurl.com/NAHM26 #stanford #stanforduniversity #stanfordmedicine #education #adolescents #youth #drugprevention #nationaladolescenthealthmonth

🚨 Don’t miss tomorrow’s FREE webinar: “Helping Youth Navigate Influence: From Nicotine Pouches to the Next Trend.” Join Dr. Bonnie Halpern-Felsher and @OperationPARENT tomorrow (May 5th) for Part 2 of the "Preventing First-Time Use" webinar series! This session will explore how ads, trends, peers, and products like nicotine pouches can shape how youth think about substances—and how you can show up as a trusted adult they can turn to for support and guidance. Register below, and be sure to watch Part 1 from earlier this week anytime on the Operation Parent website! 🔗 Register: tinyurl.com/b6uenjd 🔗 Watch part 1: tinyurl.com/OPSeriesPart1 #stanford #stanforduniversity #stanfordsom #adolescents #webinar #parents

🚨 Last week, San Mateo County became the first in the Bay Area to prohibit the sale of kratom! Kratom is a substance derived from a tropical tree, often processed to increase its potency. In a recent interview with @NBCNews, Dr. Bonnie Halpern-Felsher sounded the alarm about kratom and its potential health risks, including: - Nausea - Dizziness - Drowsiness - Liver problems - Potential for addiction For more information about Kratom and the new ordinance in San Mateo County, check out the links below. Also stay tuned for the REACH Lab’s upcoming kratom-use prevention curriculum! 🔗 Article: tinyurl.com/4v5s4623 🔗 NBC: tinyurl.com/5cn8t7pw #stanford #stanforduniversity #stanfordsom #stanfordmedicine #kratom #nbc #sanmateo #education #publichealth

🚨 NEW CURRICULUM: “Aware & Prepare” In recognition of National Fentanyl Awareness Day, the REACH Lab is proud to introduce Aware & Prepare: A Comprehensive Curriculum for Fentanyl & Other Opioid Overdose Prevention and Harm Reduction. This two-lesson curriculum is designed to help youth better understand the risks of illicit fentanyl and other opioids. It also highlights practical harm-reduction strategies—like the use of test strips and naloxone—to help prevent overdose. The curriculum includes ready-to-use educational materials and resources for educators, students, parents, and community members. It also meets California AB 2429 and other state education requirements to teach about illicit fentanyl. Explore the full curriculum and supporting resources below: 🔗 tinyurl.com/AwareAndPrepare #Stanford #StanfordUniversity #StanfordMedicine #PublicHealth #DrugEducation #FentanylAwarenessDay #OpioidAwareness #HarmReduction

The Stanford REACH Lab has been working alongside @SongforCharlie to evaluate their “Real Talk About Fake Pills” 20-minute educational film. This video discusses how fentanyl can be hidden within illicitly produced drugs. Preliminary findings have indicated that this resource is significantly associated with... ✔ Increased knowledge of fentanyl and overdose response ✔ Greater awareness of contamination risks and substance harms ✔ Improved ability to refuse pills from friends ✔ Intention and curiosity to try substances remained low ✔ Positive student feedback on fentanyl education content and approach Learn more about the preliminary evaluation results by viewing our flyer below! 🔗 Flyer: tinyurl.com/4zhbj7f3 #stanford #stanforduniversity #stanfordsom #adolescents #stanfordmedicine #education #fentanylawarenessday #overdoseprevention

This April, Dr. Bonnie Halpern-Felsher—Professor at Stanford University and Founder/Executive Director of the REACH Lab—received the 2026 Joseph W. Cullen Memorial Award during the 50th Annual ASPO (American Society of Preventive Oncology) meeting! The award recognizes Bonnie’s impact on tobacco control, youth-focused prevention, and public health policy, as well as her influential research, dedicated mentorship, and leadership in driving progress in the area of cancer prevention. Congratulations to Bonnie on this well-earned recognition! 👏 #stanford #stanforduniversity #stanfordsom #adolescents #stanfordmedicine #education #health #award

As National Fentanyl Awareness Day approaches, we’re sharing a powerful new resource from the Stanford REACH Lab: the Fentanyl & Opioid Overdose Prevention Campaign Kit! This FREE, flexible 5-day campaign is designed to help you raise awareness about the dangers of illicit fentanyl—especially its impact on teens and young adults—while highlighting practical harm-reduction strategies like how to use naloxone and fentanyl test strips. What’s included: ✅ Printable stickers, flyers, and infographics ✅ Ready-to-use daily social media posts with captions ✅ Daily announcements and PSA scripts ✅ Additional tools to support your outreach Now is a great time to launch your 5-day campaign! Prefer something shorter? The kit can easily be adapted into a one-day effort to fit your needs. 🔗 View the kit: tinyurl.com/FentanylCampai… #stanford #stanforduniversity #stanfordsom #stanfordmedicine #fentanyl #overdoseprevention #opioids #prevention #fentanylawarenessweek #education

From what’s in medicine cabinets to what shows up in social media feeds, young people are picking up messages on drugs and making use decisions earlier than most of us realize. This spring, Operation Parent is hosting a series of FREE webinars that explore topics such as vaping, medications, social pressures, and self-image, and how these factors shape youths’ daily experiences. As part of the series, be sure to join the virtual session on May 5 featuring the Stanford REACH Lab: “Helping Youth Navigate Influence.” You can register for this upcoming webinar using the link below! 🔗 Register: tinyurl.com/b6uenjd

🚨Did you know cigarette production destroys about 377,000 football fields’ worth of trees every year? This #EarthDay, the REACH Lab is spotlighting several of our resources aimed at exposing the environmental toll of commercial tobacco—From growing and harvesting to using and throwing them away, tobacco products create a large environmental impact.🌱 ✅ Healthy Habits, Healthy Planet Curriculum: A 3-lesson program designed to help YOU-th explore how tobacco harms the environment—and what can be done about it. 🔗View now: tinyurl.com/HHHPCurriculum ✅ Tobacco and the Environment Campaign Kit: Ready to take action? This FREE 5-day campaign kit makes it easy to raise awareness in your community. Includes printable stickers, flyers, seed packet designs, presentations, and more. 🔗View now: tinyurl.com/EnvironmentalC… Let’s protect our planet—together. 🌍💚 #EarthDay #EarthWeek #CommercialTobacco #TobaccoFree #Deforestation #EnvironmentalHealth #Sustainability

Today is 4/20—what is the significance? The term “420" is often used as a reference to April 20—a day celebrating cannabis. This 420, the REACH Lab hopes to educate rather than celebrate cannabis products. For information on the negative effects of cannabis and what it can do to the body, you can explore and share the resources linked below! 🔗 Smart Talk: tinyurl.com/stanfordsmartt… 🔗Smart Talk In New York (NEW): tinyurl.com/SmartTalkNY #stanford #stanforduniversity #stanfordsom #stanfordmedicine #420 #education #cannabis

🚨 New resource available: Tobacco & the Environment Campaign Kit 🌍 Looking for a bold, ready-to-use campaign that exposes the environmental damage caused by tobacco products? The REACH Lab has you covered. Our FREE, flexible 5-day campaign kit is designed to help you raise awareness about how commercial tobacco impacts both indoor and outdoor environments—walking through its full lifecycle, from production to disposal. What’s included in the kit: ✅ Printable stickers, flyers & infographics ✅ Daily social media posts + captions ✅ Daily announcements / PSA scripts ✅ Print-ready informational seed packet designs ✅ And more! With Earth Day approaching, now is the perfect time to launch your campaign—but this kit is built to be adaptable. Whether you run it as a full 5-day campaign or adapt it into a single-day effort, you can tailor it to fit your goals.🌱 🔗View now: tinyurl.com/EnvironmentalC… #stanford #stanforduniversity #stanfordsom #stanfordmedicine #earthday #environment #tobacco #pollution #wastedisposal #campaign #education

📄 New Study: Parent Knowledge of the U.S. Tobacco 21 Law Do you know the legal age to purchase tobacco in the U.S.? It turns out many parents don’t. In a survey of 2,074 parents of youth ages 10–19, fewer than half correctly identified 21 as the legal age—despite the federal law changing in 2019. Most incorrectly answered 18. This new study conducted by Drs. Devin McCauley and Bonnie Halpern-Felsher of the Stanford REACH Lab highlights that parents of teens ages 13–17 were least likely to know—despite this group being at highest risk for tobacco use and nicotine dependence. Knowledge also varied by parent sex, education, and substance use history. Why this matters: families—especially those with teens—need clearer messaging to boost awareness and prevention. To learn more, you can read the full study on the American Academy of Pediatrics website (linked below). We have also provided a link to our prior paper on Tobacco 21 along with several parent infographics to further explain the law and why it was passed. 🔗 Read the new study: tinyurl.com/AAPT21Study  🔗 Read our prior study: tinyurl.com/3x7xhtjh  🔗 Tobacco 21 infographics for parents: linktr.ee/Tobacco21 #stanford #stanforduniversity #stanfordmedicine #research #publichealth #adolescenthealth #substanceuse #tobacco21 #tobacco #nicotine #PSA #research

🚨 Last chance to register for the virtual 7th Annual Teaching Cannabis (and Other Drugs) Awareness & Prevention Virtual Conference! There’s only 2 weeks left before conference day 1! Secure your registration today before it’s too late. 👥 Who Should Attend? • Educators • Community-based organizations • School administrators • Healthcare providers • School resource officers • Counselors • Parents • Key decision makers • Anyone working with youth 📚 What You Will Learn: How to educate youth regarding substances including health effects, how to work and intervene with current youth users, successful prevention strategies and curriculums (including harm-reduction), & the latest research on cannabis & other drugs. Cost: $125 🗓️ Dates: April 22nd & 23rd 8:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. (PDT) 🔗 Register today: tinyurl.com/CanConfReg26 #stanford #stanforduniversity #stanfordsom #stanfordmedicine #education #health #cannabisconference #preventionstrategies #harmreduction #awareness #drugprevention #educators

📰 Our 2026 Spring Newsletter is now available! Inside our new newsletter, you’ll find updates on our latest resources, initiatives, upcoming curriculums, and other exciting materials from the REACH Lab. This edition is filled with valuable insights, practical resources, and exciting developments you won’t want to miss! ▶️ Read now: tinyurl.com/5dwp3cjd #stanford #stanforduniversity #stanfordsom #stanfordmedicine #newsletter #curriculum #publichealth #substanceuseprevention #education #health #spring

Today is Take Down Tobacco National Day of Action! On this annual day, we unite to challenge Big Tobacco, reveal the deceptive tactics used to lure youth, and demand meaningful change. Tobacco companies aggressively market highly addictive products while earning billions in profit. They resist policies that could reduce tobacco use and create new products designed to hook youth—using enticing flavors and dangerously high levels of nicotine. Together, we can protect our youth, and put an end to Big Tobacco’s dangerous influence. Thank you for the vital work you do to protect our communities. @tobaccofreekids #TakeDownTobacco #Adolescents #Health #Nicotine #Vaping