Shannon Murphy.
What if your child came home one day and told you some of their friends at school had started experimenting with pot?
It is these questions and more that will be addressed on Tuesday, Aug. 18 when Help the Hills presents "Marijuana: Hashing Out Fact From Fiction" with Dr. Shannon Murphy. The event will take place from 6-7:30 p.m. in Tyson Hall at Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church. Topics will include use among teens, recreations verses medical use and the physiological impact of marijuana use.
Murphy, Homewood resident and mother of three, is board certified by the American Board of Pediatrics (AAP) and is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Practice Advisory Committee for Adolescent Substance Use and is regional coordinator of the Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM).
Dr. Murphy was selected by the AAP to work on a national committee to develop a toolkit for physicians to aid in the identification, intervention and referral of adolescents at risk for mental health and substance abuse issues. SAM is a team of mental health and public health officials, doctors, treatment providers, prevention specialists, teachers, law enforcement, and community members working to educate the public on the health issues and safety concerns associated with marijuana.
"If kids start asking questions, parents need to speak strongly and tell them the message has not changed. Marijuana use is still addictive and harmful, and its use has serious consequences," Murphy said.
Help the Hills, an initiative of Leadership Vestavia Hills, was formed in an effort to foster open dialogue with parents, educators and community leaders about drug and alcohol use among youth. The organization hopes to provide information, tips, and strategies to help parents have mature conversations with their children about these topics. This event will be one of several meetings Help the Hills has presented within the past year.
For more about Help the Hills, visit, leadershipvestaviahills.com.
Previous Vestavia Voice Help the Hills coverage:
- Breaking the silence
- “Help the Hills” spotlights drug and alcohol addiction
- Help the Hills hosts Town Hall Meeting with panel discussion
- VHHS graduate shares story at Addiction Coalition Prevention breakfast
- NBA medical director address parents and teens on dangers of teen drinking
