Jul 28, 2022 | Drugs, Life, Opioids, Prescription Drugs, social media, Substance Use, Trends
These printable handouts are available now by saving from this post and printing them yourself, or contacting raysacorg@gmail.com with a request to have them printed and delivered to you, absolutely free. Help us get the word out about this rising trend in illicit and...
Jul 28, 2022 | Drugs, Opioids, Prescription Drugs, Substance Use, Trends
These printable handouts are available now by saving from this post and printing them yourself, or contacting raysacorg@gmail.com with a request to have them printed and delivered to you, absolutely free. Help us get the word out about this rising trend in Fentanyl...
Jul 12, 2022 | Drugs, Life, Mental Health, Opioids, Prescription Drugs, Substance Use
Extended Impacts of Opioid Misuse We often talk about how things like addiction, stigma, or life-threatening overdose can harm a person with an opioid use disorder. Opioid addiction also affects people who are not currently misusing any substances, but who know...
Jun 29, 2022 | Change, Drugs, Healthy Behaviors, Life, Opioids, Prescription Drugs, Substance Use, Trends
Opioids are a class of strong, pain-relieving drugs. The term “opioid” comes from the word opium, a substance derived from the poppy plant. Opioids are very addictive and can lead to illness, overdose, and death if misused. Even so, opioids do...
Jun 28, 2022 | Drugs, Healthy Behaviors, Life, Opioids, Prescription Drugs, social media, Substance Use
RAYSAC, in partnership with the Western Virginia Water Authority, Franklin County FRESH Coalition, and the Prevention Council of Roanoke County, are proud to present two new commercials coming to a television, phone, or tablet near you! Look out for our new series of...
Jun 7, 2022 | Drugs, Mental Health, Opioids, Prescription Drugs, Substance Use
Mixing opioids and stimulants increases their risks. Recent research is showing that opioid misuse often involves other kinds of substance misuse as well. In a recent study, researchers examined surveys from over 15,000 people across the United States who were...
May 9, 2022 | Change, Drugs, Mental Health, Opioids, Prescription Drugs, Substance Use, Trends
Pictured above, from left to right, are RAYSAC Board Vice Chair Tony Segovia, RAYSAC Board Member Sandra Pratt, Prevention Specialist Thomas Ragsdale, and Development & Evaluation Coordinator J. D. Carlin at the 2022 Rx and Illicit Drug Summit. RAYSAC board...
Apr 11, 2022 | Drugs, Healthy Behaviors, Opioids, Prescription Drugs, Substance Use
This spring, remember to clean out any unused and expired medications. Any medications can become a health hazard if they are left unsecured in the home. In some cases, prescriptions might be taken by someone to whom they were not prescribed. In other cases, someone...
Mar 14, 2022 | Drugs, Opioids, social media, Substance Use, Trends
You may have seen some recent articles on the RAYSAC News page about fentanyl, but what exactly is fentanyl? Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid similar to morphine, but up to 100 times more powerful. Fentanyl can be prescribed by a doctor to treat pain, but because it is...
Feb 14, 2022 | Drugs, Healthy Behaviors, Life, Mental Health, Prescription Drugs, Substance Use, Trends
It is no surprise that youth and young adults have faced new challenges to their mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings from the 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey showed that, in the past year, nearly half of 10th and 12th grade students in the Roanoke...