Substance Use Resources
Parent Handbooks
Talking with your Children about Alcohol and Marijuana
2026 Liquor Lock Sticker Campaign
Have you seen our 2026 Liquor Lock Sticker Campaign?
Pick up your free Liquor Lock Stickers at participating Darien liquor stores
According to Thriving Youth Darien’s 2025 Darien Youth Survey, 57% of Darien youth believe alcohol is easy to access, and only 36% say alcohol is kept locked at home. To address these concerning findings, Thriving Youth Darien is partnering with Darien Police Department to offer free Liquor Lock Stickers at participating liquor stores in an effort to reduce underage access to alcohol in homes.
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Early alcohol use can impact the still developing teen brain. Preventing teens from accessing alcohol at home can help delay a child’s first drink.
The sticker is easy to use: affix the sticker over the top of opened alcohol bottles and write the date the sticker was applied.
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A special thank you to Height’s Wine and Spirits, Leary’s Liquor Cabinet, & Sipstirs for participating!
Past Substance Use Events
February 8, 2024
"The Social Scene: Coaching Your Teen/Tween to Make Positive Decisions"
Presented by the Thriving Youth Task Force, Liberation Programs and YWCA Parent Awareness
Joyce Sixsmith, Darien High School’s Connections Counselor, and John Hamilton, President and CEO of Liberation Programs, spoke about how to help your teen/tween make healthy decisions about the social/party scene and tips for talking about the potential risks and consequences of substance use – its impact on physical health, mental well-being, academic performance, and future opportunities.
Moderated by Susannah Lewis, Thriving Youth Darien Co-Chair.
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Scroll down for resources and parent handbooks about talking to your kids
about alcohol, marijuana and vaping!
From our March 22, 2023 event at Darien Library
"Don't Wait" documentary film screening & discussion
Presented by the Thriving Youth Task Force, The Depot Youth Center, Silver Hill Hospital and YWCA Parent Awareness
Other resources from Addiction is Real:
(click titles to access)
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Hidden in Plain View" Interactive Bedroom - an online experience where parents can virtually explore a teen’s bedroom and learn to identify the signs of drug and alcohol use
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Christina Passaretti (TYTF),
Erin Kelley & Pam Greenberg (Addiction is Real) and Sara Mirsky (YWCA Parent Awareness)
Learn to identify the signs of drug and alcohol use through a “Hidden in Plain View” experience with Addiction is Real Executive Director Erin Kelley and Emeritus Board Member Pam Greenberg.
Spring 2022 - Marijuana Education Campaign/Town-Wide mailing
Sources:
​​1 https://adai.uw.edu/pubs/pdf/2017mjanxiety.pdf
2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6312155/
3 https://www.communityfunddarien.org/marijuana_zoom_slides_-_liberation_programs.pdf
4 https://www.samhsa.gov/marijuana
5 https://www.cga.ct.gov/2021/appdata/tmy
6 https://www.communityfunddarien.org/student-survey-results.html
Visit our Instagram and Facebook pages @thrivingyouthdarien
to view our marijuana education social media campaign.
TYTF "Vaping, Edibles & the New Marijuana" Presentation
Watch the recording of our January 25th event with experts Darien Police Chief Don Anderson, Liberation Programs' John Hamilton, and Silver Hill Hospital's Susannah Lewis below:
View the slide deck from our January 25th event
"Vaping, Edibles, and the 'New' Marijuana:
What Every Parent Needs to Know."
​Click the image below:
The "Our Darien" 06820 Campaign
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TYTF's nationally recognized “Our Darien” 06820 campaign examined the impact of alcohol on the teen brain and ​encouraged healthier attitudes and behaviors.