My name is Brianna Ashley, and I am Miss Sacramento County 2025! My community service initiative is Power of Choice, advocating for substance use prevention. My story is not unique; I make up the 1 in 8 children who has a parent who struggles with a substance use disorder and the more than 321,000 children in the United States alone that lost a parent due to substance use (NIH 2024). My father struggled with alcohol use disorder, and dabbled in the abuse of methamphetamine and marijuana, and ultimately ended his life in January of 2024 after abruptly withdrawing. My mission as Miss Sacramento County is to
use my platform to show those like me who have had to watch this slow path to self-destruction know that they are not alone, and that I understand, while also focusing on educating our future generations to make another choice. Similarly, many substance use disorders begin in adolescence, (90% of Americans who meet the clinical criteria for addiction started using substances before the age of 18; Partnership to End Addiction) In addition, adolescent mental health rates are at an all-time high. In efforts to cope, many young adults turn to substance use, without knowing the consequences these toxic vices have.
According to the Child Mind Institute, when early intervention is not implemented for
those engaging with substances, more than half of them end up addicted, with teens more
likely than adults to become addicted, due to their stages of development (2024). Similarly, a
study in 2016 by Conway and colleagues found that out of 10,000 adolescents
experimenting with substances, two-thirds of them were also battling a mental health
disorder. As our society makes progressive strides to reduce the stigma around mental
health and encourage help-seeking behaviors, it is also more prevalent than ever to shine a
light on the ways many of our youth are coping with substance use. For those who are not using it as a means to manage, the peer pressure culture amongst this age group has normalized social substance use engagement, which has become a growing phenomenon that has risen to fame with a lack of substance education provided to our youth to act as a much-needed deterrent.
Substance use education is saving lives. Not only does it allow for informed decision
making but it also encourages and teaches skills in resisting peer pressure. The harsh reality of the effects of substances are more lethal than ever, especially with the rise in fentanyl. In
California, fentanyl was the leading cause of death among 25–55 year-olds, with the highest overdose rate among those ages 30-39, acting as a silent killer that goes undetectable, sneakily laced with other substances (California Department of Public Health 2024). For those lucky
enough to avoid fentanyl, using substances during this critical stage of brain and body
development can hinder brain maturation and cause permanent cognitive impairment, as the
substance interferes with neurotransmitters, damaging brain connections. For the body, it
can lead to more physical accidents, physical disabilities and the potential for overdose.
For parents and caregivers, the best way you can support your children is to have
open conversations about their mental health and provide support as they navigate this
period of young adulthood. Similarly, by being a role model and demonstrating healthy
coping mechanisms, they will see that there are other options aside from substance use.
Asking your child’s opinions and having conversations about the harmful effects can
influence them to choose to not use, especially when there may be opposing opinions
supported by their peers. This can instill in them not only the important education they need
to not partake, but to share this information with their friends and help them to make a better
choice as well. For tips and practice on talking to youth download the free SAMHSA’s “Talk. They Hear You app.
You are capable. You are strong. There is nothing you cannot overcome. Your life
matters, and it is never too late to make another choice.
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