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For someone born in 2017, the odds they'll die of an overdose on an opioid drug—including heroin, prescription painkillers, and certain street drugs—are higher than for any other cause of unintentional, preventable deaths in the United States, according to new work from the National Safety Council. The council is a non-profit organization that publishes statistics on preventable deaths in the U.S. every year. That means deaths that aren't due to natural causes, such as disease, or...

Erie County legislators, in their infinite wisdom have passed legislation outlawing the sale of tobacco products in drug stores and their host stores they may operate in. "There is no such thing as responsible smoking" is their war cry, which is an attempt to demonize smokers. I felt the need to write an opinion in our local paper.

I was thrilled to have Lucia Giovannini join me for a beautiful and enlightened conversation about her upcoming book release in the United States, her life mission, soul work, animal advocacy, and so much more!

[Editor's note: Dr. Harise Stein at Stanford University edits a web site -- abuseresearch.info -- that focuses on the health effects of abuse, and includes research articles on ACEs. Every month, she will post the summaries of the abstracts and links to research articles that address only ACEs. Thank you, Harise!! -- Jane Stevens] Houtepen LC, Hardy R, Maddock J, et. al. Childhood adversity and DNA methylation in two population-based cohorts. Transl Psychiatry. 2018 Dec 3;8(1):266. PMID:...

photo: Rolf Schweitzer/CCO Dr. Arnd Herz, a self-described champion for ACEs science, would like nothing more than to witness a greater appreciation of how widespread adverse childhood experiences are. Herz, a pediatrician and director of Medi-Cal Strategy for the Greater Southern Alameda Area for Kaiser Permanente Northern California, would also like to encourage more people in health care to engage in a trauma-informed care approach, a change in practice that he says not only benefits...

Policymakers increasingly recognize that social and emotional development plays a critical role in students’ ability to learn, and are enacting policies to encourage the integration of social and emotional learning (SEL) into school curricula. Many state policies already provide a foundation for including SEL in schools; however, policymakers should also consider policies that incorporate a holistic vision of SEL that creates healthy learning environments for all children. Child Trends, in...

On December 4, 2018, SPARCC hosted a national convening that called on more than 300 activists, researchers, policy-makers, physicians, artists, investors and others from across the country to come together in conversation. We, the people, have the power of collective action to build inclusive communities. That was the message in Los Angeles at SPARCC’s national convening, Investment Without Displacement. The convening began by acknowledging the historical legacy of displacement and policies...

Culture of Health Leaders are people working in every field and profession who want to use their influence to advance a Culture of Health where every resident has a fair opportunity to live a long, healthy life. This kind of leader isn’t defined by a fancy title or a corner office. They’re working on the ground, applying their skills and experience to solve urgent issues that impact their community and beyond. They get their hands dirty—running a business, leading a nonprofit, building things.

Innovative Partnerships Grant (PDF) : The Innovative Partnerships grant provides funding for up to six qualified Applicants to implement projects that develop regional collaborative networks between Child Abuse Prevention Councils (CAPCs) and community stakeholders, in an effort to improve child abuse prevention outcomes. To read more, go to http://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/OCAP/Grants Photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/deapeajay/2597109669

Millions of people around the world are working to heal their Childhood PTSD (which is very positive). I've noticed there are two general approaches people follow, and in this video I tell you which one (I think) is more likely to recover. In one group, people are very in touch with what HAPPENED to them in the past. They usually have clear diagnoses (or suspect diagnoses), seek out professional help and are very in touch with the symptoms they experience from day to day. A second group is...

Each year, the advocacy movement in Iowa to address childhood trauma grows. Our collective voice continues to be a critical role in this movement! Join advocates from across the state for the Iowa ACEs Policy Coalition's Day on the Hill! The day will kick off at 7:30AM in the Legislative Dining Room with individual and small group meetings with elected officials. Whether you are new to the capitol, or an experienced lobbyist, we welcome you to join us! More details on our priorities and a...

Donald Trump made fighting crime a central focus of his campaign for president, and he cited it again during his January 2017 inaugural address . His administration has since taken steps intended to address crime in American communities, such as instructing federal prosecutors to pursue the strongest possible charges against criminal suspects. Here are five facts about crime in the United States. 1 Violent crime in the U.S. has fallen sharply over the past quarter century. The two most...