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Noxon School hosted Sanders County Local Advisory Council last Wednesday evening for their second presentation of "Stronger Communities, Stronger Sanders County: Keeping our Communities Healthy." The audience was small, but the message was massive: Teens in Sanders County communities need guidance and must know there are adults who care about them and are concerned about their wellbeing.

Abby Harnett, Director of Western Montana Mental Health Clinic, opened the forum stating, "We decided to host this event because so often we overlook how alcohol, tobacco and internet use effect our overall and mental health, especially in our youth."

In the U.S., mental health is taboo. Harnett emphasized that "mental health is a medical condition, not a mental condition. It is the same as any other illness, it just effects the brain." She continued that it is no different than heart disease or diabetes and hopes to change the stigma associated with mental illnesses.

As Montana suicide rates continue to be one of the highest in the nation, professionals are looking for answers to this problem. As one would expect, mental health begins at a young age.

"Tobacco is the leading cause of preventable death," Sandra Gubel, Sanders County Tobacco Prevention Specialist stated. She reiterated that tobacco and e-cigarette use plays a big role in overall health, including mental health, and causes lung diseases, cancers and cardiovascular problems such as heart disease and stroke. Gubel expressed that the human brain continues to develop until the age of 26. All nicotine use in teens disrupts brain circuit formation which effects ability to focus and negatively impacts learning capabilities while increasing addiction.

Of all tobacco users, 90 percent start by the age of 18 and 95 percent by 26 years. Big tobacco industries are marketing teens, Gubel added. The industry spends $30 million each year in advertising and is now providing over 7,700 flavors of e-cigarettes ranging from candy to fruits to spices (80% of teens who have tried e-cigarettes started with a flavored product according to Montana Tobacco Use Prevention Program (MTPP)).

E-cigs are trending. MTPP released that almost half of Montana High School students have tried e-cigarettes (also known as vaping and Juuling) and 30 percent are regular users. According to Gubel, the shape and form of e-cigarettes is concerning because a Juul (brand of e-cigarette) looks identical to a USB flash drive and is concealable, and vape pens look like regular pens, making it hard for adults to differentiate between the two. She added that vaping is not safe for anyone as it contains many toxins: nicotine, heavy metals, ultra-fine particulates and cancer-causing agents such as acrolein, according to MTPP.

Jennifer McPherson, Flathead Valley Chemical Dependency Clinic, gave another eye-opening presentation on alcohol use amongst adolescents. Sanders County youngsters reported to have begun drinking at the age of 12 years, and roughly 30 percent of teens are regular drinkers. Amazingly, 75 percent of the alcohol being drank by teens comes from their homes. According to McPherson, there seems to be a movement where parents are permitting kids to get alcohol from their homes.

McPherson shared that alcohol use alters brain chemistry (again, brains do not fully develop until around 26 years), increases anxiety and stress, and creates a vicious cycle of depression. Also, alcohol use is directly linked to psychosis/self-harm/suicide, effects personality and behavior and damages memory. She added that youth who consume alcohol are more likely to develop these symptoms as well as physical and sexual assault and other drug abuse problems.

"Alcohol is the gateway drug to other drugs," McPherson emphasized. "It always has been." She expressed that when people are drunk, they make poor decisions and feel brave enough to try anything. McPherson backed this up reporting that on an average, alcohol is a factor in 4,700 adolescent deaths each year in the U.S.

The key to limiting teen alcohol use is parental guidance. McPherson reported that Sanders County parents who see nothing wrong with their children drinking, and allow it, have children who drink alcohol 100 percent of the time, meaning that children of these parents all became drinkers. As parents express concerns over teen drinking the rate of use for these kids decreases greatly.

As we enter a world filled with technology there is certain to have negative effects associated with it. The internet has given a new life to bullying and sexual manners. McPherson presented on behalf of Sanders County Sherriff's Office Chad Cantrell on internet safety, cyber bullying and teen sexting.

The risks associated with internet use should be discussed with children immediately. Younger kids need to know about netiquette, looking at appropriate material, how to handle those unwanted pop-ups and password controls and not trusting everyone they meet online. Older kids (tweens and teens) need to be made aware of cyberbullying, sexting, posting appropriate information and photos and deciding to personally meet someone they met online.

Cantrell's presentation suggested that when inappropriate material appears online, parents are encouraged to discuss the matter with their children, let them know that the pop-ups are not their fault, be an active listener and answer any questions that may come up. With older kids this is a great time to talk about the importance of not posting or sharing the content as well as not posting inappropriate material themselves (hate speech, underage drinking/drug use, illegal/inappropriate behavior, offensive language and threats of violence).

Teen sexting is another hot topic in mainstream social media that carries consequences many are not aware of. Montana Law does not have a separate law for sexting crimes. Anyone who creates, distributes or possesses an image of a minor engaged in any explicit act, no matter what age, will be tried under the State's child pornography law, and if convicted, can face life or up to 100 years in prison and will be required to register as a sex offender, according to Cantrell.

To help deter this situation, Cantrell's presentation stated that adults should step up and have serious discussions that establish online behavior expectations and setting consequences for breaking these rules, setting appropriate user names, reviewing comments and picture posts together, discussing what friends are posting and talking about what information should never be shared.

Cyberbullying is a term that has been around for awhile now. It is defined as bullying through technology, cellphones, social media and online games. It is not as simple as getting roughed up at school or being called names. Cyberbullying includes mean texts, photoshopped photos, creating fake profiles, posting fight videos, spreading rumors or gossip online, posting embarrassing photos and sending harassing and threatening comments electronically.

The main concern with cyberbullying is that the message spreads faster and further than bullying. Cyberbullying follows kids home and doesn't end when school does. As an adult talking with kids about the problem, telling them to stick up for victims, reporting cyberbullying and setting strict consequences for cyberbullying are ways to combat the problem, according to Cantrell.

"Kids just do not know the consequences associated with sexting," McPherson said. "You used to be able to go home and the bullying would end. But now it just follows you all the time." The consequences are real and will have life-long effects on everyone involved. Victims of sexting and cyberbullying are 2 to 9 percent more likely to attempt suicide according to Bullying Statistics.

Sanders County Local Advisory Council is available to take comments on any concerns affecting community health. Aria Mangan can be reached at (406) 826-4669 or via email at [email protected]. The committee meets the fourth Wednesday of the month from 9-10 a.m. at Clark Fork Valley Hospital's Training Center, 10 Kruger Road, Plains.