The Southwest Vermont Supervisory Union (SVSU), in partnership with ACT Bennington — a substance-use prevention organization supporting youth in making healthy choices — will welcome Tom Fontana on October 22nd for student and community presentations focused on cannabis education, harm reduction, and youth prevention.
Fontana, a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC) and Licensed Alcohol & Drug Counselor (LADC), serves as the Alcohol, Cannabis, and Other Drugs Initiatives Manager at the University of Vermont, where he coordinates substance use education. He is the author of the “T-Break Guide,” a free resource designed to help people take a tolerance break from cannabis, and he currently leads a research study examining the effectiveness of cannabis harm reduction resources.
Fontana will meet with students at Mount Anthony Union High School (MAUHS) as part of their monthly speaker series, and will address Mount Anthony Union Middle School (MAUMS) students during assemblies the next morning. His presentations will highlight how cannabis affects the developing brain, strategies young people can use to make healthy choices, navigate pressures, and ways to support peers who may be struggling.
From 6:00-7:00 PM on Wednesday, October 22nd in the MAUHS Auditorium, Fontana will offer a presentation for parents, caregivers, and community members. The event will open with remarks from CHOICE, the MAU/ACT student prevention group, who will share local youth cannabis use data. Fontana’s talk will explore current trends in cannabis use, how families can reduce risks of youth use, and the benefits of tolerance breaks. Following the presentation, there will be an open conversation to ask questions and share ideas.
This evening event is free and open to the public. Families and caring adults from other school communities are very welcome to attend. Attendees should enter through the MAUHS cafeteria (301 Park Street, Bennington).
For more information, contact Glauke Cooijmans, Prevention Coordinator, at glauke.cooijmans@svsu.org.