Lower Teen Drinking is Progress But Not the Whole Story says Awakening Founder

Awakening's Co-Founder and Executive Director David van der Velde has written a new article about recent reports that teenagers are drinking far less than previous generations — and why that good news deserves a more complicated read.

David points out that while the decline in adolescent substance misuse is worth celebrating, the emotional struggles that drive young people toward addiction haven't gone away. They've shifted into isolation, mental health crises, and other forms of escape. The goal needs to be more than just a reduction in substance use, it should be more young people building lives they don't need to escape from.

You can read the full article on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/lower-teen-drinking-good-news-not-whole-youth-health-van-der-velde/