A Social Change Campaign brought to you by our Youth Leadership Council.
Geared to youth. By youth.
“As a passionate leader in my community and a student who strives for success, I choose to live a substance free life to protect my body and my mind. In the absence of drugs and alcohol, my brain can fully develop and my body will be free of any harmful substances that can hinder my path to fulfilling my goals. Being substance free will allow me to feel in control of my actions, relationships, and future after high school. I also hope to inspire other teenagers to commit to a substance free future and remind them that they are not alone!” – Jabeen
“My name is Maura Medenilla, and I am a rising senior at Ridge High School. I have been a part of the Youth Leadership Council for about a year now and am loving every second that I am a part of it! Being in a group with like-minded, talented people helps to bring out the best version of myself. I am so proud to be a part of the new campaign we are currently working on. With this campaign, I am able to openly speak about why I think it is important to be substance free at my age, and hopefully inspire the rest of my community to join in as well. Youth Leadership Council is a safe-space for me, and I am so lucky to have found this incredible group of people.”
“My goal is to spread the choice of nonuse by participating in the One Clear Path campaign. Being apart of YLC is my contribution to improving the community.”
What YLC and the One Clear Path campaign means to me : As a high schooler, peer pressure is around every corner, whether to drink or whether to smoke. If I am honest with myself, having a healthy body and a clear mind are so much more valuable than any high I could ever get or any people I could ever impress.
I don’t do drugs because I want to maintain a peak physical and mental state, which will help me get higher grades and push the limits of my athletic performance. Furthermore, not abusing respects not only my own bodily health but also all the time and effort my parents put into raising me.
Find your people. Find your purpose.
Independent thinking teens focus on things that make them happy – which is not using substances. One Clear Path is a social change campaign developed by CiC’s Youth Leadership Council, made up of Ridge and Bernards High School students. These young leaders are choosing nonuse and spreading the reasons why avoiding substances is the One Clear Path to reaching their goals.
Continue the trend.
Nationally, teens have been choosing not to use substances in growing numbers for decades. But they aren’t the kids making headlines for everything they’re doing right. We sometimes start believing the “everyone’s doing it” line, but that’s simply not true. In the Somerset Hills towns, 75% of high schoolers do not use marijuana, 68% do not vape, and over half do not drink alcohol (Pride 2019).
A commitment to myself. A commitment to my health.
DID YOU KNOW FACTS
Need Help?
Vaping Cessation – Click HERE for more information.
Other helplines to reach out to:
- 2NDFLOOR: Text or call 2nd Floor, a youth and young adult mental health and substance use helpline.
- Caring Contact: Call Caring Contact, a volunteer-staffed caring and crisis hotline and listening community.
A comprehensive list of immediate and reliable support resources is available here.
One Clear Path is a social change campaign designed by youth to encourage responsible decision making about substance use. You, the students, will be empowered to make choices that will have an impact on your lives and your futures. For more information, please contact Maria Izzo: mizzo@communityincrisis.org.
Be a part of the change!
- Follow us on social media: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok
- Create your own social, tag us @communityincrisis and use #OCP, #CiC, #YouthCiC
- Young people, email Maria Izzo at mizzo@communityincrisis.org to join us.
- Parents, email Susan Visser at svisser@communityincrisis.org to learn more about what we do.
The decisions you make now can affect the rest of your life. Make sure it is a positive one!
