Good morning! ☀️

Happy 4th of July weekend! On July 4th, we celebrate the ratification of the Declaration of Independence, which was ratified by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776.

P.S. The Second Continental Congress was a meeting of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies in America that united in the American Revolutionary War.

Today’s question: When was slavery banned in the United States?

News

The impacts of banning abortions

As we are all aware, last week the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Since then, some states have moved forward with prohibiting abortion, while other states have pushed toward reinforcing the right to abortion. The picture below, sourced from NBC News, covers the latest changes:

We will continue to observe how different states move forward with the change. But one thing we do not often hear about is how abortion bans will affect teenage mothers. This is a particularly vulnerable population given that 75% of all teenage pregnancies are unintended.

Furthermore, there is a connection between abortion bans and teen suicide. In El Salvador, where abortion is completely outlawed, teen pregnancy is a leading cause of suicide, with hundreds of young women taking their own lives.

On top of mental health concerns, some laws prohibit aiding and assisting youth seeking abortions. As a result, teens have to navigate their already severely limited options on their own. Complicating things further, some states require parental consent in order to provide an abortion, adding another hurdle to access.

As we move forward, we must continue to provide everyone, especially children, with accurate sex education, easy access to contraception and family planning options as well as greater access to mental health counseling. Outside of this, there must be access to chat lines for support. Adults themselves must learn the laws so that they can better meander through what is rapidly becoming a punitive system for those seeking abortions.

Other social work-related news

• Can a mental health app help you deal with anxiety?

• The intersection of guns and mental health in Arizona

• Why you won’t see rainbows in this gender-affirming brand’s pride launch

• In a new documentary, Machine Gun Kelly recalls the 'wild paranoia' he experienced after his father's death

Research

Marijuana use & ER visits

A recent study found that using marijuana recreationally led to increased visits to the emergency room (ER).

The study looked at the national health records for over 30,000 Ontarians (Ontario, Canada residents) between the ages of 12 and 65 over a six-year period and found that cannabis users were 22% more likely to visit an emergency department or be hospitalized. This finding held true even after researchers took into consideration other factors such as drug use, alcohol use, and smoking tobacco.

Some other data from the research:

• Physical injuries were the leading cause of ER visits and hospitalizations among cannabis users, with respiratory reasons coming in a close second

• Marijuana smokers had higher blood and urine levels of several smoke-related toxins

Previous research has also linked marijuana to other physical and mental health difficulties. For example, heavy use of marijuana by teens and young adults with mood disorders has been linked to increased self-harm, suicide, and death.

Other reads on research

• Psilocybin microdosers demonstrate greater observed improvements in mood and mental health at one month relative to non-microdosing controls

Reads on policy

• Why take meaningful, evidence-based action towards decreasing mass shootings when you can just give $50 million towards buying bulletproof shields for police officers? That’s what Texas just did.

Tech, social work, and cool opportunities 😎

• Business of mental health newsletter

• The position for Care Operations Manager at Brightline, a company on a mission to build a bright future for every child, just opened up.

• WW, a global wellness technology company inspiring millions of people to adopt healthy habits for real life, is looking for a Manager, Program Inclusion

• Behavioral Health Case Manager at Talkiatry, a single-focus psychiatric practice

• Various Roles at Ophelia, a startup that helps people who want to manage their opioid dependence or addiction and get access to the latest treatments

Answer: Passed by Congress on January 31, 1865, and ratified on December 6, 1865, the 13th amendment abolished slavery in the United States.

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