Healthier YOUth

Growing up is not always easy. There are a lot of social pressures, expectations and opportunities to engage in risky behaviours. It's important to know the facts to make informed decisions about your health.

This page will help you access information and navigate local services for youth.

Drugs, Drinking and Smoking

Until you're 25, your brain is still developing. Doing drugs, drinking and smoking interferes with this development and can put your health, social life and education at risk.

Alcohol

You can legally drink alcohol in Ontario when you're 19.
Alcohol slows down parts of your brain. It affects things like your behaviour, thinking, breathing and heart rate.
Drinking alcohol before your brain is fully developed can make it hard to plan, make decisions or pay attention.

Get more info:

Alcohol (CAMH)
Canada's Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines (Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction)
What exactly is a drink? (Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction)
Give yourself the gift of moderation (Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction)

Cannabis/Weed/Pot

Cannabis is a legal drug in Canada for those 19 and older. Cannabis comes in many forms and can be consumed in multiple ways. There are different risks depending on how it's consumed. You have a choice when it comes to using cannabis.

Mental health - Use your head to protect your brain. Young people who use cannabis are at risk developing anxiety, depression and psychosis.
Long-term effects - Regular cannabis use can negatively impact your developing brain and make it harder to well at school or on the job.
Everyone's not doing it - It may seem like everyone's using cannabis, but 4 out of 5 Ontario students report not having used cannabis in the last year.

It's safer not to use cannabis, but if you choose to use, learn ways to reduce some of the risks:

Vaping

An electronic cigarette (also known as a vape) is a battery-operated device that changes a liquid chemical (e-juice) into an aerosol that can be inhaled. People often call this vaping. E-cigarettes are often flavoured and can contain nicotine.

E-cigarette products have many names, including:

mods
vapes
sub-ohms
vape pens
e-hookah
tank systems
electronic cigarettes/e-cigarettes
electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS)

Risks of vaping:

Let's talk about sex

Need to talk to someone about a sexual health concern? Here's what to expect:

You can make an appointment by calling 519-753-4937 ext. 471 or visit our Sexual Health page to see drop-in times at our youth sexual health clinics.
Our services are completely confidential. If you leave a message with one of our nurses, we will call you back. Our phone number will show up as unknown, anonymous or private number.
You don't need a parent or guardian's permission or involvement to use our services, you just need to be able to show that you understand your situation and your options.
You don't need a health card, but we will need some information from you.
Sexual health services at Brant County Health Unit (and our other locations) are run by nurses. Nurses cannot do everything a doctor can do. We do have a part-time nurse practitioner, but we may still need to refer you to a doctor depending on the case.
A nurse will ask you a few questions before making an appointment, so we know what kind of help or appointment is needed. The nurse may ask things like:

Are you having symptoms?
When did you last have unprotected sex?
When was your last normal period?

There may be times when it's best for the nurse to refer you to a doctor or a walk-in clinic. This is so that you get the care you need when you need it.
We care about getting you the help and services you need without judgement, so please be honest about your situation.
Please let us know if there is something we can do to serve you better.

Visit our Sexual Health page to learn more about the sexual health clinics in our community. We also have information on Birth Control and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs).

HEROS Program

HEROS (Health Educators Reaching Other Students) is a youth advocacy group geared towards students aged 13-18 years old (Grade 9-12). The program's focus is to have fun while learning about Healthy living. Youth throughout the program plan fun interactive community activities to promote and influence other youth on the importance of healthy living, tobacco, and substance prevention. During HEROS students gain volunteer hours and receive a letter of reference at the end. We meet once a week to plan, discuss and have lots of fun.

The HEROS program starts on January 10, 2023 and runs every Tuesday throughout the school year from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Location: Brant County Health Unit, 194 Terrace Hill St, Brantford, ON.

HEROS Program Promotional Poster

Please fill out the application form and email it to you Justine.Swan@bchu.org

Volunteer Application Consent Form

For more information and to register contact:

Justine.Swan@bchu.org

226-208-7685

For information about joining our HEROS group, contact: youth@bchu.org or 519-753-4937 ext. 216

For more information or help, contact your health-care provider or call:

Connex (Drug and Alcohol Helpline): 1-866-531-2600

Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868

Alternatives for Youth (ages 12-23): 905-527-4469

Alcohol, Drug and Gambling Services: 905-546-3606

Reports

Healthier YOUth

Drugs, Drinking and Smoking

Let's talk about sex

HEROS Program