As avid users of technology, adolescents are a key demographic to engage when designing and developing technology applications for health. There are multiple opportunities for improving adolescent health, from promoting preventive behaviors to providing guidance for adolescents with chronic illness in supporting treatment adherence and transition to adult health care systems. This article will provide a brief overview of current technologies and then highlight new technologies being used specifically for adolescent health, such as artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, and machine learning. Because there is paucity of evidence in this field, we will make recommendations for future research.

Adolescent use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) has increased dramatically, with younger and nicotine-naive adolescents starting to use these devices and use them more frequently than combustible cigarettes. In emerging evidence, it is shown that e-cigarettes are not effective in helping adult smokers quit and that youth using e-cigarettes are at risk for becoming nicotine dependent and continuing to use as adults. Important gaps in our knowledge remain regarding the long-term health impact of e-cigarettes, effective strategies to prevent and reduce adolescent e-cigarette use, and the impact of provider screening and counseling to address this new method of nicotine use.

Various states have legalized marijuana for medical purposes and/or decriminalized recreational marijuana use. These changes coincide with a decrease in perceived harmfulness of the drug and an increase in its use among youth. This change is of critical concern because of the potential harmful impact of marijuana exposure on adolescents. Marijuana use has been associated with several adverse mental health outcomes, including increased incidence of addiction and comorbid substance use, suicidality, and new-onset psychosis. Negative impacts on cognition and academic performance have also been observed. As the trend toward legalization continues, the pediatric community will be called on to navigate the subsequent challenges that arise with changing policies. Pediatricians are uniquely positioned to provide innovative care and educate youth and families on the ever-evolving issues pertaining to the impact of marijuana legalization on communities. In this article, we present and analyze the most up-to-date data on the effects of legalization on adolescent marijuana use, the effects of adolescent use on mental health and cognitive outcomes, and the current interventions being recommended for use in pediatric office settings.

In response to the growing impact of the current opioid public health crisis in the United States on adolescents and young adults, pediatricians have an expanding role in identifying opioid use early, preventing escalation of risky use, reducing opioid-related harms, and delivering effective therapies. Research and expert consensus suggest the use of brief interventions focused on reducing risks associated with ongoing opioid use and using motivational interviewing strategies to engage youth in treatment. Because fatal opioid overdose remains a major cause of opioid-related mortality among youth, delivering overdose education as part of any visit in which a youth endorses opioid use is one evidence-based strategy to decrease the burden of opioid-related mortality. For youth that are injecting opioids, safe injection practices and linkage to needle or syringe exchanges should be considered to reduce complications from injection drug use. It is crucial that youth be offered treatment at the time of diagnosis of an opioid use disorder (OUD), including medications, behavioral interventions, and/or referral to mutual support groups. The 2 medications commonly used for office-based OUD treatment in adolescents are extended-release naltrexone (opioid antagonist) and buprenorphine (partial opioid agonist), although there is a significant treatment gap in prescribing these medications to youth, especially adolescents <18 years of age. Addiction is a pediatric disease that pediatricians and adolescent medicine physicians are uniquely poised to manage, given their expertise in longitudinal, preventive, and family- and patient-centered care. Growing evidence supports the need for integration of OUD treatment into primary care.

OM Ireland's Big Red Bus visited a housing estate in the town of Ballina in County Mayo.

Canadian by birth, but Papua New Guinean at heart, Anna Stanton shares how God led her to serve with OM Ireland.

OM Ireland's community outreach team participates in one of Ireland's biggest events: the 2011 National Ploughing Championships in Athy, Co. Kildare from 20 -22 September.

OM Ireland's Immersion team reflects on their first month as interns in churches around Ireland.

The Creative Arts team perform their Christmas show for school children all over Ireland in the course of three weeks.

OM Ireland and FCA Golf hold a four-day golf camp in Co. Westmeath, Ireland, to promote golf and the gospel.

OM Ireland's Creative Arts Team and a group from the US lead a week-long tour into schools and a kids’ club in a housing estate.

Participants from all over the world joined together in Ireland for two weeks of training and outreach in partnership with local churches.

OM Ireland's two multi-media puppet shows perform over 75 times in schools around Ireland. The gospel message is expected to be heard by thousands.

OM Sweden joined OM Ireland for outreach over the Easter holiday in Carlow town.

OM Ireland's biggest outreach of the year teaches participants to commit their ways to Him and trust Him to act.

To present the true meaning of Christmas, OM Ireland’s creative arts team performs a multimedia production in schools, churches and community centres around Ireland.

One Irish family experienced the transforming love of God...one woman at a time.

Through training at OM, Rebecca became more confident sharing Jesus in her home country.

For Irish teens Nicole and Saoirse, interacting with their church’s Immersion student, Bree, led to an understanding of the gospel.

When God directed Ellianna to Ireland instead of Austria, she discovered a new opportunity to meet refugees.

Brandy and her daughter Alexia (USA) went to Ireland for a two-week outreach and left impacted just as much as they'd impacted others.

The opportunity to continue planting gospel seeds keeps drawing short-term outreach participants back to Ireland.

Sent from OM Ireland, the Fitzgibbon family followed God's call on their lives to Russia and back.

After years of the team dreaming, the Big Red Bus finally joins the National Ploughing Championships during a windstorm.

The Africa Trek team reaches out to the Damara people in Namibia.

Africa Trek Coordinator Eduard* reflects on God's gifts: his life, his wife and 13 participants sharing the Gospel with Topnaar and Himba peoples in Namibia.

Young men from African nations find their identity and destiny through hiking in Namibia with the Wilderness Therapy Programme.

Walvis Bay, Namibia :: Logos Hope's volunteers rebuild a flimsy church and encourage the grieving pastor and congregation.

Two native Namibians stand as the only Christians in their community

A new missions experience in Namibia is not as much a programme as it is a journey.

Three men arrive home safely after walking 2000 kilometres to raise awareness about the 2000 languages still without the Bible.

An update about the flood damage in Eastern Australia

Forest Hill is a town in the Lockyer Valley infamous for being one of three towns in Queensland completely evacuated during last January's floods. About 300 people were airlifted by helicopters to higher ground leaving behind homes, all belongings and even pets. They had no idea what would come of those things left behind. OM Australia suggested the idea as a good way to utilise some funds donated to flood recovery. The Forest Hill Development Association Inc. in conjunction with the Laidley Baptist Church used this money to put on a community fair. It was an opportunity for the town to say thank you to those who had helped with the flood clean up and also to build the morale of the community. At the same time the involvement of the Church would raise the profile of Christ in the community.

Teens gather in Warwick, Queensland this week for OM Australia's TeenStreet.

God changes teens' lives during TeenStreet Queensland in Australia at the beginning of July.

OM Australia shares about mission opportunities at Australia’s leading three-day music festival in Toowoomba, Queensland, over Easter.

Teams all over Australia connect with their Muslim neighbours and share God’s love.

OM worker is amazed to see God change lives, as he peers over his book table on a busy Muslim street in Australia.

MAP Australia hosts Bound for Paradise, a week-long outreach to Muslims from the Persian Gulf in Queensland, Australia, from 25-29 August.

Team members of MAP Australia seek to live out the message of the Gospel to all people, no matter how sympathetic or opposed.

On 22 August, 150 people climbed in the inaugural OM Boonah Freedom Climb to raise awareness and funding for the Jogini girls of India.

Tillmann Klein, facilitator for OM’s Muslim Diaspora Ministry network, shares how work among displaced Muslims reflects God’s heart for all people.

Loving our Muslim neighbours is an opportunity and privilege.

Sport creates a platform for evangelism and discipleship in Ukraine.

Extreme Leadership Training camps create unity in Ukraine.

After having some difficulty with the campers and teen leaders, OMer Stephen explains the significance of the cross and following Jesus—many respond positively.

God restores a lost bag to the OM team during a short-term outreach to school children in northern Russia.

Church planting and Business 4 Transformation go hand-in-hand in Ukraine.

An OM Ukraine sports team member helps young Ukrainian women gain a healthier understanding and appreciation of the bodies God gave them.