NASW Foundation Blog

New Study Finds Significantly Increased Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke Among Cannabis Users

Josh Klapperick / Wednesday, October 1, 2025 0 3

Cannabis use increases the risk for heart attack and stroke, including among young people with no prior history of cardiovascular issues, according to a new study. Researchers analyzed data on 200 million people aged 19 to 59 and found that cannabis users had a 29% higher risk of heart attack and 30% higher risk of stroke compared to nonusers. Cannabis users were also twice as likely to die from cardiovascular disease.

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New Study Finds Significantly Increased Risk of...

Cannabis use increases the risk for heart attack and stroke, including among young people with no prior history of cardiovascular issues, according to a new study. Researchers analyzed data on 200 million people aged 19 to 59 and found that...

Thu 15 Jan
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What to Know About Women and Alcohol During FASD...

Young women are now binge drinking more than young men, according to a new study in JAMA. Binge drinking for a typical adult is defined as consuming four or more drinks for women (five for men) within two hours. Researchers found that between 2021...

Thu 15 Jan
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Women Face Unique Health Risks from Alcohol:...

In honor of National Women’s Health Week (May 11–17), social workers can discuss unique health risks from alcohol with clients. In these conversations, it’s important to share that there is no known safe amount of alcohol use...

Thu 8 May
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Alcohol Use Linked to Breast and Other Cancers,...

This Alcohol Awareness Month, social workers can dispel common myths about drinking, including the belief that there is a safe time, amount, or amount of alcohol to drink while pregnant. For a healthy pregnancy, avoiding alcohol and other substances...

Tue 1 Apr
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Share Clear Messaging During Birth Defect...

January is Birth Defects Awareness Month, a call to action for social workers to share a key message: for a healthy pregnancy, it is safest to avoid alcohol, smoking, and other recreational drugs.

Thu 2 Jan
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Five Facts Social Workers Need to Know About...

This Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Awareness Month, social workers can deepen their understanding of FASDs and how to prevent them. A key tool in FASD prevention is universal alcohol screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment...

Tue 3 Sep
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We’re Listening: Tell Us About Your Work with...

Do you have eight minutes to help your fellow social workers? We want to know your thoughts on discussing COVID-19 vaccines with clients, and your experience with NASW’s Connect to End COVID-19 initiative.

Mon 1 Jul
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Three Key Messages to Share with Clients in Honor...

National Women’s Health Week starts each year on Mother’s Day to encourage women to make their health a priority. This message is especially important given that women’s drinking has increased substantially over the last two...

Wed 8 May
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How to Talk About Alcohol Use with Clients:...

April is Alcohol Awareness Month, an invitation to social workers to make conversations about alcohol use part of routine practice—and to make sure they’re armed with the facts. As the nation’s largest group of mental health...

Sun 31 Mar
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Help Your Fellow Social Workers in Just Eight...

Tell us what you know, think—and wish you knew—about client alcohol and other substance use. Eight minutes is all it takes to help us better train and educate social workers who serve clients who may be at risk for substance-related...

Sun 1 Oct
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Social Work’s Critical Role in Prevention of Fetal...

September is Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Awareness Month. As providers of mental and behavioral health services, social workers play a critical role in preventing FASDs by sharing key messages with clients who are pregnant or may become...

Fri 1 Sep
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Five Facts Social Workers Need to Know About Women...

It’s National Women’s Health Week (May 14-20), an opportunity for social workers to encourage women to make their health a priority, including avoiding drinking too much alcohol. With their distinctive skillset and as key...

Thu 11 May
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April is Alcohol Awareness Month—Learn the Facts...

April is Alcohol Awareness Month—a call for social workers to learn about risky drinking, including any alcohol use during pregnancy. Social workers are uniquely positioned to discuss alcohol use with all clients and incorporate alcohol...

Fri 31 Mar
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Show Pride in the Profession with a Professional...

The NASW Social Work Pin Program enables social workers to show pride and commitment to the profession at the same time they support our National Social Work Public Education Campaign.

Mon 25 Apr
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Making Time to Talk About Alcohol Use

Four in five adults who reported being asked about their alcohol use at a checkup in the past two years and reported current binge drinking were not counseled to reduce their drinking, according to a recent Centers for Disease Control and...

Mon 4 Apr
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Have Eight Minutes to Share Your Thoughts on...

We want to know what you know—and wish you knew—about client alcohol use. Eight minutes is all it takes to help us better train and educate social workers who serve women, families, and others who may be at risk for...

Tue 1 Feb
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Donate Today—Join NASW Foundation in Uplifting...

In the spirit of gift giving this Holiday Season, please remember the NASW Foundation with a generous tax-deductible charitable donation by the close of this year, December 31. In the coming year, we urge you also to consider including the Foundation...

Tue 14 Dec
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Donate Generously to the NASW Foundation on this...

Today is GivingTuesday and you can make a difference by joining the global generosity movement with a donation to the NASW Foundation. Generosity gives each one of us the power to make positive change in the lives of others and is...

Tue 30 Nov
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The Power of Primary Prevention

Alcohol-exposed pregnancies (AEPs) are more common than you might think: according to a new study, an estimated 54 percent of children in the United States are exposed to alcohol before they’re born. The high prevalence of AEPs surprised...

Wed 1 Sep
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Meet the 2021-2022 NASW Foundation Scholars and...

The NASW Foundation is proud to announce its 2021-2022 scholars. This exemplary group of master's degree students is receiving $66,000 in awards from two programs that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion and assist NASW student members...

Sun 22 Aug
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Celebrating National Women’s Health Week with...

As National Women’s Health Week (May 9-15) kicks off this Mother’s Day, the need for women to take care of their health has grown in urgency. Women’s increased alcohol use to cope with the pandemic may lead to drinking problems and...

Wed 5 May
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Show Pride in the Profession with a Professional...

The NASW Social Work Pin Program enables social workers to show pride and commitment to the profession at the same time they support our National Social Work Public Education Campaign.

Tue 4 May
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April Alcohol Awareness Month: Three Ways Social...

High-risk drinking among women has increased significantly over the past decade, and the coronavirus pandemic seems to have made the problem worse. A recent study in JAMA Network Open compared drinking patterns before and after...

Thu 1 Apr
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March 16: Celebrate World Social Work Day & Social...

Happy Social Work Month! You might be interested to know, Tuesday, March 16, 2021, marks two big annual social work celebrations: World Social Work Day and Social Work Day at the United Nations.

Tue 16 Mar
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NASW-Illinois Chapter Releases Workforce Report

In 2019-2020, NASW-Illinois Chapter Executive Director, Joel L. Rubin, MSW, ACSW, CAE, worked with the NASW Foundation (Chapter Fiscal Sponsor) and Loyola University School of Social Work on a workforce study: “An Evaluation of the...

Fri 12 Mar
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Celebrate Black History Month with the NASW...

The NASW Foundation and NASW are proud to celebrate Black History Month and honor the rich hisory of blacks in social work. We encourage you to celebrate with us by learning more about this wonderful record of achievement.

Fri 26 Feb
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Congratulations to Ambassador Wendy Sherman!

The NASW Foundation is very pleased to extend congratulations to Ambassador Wendy R. Sherman on her nomination by President-elect Joe Biden to serve as Deputy U.S. Secretary of State. Originally a social worker, she is a professor and...

Tue 2 Feb
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Happy Holidays from the NASW Foundation!

As 2020 draws to a close, the NASW Foundation extends deep appreciation to professional social workers who give their all each and every day to address some of society's most challenging issues. You make the world a better place and we are...

Tue 15 Dec
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Please Donate To The NASW Foundation December 1...

At a time when we are all experiencing the pandemic, generosity is what brings people of all races, faiths, and political views together across the globe. Generosity gives each one of us the power to make positive change in the lives of others and is...

Mon 30 Nov
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Congratulations to the NASW and NASW Foundation...

NASW and the NASW Foundation are thrilled to extend warm congratulations to the eight distinguished 2020 national award recipients. They were honored at A Virtual Night at the Awards, A Night to Remember on October 29.

Mon 9 Nov
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Don't Miss A Virtual Night at the Awards, A Night...

A Virtual Night at the Awards, A Night to Remember will be held on October 29 from 6:00 to 7:30 PM (ET). NASW and the NASW Foundation present a virtual celebration of social work excellence—during an unforgettable evening.

Wed 28 Oct
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Meet the New NASW Social Work Pioneers®!

The NASW Foundation and the NASW Social Work Pioneers® are very pleased and proud to welcome 16 newly inducted pioneers. In 2021 they will be formally recognized at the Pioneers’ annual program and luncheon—event details will be...

Sat 3 Oct
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Five Things Social Workers Need to Know About...

September is Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs) Awareness Month—an opportunity for social workers to take the lead in primary prevention of FASDs, the range of birth defects and developmental disabilities that can occur in an individual...

Tue 1 Sep
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Foundation Board Member Lorraine Cole Receives...

NASW Foundation Board Member, Lorraine Cole, PhD, is a 2020 recipient of the Samuel J. Heyman Service to America People’s Choice Award. Dr. Cole and Corvelli McDaniel, U.S. Department of the Treasury...

Wed 26 Aug
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NASW Foundation Awards Two Ruth Fizdale Research...

The NASW Foundation is pleased to award 2020-2021 Ruth Fizdale research grants to the NASW-New Jersey Chapter and the NASW-Oklahoma Chapter. Each chapter has received a $2,000 grant. The Fizdale Program underwrites chapter research projects that link...

Mon 24 Aug
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Meet the 2020-2021 NASW Foundation Scholars and...

Investing in the next generation of leaders! The NASW Foundation is proud to announce its 2020-2021 scholars and fellows. This exemplary group of 20 doctoral and master's degree students will receive $121,750 in awards from five...

Mon 10 Aug
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Support the NASW Foundation—Social Workers Leading...

Thanks to generous support from NASW Members and friends, the NASW Foundation works with NASW’s Chapters to raise charitable funds for educational, research, training, and scholarship activities at the state and local level. One such successful...

Tue 14 Jul
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Support the NASW Foundation—Help Social Workers...

In this time of uncertainty, and pain, together we rise to meet daily challenges. NASW, and the NASW Foundation, are committed to supporting our members, and the social work profession, as a whole, as we work to reduce the impact and spread of the...

Mon 22 Jun
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Protecting Women’s Health During the Coronavirus...

National Women’s Health Week, May 10 through May 16, is an opportunity for all women to take five steps to better health: Eat healthy; exercise; take care of mental health; visit a health professional for regular primary care and preventive...

Wed 6 May
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Donate to the NASW Foundation During a Global Day...

Your support will help us continue this important work. Not only do we need your donation, we need your help to spread the word in coming months. Please tell your colleagues, friends and family why you believe in our work and encourage them to...

Wed 29 Apr
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How to Make Alcohol Screening and Brief...

April 9 is National Alcohol Screening Day – a call to make screening and brief intervention (SBI) part of your routine practice. Social workers are an integral part of healthcare and should take a leading role in primary prevention of risky...

Fri 15 May
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“Let’s Talk”: Social Workers’ Vital Role in...

Social workers are needed on the front lines of a growing women’s health issue: risky drinking. Women’s rates of deaths tied to alcohol increased 85 percent from 1999 to 2017, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse...

Fri 15 May
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Celebrate National Women’s Health Week May 12-18!

National Women’s Health Week—May 12-18—is a reminder for all women to take care of themselves and to make their personal health a priority. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health...

Fri 21 Mar
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Social Work Disaster Assistance Fund Raises Money...

The NASW California Chapter and The NASW Foundation are partnering with two schools of social work directly in the areas most impacted by the fires in northern and southern California. Our goal is distribute funds strategically and...

Wed 21 Nov
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Welcome To The New NASW Foundation Website!

The NASW Foundation team is very excited to welcome you to the new Foundation website. Our purpose and primary goal in launching this website is to better tell our story and to keep you informed about our programs and our people.

Tue 13 Nov
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