Proponents of legalization often assure those who are concerned about how the legalization of marijuana will impact teens that there will be limitations put into place to protect teens from accessing marijuana when it is legalized. Many push for restrictions on marketing marijuana to kids as well. However, despite the best efforts of law enforcement […]

Like the energy drinks described in a recent post, it appears that there may be a connection between teen use of indoor tanning and substance abuse, according to the latest research. A study recently published in the journal of JAMA Dermatology found that teens who often frequented indoor tanning establishments were more likely to indulge […]

For years, the surgeon general has been advising parents to do a number of different things to help their teens when underage alcohol abuse becomes an issue. Researchers at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) are backing up these recommendations with the results of a study that they recently published in the […]

Decades of drug education and addiction awareness efforts in the schools have gone a long way toward helping kids to sidestep drug and alcohol abuse and its risks. However, the focus – especially when it comes to driving – has long been on alcohol. Drunk driving is a deadly problem among teens, but unfortunately, many […]

Though it may seem like a joke, a movie ploy or an outdated practice, random strangers purchasing alcohol for teenagers is not a rare event. In fact, undercover cops regularly bust adults who give into the pleas of teens who beg strangers to buy beer for them. In doing this, the hope is that the […]

Energy drinks may not be as innocuous as they seem, according to a new study published in the Journal of Addiction Medicine. Though drinks like Red Bull are legally purchased by all ages and readily available, the study found that teenagers who regularly drink these highly caffeinated beverages are more likely to smoke cigarettes, drink […]

By Ben Spencer, Teacher and Academic Director (Google+) At the end of last week, I had a chance to sit down with Jason Lechner, Muir Wood’s Program Director of the Intensive Outpatient Program. Jason also acts as the Primary Therapist for the Residential Program. During our conversation, I filled Jason in on the academic program […]

Unshaven. Skinny. Desperate. Wild-eyed. Usually depicted as homeless, a criminal, in jail or on his way to being arrested, the stereotypical junkie has always been defined by popular media as an urban outcast, a down-on-his-luck middle-aged white male. For years, this mythical villain was one of the many reasons that parents fled the cities and […]

Tracking drug and alcohol use among teens is the purpose of a number of different surveys and research studies each year. This year, the Center for Substance Abuse Research at the University of Maryland at College Park released a study that looked at the changes in drug and alcohol use among teens from the 1970s […]

Talking to your teen about substance abuse doesn’t just mean lecturing him on the risks of getting high or driving while intoxicated. Though it is important to share this kind of information with your children from a relatively early age, monologues will do little to sway your son’s choices in behavior. Instead of talking at […]

Summer is coming, and with it comes a ton of risks for teens. One of the most significant risks is underage drinking, an issue that is always a problem but one that increases exponentially during the summer months. In fact, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s NSDUH Report found that first-time use of […]

Over the past couple years, there has been much debate about mandatory drug testing among adolescents and teens in public schools. Some have attempted to require that all would-be athletes be tested for drugs prior to trying out for different teams while others have implemented random drug testing for all students. Many parents have rebelled, […]