Prescription drug abuse among teens is a growing concern that many parents underestimate, often viewing these medications as safer alternatives to street drugs—but that perception couldn’t be further from the truth. Whether it’s Adderall being misused as a study aid, Ambien taken to experience hallucinations, or benzodiazepines like Xanax and Valium used for self-medication, prescription drugs carry serious risks of addiction, overdose, and life-threatening complications. At Muir Wood, we understand the unique pressures today’s teens face—academic stress, social anxiety, and the overwhelming demands of preparing for adulthood—and we know that these challenges can sometimes lead young people to make dangerous choices. Our specialized treatment programs address not just the substance use itself, but the underlying mental health issues, stress, and self-esteem challenges that drive teens toward these substances, providing them with healthier coping mechanisms and the support they need to build a brighter future.
When pictures of Justin Bieber smoking marijuana at a party in Newport Beach, CA, went viral online, he made no official comment on the incident to the press. But when he recently hosted Saturday Night Live for the first time, one of his skits referenced the incident, and he offered an apology, albeit in the […]
The choice in mixer can increase the danger inherent to alcohol abuse in teens, says a CBS News report. Both diet soda and energy drinks have been determined to increase the effects of alcohol, but energy drinks have been identified as specifically hazardous for teens because mixing the drinks with liquor is a popular choice […]
Not sure how to help your child avoid the risks of drug and alcohol abuse in the teen years? Here are a few tips to get you started: Set a good example. You may not think that your son is watching or cares about your behavior, but the fact is that kids are paying very […]
A national poll published by the University of Michigan Mott Children’s Hospital reported that only 33 percent of parents say they are concerned about the non-medical use of addictive prescription drugs by teens. Only 20 percent said they were worried about the misuse of prescription medications by teens in their families. Additionally, though prescription painkiller […]
No longer is marijuana considered the gateway drug responsible for helping teens bridge the gap between experimentation with alcohol to hardcore use of needles and dangerous street drugs. Today’s gateway substance, says The Fix, could be prescription painkillers, because they are the number one reason for a recent resurgence in the numbers of teens addicted […]
In 2002, more than 83 percent of teenagers reported seeing drug and alcohol abuse prevention messages from media sources. But the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) reports that by 2011 that number had dropped to about 75 percent. In the same way, the anti-drug message received by teens at school reached more […]
When most parents consider the dangers of teen drug abuse and alcohol, they imagine their child experimenting with marijuana with friends or sneaking a bottle out of the liquor cabinet at home. Few recognize the drug addiction dangers that can come in the form of a legitimate prescription for a doctor—especially for medications designed to […]
