The drug testing of junior high students before they are allowed to play organized school sports is a new phenomenon in some parts of the country. Some parents welcome it while others are furious at what they perceive to be an intrusion upon their child’s civil rights. Who’s right? The Argument for Drug Testing in […]
Blog
Stimulant Drug Abuse and the Great Grade Chase
For preteens and teens diagnosed with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), it’s common to get a doctor’s prescription for a stimulant medication like Vyvanse or Adderall. Increasingly common among teens who are not diagnosed with ADHD is a request for these and other stimulant medications for the purposes of neuroenhancement, according to American Medical […]
Prescription Drug Intervention Helps Your Teen’s Drug Abuse
When junior high school students who lived in rural areas and small towns received a brief intervention on the topic of prescription drug abuse, a recent study found that they were less likely to engage in abuse of prescription medications, according to the National Institutes of Health. For parents, this means it’s worth it to […]
Will Marijuana Use Harm Your Son’s Ability to Function at College?
No matter how the laws change in terms of legalizing marijuana for medicinal or recreational purposes, it is always harmful to the development of teenager’s brain. No amount of experimentation with marijuana is harmless at this age, and if your son is using the drug for any purpose, don’t hesitate to put a stop to […]
Lingo Tip: Sizzurp
Seizures were ostensibly the cause of the hospital admission and emergency medical treatment of Lil Wayne, a popular rap artist, a few months ago. TMZ reported that these seizures were drug related and may have been connected to a high amount of codeine in his system. He’s not taking the pills, however. If the lyrics of […]
Parents Use Drug Dogs to Sniff Out Marijuana at Home
Are drug-sniffing dogs an appropriate response to ferreting out drug use and abuse at home or is it overkill? Some parents have decided that no measure is too large when it comes to finding out whether or not their kids are hiding drugs at home. Some are exceedingly creative: hiding drugs in air-conditioning vents, pulling […]
What Is Your Son Drinking?
It’s not just the rate of teen alcohol use but which alcoholic beverages and brands were most often used by teens that was the topic of a recent study published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research. Researchers determined that: Half of underage drinkers drink one or more of the top 25 brands chosen […]
Talking to Your Son Prior to College May Limit Drinking
Your opinion matters. Even when your son is busily packing for college, daydreaming about a new life beyond the confines of home and parental boundaries, your input on what he may or may not—or should or should not—experience in terms of alcohol use when he first leaves home has a significant impact on the choices […]
Adolescent Dating Linked to Drug and Alcohol Abuse
Romance can be just as inciting to drug use and abuse among preteens and young teens as it is for adults, according to a new study published in the Journal of Research on Adolescence. The study found that kids in middle school who dated and had relationships were twice as likely to use alcohol, marijuana, […]
Will College Increase Substance Abuse Risks?
Many parents are concerned about the risks they feel are inherent to sending their child to college. Will the liberal environment and lack of supervision encourage drug or alcohol abuse? Binge drinking is a clear problem among college-aged children, but is sending your son off to school a guarantee that he will indulge in this […]
Teen Prescription Drug Misuse Rates. New Study Out Now!
A new study sought to determine how much of a problem intentional prescription drug abuse is among the teenage population in the United States. Utilizing data culled from poison control centers associated with the Researched Abuse Diversion and Addiction-Related Surveillance (RADARS®) System, the study, published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & […]
NIDA Addresses Increase in Teen Marijuana Use
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is addressing the 2012 Monitoring the Future study that found a significant increase in the use and abuse of marijuana among teens of all ages. For their part, the NIDA recognizes that teen marijuana abuse is a concern and is calling for more research to determine why the […]
Thinking of Sharing Your Drug Stories With Your Son?
While it’s true that making your anti-drug stance clear to your teenage son is a positive step that can help him to make good choices, it’s also true that sharing your personal drug use and abuse stories may not have the effect that you want, according to a new study published in the journal Human […]
TV Alcohol Ads May Increase Alcohol Abuse in Adolescents
When it was determined that cigarette ads were aimed at persuading teens to smoke, the industry was forced to make significant changes in the interest of protecting young Americans from developing a deadly addiction to tobacco. Now, studies are showing that alcohol ads are not only aimed at teenagers and young adults but that they […]
25% of Seniors Report Recent Marijuana Use
It may be due to the increasingly positive public opinion about marijuana, the new laws that legalize the drug for medical use and even recreational use in some states, or it may be an increase of access to the drug caused by these same issues. But more and more teens are using marijuana. In addition, […]
ADHD Prescription Drug Abuse Doubles ER Visits
ADHD Medication Abuse: More and more children in the United States are receiving an ADHD diagnosis, and many take ADHD medications well into their teens. Unfortunately, as their bodies change, so does their body chemistry, and medications often stop working the way they once did. Though ADHD meds once worked to help them calm down […]
Safe Prescription Med Disposal to Reduce Teen Drug Abuse
Teen heroin abuse and addiction are rising across the country—and not just in urban areas. In fact, heroin overdose deaths are becoming more and more of a concern as heroin takes the lives of teens in suburban areas across the country. How did this trend begin, and why is it becoming an increasing issue? Most […]
Community Can Positively Impact Teens on Substance Abuse Front
Not sure if neighborhood or community matters when it comes to your teen’s stability in terms of drug and alcohol use? Think again. A new study published in the American Journal of Public Health found that teenagers who live in a community that provides them positive experiences and interactions may be less inclined to abuse […]
Are Teens Getting the Wrong Message From Legalized Marijuana?
Many are concerned that the decriminalization of marijuana in Washington State and the legalization of marijuana for recreational use in Colorado is sending the wrong message to teens about the nature of marijuana and the use of other illicit drugs. And it’s not just parents who are concerned. R. Gil Kerlikowske is the director of […]
Teen Drug and Alcohol Abuse Increased When Parent or Sibling Deployed
Middle school and high school kids don’t fare well when someone in their immediate family is deployed. A study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine reports that kids in this situation are at a higher risk of abusing drugs and alcohol, especially when the deployed serviceman or servicewoman is a parent or sibling. […]
Emotion Management Can Decrease Teen Alcohol Abuse
Personality issues can be hugely problematic for teenagers, especially when they contribute to social awkwardness or an inability to get emotional and other needs met at home and at school. A new study looked into the efficacy of a high school program that offered teens the tools to manage problematic personality issues with the goal […]
Whether or Not Your Son Drinks May Depend Upon His Best Friend
Peer influence is a huge factor in the development of teen drug abuse, but a new study suggests that the opinions of your son’s best friend may have the biggest impact on whether or not he opts to have that first alcoholic drink. If your son has friends who drink, this is one of the […]
Pediatricians Are Not Asking Teens About Drinking Habits
A survey of about 2,500 teenagers found that most teens are not asked by their doctors about their drinking behaviors. Of the participants, about 80 percent had gone to their physician within the last year, but only 54 percent had doctors who inquired as to whether or not they drank alcohol, and only about 40 […]
Teens Struggle With Mental Health & Substance Use
It’s not uncommon for teens who struggle with mental health symptoms to also be diagnosed with a drug and/or alcohol abuse issue. In fact, a study published in the British Medical Journal Open reports that about 10 percent of teens in mental health treatment smoke cigarettes, use marijuana, or drink alcohol. The older they grow, […]
Earlier Drinking Age Contributes to Increase in Teen Alcohol Abuse
A study published by the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and reported on CollegeDrinkingPrevention.gov indicates that when the minimum drinking age is reduced, significantly more problems with teen alcohol abuse occurs along with all related issues. These include: Car accidents Accidental deaths Alcoholism and addiction Increased rates of teen abuse of other substances It’s an […]
Justin Bieber Apologizes for Marijuana Use … Kind Of
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 […]
Choice of Beverage Increases Dangerous Effects of Alcohol
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 […]
5 Tips for Curbing Teen Drug and Alcohol Abuse in Your Home
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 […]
20% of Parents Have Concerns Over Teen Drug Use: New Study
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 […]
Prescription Painkillers: The Gateway Drug for Young Adults?
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 […]
Teen Drug Abuse Prevention Efforts on the Decline
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 […]
Faking ADHD Symptoms to Get Prescriptions
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 […]