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The use of e-cigarettes, or vapes, among teens has become so widespread and so troubling that the Food and Drug Administration has started to take drastic action to counter the trend. Last September, the FDA ordered five brands—Juul, Vuse, MarkTen, blu e-cigs, and Logic—to submit plans to address teen use of their products within 60 […]

For adults who are dependent upon opioid drugs like heroin and painkillers, medication that “replaces” the drug of choice and minimizes withdrawal symptoms is often used. Methadone and buprenorphine are the most commonly prescribed medications for this purpose, but in teens, most doctors are reluctant to use these drugs. The conversation on whether or not […]

By Andrew Finley, LMFT Newton’s Third Law of Physics states, “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” Scientifically, this is true, but in the recovery profession we deal with far more than the physical plane. In our world, we have seen the possibility of our actions causing immense, even global reactions that […]

By Jennifer Golick, PhD, LMFT, Clinical Director, Muir Wood Parentification is often defined as a type of role reversal, boundary distortion, and inverted hierarchy between parents and other family members in which children or adolescents assume developmentally inappropriate levels of responsibility in the family of origin that go unrecognized, unsupported, and unrewarded. In the parentification […]

David E. Smith, MD, FASAM, FAACT; Michael Wachter, MD; and Jennifer Golick, MFT The challenge of integrating treatment is not new to the medical world. Any patient struggling with a chronic illness is frequently seen by a team of treatment professionals who attempt to collaboratively address the unique needs of the patient. Addiction treatment in […]

by Michael Rass The 2015 Red Ribbon Week kicked off on Friday. The annual drug awareness campaign began in 1985 in response to the brutal murder of DEA Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena. He had been working undercover in Mexico where his efforts helped discover a multimillion dollar narcotics manufacturing operation in Chihuahua. Camarena’s identity became […]

By Brad Waldo, Recovery Counselor When I was 17, I was admitted to an adolescent drug and alcohol treatment in Orange County. After several days, I thoroughly opened up to the help offered to me and dove headfirst into the program. I became “house leader” and was on fire for recovery. On my forty-fifth day […]

By Neil Haigler, Recovery Counselor Cannabis isn’t physically addictive. That’s what I kept telling myself when I was using. I’m not going to argue about the definition of addiction. I can only tell you that when I started smoking cannabis, I lost control over when I did it and what I was willing to sacrifice […]

A Physician’s Perspective By David E. Smith, MD, FASAM (Past President American Society of Addiction Medicine & current Chair of Addiction Medicine, Muir Wood Adolescent & Family Services) Marijuana—or cannabis—is by far the most widely used illicit drug in the United States (SAMHSA, 2011). In the past few years, marijuana use by teens has been […]

Here’s some great advice for raising a healthy, happy teen: Be an engaged and hands-on parent to your kids. Discuss your family values and expectations about alcohol and substance use. Empower your children with facts to make good choices. Ensure they know the effects of alcohol and drugs on brain development, the law, and social/physical […]