A study conducted by researchers at Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth showed that advertisements seen on TV may impact whether teens have tried alcohol. The study’s findings were recently presented at the annual Pediatric Academic Societies conference held in Boston.

The researchers were led by Susanne E. Tanski, MD, MPH, FAAP, assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics in the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. They found that minors that had experience viewing TV alcohol ads and were familiar with them were more likely to have experimented with alcohol and reported more binge drinking than teens that had not seen the ads.

Tanski explains that the study shows a connection between a familiarity with televised advertisements for alcohol and the initiation of alcohol use, along with an increase in heavy alcohol use behaviors. Tanski’s previous research showed a connection between viewing smoking behaviors in movies with the use of cigarettes by teens.

The researchers conducted a survey of 2,541 teens between the ages of 15 and 20 years of age. The participants answered questions about their gender, race, and age, along with more in-depth questions.

They were asked if friends of theirs or their parents consumed alcohol, whether they were partial to a favorite kind of alcohol advertisement as well as whether they were the owners of any alcohol-branded products, such as hats or shirts. The researchers also assessed through questions whether the teens had a history of engaging in "sensation-seeking" activities.

The researchers showed the teens 20 images taken from television advertisements promoting popular beer and other alcohol brands shown on national TV during the previous year. The participants were also shown 20 fast-food restaurant ads. The images for both types of ads were altered to remove all logos and brands of the products advertised.

The participants were asked whether they remembered the ad from television, whether they enjoyed each ad and whether they could state what specific product or establishment was being promoted in the advertisement.

The initial survey showed that of the participants, 59 percent reported previous consumption of alcohol, and 49 percent of those having used alcohol had also engaged in binge drinking at least one time in the previous year. Binge drinking is defined in the study as consuming more than six consecutive drinks on one occasion.

The researchers found that when teens are familiar with alcohol advertising, they are significantly more likely to drink. There were also other factors associated with higher drinking rates, such as viewing alcohol consumption in movies and having a preferred alcohol advertisement.

For those who had a history of alcohol consumption, a familiarity with the alcohol advertising could be associated with increased alcohol consumption and a history of binge drinking. In addition, other factors such as having a preferred ad and owning merchandise branded with alcohol logos were associated with hazardous drinking behaviors.

This study reveals that adolescents who have taken part in the choking game are more likely to be involved in other risky activities like sex and substance use. This new research encourages parents and physicians to be vigilant in watching for signs of any of these activities and in providing education and early intervention to the youth.

A Risky Game

The choking game is anything but a game. It’s a dangerous way to acquire a thrill. Someone or something (like a rope, belt, or scarf) squeezes the neck’s carotid artery which limits oxygen as well as blood flow. When the grip is released and a rush of oxygen and then blood flow return, the person experiences a natural high. Unfortunately, some people’s oxygen as well as blood flow is cut off for too long a period and they may suffer brain damage, lapse into a coma, or even lose their life.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on a study of children, ages six to 19 between 1995 and 2007. In those 12 years, at least 82 children died as a result of taking part in the choking game.

Repeat Risk-Takers

Using data from a 2009 survey, Oregon Healthy Teens, researchers found that those adolescents who had tried the choking game were more prone to involvement in other risk-taking activities than those who hadn’t tried the choking game. Over 5,400 eighth graders were surveyed.

Of the six percent of eighth graders that had played the game, 64 percent had played more than once. Nearly 27 percent had played the game over five times.

The study revealed that girls and boys who had taken part in the choking game were more liable than others to engage in other risky behaviors. Girls were more likely to engage in sexual activity, gamble, abuse substances, and have poor eating habits. Boys were more liable to be in violent atmospheres, engage in sexual activity, and abuse substances.

Preventing Risky Behavior

Parents and doctors can look for some specific signs that their child or patient may have been playing the choking game. Question your child if they have red marks or bruises on the neck. Be aware if adolescents are consistently wearing high-neck collars, even in very warm weather. The collars may be hiding the danger signs of the choking game.

This latest study raises awareness that the choking game is not often played just one time by an adolescent. Risk-takers find dangerous thrills in experimenting with everything from drugs, alcohol, sex, and even near-death experiences.

Adults need to educate youth on the real dangers of these risks. Statistics on mortality rates and examples of the dangers of the choking game may help youth better understand that the choking game is not a game.

As we enter into prom season and prepare to celebrate graduations and other events, it’s an important time for parents to sit down with their kids and discuss the realities of underage drinking. Among both teens and parents, alcohol is one of the most socially acceptable and widely used drugs. In fact, alcohol is the number-one drug of choice among American youth, according to NCADD.

The Risks of Teen Drinking

The fact that alcohol is easily accessible and legal for those over 21 makes it is easy to underestimate the drug’s dangers. Yet statistics continue to show that alcohol can have devastating effects:

• More than 100,000 people die every year as a result of alcohol-related issues.
• More than 10,000 people died in alcohol-related car accidents in 2010, reports the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
• Underage alcohol use costs the U.S. an estimated $62 billion per year, according to NCADD.
• Alcohol addiction afflicts more than 14 million Americans.

Even moderate drinking carries risks, including stroke and certain cancers. Kids who start drinking in adolescence are more likely to struggle with a wide range of short- and long-term problems including:

• Diminished concentration, impaired memory and academic problems
• Increased risk for abusing other drugs
• Alcohol addiction
• Drunk driving
• Violence
• Accidental injuries (e.g., falls, drowning)
• Depression and anxiety
• Suicide
• Risky sexual activity (e.g., unprotected sex, sex with strangers and sexual assault)

Signs of Teen Alcohol Abuse

Establishing open lines of communication early on (as early as elementary school) and knowing the details of where your child is and who they’re with can help deter teen alcohol abuse. In addition to talking to your child openly and regularly, be on the lookout for the following signs of teen alcohol use:

• Smell of alcohol on their breath or skin
• Bloodshot eyes
• Aggression or hostility
• Changes in appearance, hygiene, sleep or diet patterns, or friends
• Declining grades at school or skipping classes
• Withdrawing from friends, family or activities
• Use of breath mints or eye drops to hide signs of drug use
• Secrecy
• Finding empty bottles or other drug paraphernalia

Twenty-six years after the first Alcohol Awareness Month, this campaign continues to bring attention to the chronic and potentially fatal disease of alcoholism and decrease the stigma that too often prevents addicts from receiving the treatment they need. Are you doing your part? Talk to your kids and set clear rules prohibiting alcohol use, and contribute to the nationwide effort to prevent the serious social and health problems associated with alcohol abuse.

Illegal Drugs

Marijuana
Easily one of the most popular drugs among teens today, marijuana is often one of the first inhaled drugs teens will try. It is easily accessible and commonly abused. In fact, a 2009 National Survey on Drug Use indicated teens in 8th, 10th, and 12th grades not only used marijuana, but also preferred it over any other drug.

Common street names of marijuana include:

• Chronic
• Ganja
• Grass
• Kif
• Mary Jane
• Skunk
• Weed

Ecstasy
Ecstasy, or MDMA, is a commonly used drug in the amphetamine category. Because of its quick reaction time, energy producing effects, and mood altering ability, Ecstasy is often found in social settings. Ecstasy is often combined with other drugs or alcohol.

Common street names of ecstasy include:

• Adams
• Clarity
• E
• Lover’s Speed
• X
• XTC

GHB and Rohypnol
Both GHB and Rohypnol are commonly known as date rape drugs because they both function as depressants which easily act as sedatives. Individuals who consume either of these drugs slip into a euphoric state and often suffer amnesia-like effects. Both drugs are also easily dissolvable in liquids, which makes them a desired drug in party and club settings.

Common street names of GHB include:

• Easy Lay
• Fantasy
• G
• GBH
• Georgia Home Boy
• Goop
• Liquid E
• Liquid G
• Liquid X
• Salty Water
• Sleep 500
• Somatomax

Common street names of Rohypnol include:

• Circles
• Forget-me pill
• Lunch money drug
• La Rocha
• Mexican valium
• R-2
• Roche
• Roofies
• Rope
• Rophy
• Ruffiies
• Wolfies

LSD
LSD, a synthetic man-made drug, is popular among many teens due to the hallucinogenic effect the drug has. Because LSD is man-made it is difficult to predict what exactly is in it which is one of the things that makes this drug so dangerous.

Unfortunately, LSD is sold under more than eighty different street names, making it one of the most difficult to keep tabs on. Common street names of LSD include:

• Acid
• Animal
• Boomers
• Blue cheers or blue chairs
• Doses
• Dots
• Hits
• Microdots
• Sugar cubes
• Tabs
• Trips
• Yellow sunshine

Prescription and Over the Counter Drugs

Dextromethorphan (DXM)
Although many of us do not often think about it, a simple ingredient in most over the counter cold and flu medications is easily abused by many teens. They often prefer these drugs because they are easily accessible, are not seen as ‘illegal’, and provide a euphoric and often hallucinogenic high. Abusing this drug can be deadly, particularly if it is mixed with other over the counter medications, illegal drugs, or alcohol.

Common street names of DXM include:

• CCC
• DXM
• Poor man’s PCP
• Robo
• Triple C

Vicodin
Vicodin includes a combination of hydrocodone and acetaminophen. Although it is a prescribed medication, it is easy for many young people to get a hold of, often because their parents, or their friends’ parents, have the prescription. This is one of the most abused drugs known today and causes a continually increasing number of emergency room visits.

Common street names of Vicodin include:

• Hydro
• Norco
• Vikes

Adderall and Ritalin
Both prescription medications, Adderall and Ritalin are often used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. These medications are readily available and function as stimulants, which provide an increase in attention, energy, and alertness. Many teens initially try this medication for a quick energy boost but continue taking them and often mix them with other medications, drugs, or alcohol, which can create a deadly effect.

Common street names of Adderall and Ritalin include:

• Bennies
• Black beauties
• Hyper
• Kibbles and bits
• Pineapple
• Roses
• Smarties
• Speed
• Study drug
• Vitamin R

Originally designed to treat Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Adderall is a prescription brand amphetamine. ADHD is a condition in which the brain’s ability to organize, plan ahead, maintain focus and thoroughly process information is impeded. Just over four percent of American adults live with the condition.

When used by those for whom it was intended, the drug is safe and helpful in normalizing brain activity. However, according to the U.S. National Survey on Drug Use and Health, a troubling number of university students (perhaps as many as 7 percent) are taking the medication for reasons other than treatment of ADHD symptoms. Studies show that traditional college students (those between ages 18-22) are two times more apt to abuse Adderall than kids the same age but not in school.

For those with ADHD, Adderall is medication which helps control impulsivity, the ability to consider the consequences before taking action. It is also helpful in learning to control distractions. Students with ADHD typically have a pattern of poor academic or work performance because of their inability to concentrate and stay on task. College students without ADHD seek out the drug in order to improve their already able performance, or to help them be alert during long study periods.

Adderall may extend students’ concentration skills but its benefits come at a price. Side effects from the drug include headache, nervous feelings, dry mouth, insomnia, elevated blood pressure, lost appetite, depression, impotence and even hallucinations. The medication is particularly dangerous to people with any kind of heart defect or who suffer with a psychiatric disorder. Adderall can worsen a person’s existing psychiatric condition and, in the case of heart defects, could even prove fatal.

Adderall is an amphetamine and like other amphetamines it can be addicting. Research demonstrates that the addiction does not live alone however. Students who abuse Adderall are 80 percent more likely to be abusing other substances such as marijuana, prescription painkillers, sedatives or cocaine. The Survey also showed that Adderall abuse was accompanied by a habit of binge drinking 90 percent of the time.

Teen Opana Abuse

Opana is not a new drug but it is one that appears to be making a comeback among teens all over the country. Opana is an opioid painkiller typically prescribed for cancer pain or chronic low back and osteoarthritis pain that contains oxymorphone. Also known as new blues, the O bomb and stop signs, Opana is crushed (to overcome its extended release design) and then snorted or injected.

Recent reports grabbing parents’ attention include the death of 24-year-old Indiana resident C.J. Coomer who overdosed on Opana, making him the ninth teen in his county to die from prescription drug overdoses already this year. In Florida, officials warn that the number of oxymorphone-related deaths increased 109 percent in just one year.

According to law enforcement officials, Opana gained popularity in late 2010 when OxyContin was made more difficult to crush and abuse. Since then, officials also have seen an increase in heroin addiction and abuse of generic forms of oxycodone. Compared to OxyContin, Opana is even more potent and carries a high risk of overdose.

The manufacturer of Opana is now working to reformulate the drug to deter abuse. As a testament to the seriousness of the problem, since announcing the reformulation there has been a significant rise in home and pharmacy robberies as addicts scramble to get the old form of the drug.

Whip-Its Stir Up Trouble

Another drug making news is Whip-Its (also called Noz), which are small canisters filled with nitrous oxide. Because they can be found in whipped cream bottles, nitrous tanks, head shops and other easily accessible places, Whip-Its have quickly become the most popular inhalant, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Users inhale the compressed gas for a short-lived high that lasts just a few seconds or minutes. Effects range from numbness, laughter and sleepiness to paralysis. In recent years, a number of deaths have been related to huffing or sniffing. Inhaling nitrous oxide can deplete the brain’s oxygen supply and have a potentially life-threatening impact on the heart and nervous system. Part of the problem is that the drug is difficult to detect in tests and is largely unregulated.

As many families can attest, one use may be all it takes to land a teenager in the hospital, or worse. When talking to your teens about the risks of heroin, cocaine and meth, don’t exclude less commonly known but equally dangerous drugs like Whip-Its and Opana and other prescription painkillers.

Researcher Dr. Joel Swendsen of the University of Bordeaux’s National Center for Scientific Research, along with colleagues from the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), sought to indentify the prevalence of American adolescents’ use and abuse of alcohol and illicit substances, as existing statistics tend to lack a nationally representative sample population. For their study, the researchers traced the prevalence, age of onset, and sociodemographics related to American teenagers use and abuse of alcohol and illicit substances by using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview in a cross-sectional survey on adolescents. The researchers surveyed a nationally representative sample of 10,123 adolescents between the ages of 13 and 18 years by conducting the surveys either in the adolescent’s home or school. The teenagers were asked to report their use of alcohol and other substances based on their lifetime use, past-year use, and availability of use-measurements which were used as predictors for their projected use and abuse of substances in later life.

In their results, the researchers identified 78.2% of American teenagers had consumed alcohol, 47.1% were considered to be regular drinkers by having at least 12 drinks within any given year, and 15.1% had met the criteria for lifetime abuse.

As much as 81.4% of the older adolescents reported having access to illicit drugs, 42.5% were found to use drugs, and 16.4% were identified as drug abusers.

The average age at onset of alcohol abuse was 14 years (with or without dependence). Likewise, the average age at onset of drug abuse with dependence was 14 years, and 15 years for drug abuse without dependence.

The researchers also found that demographics like age, sex, and race/ethnicity widely varied across the spectrum of substance use levels, although white and Hispanic teenagers were almost consistently found to have higher rates of substance use than that of other racial groups. Additionally, the adolescents’ age tended to increase their likelihood of each level of substance use or abuse.

Because the occurrence of alcohol and drug use among American teenagers is so common, the researchers state, it is important to identify adolescents’ onset of and risk factors for substance use so that prevention and treatment methods may be administered during their critical developmental period. By doing so, their risk of future ongoing substance use and lifetime dependence may be reduced. Knowing such criteria as the average age of onset, for example, may help school administrators, counselors, physicians, and parents to deliver prevention and intervention methods when it is most needed. The researchers’ report has been published in the April issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.

While this offering of support doesn’t completely diminish adolescents urge to experiment with drugs and alcohol, it does however delay the initial timeline. The Seattle Children’s Research Institute was behind the study.

Dr. Carolyn McCarty, a psychologist with the institute, said the results weren’t that surprising. For years, she and other professionals have known how important teachers are in the lives of children. This was just the first opportunity to statistically prove that theory.

Students defined support from a teacher as feeling close enough to talk about problems with that particular teacher. This closeness keeps kids that are experiencing anxiety from succumbing to peer pressure and other risky behavior. McCarty says that in general, teens are more likely to seek out new experiences and sensations. This is only amplified when out and about with their peers.

Researchers found that when children experimented with drugs or alcohol before sixth grade they had much higher levels of symptoms relating to depression. This finding further expressed the need for substance abuse prevention and on a multidimensional level.

Adults, including parents and teachers, need to be more aware of the stress levels of adolescents. This will keep everyone tuned in to their mental state.

It is important to tap into this behavior before it is too late. Students who experiment with drugs and alcohol at a young age are more likely to become addicted and face other complications into adulthood.

The German-based Institute for Therapy and Health Research was behind the studies which polled 16,000 public high school kids ages 10 to 19, across six separate European countries. Participating countries included: Germany, Scotland, Iceland, Poland, Italy and the Netherlands. Students were asked via survey to report on their movie viewing habits along with their alcohol consumption.

The majority of those surveyed were on the younger end of the age spectrum. The kids in each country were given a list of 50 randomly selected popular movies from their own country and asked to mark which titles they had seen. Titles were chosen from a pool of the top 600 plus films in the countries.

The researchers first calculated the number of scenes which involved drinking alcohol in each film. More than 85 percent of the over 600 movies included at least a single scene where alcohol was consumed. The research team next made comparison between each teen’s screen exposure to drinking and their own reported instances of binge drinking (defined as consuming five or more drinks at one sitting).

Just under 30 percent of all the teens surveyed said that they had binged at one point. Binge drinking was reported lowest (10-20 percent) among those teens with the lowest exposures to on-screen drinking and highest (40 percent) among teens who had the greatest number of exposures to movie drinking.

The researchers controlled for other extenuating factors such as peer pressure, family drinking habits, academic performance and rebellion. Even so, the teens who watched more movie depictions of drinking were more apt to binge drink themselves. Across all six countries, those who were most often viewing alcohol in movies, saw more than 10,000 such scenes portrayed. Seeing beautiful people who portray drinking as an acceptable behavior is taking its toll on today’s youth. Though the studies stop short of blaming movies for teen drinking, the heavy influence of such a glut of positive portrayals was evident.

Interestingly, the influence of movies on teen drinking did not change from nation to nation. The powerful influence of cinema crossed all cultures. Although the study shows that a definite link exists, experts agree that more study is needed to fully understand how the connection actually works. In the meantime, parents still hold the strongest influence over their own teens. Watching movies with your child and discussing what was seen, setting positive parental examples and making the rules of the home clear still exert the greatest influence on teen behavior.

Drinks including Four Loko that combine caffeine and alcohol have been responsible for the untimely deaths of several teenagers and college-aged students. There is a growing epidemic of elementary children that are now drinking these energy drinks that are hugely caffeinated in order to get a buzz.

There are also gel strips that are caffeinated and they have become a fascination for elementary peers, according to a recent news article. Consuming too much caffeine can inflict seizures, strokes and even death in young children, as evidenced by research conducted by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Experts are also recording trends in teens inhaling computer cleaners like Dust-Off, an action known as "huffing" that started several years ago. Huffing can produce a euphoria that lasts a couple of seconds or up to several minutes. The attraction is it has an almost immediate effect but can cause nosebleeds, nausea, and even death in some situations.

A recent study conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration says about two million children from ages 12 to 17 tried inhalants in 2010. The more popular inhalants are shoe polish, glue, or the solvent, toluene.

Experts say to watch for signs such as an abrupt drop in schoolwork, a rash surrounding the mouth or nose, shift in friends, loss of weight or product odors on breath. Pharm parties are also a popular trend and may also be called "Skittles" parties due to bright, colored pills.

Parents seeking to protect their children from these trends will do well to educate themselves on current threats.