A site for parents and teens who want to be better informed about
drug abuse and addiction as it affects young people today.
Research & News
Hispanic Teens More Likely to Smoke, Drink, and Use Marijuana
Posted on September 1, 2010
A new study has found that Hispanic adolescents are more likely to smoke, drink, or use marijuana than those of other races and ethnicities, and Asian students are at the lowest risk of substance abuse.
Study Examines the Role of Delinquency in Risky Youth Behaviors
Posted on August 26, 2010
In our society today, it sometimes seems as though some individuals are just prone to crime, alcohol and drug use and risky sexual behaviors. Categorizing it can leave certain teens in the dark; yet paying more attention to disadvantaged youth could make a difference in their future.
Adolescent Drinking Behavior and Parenting Influence
Posted on August 16, 2010
Parents often struggle with how to handle adolescent drinking. Some use stricter rules, hoping they won’t push their children to drink in secret. Others use a more relaxed method, hoping that by supporting their children in drinking in supervised settings that they will help them to avoid binge drinking.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy May Prevent Lifelong Problems for Teens with Depression
Posted on August 11, 2010
Giving teenagers with depression a feeling of control over their recovery may help the whole family make long-lasting strides. Research shows that cognitive behavioral therapy may help achieve positive outcomes for teens struggling with mood or personality disorders, and the technique is increasingly being utilized both in individual and group therapy sessions.
Massachusetts Passes Bill on Inhalant Abuse
Posted on August 5, 2010
Representative Charley Murphy of Massachusetts’ 21st Middlesex district has helped facilitate the passage of a new state bill that includes treatment options for families affected by inhalant abuse.
Binge Drinking Affects Prospective Memory in Teens
Posted on July 28, 2010
Alcohol is the most commonly used recreational drug in Western societies, with about 90 percent of people having consumed alcohol at some stage in their lives and about 30 percent of people developing a form of alcohol-use disorder. According to the United Kingdom Government, an adult can consume 7.20/4.80 fluid ounces of alcohol before it becomes threatening to one’s health.
Adolescent Girls Increasingly Taking to Drink and Drugs
Posted on July 21, 2010
Parents of teen girls should be worried about their approach to drug prevention. According to a recent Business Week report, a survey by the Partnership for a Drug Free America has found girls are more likely to reach for drugs and alcohol to find emotional freedom.
Link Discovered Between Difficult Childhood and Teen Drinking
Posted on July 5, 2010
African researchers have discovered that adolescents who experienced difficult childhoods are likely to start abusing alcohol as teenagers. The study, published in BioMed Central’s journal Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health, analyzed data from 9,189 adolescents between the ages of 12 and 19 living in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Malawi, and Uganda.
Teenage Girl’s Death Caused by Drug Overdose at Los Angeles Rave
Posted on June 30, 2010
A fifteen-year-old girl died on Tuesday, June 29 after attending a weekend rave in Los Angeles. The 14th annual rave—called Electric Daisy Carnival—included all night dancing, live music, partying, and carnival rides at the Los Angeles Coliseum and attracted about 185,000 attendees. The girl was taken from the rave after undergoing respiratory arrest and became unresponsive, and was transported to the California Hospital Medical Center where she had to be put on life support. Police suspect that the girl suffered brain damage after drinking from a friend’s water bottle that is believed to have been laced with ecstasy.
Rites of Passage for Girls: Wilderness Canoe Trips
Posted on June 20, 2010
The clear lake beckons. Loons call across it with wild ululating cries. Mountains rise in the distance – wilderness is all around as the canoes set out across the lake.
