A site for parents and teens who want to be better informed about
drug abuse and addiction as it affects young people today.
parents
Can Parents Keep their Kids Off Drugs?
Posted on March 9, 2010
Much attention has been given to the role of peers in adolescents’ decisions about substance abuse. Programs focus on peer pressure and the importance of school environment and how extracurricular activities may also play a role in shaping behaviors related to drugs and alcohol.
Family Hardships Can Lead to Cannabis Use Disorders
Posted on December 9, 2009
One in five Australian young people experience a cannabis use disorder, according to a University of Queensland (UQ) and Mater Hospital study published today in the American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse. The findings also reveal the characteristics of those who are more likely to experience a cannabis use disorder.
Studies Link Parental Monitoring with Decreased Teen Marijuana Use
Posted on November 17, 2009
With 42 percent of high-school seniors admitting to having experimented with marijuana, it has become the most widely used illicit drug by adolescents. Repeated marijuana use may result in a number of serious consequences, including depression, cognitive impairment, cardiovascular disease, and certain forms of cancer. As such, it is critical to prevent marijuana use by adolescents, and numerous behavioral and medical scientists have been trying to establish the best means of prevention.
Program Proves Adult Influence Can Help Reduce or Prevent Teen Smoking
Posted on August 24, 2009
While the war against substance use and abuse rages on, the attacks on the use of tobacco have grown more intense. Now, research is demonstrating that parents play a key role in the way their teens will approach the use of tobacco.
Long Island Sheriffs to Inform Parents of Their Children’s Traffic Stops
Posted on August 7, 2009
Suffolk Sheriff Vincent DeMarco joined Legislator Brian Beedenbender and Mothers Against Drunk Driving president Denna Cohen to launch a program to notify parents when law enforcement officers stop their children on the roads.
Through Sheriffs Telling Our Parents and Promoting Educated Drivers, families can register their cars with the sheriff’s department, who will supply red windshield decals to alert officers to contact the parents of young drivers whenever they are stopped by law enforcement officials.
Tips for Hosting a Safe Party for Your Teen
Posted on July 13, 2009
An article on CollegeKidsinCrisis.com advises that if you’re hosting a gathering for your teen, you must avoid being a friend and focus on your role as a parent. The article also gives the following tips to help you through the process:
It’s important to set expectations with your teen ahead of time. Make sure he or she knows that you will not allow alcohol or drugs of any kind at the party, and make sure this is communicated to all guests. Inform your neighbors of the party and ask that they keep an eye out for suspicious behavior.
It’s All Your Fault! What to Do If Your Teen Blames You for Their Drug and Alcohol Abuse
Posted on June 19, 2009
The signs are unmistakable – your teen comes home intoxicated or high from drugs and shows physical and mental signs of alcohol or drug abuse, or both. These include slurred speech, dizziness, clumsiness and unsteadiness, redness in the eyes, flushed face, numbness or tingling in extremities, sore or upset stomach, weight loss, and blackouts.
They’re also easily agitated, irritable, and angry and have a low threshold for violence. They may even weep excessively or have frequent emotional outbursts. They want to sleep all the time, or can’t sleep through the night without alcohol or pills. They start missing school or can’t keep up with their homework. Pretty soon, they just give up and spiral into even more drinking and drugs.
How to Protect Your Teen from Prescription Drug Abuse
Posted on June 13, 2009
With prescription medication abuse on the rise among adolescents, it is extremely important to take steps to help ensure your teen won’t fall into this dangerous behavior. Even if you think this could never happen to your teen, keep in mind that 19 percent of all teens have abused prescription drugs and there’s no guarantee it won’t happen in your family. You’ll want to start with your medicine cabinet because prescription drug abuse usually begins there.
1.) Monitor Medication. Nearly two-thirds of teens who have abused prescription medication have gotten it from friends and/or relatives, usually without their knowledge. Keep track of all your prescription medications, and make sure every family member’s prescriptions are kept in the same place so you can take inventory. This way you can easily notice if pills start disappearing. It’s also a good idea to talk to your teen’s friends’ parents about monitoring their own cabinets, as it’s likely that your teen will be over at their home and have access to the medicine cabinet.
2.) Dispose of Medication. Drugs that are no longer being used by anyone in the household are an easy way for teens to get their hands on medication without being caught. Keep track of all current medications and discard any that are no longer being used or are expired. Don’t just throw away the bottle, though; place the remaining pills in an opaque container with a secure lid and mix in something undesirable like coffee grounds, dirt, or cat litter. Then place the container in an opaque bag and discard.
3.) Secure Medication. As the medicine cabinet is the first place teens will look for prescription drugs, it’s a good idea to keep your medication in a less obvious, safer place. If you had a firearm in the house, you would lock that away—why not do the same with dangerous medications?
Parents with Violent Relationship Can Cause Mental Issues for Children
Posted on June 5, 2009
There is a saying that you are a product of your environment. Now, new research demonstrates how a person’s surroundings when growing up can impact their mental health later in life.
Science Daily recently released a report that showed those individuals with parents who were violent to each other are more likely to have mental health problems later on. The exposure to violence experienced by the child acts as a form of maltreatment with negative consequences on the development of the child.
