According to the CDC researchers, many teenagers are affected by chronic sleep deprivation due to several variable factors, including employment, academics, social, economic, and recreational pressure, as well as biological and family issues. Additionally, sleep deprivation is a common symptom in several mental health conditions, such as major depression and suicidal ideation. In their study, published in the scientific journal Preventive Medicine, lead research Lela McKnight-Eily and colleagues evaluated the prevalence of sleep deprivation among high school students and its correlations to other significant health-risk factors.

Using the 2007 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), the researchers analyzed the responses of 12,154 public and private high school students from across the nation regarding their personal health and behaviors. Based on the report’s findings, the researchers discovered that the majority of high school students (nearly 70%) are not receiving the recommended eight hours of sleep per school night. These sleep-deprived students were also more likely than those who reported sufficient sleep to engage in multiple risky behaviors. Students with insufficient sleep reported higher rates of current alcohol use, current cigarette use, current marijuana use, current sexual activity, experiencing serious suicidal thoughts, experiencing sad or hopeless feelings, and getting into one or more physical fights per year. In addition, sleep-deprived students reported higher rates of physical inactivity and unhealthy eating habits.

According to McKnight-Eily and her team, sleep-deprived students have a higher propensity toward risky behaviors due to a decreased ability to comprehend the consequences of negative behaviors as well as an increased receptiveness to peer pressure. Likewise, the combination of sleep deprivation and substance use can significantly hinder motor skills like concentration, alertness, and coordination. This negative combination puts these adolescents at greater risk of further risky behaviors, including heightened recklessness, sexual activity, and injury.

Based on the study’s results and the prevalence of insufficient sleep among teenagers, the researchers assert that more awareness needs to be placed on adolescents’ healthy sleeping habits in order to encourage healthier lifestyles during their crucial developmental years.

Belief vs. Reality

A recent study found that this is not the case for many parents. The C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital Poll on Children’s Health at the University of Michigan found a great discrepancy between the number of teens that say that they use marijuana or alcohol and the number of parents who believe that their child may have tried one of the substances.

The report revealed that of parents polled, 10 percent believe that their children, between 13 and 17 years old, have consumed alcohol in the last 12 months, and only 5 percent believe that their teens have smoked marijuana over the same time period. However, the most recent Monitoring the Future study reported that 52 percent of tenth graders reported consuming alcohol in the past year and 28 percent of tenth graders reported smoking marijuana in the same time period.

Bernard Biermann, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan’s Department of Psychiatry and Medical Director of the Child/Adolescent Inpatient Unit, explains that the results reflect a "mismatch" between what parents believe their children’s behavior is and what teenagers report about themselves.

The Importance of Open Communication

The results indicate that it is necessary to increase awareness among parents and work on communication between parents and teens. If parents are more aware, says Biermann, it opens them up to the idea that their teen may possibly be engaged in marijuana- or alcohol-related behaviors and they are more likely to initiate a conversation with their children about it.

One interesting finding of the analysis was that parents of teens believed that at least 40 percent of tenth graders used marijuana in the last year and that 60 percent of tenth graders drank alcohol in the last year. This shows that parents are more able to believe marijuana and alcohol are used by other teenagers, but don’t believe that their children are likely to use the drugs.

The findings show that there is great potential for developing campaigns for education of the general public in order to raise awareness among not only teens, but also their parents and adults in the community. Efforts such as these are often successful at raising awareness and increasing communication.

For parents who need some guidelines in talking with their teens about drug and alcohol use, Biermann suggests having the conversation in a non-threatening way, but also closely monitoring teens when they arrive home for signs of substance use. In addition, parents should not get overly upset if they learn of an isolated occurrence of substance use, but instead keep communication open, acting as a buffer for their kids when peer pressure becomes difficult.

Biermann also suggests that parents keep communication open with other parents and the teens that their children spend time with. Parents can also find information to increase understanding and awareness at the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Worried that it’s too late to start? Don’t fret that you haven’t figured out what your kids are going to do this summer just yet. But do sit down and gear up a slew of activities designed to keep them busy and out of trouble.

Here are some things to think about as you start planning.

Cut Down on Your Working Hours

Since it’s the time parents are away from home and unable to directly supervise their children’s activities that may allow idle time to be devoted to drug and/or alcohol experimentation, if at all possible, do everything you can to cut down your work schedule. If this isn’t possible, see if you can go in earlier so you can be home with them before your usual time or work with your employer to create a flexible schedule to give you time to engage in some family-type activities with your kids.

Another point about varying your working hours is that it will help keep your kids on their toes. If they’re not sure exactly when you might be home, it tends to give them the sense that you’re likely to be around at any time. This is what you want actually, since it helps contribute to a sense of overall security. You are, after all, the parents, and you are supposed to be there to look out for your children.

Plan Lots of Mini-Vacations

With your children present, sit down as a family – both parents in attendance – and brainstorm activities and events that can serve as lots of mini-vacations. These may include several day-trips to the beach, an outing at an amusement park, water-slide park, overnight camping, a day spent fishing on a lake or fly-fishing in a river, going to a concert that the kids really want to attend (but do so as a family), even arranging for an extended family barbecue.

The idea behind this is twofold. First, it’s something that you do together. Second, thinking of ideas for activities you can do as a family and slotting them into a spot on the calendar gives everyone in the family something to look forward to.

Maybe your kids are a little lukewarm to the whole planning a series of mini-vacations. At least, they may be the first time you sit down to do it. But once everyone gets into it and each person gets to contribute something to the list they really want to do, the enthusiasm is bound to pick up. Not only that, but you’re filling up days during the summer that might otherwise be devoted to hanging out with other kids and beginning to experiment with alcohol or drugs.

Definitely Set Aside Time for a Family Getaway Vacation

In addition to creating a checklist of lots of fun mini-vacations, it’s important for parents to make plans – and set aside time for – a family getaway vacation. This means an extended period away from home where you’re not checking voice mails or texting back and forth to the office, and no working during vacation, either. You and your spouse need to spend what is often referred to as "quality time" with your children. There’s no better time to do that than on a summer vacation.

If money is a problem, there are ways to economize and still take an extended week-end (Thursday through Sunday) and travel to visit relatives or rent inexpensive lodging at a family motel that serves complimentary breakfast buffets.

For ideas, think of traveling to places that broaden your children’s appreciation of history, or give them an experience that they’ve never had before such as visiting a wilderness park – Glacier National Park in Montana, Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, Yosemite National Park in California, and the Grand Canyon in Arizona, just to name a few.

Maybe you and your spouse have never visited one of these magnificent parks. It is truly amazing how the experience can change your perceptions of life. You realize that nature as exemplified in these great national parks is beautiful and awesome, fierce in its power, and holding steadfast through the ages. This will be something incredible to share with your children.

It doesn’t have to be a trip that extensive to be memorable – and worthwhile. Once you sit down and start charting out plans for a family getaway vacation, you’ll come up with your own stellar choices.

Assign Daily Chores

While the idea of sleeping in late sounds appealing to kids eager to be away from school’s daily grind, you don’t want your children to have endless hours to while away without something to keep them occupied – and out of trouble.

One way to carve out a chunk of that time is to give your kids daily chores to do. By assigning them little jobs around the house or in the yard, you’ll be giving them more than just something to do. You’ll also be helping them take responsibility for their share of the household duties. Everyone needs to do their part, and this is a lesson that children should be learning while they’re young – not when they’re out in the world on their own and wondering why things just don’t get done by themselves.

If you’ve never given much thought to having your children do things around the house, especially if you or your spouse have always done them, now’s the time to give this idea some serious consideration. It doesn’t have to be back-breaking, tedious work. In fact, it definitely shouldn’t be something like that. But you do want to make sure that whatever it is you assign your children that they can do and complete in the time allocated. Be sure to check to ensure that the chore(s) have gotten done when you return home and give praise to your children for a job well-done.

Prepare and Eat Meals Together

With so much to do these days, family mealtime often is a matter of grabbing what you can whenever you can. One way to give your kids plenty to do this summer so they don’t abuse alcohol and drugs is to make it a family rule that everyone in the family pitches in to prepare the evening meal – and eat together.

During the meal, take the time to ask about each child’s day – and listen to the answers. If there’s been a problem, make sure that you handle it promptly. You might need to say that you’ll discuss the issue more in-depth right after dinner, and if you do say that, make sure that you follow through on it.

Encourage laughter and family sharing during the evening meal. Definitely don’t allow any cell phones at the table and no texting either. Make sure the television is turned off, too. What you’re striving for is a daily meal shared with family where nothing else intrudes. It’s not an impossible suggestion. And once you initiate this as part of your household routine, it will become something you and your children look forward to.

Encourage Sports and Outdoor Recreational Activities

There’s nothing like invigorating exercise in the form of sports and outdoor recreational activities to keep kids busy and engaged in healthy and safe things to do during the summer. As parents, you can start things off by stressing – and practicing – healthier lifestyle choices that include taking regular walks together as a family, taking up a particular sport that you can share with your children, and watching their sports activities to cheer them on.

During the summer, when school is out and there are no school-related sports activities, see if you can get your child enrolled in a community sports league or arrange with other parents to create a team of your own. Even a group of teens that regularly meet to play a particular sport – with adults supervising – can be a great way to give your teens a way to expend their energy and feel good about themselves in the process.

It’s a well-known fact that vigorous exercise helps tone and keeps muscles in shape, and helps to promote self-esteem among teens that are proving that they can participate in competitive sports.

Maybe enroll your teen in classes so that they can learn how to swim, play racquetball or basketball, horseback riding or other activities that get them out of the house and doing something that’s good for their development and is safe.

Find Out What Motivates Your Teen

If you’re at a loss figuring out what it will take to keep your teen safely occupied during the summer hiatus from school – and thus away from the temptations of alcohol and drugs – you might try finding out what motivates your teen. What is it that he or she is really interested in? If you get to that core element, you can then begin to plan activities around your child’s central interest.

Be prepared for a little digging, however. If you haven’t already established an open and honest relationship with your kids, this might be tough doing. Even parents who have a good sense of mutual trust and communications may sometimes find it difficult to pinpoint just what it is that their teens are really excited about.

The effort will pay off in the long run. You just need to keep at it without seeming to nag. It’s better to be proactive than to sit around and do nothing, hoping that your children will somehow steer clear of drugs and alcohol in the hours while you’re away from home – and they’re bored and looking for something to do.

Get to Know Your Teens’ Friends and Families

It’s also helpful to take the effort to get to know your teens’ friends and their families. Why is this important? For one thing, you want to have the security of knowing just who it is that your children spend time with. If you know that this friend or that is a good student, well-liked, respectful towards others, and has a good relationship with his or her parents, you’ll be more likely to agree to having your child participate in events and activities with that teen.

In the same way, you want to know that if you allow your child to go over to a friend’s house, that that child’s parents know what’s going on and are either present or have another adult around that can supervise or monitor the teens’ activities.

This is a bit of networking that takes some time to do, but again, in the long run, is very much worth all the effort it takes. Watching out for each other’s children is a great way to practice community parenting – in the best sense of the word.

Prep Work for Parents

Of course, as parents, you also need to do a little advance work before you face the prospect of having your children home for the summer. Make sure that there is no alcohol left in reach of your children. Keep it locked away or, better yet, don’t keep any in the house at all. Easy access to alcohol is the first step toward experimentation and abuse.

In the same manner, lock up all prescription and over-the-counter drugs that have the potential for abuse. While your child may not engage in drug use, he or she may be convinced by friends to sell or trade them for other drugs or money. Again, no access means less opportunity to abuse alcohol and drugs.

Suppose You Find Out They’re Using

If it comes about that you discover – or suspect – that your child is drinking or doing drugs, don’t pretend that it’s a one-time event or think that it’s just normal adolescent behavior. You have to stop the behavior in its tracks.

Let your child know the family ground rules about no drinking and drug use permitted. Establish clear guidelines and consequences for infractions – and be prepared to deal with the incidents, should they occur, quickly and firmly.

If necessary, enlist the help of a school guidance counselor, your family doctor or other healthcare professional. They can advise next steps to take if your child is at risk for developing or already has a problem with alcohol or drugs.

Bottom line: Give your kids plenty of things to do this summer so they don’t abuse alcohol and drugs. The more you pay attention to your children and what’s going on in their lives, the better chance you have to avert potential bad behavior that could turn into addictive behavior.

However, girls and boys experience this change differently. The study shows that girls tend to initiate the transition to a mixed-gender friendship earlier than boys, and continue the transition at a faster pace than boys. The researchers found that girls who make friends with boys early and quickly are more likely to start drinking and using drugs in later adolescence.

The researchers examined almost 400 adolescents, 48 percent of which were girls, between the ages of 12 to 18, from a French-speaking school district in Canada. The students were interviewed every year over a period of seven years about their friendships and their substance use. They found that unlike girls with male friends, boys who befriended girls in early adolescence were not more likely to develop substance abuse problems in their later teen years.

This could have something to do with the emotional support girls offer compared to boys Boys who have female friends benefit from this support, whereas girls with male friends don’t get the same amount of support from the males.

Lead author Dr. François Poulin of the University of Quebec at Montreal said that boys reported receiving higher levels of emotion support from their female friends, whereas girls receive support from their same-sex friends. He added that it’s possible that boys are less likely to engage in substance abuse because they get emotional support from their female friends.

The study also found that among girls, antisocial behavior and going through puberty early were associated to an increase in the number of male friends they had. Girls also tended to form friendships with males outside their school environment, which could be associated with substance abuse, as older teens could purchase alcohol for them. (The legal drinking age in Canada is 18.)

However, by mid-adolescence, the negative impact of other-sex friendships becomes less powerful as having both male and female friends becomes more normal, and as girls become more likely to form romantic relationships with members of the opposite sex.

The researchers say more studies are needed to examine the context of these friendships, including the settings, the entire friendship network, and the role of parental supervision. They added that future studies could also look at associations between other-sex friends and educational achievement or antisocial behavior.

In the meantime, the researchers suggest that parents take a more active role in monitoring their daughter’s friendships, especially with older boys.

Source: Science Daily, Early Male Friendship as a Precursor to Substance Abuse in Girls, March 10, 2011

A recent Murray Ledger report highlighted that the Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy has launched a new website as part of its effort to help parents, teens and young adults to deal with the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse.

The site is designed to offer information about adolescent alcohol and drug abuse, dependence and addiction. It also provides support from experts and other parents and information regarding treatment options.

ODCP officials shared in a news release that parents and children are often inundated with media messages about drug use and abuse. The messages are often negative when they surround celebrities and sports figures. Kentucky is working to counter these messages with positive prevention strategies.

Officials running the site also note that 2,500 teens use a prescription drug to get high for the first time every day. And, nearly 11 million young people in the U.S. need help for their substance use, abuse and addiction.

According to research found by the ODCP team; if children hear or see one anti-drug message a day, they are 38 percent less likely to use drugs. If a parent talks with their child about drugs on a regular basis, that child is 52 percent less likely to use drugs.

Delaney-Black said that parents and doctors shouldn’t rely on what teens report about their drug use. Some people don’t trust the confidentiality agreement, and others may fear getting in trouble. Many people feel this information is personal and doesn’t need to be shared.

For the study, the researchers asked questions of more than 200 teens and 200 caregivers (80 percent of which were mothers) about their drug use and then analyzed their hair samples, testing for drugs. Although no teens said they had recently used opiates such as heroin or prescription painkillers, nearly 7 percent tested positive for opiates. Three percent of parents admitted using opiates, but 7 percent tested positive. One percent of teens said they had recently used cocaine, but about one-third of the respondents tested positive. Only six prevent of parents admitted recent cocaine use, but 28 percent tested positive.

Delaney-Black said that hair tests can sometimes come out positive when a person wasn’t actually using drugs but was around people who were, but the study findings show that what teens and parents say about their drug use is actually quite misleading.

The study also found that parents tended to under-report their kids’ drug use, which suggests that clinicians should rely on other methods (like drug testing) rather than self-reports or even parents’ reports to identify teens who are abusing drugs or alcohol.

Delaney-Black said that previous similar studies seem to have only looked at teens who were receiving treatment for substance abuse or in the court system.

Ty S. Schepis, an assistant professor of psychology at Texas State University at San Marcos, said the study underscores the idea that most people aren’t honest about their substance abuse, and that they are reluctant to be honest about participating in illegal or “undesirable” activities.

Source: MSN, Randy Dotinga, Teens, Parents Often Lie About Illicit Drug Use, October 26, 2010

Because of these negative consequences, it’s important to identify predictors of substance use disorders.
Researchers have previously identified attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as being associated with the development of substance use disorders, and Brook and his colleagues wanted to see if there was a similar link between conduct disorders and later substance use disorders.

The researchers looked at 485 people who were initially recruited from upstate New York in 1975 and followed up with them to a mean age of 37 years. Participants were assessed at 14 years and 16 years, and then again between the ages of 27 and 37. They evaluated the existence of ADHD and conduct disorders using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children, and substance use disorders were identified with the University of Michigan’s Composite International Diagnostic Interview.

Those with ADHD in adolescence were 1.9 times more likely to develop a substance use disorder, and those with conduct disorder in adolescence were 3.5 times more likely to develop a substance use disorder. The authors write that clinicians should pay attention to ADHD in adolescents when it progresses to conduct disorder, as conduct disorder is a big indicator of later substance use disorders.

The researchers conclude that because ADHD usually develops earlier than conduct disorders, ADHD may be an important cue for eventual conduct disorder and perhaps later substance use disorders. They add that further research about this developmental pattern is needed.

Source: Medscape Today, Laurie Barclay, MD, Conduct Disorder in Adolescence Predicts Substance Use Disorders in Adulthood, October 11, 2010

By surveying thousands of teenagers ages 12–17 in telephone interviews or Internet questionnaires, CASA researchers assessed the impact of ritual family discussion during dinnertime on teenagers’ likelihood to take adverse social and health risks like substance abuse.

Based on the teenagers’ responses, the researchers found that 60% of teenagers have regular dinners with their family at least five times a week—a statistic that has remained fairly steady for the last ten years. Compared to those teenagers who have frequent family dinners, teenagers who reported having infrequent family dinners (less than three family meals per week) were 1.5 times more likely to have used marijuana, nearly 2 times likelier to have used alcohol, and 2 times likelier to have used tobacco. These teenagers who have less opportunity to discuss personal issues with their parents during dinnertime were also found to be twice as likely to illicitly obtain marijuana or prescription drugs within an hour or less than their counterparts who had frequent family dinners.

Teenagers who have frequent family dinners, on the other hand, were more likely to report not having access to marijuana and prescription drugs. Despite their disparities regarding substance abuse, the majority of teenagers (72%) agreed that having regular family dinners is very or fairly important, indicating that most would still appreciate the opportunity even if they do not regularly experience it.

In addition, teenagers who reported having frequent family dinners were less likely to have friends who abuse substances. For those who have fewer family dinners per week, teenagers were 1.25 times likelier to have friends who abuse illicit substances such as acid, cocaine, ecstasy, heroin, and methamphetamine; 1.5 times likelier to have friends who abuse prescription drugs; and more than 1.5 times likelier to have friends who regularly consume alcohol or marijuana.

From their overall investigation, the CASA researchers found that teenagers who reported having closer family ties were less likely to misuse substances or associate with others who are users. In the midst of rising substance abuse among the U.S. population—especially among younger age groups of 12–17 years and 18–25 years—the effects generated by communicating with adolescents about the dangers of substance abuse and its consequences has shown to create lasting impacts on their current decision-making and potential future choices as well.

Furthermore, family dinnertime offers teenagers the opportunity to open up about their involvement in school, friends, relationships, and other recreational actions. The more frequent the dinnertime routine, the more accustomed teenagers may feel to having confidence and trust in their parents when it comes to personal issues. The new report signifies that positive effects on adolescents’ lives really are generated by family table talk, a time which may be considered as particularly important to teens within their fast-paced, ever-evolving technological world.

CASA recommends that parents take the time to make time for family talk, as in the window of opportunity that dinnertime provides for open discussion. The communication that can be exchanged among parents and their children during this time helps bolster parents’ efforts to shape healthy, drug-free children. Also, CASA is endorsing this year’s national “Family Day,” a traditional celebration started in 2001 to encourage parents to embrace spending quality time with their children in an effort to prevent adolescent substance abuse. Family Day will take place on September 27 this year and is expected to be supported by the White House and all State governments.

Source: The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, 2010 Family Dinners Report Finds: Teens Who Have Infrequent Family Dinners Likelier to Expect to Use Drugs in the Future, September 22, 2010

The full facts and figures on American teens substance use is startling. According to trends from 2008 data, an average of 508,329 adolescents aged 12–17 consumed alcohol on any given day. For the complete year, an estimated 8 million teens drank alcohol. On any given day, an average of 1,021,853 adolescents aged 12–17 smoked cigarettes—and a total of 4 million tobacco-consuming teens for that year. On any given day, an average of 563,182 teens used marijuana, 36,572 used inhalants, 24,737 used hallucinogens, 16,622 used cocaine, and 2,866 used heroin. A total of 5 million adolescents aged 12–17 are believed to have used an illicit substance for that year.

The SAMHSA report states that almost one-third of American teenagers consumed alcohol, one-fifth used an illicit substance, and one-sixth smoked cigarettes during 2008. Although adolescent alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drug use has seen a decline since 2004, the number of adolescent admissions to substance abuse treatment facilities and the number of adolescent emergency department admissions have remained relatively the same for the past four years.

These steady numbers of treatment services amid a decline in illicit substance use is due to the rise in legal drug misuse and abuse—such as opioid prescription drugs—among this age group. While the preferred types of drugs used by teenagers may have shifted, adolescent drug abuse still remains a prominent national health concern. SAMHSA hopes that the report’s comprehensive statistics will make families, educators, and public service professionals more cognizant of the extent of current adolescent risk behaviors and how best to coordinate preventative strategies for the growing generation.

From the report, parents can understand just exactly how many teenagers are engaging in risky behavior regarding substance abuse. In addition, the report also indicates the number of adolescents who will use an illicit substance for the first time. On any given day during 2008, an average of 7,540 adolescents consumed alcohol for the first time, 3,845 smoked cigarettes for the first time, 2,466 abused a prescription drug for the first time, and 4,365 used any illicit substance for the first time. Overall, 10.2% of teenagers aged 12–17 drank alcohol for the first time in 2008, and 6.0% used an illicit substance for the first time.

To combat these averages and help lower risk, more prevention and treatment programs for adolescents should be implemented or existing programs and resources should be improved. In 2008, the report estimates that 141,683 adolescents were admitted to substance abuse treatment programs. In an average day of 2008, 76,484 teenagers aged 12–17 received outpatient treatment, 9,219 received non-hospital residential treatment, and 762 received hospital inpatient treatment. The majority of adolescent treatment facility admissions were referred by the criminal justice system. The most commonly treated substance of abuse among adolescents was marijuana (with an average of 263 admissions per day) and alcohol (with an average of 76 admissions per day).

Most jarringly, the report estimates that almost 25 million admissions to emergency departments were adolescents aged 12–17 that year, with 169,600 visits pertaining to drug-related emergencies. Alcohol remained the most common substance related to adolescent emergencies, followed by marijuana and prescription drugs. Unintentional injury remains the leading cause of death among American teenagers—including misuse or abuse of licit and illicit substances. Most disturbing about the rate of American teenage deaths is that the overwhelming majority of them are considered preventable. Drug overdose has never been higher before in the U.S. than it is today. Regarding the entire U.S. population, 26,400 accidental overdose deaths took place in 2006. This figure, which is more than five-fold the overdose death rate of 1990, is primarily due to the surge in prescription drug abuse among the American population.

For the younger age groups in the U.S., accidental overdose has become the second leading cause of unintentional death, following motor vehicle fatalities. Substance abuse among adolescents is not only a common fatal risk behavior, but it costs the nation billions of dollars every year in direct and indirect costs—with the financial burden falling on American families of all socioeconomic backgrounds.

"This will give 13 and 14-year-olds a rare and hard-hitting insight into a world that very few people know about," said Gareth Bayley Hughes, the coordinator with the Ynys Môn Community Safety Partnership, which has teamed up with the Choose Life Project.

"The Choose Life volunteers will be using their own personal experiences to highlight the dangers of getting involved in drugs and alcohol abuse and the negative effects they have on the lives of individuals, their families, communities and society in general," he added.

As part of the program, students are given a chance to watch the Choose Life play, which was written by a group of prison inmates and based on their own introduction to alcohol and drugs.

The program also involves discussion sessions with other groups, including the Ynys Môn and Gwynedd Youth Justice Service, Anglesey’s Road Safety Team, and North Wales Police.

"Anglesey, like every other county, has its concerns about drugs and alcohol abuse,” said Anglesey counselor William Hughes.

"This new educational pilot will allow us to highlight the dangers associated with substance misuse,” Hughes said, adding that the volunteers’ personal accounts would show students that drugs and alcohol can destroy lives.

"By hearing their stories, and input from the other partner organizations, we’ll be able to bring home these key messages to our young people," he added.

Hughes said that if the project was a success, the hope was to extend the program to other secondary schools across Wales.