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Learn proven parenting skills that prevent underage drinking.

What comes to your mind when you hear the word “alcoholic” or “addict?” Do you think of simply a social outcast; or do you think of anyone who may be affected by addiction, from teens to college students; from homemakers to licensed professionals from every walk of life?Well, if you can envision a chronic brain disease that can affect anyone at any time - you can understand what addiction looks like today.

It is a disease of epidemic proportions that kills more people than all other chronic illnesses put together. We all know that addiction is a serious disease, that it can strike anyone, and that it destroys lives and families.

But how do you know if you or someone you care about has crossed the line and needs help? When do change from just being a user of a substance to being an addict? To answer this we asked Dr. Scott Davis, the Inpatient Medical Director at the Betty Ford Center. He provided seven important warning signs that suggest a problem with addiction may exist, and I’d like to share them with you now.

1) INCREASED TOLERANCE- By “tolerance” we mean that as one becomes accustomed to drinking more or using more drug over a longer period of time, the body quickly adapts to it. It takes more and more just to reach the same high. As tolerance to a drug grows, problems also develop in a person’s relationships with family, friends, and in their workplace. 

2) WITHDRAWAL- A person’s body may become so dependent on alcohol or other drugs such as tranquilizers or painkillers that it actually needs them to function normally. In these cases, when the drinking or drug use is stopped, physical signs of withdrawal can be seen. A person can look tired or sleepy- as in withdrawal from cocaine or amphetamine. Withdrawal from alcohol, tranquilizers, and opiates can cause very dramatic signs, such as tremors of the hands and tongue, sweating, pinpoint-sized pupils, and excessive yawning. Stomach problems such as nausea and vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal cramping can be part of this picture. 

3) Drinking or drug use in much larger amounts or for longer time than intended. Here as a person becomes more tolerant to the effects of alcohol or a drug, they lose that ability to set limits on how much they will use. 

4) A persisting desire to cut down or control the use of the drug, usually unsuccessfully. This is akin to an alcoholic or addict pushing down on the brakes of a runaway problem. They just can’t stop. 

5) Much more time is spent getting the drug, using it, or recovering from the effects of it. It comes to consume a person’s life. 

6) Activities that the alcoholic or addict once enjoyed are given up and replaced by their drinking or drug use. We know that continued drinking and drug use can cause many very serious physical and psychological problems; even heart attacks, strokes, depression and suicide. 

7) The drinking or drug use continues despite these serious physical and psychological problems developing because of it. A person’s health literally takes a backseat to their runaway addiction. Addiction is a very serious, and often deadly, chronic disease. But with early recognition, as we have discussed, very effective treatment is available today. Depending on the type and severity of the addiction, treatment options can range from individual therapy, to intensive outpatient programs; even to residential inpatient treatment facilities designed to treat more advanced cases. If you see any of these seven warning signs, please seek help immediately from your primary doctor or an addiction specialist experienced in diagnosing and treating alcoholism and other addictive disorders.

resource

In 2005, three quarters of new smokeless tobacco users were male, and more than half were under age 18 when they first tried it. 

3% of middle school students and 6% of high school students use smokeless tobacco.

As late as 1999, tobacco companies placed in-store advertising signage at a child’s eye level.

In just one year, cigarettes leave about 12,000 kids motherless. That's 33 mothers a day.

Every day, about 3,900 youth ages 12 to 17 try a cigarette for the first time.

1 out of 3 smokers begin smoking before the age of 14.
The majority of smokers begin before the age of 18 (80% before age 18, 90% before age 20). 

32% of White middle school students who smoke use light cigarettes. 
46% of White high school students who smoke use light cigarettes.
35% of Hispanic high school students who smoke use light cigarettes.


http://www.thetruth.com/facts/useFulCig/

 Marijuana is the most widely used illicit drug used by teens today.

 Approximately 60 percent of the kids who use drugs use only marijuana. Of the 14.6 million marijuana users in 2002, approximately 4.8 million used it on 20 or more days in any given month (Kids and Marijuana).

   The marijuana that is available to teens today is much stronger than the marijuana that was available in the 1960’s. Sometimes it is also laced with other, more potent drugs. Marijuana is physically addictive. Each year, 100,000 teens are treated for marijuana dependence. Teens who smoke marijuana heavily experience much the same symptoms of withdrawal as users of nicotine.

   The University of Michigan’s Monitoring the Future study, which assesses drug and alcohol use among American youth, reported substantial increases among eighth, tenth, and twelfth graders from 1992 to 1997. These statistics show a disturbing national trend in the increase of marijuana use by teenagers (Facts about Marijuana Use).

   Between 1991 and 2001, the percentage of eighth graders who used marijuana doubled from one in ten to one in five. Kids are using marijuana at an earlier age. Research indicates that the earlier teens start using marijuana, the more likely they are to become dependent on this or other drugs later in life. Of teens admitted for treatment for marijuana dependence, 56 percent had first used the drug by fourteen years of age, and 26 percent had begun by twelve years of age (Kids and Marijuana).

   According to the 1998 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA), marijuana was the most frequently used drug of choice by teens. The NHSDA also reported that teens using marijuana on twelve or more days during the past year, 58 percent of them had one problem that they related to their marijuana use, 41 percent had two problems, and 28 percent had at least three problems that they related to their marijuana use. From age 12 to age 13, the proportion of teens who say they could buy marijuana if they wanted to more than triples, from 14 to 50 percent. Also the percentage of teens who say that they know a student at their school who sells drugs almost triples, from eight percent to 22 percent (Psych Central).

   There are many reasons why some teens start smoking marijuana. Many kids start using because their older siblings or friends are consuming it in front of them. Often peer pressure plays a major role. Teens think it’s cool to use marijuana; they see their favorite movie stars smoking it in movies and their favorite bands sing songs about it. The problem becomes more severe when teens start relying on marijuana and think that they need it to escape from problems at school, home life, or with friends.

   Some of the signs teenagers exhibit when using marijuana are: dizziness and trouble walking, red bloodshot eyes, trouble remembering things that just happened, and they often appear silly and giggly for no apparent reason. The way marijuana affects each teen depends on several factors including:
•    How strong the marijuana is;
•    What the user expects to happen;
•    Whether the user is drinking alcohol or using other drugs;
•    The user’s previous marijuana consumption;
•    Where the drug is used

Some teens feel no effects from marijuana the first few times they smoke it. Others may feel relaxed and somewhat giddy. Quite often marijuana makes the teen feel very hungry and thirsty. Others can sometimes experience bad effects from marijuana. They may become highly paranoid or have feelings of anxiety or dizziness (N.I.D.A.).

   Regular marijuana users often develop breathing problems, such as chronic coughing and wheezing. Marijuana contains the same cancer causing chemicals as tobacco. The amount of tar inhaled by marijuana smokers and the level of carbon monoxide absorbed by those who smoke marijuana are three to five times greater than among tobacco smokers.

   The active ingredient in marijuana is THC (tetrahydrocannabinal). The behaviors exhibited by introducing THC to the brain are similar to those demonstrated by alcohol consumption. Marijuana can induce several emotional responses such as relaxation, introspection, feeling “in tune” with the world, and irrationality.

   The teen drug abuser attempts to reconcile his basic urges with the demands of reality through the use of marijuana and other drugs. This behavior is directed toward the pursuit of pleasure and reduction of pain. If and when the teen seeks treatment, they are often underdeveloped emotionally, academically, and vocationally (Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, pg. 350).

   The use of marijuana by teens can affect school, sports, and other activities; marijuana also affects memory, judgment, and perception. Teens who smoke marijuana on a regular basis start to lose interest in their appearance and how they are doing in school, at work, and at home.

   The short-term effects of marijuana include memory problems, distorted perception, trouble problem solving, and loss of motor coordination. Marijuana has a strong odor that clings to teens’ hair and clothing and can remain on their breath despite efforts to mask it. The reactive properties of marijuana aren’t like other drugs. Not much is known for sure about the physical mechanisms of addiction and withdrawal. Some claim that marijuana is totally non-addicting, while others say that it is just as addicting as other substances.

   Since the reasons for marijuana addiction among teens are unclear, it is impossible to assess whether or not they may become hooked until it has already happened. Research has now established that marijuana is addictive. Every year more teens enter treatment with the diagnosis of marijuana dependence than for all other illicit drugs combined. Sixty percent of teens admitted for drug treatment say marijuana is their primary drug of choice.

   Researchers have found that heavy marijuana use impairs teenagers’ ability to retain information and concentrate. Regular marijuana use has been shown to be associated with poor academic performance. This is of a huge concern during teens’ peak learning years, as their brains are still developing. There is an association between an increase in marijuana use and a decrease in the likelihood of attaining at least a high school education. Students who smoke marijuana are more than twice as likely to cut class that those who don’t smoke.

   Teens get a mixed message about marijuana, but the message needs to be clear. Marijuana is an illegal substance that affects teens in many harmful ways. It is very important to begin taking with kids about it by at least twelve years of age. Magazines or newspaper articles are often a good place to start your discussion about drugs. Teens need to be told clearly and often that using marijuana and other illegal substances carries significant health, safety, and legal risks (Kids using Marijuana).



Works Cited

Bratter, Thomas E., and Gary G. Forrest. Alcoholism and Substance Abuse – Strategies     for Clinical     Intervention, New York: The Free Press, 1985.

“Facts about Marijuana use” Psych Central. 6 Feb. 2001. 17 Dec. 2004
   http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http://psychcentral.com%2Flibrary%2Fsa_factsin.html

“Kids and Marijuana” Marijuana Prevention Initiative. 13 Sept. 2003. 17 Dec. 2004
   http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http://www.mediacampaign.com%2Fmarijuana%2Fkids_and_marijuana.html

“Kids Using Marijuana” Kids Using Drugs. Oct. 2003. 17 Dec. 2004
   http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http://www.drugfreeatlast.com%2Fkids-marijuana.html

“Marijuana Facts for Teens” N.I.D.A. 13, May 2003. 17 Dec. 2004
   http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http://www.nida.nih.gov%2Fmarij%2FBroch%2Fteenpghtml

Drinking alcohol negatively affects students’ academic performance.

➾ Students with high truancy rates were far more likely than students with low truancy rates to be drinkers or to get drunk. 3

➾ Heavy drinkers and binge drinkers ages 12 to 17 were twice as likely to say their school work is poor than those who did not drink alcohol in the past month. 4

➾ High school students who use alcohol or other drugs frequently are up to five times
more likely than other students to drop out of school. 5

➾ Among eighth graders, students with higher grade point averages reported less
alcohol use in the past month. 6

➾ Students drinking alcohol during adolescence have a reduced ability to learn,
compared with those youth who do not drink until adulthood. 7

➾ In a national survey of over 55,000 undergraduate students from 132 two and
four-year colleges in the United States, 23.5 percent of students reported performing
poorly on a test or assignment, and 33.1 percent said they had missed a class
due to alcohol use in the previous 12 months.  8

➾ College students who were frequent binge drinkers were eight times more likely than non-binge drinkers to miss a class, fall behind in schoolwork, get hurt or injured, and damage property. 12

1 Brown SA, Tapert SF, Granholm E, et al. Neurocognitive functioning of adolescents: effects of protracted alcohol use. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 24(2):164-171, 2000.
2 Swartzwelder HS, Wilson WA, Tayyeb MI. Age-dependent inhibition of long-term potentiation by ethanol in immature versus mature hippocampus. Alcohol Clin
Exp Res 19(6):1480-1485, 1995.
3 O’Malley PM, Johnston LD, Bachman JG. Alcohol use among adolescents. Alcohol Res Health 22(2):85-93, 1998.
4 Greenblatt JC. Patterns of alcohol use among adolescents and associations with emotional and behavioral problems. Office of Applied Studies Working Paper.
Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2000.
5 The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University. Malignant Neglect: Substance Abuse and America’s Schools. New York: Columbia
University, 2001.
6 O’Malley, et al. Alcohol use among adolescents.
7 Swartzwelder, et al. Age-dependent inhibition.
8 Core Institute. 2000 Statistics on Alcohol and Other Drug Use on American Campuses. Carbondale Il: Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, 2000.
9 Wechsler H, Dowdall G, Maenner G, et al. Changes in binge drinking and related problems among American college students between 1993 and 1997: Results of
the Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study. J Am Coll Health, 47(9):57-68, 1998.

Springtime means it's time for prom, graduation parties and time for parents to be more present than absent.Studies show that spring is the time alcohol use and experimentation increases among teens.Since April is Alcohol Awareness Month, why not take time to consider what can be done to prevent alcohol abuse in our families and in our community? Here are some steps you can take to improve our community where alcohol use is concerned:

1 Communicate! Most teens (seven out of 10) want their parents to talk to them about not using alcohol. Results from the "MOST of US" study done with youth in the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation brought up this point.2 Don't serve alcohol to minors and don't purchase it for them. Many teens report they obtain alcohol at home first. Many report that an older sibling or friend is the one to purchase it for them.

3 Model responsible drinking in your home. If teens see their parents drinking to "unwind" but don't see other ways to cope with stress, they are more likely to assume drinking is the best way to de-stress. Parental "partying" in front of youth or with youth also sends mixed signals.

4 Don't host a youth party at your home where alcohol is provided. Many parents view this as responsible behavior and a "safer" way to let kids have a little fun. Remember serving alcohol to minors is illegal and parents will be held accountable.

5 Realize one of the reasons underage drinking is illegal: The teen brain isn't fully developed until the early 20s. As the prefrontal cortex develops and teens are able to reason better they are better equipped with cognitive reasoning and abstract thinking skills. Truncating this crucial growth only takes away from the potential of our youth.

6 Talk to your kids about their future plans and help them stay involved in positive things they enjoy. Both communication and activities are strong methods of prevention within the home.

7 Look for other adults you trust who your kids can talk to and listen to. When there's tension between you and your teens, find others to help out. A neighbor, friend, coach, teacher or counselor would most likely be glad to help.

8 Look for ways to be involved in the community to reduce the accessibility of alcohol. Keep abreast of all the different ways alcohol is marketed to youth. Spend one day counting how many ads you see that target youth for substance use and you'll be amazed.

9 Don't be a dropout parent! Parents of teens often decrease involvement. This is a time to be involved more rather than less. Involvement and supervision are key protective factors.

Myth: Drinking is just a phase all kids go through; they’ll grow out of it.

Fact: Many don’t grow out of it. Those who start drinking before they’re 21 are more likely to drink more later in life versus those who do not drink until they are 21. And, they continue this pattern through their 20s.

And while we wait for them to “grow out of it”, they’re:

dying in car crashes (an average of eight American youth under age 21 die every day in alcohol-related crashes);
getting hurt in accidents such as falls, burns, and drowning;
contracting sexually transmitted diseases;
becoming teenage parents;
committing crimes (physical assault, sexual assault, vandalism, robbery, theft, homicide, etc.);
becoming physical and sexual assault victims; and
costing society a considerable amount of money.

A person’s brain does not stop developing until his or her early to mid-20s and adding alcohol to the mix is a recipe for disaster.

The brain goes through dynamic change during adolescence, and alcohol can seriously damage long- and short-term growth processes. Frontal lobe development and the refinement of pathways and connections continue into the mid-20’s. Damage from alcohol at this time can be long-term and irreversible. 

In addition, short-term or moderate drinking can impair learning and memory far more in youth than in adults. Adolescents need only drink half as much as adults to suffer the same negative effects.

About 45% of those who die in crashes, involving a drinking driver under the ages of 21, are people other than the driver.

Currently, 372 schools and 16 conferences have signed a pledge to eliminate alcohol ads from college sports.
Link to a list of the supporting