Clear Messages Reduce Teen Drug Use

Students With Parents Who Set and Enforce Clear Rules are Less Likely to Report Illicit Drug Use

Youths whose parents set clear rules for them are less likely to report using illicit drugs, according to data from the 2008-09 PRIDE Survey. Middle and high school students* whose parents set clear rules for them “a lot” or “often” were less likely to report using illicit drugs in the past year (12% and 21%, respectively) than students whose parents never set clear rules (49%). Similar results were found for having parents who punish them for breaking these rules (data not shown). Previous studies have found that youths living in households where parents kept track of their whereabouts and set curfews were less likely to report heavy drinking.

 

 

SOURCE: Adapted by CESAR from PRIDE, Questionnaire Report for Grades 6 to 12, 2008-09 National Summary – Grades 6 thru 12, 2009. Available online at http://www.pridesurveys.com/customercenter/us08ns.pdf.

Drugs and Kids: How Parents Can Keep Them Apart by Gary L. Somdahl

Raising a Peer Pressure-Proof Child

Teen Peer Pressure: Raising a Peer Pressure-Proof Child

Learn what kinds of peer pressure teens face, who’s most vulnerable, and how to help your son or daughter resist.

Remember when your teenager took her first steps as a toddler? You hovered behind her — back bent, arms spread — prepared to catch her should she fall. Much as you might like, you can’t shadow your adolescent as you did back then, being there to break her fall when she missteps.

But, say experts, there are steps you can take to support your adolescent in the face of teen peer pressure. Follow them and you’ll rest easier when your teen heads out of the house on a Friday night.

Teen Peer Pressure: What’s Being Pushed?

Here are some findings from recent surveys.

• Smoking. By the time adolescents are just 13, one in five has tried smoking.
• Alcohol use. Two-thirds of teens between the ages of 14 and 17 have tried alcohol. Of teen boys who have tried alcohol, 20% did so by the time they were 12. Episodic, or binge drinking, is also fairly common. Of the adolescents aged 12 to 17, one in four said they’d had five or more drinks consecutively within the past month. Almost a quarter of drinkers aged 16 to 21 admitted to driving after drinking.
• Drug use. Slightly more than 25% of adolescents aged 14 to 17 have used illegal drugs. One-third of young adult marijuana users aged 18 to 21 started using the drug by the time they turned 14.
• Sex. About one in every three kids aged 14 to 15 has had sexual intercourse. Of sexually active teens, almost 30% used no birth control during their last sexual encounter.

Other subjects in this article include;

• Identifying Vulnerable Teens
• Why Teens Fall Prey to Peer Pressure
• Making Your Child Resilient to Teen Peer Pressure

In spite of adolescents’ vulnerability and the strong influence of peers, parents can exert a positive influence on their adolescents’ decision-making processes, offering them ways to combat the effects of peer pressure. Experts explain how. Strategies include;

• Keep communication lines open
• Practice peer pressure scenarios
• Listen to your teen’s perspective
• Keep inviting your kids into your life
• Think beyond punitive responses

This article has some excellent proven strategies and can be found at; Raising Peer Pressure Proof Teens.

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Surviving Peer Pressure for Teens by Sara Jane Sluke, Hilary Cherniss, Sara Jane Sluke Hilary Cherniss

Friends, Cliques, and Peer Pressure: Be True to Yourself (Teen Issues) by Christine Wickert Koubek

See also;

• A Problem Shared is a Problem Halved
• Adolescent Children of Alcoholics
• Adults give booze to kids
• Alcoholic Family Roles
• Is Your Teen Using Drugs or Drinking?

Alcohol & Addiction News

7 Ways to Give An Apology & 4 Ways to Accept One

• Apologizing is hard, but so is accepting an apology gracefully.

Substance Abuse, Schizophrenia And Risk Of Violence

• A new study demonstrates that there is an association between schizophrenia and violence, but shows that this association is greatly increased by drug and alcohol abuse. Importantly, the study also finds that the risk of violence from patients with psychoses who also have substance use disorder is no greater than those who have a substance use disorder but who do not have a psychotic illness.

Russia’s president calls time on vodka "disaster"

• Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Wednesday called time on the country’s vodka tipplers, saying alcoholism had become a "national disaster." Medvedev said measures aimed at reducing binge drinking had not reduced alcoholism in Russia, where downing vast amounts of vodka at one sitting is an integral part of national culture.

Charity warns over child drinkers

• Fewer children are drinking but those who do are downing more than every before, the charity Alcohol Concern warns.

1m Scots drinking at danger levels More than a million Scots are…

• More than a million Scots are drinking alcohol at hazardous or harmful levels, a report has revealed.

Help an Alcoholic 3

• Don’t nag, criticize, preach, or complain
• Many say that nagging, begging, confiscating liquor, and sorrowfully reminding the person of the night before are to little or no avail.
• One alcoholic attests, "The more I was urged to cut back or quit, the more I denied I had a problem. My advice is, ’Don’t push.’

Excessive Drinking Can Damage Brain Regions Used For Processing Facial Emotions

• Heavy, constant drinking damages the brain in many different ways, including difficulties in perception of emotional expressions. Brain-imaging findings show that abstinent alcoholics have decreased activation in the amygdala and hippocampus regions of the brain when viewing faces with emotional expressions. Misreading facial cues can escalate conflict and difficulties, impaired social interaction and continued drinking.

Not all addicts incapacitated

• In fact the greatest number of addicts in our society are "functional" addicts. They can regulate when they ingest their drugs of choice, which enables them …

Don Shenker: We need action to shield children from alcohol

• Last month’s statistics from the NHS revealed the true extent of children’s drinking in England and a worrying pattern which has emerged over recent years. (The Yorkshire Post)

Scottish Rehab Treating Child Alcoholics as Young as 9 Years Old

• Counsellor Francesca Martin, who works with children and families hit by long-term alcoholism, said a lot of kids have self-esteem issues and use drinking as …

Prescription "Sharing" Among Teens Widespread, Dangerous

• A new study shows that one in five U.S. adolescents "lends" or "borrows" diverse prescriptions, with consequences that are sometimes dangerous or even deadly.

Effective Weed Control: A guide for people trying to cut down or stop using cannabis

• This self-help guide is for people who are having problems with their cannabis use and want to do something about it [Turning Point, Australia]

Police get tough on ‘all you can drink’ promotions

• Bars and clubs which offer ”all you can drink” promotions have been told they could face losing their licences by Devon and Cornwall police. (The Telegraph)

A Place Called Self: Women, Sobriety and Radical Transformation by Stephanie Brown

Gifts of Sobriety: When the Promises of Recovery Come True by Barbara S. Cole

Alcohol Top Problem Facing Communities

Survey Finds Alcohol Top Problem Facing Communities

According to Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) 2007 Annual Survey of Coalitions, 68 percent of community anti-drug coalitions across the country ranked alcohol as the number one problem facing their community. The Annual Survey of Coalitions (formerly known as the National Coalition Registry) is the only nationwide survey that targets community-based drug and alcohol abuse prevention organizations.

In the 2007 Survey, marijuana came in at a close second, with 60 percent of community groups ranking it as among the top five major problems in their areas. Other substances cited among the top five concerns include tobacco, methamphetamine and prescription drugs. Coalitions also consider binge drinking as one of the issues that they struggle with in their communities, confirming what several other nationwide studies have shown.

“It’s no surprise that our members are seeing big problems with youth alcohol use in their communities. The findings from our Annual Survey of Coalitions reflect those of other major national surveys that show alcohol use as the number one abused substance, followed by cigarette smoking and marijuana use,” noted General Arthur T. Dean, CADCA Chairman and CEO.

CADCA’s Web-based survey is conducted annually to identify the major issues facing community coalitions and to understand how coalitions work in their communities. Participants are asked a wide range of questions, such as the substance abuse issues facing their communities, the activities they use to address those issues and the organizations and agencies that help them in their efforts. The survey also asks for descriptive information, such as geographic target area, budget size and coalition membership, offering a picture of what typical community coalitions look like. In 2007, 700 coalitions participated in the survey.

When asked what major partners help them tackle their community’s problem, 88 percent said law enforcement was one of their strongest allies, 86 percent said parents and 81 percent cited the faith community.

Full story at; Coalitions Online

See also;

• AA and Treatment Work Better Together
• Current Social Problems
• If you have healthcare training this manual may help.
• Subscribe to Alcohol Self-help News by e-Mail

Is Your Teen Using Drugs or Drinking?

Action for Parents

Despite all of your efforts to keep your kids drug-free, one day you might suspect that your son or daughter is using drugs or alcohol. Perhaps you have found an odd-looking pipe in his room, cans and bottles in the car or rolling papers in her laundry. Or you overheard a conversation not meant for you. Whatever the signal, your gut instinct has been activated. How do you know if you need to do anything? What do you do now? Where do you turn for help?

Every day, approximately 4,700 American youth under age 18 try marijuana for the first time. That is about equal to the enrollment of six average-sized U.S. high schools. In 2003, nearly nine out of 10 twelfth graders reported marijuana as being accessible.

By the time they finish the eighth grade, approximately 50 percent of adolescents have had at least one drink, and more than 20 percent report having been “drunk.”

Drug and alcohol use by teens increases the risk of addiction and can change the developing brain for life.

Despite these statistics, one thing remains true:

Parents are the most important influence in a teen’s decisions about drug use. You can and do make a difference. If you suspect or know that your child is using drugs, take action now, because the longer you wait, the harder it will be to deal with your child’s drug use.

Especially for Parents

• www.TheAntiDrug.com is an online service of the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign that offers resources, information and facts for parents.
• www.laantidroga.com is the Spanish online service of the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign and offers resources, information and facts for parents.
• www.drugfreeamerica.org/Parents_Caregivers is an online service of the Partnership for a Drug-Free America that offers tips and information for parents and caregivers.