Posted by fredjoiners on November 3, 2009
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.
Posted in Cannabis, Drugs, Families, Harm Reduction, Health, Marijuana, Medication, Opiates, Research reports, Smoking, Youth, alcohol | Tagged: illicit, parents, rules, student, teens | Leave a Comment »
Posted by fredjoiners on August 29, 2009
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.
See also;
Posted in Alateen, Cannabis, Drugs, Eating Problems, Families, Gambling, Marijuana, Research reports, Sexuality, Youth, alcohol | Tagged: daughter, peer pressure, sex, Smoking, son, teen, Vulnerable Teens | Leave a Comment »
Posted by fredjoiners on June 7, 2008
Recovery Focused Approach to Tackling Drug Use in Scotland
Scotland’s first national drugs strategy The Road to Recovery: A New Approach to Tackling Scotland’s Drug Problem was launched on May 29, 2008. The Government believes that preventing drug use is more effective than treating established drug problems and that treatment services in Scotland should be based on the principle of recovery.
The key priorities are:
- better prevention of drug problems, with improved life chances for children and young people
- more people recovering from problem drug use
- communities that are safer and stronger places to live and work
- ensuring that children affected by parental substance use are safer
- improving the effectiveness of delivery at a national and local level
The Government’s vision for how drug treatment services in Scotland should be delivered is based on the principle that recovery should be the explicit aim of all services providing treatment and rehabilitation for people with problem drug use.
‘Recovery’ is the principle that people suffering from problem drug use should receive support which does more than just reduce the immediate risks and harms of addiction. Individuals become active participants in their own care, moving forward in the hope and belief that they will get better.
What do we mean by recovery?
We mean a process through which an individual is enabled to move on from their problem drug use, towards a drug-free life as an active and contributing member of society. Recovery is most effective when service users’ needs and aspirations are placed at the centre of their care and treatment. There is no right or wrong way to recover.
The Road to Recovery sets out the Government’s vision of recovery as an achievable goal for people with problem drug use and the actions it intends to carry out to promote a shared understanding of how to promote and support recovery. These include establishing and supporting a ‘recovery network’, building the capacity of services which can help services users choose the treatment that is right for them, and ensuring that the principles of recovery are reflected in the reform of delivery arrangements and in training and workforce development programmes.
Posted in Comorbidity, Doctors, Drugs, Dual Diagnosis, Harm Reduction, Health, Marijuana, Recovery, Research reports, Training, addiction, alcohol, treatment | Tagged: Scotland | Leave a Comment »
