A study conducted by the University of Pittsburgh has found that substance abuse disorders in teenagers are strong predictors that the teens will die at a younger age, possibly before the age of twenty-five.

"Previous studies have shown that many teens who engage in alcohol and drug use and other high-risk behavior believed they would die within two years. 'Unfortunately, this insight on the part of some teens apparently does not eliminate these problem behaviors,' said Dr. Clark."

Researchers followed 870 teens for eight years, to track behavior and mortality. Twenty-one of those teenagers, about 2 percent, died when or before they were twenty-five. Males accounted for 14 of these deaths, which translates to a 10-percent mortality rate for males with substance abuse disorders. Source: Medical News Today

Learn more about the long term effects of binge drinking and alcohol abuse at http://www.drugrehabtreatment.com/effects-of-binge-drinking.html.

Labels: death, early_drinkers, predictors

A concerned parent wrote a letter to the Philadelphia Inquirer about a string of graduation parties he attended at which the graduates and their friends were given easy access to alcoholic beverages. The parties, he wrote, confirmed for him the findings of a recent study by the U.S. government which noted that many young people get alcohol from parents and other adults.

"'In far too many instances parents directly enable their children's underage drinking - in essence encouraging them to risk their health and well-being,' Acting Surgeon General Steven K. Galson said in a statement. 'Proper parental guidance alone may not be the complete solution to this devastating public health problem - but it is a critical part.'"

Some parents who approve of drinking at home may think they're protecting their kids from drinking and driving, but what they're really doing is encouraging drinking outside the home as well. A teenager who thinks his parents approve of his drinking is far more likely to partake at parties and other gatherings where parents aren't present.

Labels: parental_involvement, parties

The term "alcoholic" means different things to different people. For example, some individuals can abuse alcohol without becoming dependent (dependency being the traditional threshold for alcoholism). In other cases, opinions vary on what, exactly, indicates dependency. To avoid these inconsistencies, and to ensure standard definitions across the profession, most medical personnel refer to the Diagnostic Statistical Manual.

"The criteria for [alcohol dependence] reflect that the patient is physiologically dependent upon alcohol, and would suffer alcohol withdrawal symptoms when he stops drinking. To be diagnosed with Alcohol Dependence, one must meet three [out of five] criteria."

The five criteria referenced in the DSM excerpt above include the following:

• Alcohol withdrawal symptoms
• Alcohol tolerance
• Alcohol taken in larger amounts over a longer period than intended
• Persistent desire or unsuccessful effort to cut down on alcohol consumption
• Increased time spent attempting to obtain alcohol

Source: Marin Independent Journal

Labels: alcohol, dependency, diagnosis

Most of the news coming from the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse indicates that marijuana use is down among teenagers. But one startling figure shows that use among eighth graders has increased by 27 percent between 1992 and 2007.

"There's also a 188 percent increase in the number of teens admitted into treatment programs with marijuana as the primary addiction .... and there's no easy answer to the problem."

One preventative measure is to ensure that children have more to do than go to school and come home. Extracurricular activities give them constructive and enjoyable things to do with their time, thus decreasing the chances that they'll turn to drugs or alcohol out of boredom. Source: Fox28 News

Labels: marijuana, pressure, prevention

A new Canadian law gives police permission to test drivers for both alcohol and drug use when impaired driving is suspected. The law, titled the Tackling Violent Crime Act, went into effect July 2, 2008.

"The new legislation empowers Canadian police who suspect a driver of being impaired by any drug, illegal, prescription, or over the counter, to conduct a Standardized Field Sobriety Test, a roadside test of physical coordination. If found to be impaired, the driver must submit to a mandatory Drug Evaluation and Classification (DEC) assessment...."

A DEC assessment is an hourlong 12-step process that is conducted by a Drug Recognition Expert. The law also includes new penalties, including a minimum $1,000 fine for the first offense, and no less than 30 days in jail for the second. Source: CNW Group

Labels: canada, drunk_driving, sobriety_test

Thanks to $600,000 from the U.S. government, the Martinsville City Schools in Virginia will be starting an Alcohol Abuse Reduction Program. The federal grant will help fund increased prevention and counseling services in city schools.

"After three years of the Alcohol Reduction Program in Martinsville schools, officials aim for a 37 percent overall decrease in substance abuse, reductions in negative attitudes and behaviors, and increased decision-making and resistance skills."

The grant money will also fund two new positions in the schools and several new programs. One of the programs, Positive Action, has been used in other districts, which have reported drops of up to 71 percent in drug, alcohol and tobacco use as a result of the initiative. Source: Martinsville Bulletin

Labels: counseling, prevention, schools

Amy Winehouse is in the news again, this time for being rushed to the hospital where she was reported to be coughing up blood. She is the latest in a series of stars whose "fast and furious" lifestyle is seductively appealing to many people - primarily young fans.

"The idea that some spirits burn too fiercely, consuming themselves in their own flames, is incredibly seductive to the people least likely to know better, by which I mean the young. As you get older, you start to question all that romantic nonsense and see such deaths for what they really are: a tragic waste."

The danger inherent in Winehouse's lifestyle is that, without ever realizing it, she may take others down with her. The singer is admired by many young people who don't view her as someone who makes reckless and destructive choices, but rather as a person who is living with an all-out passion. Source: Belfast Telegraph

Labels: celebrities, influences, media