Blog Entries

Questions Adolescents Have About Alcohol

aotate1@gmail.com — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 01:00:00 +0100

Recently, the National Institute on Drug Abuse hosted its first-ever "Drug Facts Chat Day." The institute invited middle- and high-school students from across the country to submit questions about alcohol, drugs, addiction, and related issues. The questions were then answered by some of the nation's top experts in substance abuse. "[Q} Would a kid get drunk or high faster than an adult? [A] You bet. A drug can have a larger effect on a child for many reasons. One reason is tha [...]

Some Teens Use Asthma Inhalers to Get High

aotate1@gmail.com — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 01:00:00 +0100

About a fourth of teen delinquents who have prescriptions for asthma inhalers over-use them to get high, according to a study from the University of Michigan. Another 33% abuse inhalers, even though they do not have a prescription for them.

Researchers studied 723 adolescents in residential treatment centers, found that abuse of inhalers was widespread, and linked to increased psychiatric distress. This study appears in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence.

Drug Sniffing Dogs in Desert Schools

aotate1@gmail.com — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 01:00:00 +0100

The Desert Sands Unified School District board, located in the Palm Springs area of Southern California, will soon be voting on whether or not they will allow drug-sniffing dogs in local middle and high schools. Administrators, teachers, and parents are battling a rise of reported incidents of student drug possessions.Proponents of the idea say using drug-sniffing dogs "gives parents, teachers and law enforcement officers another opportunity to nip drug use in the bud - while kids are still [...]

Teens Can Easily Get Whatever Drug They Want

aotate1@gmail.com — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 01:00:00 +0100

The teenager that once openly shared the details of his life, now takes to locking his bedroom door. He begins sleeping in late and goes about the house with a glazed look. There are suddenly new friends on the scene but you don't know their names or their numbers.

Help Your Child Choose the Right Friends

aotate1@gmail.com — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 01:00:00 +0100

Over the years, research has overwhelmingly indicated that most young people start using drugs and alcohol in response to peer pressure. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration has a "family" page on their web site that's specifically designed to help parents help their children choose friends."Help your child learn what qualities to look for in a friend, and advise him about what to say if offered harmful substances."The web page list several articles to hel [...]

Out of the Mouth of Babes

aotate1@gmail.com — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 01:00:00 +0100

At the tender age of five, Frankie Santa Cruz was doing things his parents should have been doing; changing diapers, making bottles, and taking care of his siblings. His parents, strung out on meth, werenâ€™t able to do these things, so Frankie had to step in."He recalls how his parents spent most of their time in the bathroom, leaving him to feed, clothe and care for his brothers and sister."Frankie and his siblings were removed from the home in 2003. Today, they' [...]

Calhoun County Takes Prescription Drug Abuse Seriously