How to recognize teen drug use

As parents, we say that we want to know everything about our children but we are often uncomfortable or choose to ignore certain attitudes and behaviors in hopes of preserving peace in the family. We rationalize to ourselves that it is just a phase our teenagers are going through and will grow out of. By doing this we often overlook the warning signs that identify teen drug use.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>How to Recognize the Signs of Teen Drug Use</strong></span><br /><ol><li>Observe the appearance and personal hygiene of your teen. Consider whether it has changed. Drug abusers often stop caring about their appearance and personal hygiene.</li><li>Monitor school grades of your teen. Drug abusers lose the ability to focus and their grades begin to drop.</li><li>Question unexplained weight loss in your teen. Drug abusers often experience weight loss. Determine if your child has been ill or recently began a new physical activity or diet. If not, weight loss is certainly a cause for concern.</li><li>Discover who your teen is friends with. Drug abusers often change friends because their old friends don't understand or approve of their drug use.</li><li>Examine the spending habits of your teen. Ask yourself if your teen suddenly needs extra money for lunch, school activities and such. Drug abusers can never get enough and need more and more money to support their habit.</li><li>Scrutinize any sneaky, deceptive behavior of your teen, like lying about where she is going and who she is with. Drug abusers know that drug use in unacceptable, especially to parents so they try to hide any and all evidence.</li></ol><strong><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Tips & Warnings:</span></strong><br /><ul><li>If any of these warning signs seem to apply to your teen it is time for you, as a parent, to take a closer look.</li><li>If several of these warning signs apply to your teen, intervention is necessary immediately.</li><li>Teen drug use often begins months, or even years, before parents actually become aware of it.</li><li>The consequences of teen drug use can be devastating, possibly even fatal.</li></ul>

How to recognize teen drug use

As parents, we say that we want to know everything about our children but we are often uncomfortable or choose to ignore certain attitudes a...

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Sleep, Lack of equals risk to your teen!

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgju-aPWD5G_JTjY3vS5_TVxZni50y87KcesPYv9rnNjmHn0HhIa44LCcZTZSWz1YBncygH-RF18pCqOj7mibnnKqRVlxM6zm7xKE6jc0BVcsp0Jj8WJy8n5YgQLBzw2v3sZZnM5A7aLz91/s1600/teensleep.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="135" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgju-aPWD5G_JTjY3vS5_TVxZni50y87KcesPYv9rnNjmHn0HhIa44LCcZTZSWz1YBncygH-RF18pCqOj7mibnnKqRVlxM6zm7xKE6jc0BVcsp0Jj8WJy8n5YgQLBzw2v3sZZnM5A7aLz91/s200/teensleep.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>A <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2011/a0926_insufficient_sleep.html?s_cid=2011_a0926_insufficient_sleep.html">study </a>conducted by the Centers for Disease Control reported that two-thirds of adolescent students reported not getting enough sleep on school nights, which may possibly contribute to a number of risky health behaviors.<br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div>The study was based on the information recorded in the <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/yrbs/index.htm">2007 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS),</a> just under 70% of students surveyed said they got less than eight hours of sleep nightly. The study researchers believe that the lack of sleep was associated with an increased risk of a number of unhealthy behaviors including drug and alcohol use, physical inactivity, and suicidal thoughts. This was revealed in the report released in the authors wrote in Preventive Medicine.</div><br /><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6_my-yi2iDqzIozhPyJTal7KGqCaqONoTc4pQ31AcHOPx2IyF0iIBkEWFtIRtED9MwkAGh-2JuGuYt7mboeXpZJEqtsfwhEZfkPX2Vlk_sKvxbEab-Aqhtw1cervhZ_nF_lMTWKS0cxOi/s1600/A0023-Teens-and-Risky-behavior_leader.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6_my-yi2iDqzIozhPyJTal7KGqCaqONoTc4pQ31AcHOPx2IyF0iIBkEWFtIRtED9MwkAGh-2JuGuYt7mboeXpZJEqtsfwhEZfkPX2Vlk_sKvxbEab-Aqhtw1cervhZ_nF_lMTWKS0cxOi/s200/A0023-Teens-and-Risky-behavior_leader.jpg" width="200" /></a> </div>The cross-sectional survey included responses from 12,154 high school-age (grades 9 to 12) adolescents attending public or private high school from the 50 states and District of Columbia on health risk behavior and hours of sleep nightly.<br /><br /><div></div><br /><div>Of students who responded, 68.9% get less than the recommended eight hours of sleep a night.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Compared with students who slept eight or more hours a night, those who were sleep deprived were at higher odds for: </div><br /><ul><li>Current use of cigarettes (age-adjusted odds ratio 1.67, 95% confidence interval 1.45 to 1.93)</li><li>Current use of marijuana (AOR 1.52, 95% CI 1.31 to 1.76)</li><li>Current use of alcohol (AOR 1.64, 95% CI 1.46 to 1.84)</li><li>Current sexual activity (AOR 1.41, 95% CI 1.25 to 1.59)</li><li>Serious suicidal ideation (AOR 1.86, 95% CI 1.60 to 2.16)</li><li>Sad or hopeless feelings (AOR 1.62, 95% CI 1.43 to 1.84)</li><li>Getting in one or more physical fights in a year (AOR 1.40, 95% CI 1.24 to 1.60)</li><li>Less than one hour of physical activity daily for five or more days a week (AOR 1.16, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.29)</li><li>Use of computer for non-school activities for three or more hours a day (AOR 1.58, 95% CI 1.38 to 1.80)</li><li>Drinking soft drinks one or more times a day (AOR 1.14, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.28)</li></ul><br /><div>McKnight-Eily and colleagues attributed the higher likelihood of risky behaviors in the sleep-deprived adolescents to a lowered ability to comprehend consequences of their actions or higher susceptibility to peer pressures.</div><br /><div></div>The authors also noted that the combination of lack of sleep and substance use can be detrimental to concentration, alertness, vigilance, and coordination, which may lend itself to further risky behavior. Parental control, or lack thereof, and psychiatric problems are also associated with heightened risk, the researchers wrote.<br /><br /><div></div>The 2007 survey had an 81% school response rate, 84% student response rate, and a 68% overall response rate. Of the total responding student population, 13% failed to submit a response to the hours-of-sleep-nightly question.<br /><br /><div></div><br /><div>The authors noted that the study was limited by the cross-sectional design and that the results represented students who attend private or public school only</div><div></div><div><br />source: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091743511002878 <br /><br /><br /><br /></div>

Sleep, Lack of equals risk to your teen!

A study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control reported that two-thirds of adolescent students reported not getting enough sleep on sc...

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Teachable Moments about Drug Use

<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhil3472MflN_b3uni1I3XSp0Rp25kq1fKrDXNhOEiRs9tfVMEeKDT7QfAhI_RLg9Bx3gezk8f2xcYlq-Gk6KB19LyYkloARFTgBj_2RETXZxWA4po8x6nChIN6C_3GMy-vQ0d7JEKhth_c/s1600/pd_mom_talking_teen_080303_ms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhil3472MflN_b3uni1I3XSp0Rp25kq1fKrDXNhOEiRs9tfVMEeKDT7QfAhI_RLg9Bx3gezk8f2xcYlq-Gk6KB19LyYkloARFTgBj_2RETXZxWA4po8x6nChIN6C_3GMy-vQ0d7JEKhth_c/s200/pd_mom_talking_teen_080303_ms.jpg" width="200" /></a>Having trouble talking to your teen about the risks of drugs and alcohol? Here are five everyday examples of easy ways to bring up the topic. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><ul style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /><br /><li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><u>Fictional Character</u></strong> -You just took your teen to a PG-13 movie in which one of the main characters drinks and smokes excessively. It’s a good thing you insisted on tagging along, because now you have the opportunity to discuss the film—especially that lead character’s addiction—with your teen. Did your son think the main character’s drug use was cool or did he recognize that she had a problem? </li><li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhm4TL_wQe9qqFH-WEAP08IE_CWXnNoLSH_gIUS58En6qWD64ieoGHf1o6NvyO0PGM2ByXODdbyxwdRmwNHolWuhXfnG8PQS3ZFbImd0Zl0PO_lfbrTon1YEsC1aTxnWez9m86WEkwtBfv/s1600/hdr-parentingAdvice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="176" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhm4TL_wQe9qqFH-WEAP08IE_CWXnNoLSH_gIUS58En6qWD64ieoGHf1o6NvyO0PGM2ByXODdbyxwdRmwNHolWuhXfnG8PQS3ZFbImd0Zl0PO_lfbrTon1YEsC1aTxnWez9m86WEkwtBfv/s200/hdr-parentingAdvice.jpg" width="200" /></a><strong><u>Movie Star</u></strong> - Your daughter reads every magazine she’s in, owns all her movies, and has her posters taped to her wall. So what happens when her magical movie star goes to rehab for the third time? When that famous face graces the cover of Us Weekly, ask your daughter why she thinks Britney or Lindsay or Paris or whoever it may be this week is such a cool person. If your daughter only cares about her expensive clothes and good looks, remind her that her role model should also be someone who drinks responsibly and either doesn’t do drugs or has taken the initiative to get help for her drug problem. </li><li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><u>Professional Athlete</u></strong> - For as long as you can remember, you’ve taught your daughter that “cheaters never win.” Unfortunately, this holds true when her favorite athlete is in the news for taking drugs. Ask your daughter how she feels about professional athletes using illegal substances of any kind and point out how much it can hurt a person’s career and reputation —especially when they get caught. </li><li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuv_ii45btbio_QIxbYZVahbQcTfjcHrM6dPo0KA-4V0xbF4Rc9P9rrkDEYVBl1Tc-ORfj6td5rs6oA1650jP9X8Znn5JSOMlo3M8yBtcnlZQo4WfNXnvHteO6egQnLi9WMHUhxtr5CVP3/s1600/Woman-and-girl-in-discussion_Black_249x148.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="118" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuv_ii45btbio_QIxbYZVahbQcTfjcHrM6dPo0KA-4V0xbF4Rc9P9rrkDEYVBl1Tc-ORfj6td5rs6oA1650jP9X8Znn5JSOMlo3M8yBtcnlZQo4WfNXnvHteO6egQnLi9WMHUhxtr5CVP3/s200/Woman-and-girl-in-discussion_Black_249x148.jpg" width="200" /></a><strong><u>Classmate</u></strong> - You don’t need a movie star to get the conversation going with your teen. Two kids in your son’s school each received a DUI over the weekend — and they had other friends in their car when it happened. A lot can come out of this conversation — why drunk driving is so dangerous, the consequences of getting caught, and why you never want your son to get into a car with a friend who’s been using — no matter what. </li><li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><u>Relative</u></strong> - Substance abuse issues can often hit close to home, and it’s important that we’re open and honest with our kids when it happens. I f you can, tell them all the details about your relative who is struggling. Explain why there’s a problem and how you, as a family, are going to do what you can to support one another through this tough time. If your teen isn’t asking a ton of questions, that’s okay—he might be feeling uncomfortable about the topic. It might help to emphasize that while addiction can wreak havoc on a person’s life, it is always possible for him or her to make a recovery with the support of friends and family.</li></ul>

Teachable Moments about Drug Use

Having trouble talking to your teen about the risks of drugs and alcohol? Here are five everyday examples of easy ways to bring up the topic...

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Finaly some good Prevention News

<br /><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiuy7B7NwZb0ZpKDWXhKoDsy2CZ_FMY5idINPZ4jWhp1pngdavvM92NABjn7s9c3bPAcD-oyDKsopMkevnC9lV910hQXSv2iyfd3qiR80EJG9M3h5pZo5fVRx48cHPDXuJ4VAL0499ttXj/s1600/crystal-meth-pipe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="187" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiuy7B7NwZb0ZpKDWXhKoDsy2CZ_FMY5idINPZ4jWhp1pngdavvM92NABjn7s9c3bPAcD-oyDKsopMkevnC9lV910hQXSv2iyfd3qiR80EJG9M3h5pZo5fVRx48cHPDXuJ4VAL0499ttXj/s320/crystal-meth-pipe.jpg" width="320" /></a>The National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators (NADDI) – a nonprofit organization that facilitates cooperation between law enforcement, healthcare professionals, state regulatory agencies and pharmaceutical manufacturers in the prevention and investigation of drug diversion – today released the following statement in response to a survey by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) showing the number of past-month methamphetamine users declined from 731,000 in 2006 to 353,000 in 2010:</div><br /><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">"News that the number of methamphetamine users across the nation has declined so substantially demonstrates that the real-time, stop-sale system enacted in 19 states is working. With only two states having put in place prescription-only mandates, it is clear that electronic technology is stopping criminals from obtaining safe and effective medicines containing pseudoephedrine, which in turn is dramatically dropping the number of meth users," said Charles Cichon, executive director of the National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators (NADDI). "As state leaders consider policies that impact the access law-abiding citizens have to popular and reliable medications, they should consider this newly-released data as it validates that a common sense yet effective approach can be implemented to combat meth production and abuse."</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div>About NADDI - The National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators (NADDI) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that facilitates cooperation between law enforcement, healthcare professionals, state regulatory agencies, pharmaceutical manufacturers in the investigation and prevention of prescription drug abuse and diversion. NADDI also sponsors and conducts specialized educational seminars and conferences.<br /><br />SOURCE National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators

Finaly some good Prevention News

The National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators (NADDI) – a nonprofit organization that facilitates cooperation between law enforce...

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Parent Tips: Competing with your child's friends!

How as a parent can you compete with what “cool” friends dictate? Peer pressure can impact many areas of your child’s life, from how to dress, what brand of clothes to wear, or what new electronics are must haves. The potentially harmful peer pressure such as drug, alcohol, gang activity and other criminal activities is something everyone from teen to parent will have to deal with.<br /><br /><br /><div></div>Complications to the experience for parents can occur when they do not understand the depths to which these pressures go.<br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><strong>The use of Cigarettes and Alcohol</strong><br /><br /><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Cigarettes and alcohol will most likely be some of the first areas in which a teenager will face peer pressure. The constant exposure facing teens through media which glamorizes smoking and drinking in movies and television can cause a desensitization of the stigma associated with smoking and drinking. Because of this imagery bombardment many teenagers are shown only the more enjoyable, sometimes fun sides of these habits, rarely are they exposed to the negative sides of alcohol and tobacco. 40% of high school students have tried cigarettes.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2dZkpDKXkYA_i-MEk7JPBdlAbD_W_n65pWyS5-pxg8f5J4kojv6zGcNx_N0rfMrF6Nd7GgRxNQPWnlZpafKUNJOvUVgRtAiSz1w6R7VasaUH5DU_qyRZE9KGxAXYN0B0rdmca9ZyxbStL/s1600/teenager-smoking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2dZkpDKXkYA_i-MEk7JPBdlAbD_W_n65pWyS5-pxg8f5J4kojv6zGcNx_N0rfMrF6Nd7GgRxNQPWnlZpafKUNJOvUVgRtAiSz1w6R7VasaUH5DU_qyRZE9KGxAXYN0B0rdmca9ZyxbStL/s200/teenager-smoking.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div></div>High school years are very competitive and where your teenager stands on the “it” scale with the rest of his/her peers is very important to any teen. To be considered a “loser” is one of their biggest fears.<br /><br /><div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6VOjAcyvncs9eYeGw0QCoYurAh6AwKJJEtTAC09Rh901iStKaYxSBSRQyx1zpWd6ftNnvisNRBJatUoFt_RbPUjVh0Qi1rU7TTsdhuAlCLOotvrl3bBRtO4wRUTD4JEPhAuyCc6j8d2nn/s1600/teen-drinking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="143" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6VOjAcyvncs9eYeGw0QCoYurAh6AwKJJEtTAC09Rh901iStKaYxSBSRQyx1zpWd6ftNnvisNRBJatUoFt_RbPUjVh0Qi1rU7TTsdhuAlCLOotvrl3bBRtO4wRUTD4JEPhAuyCc6j8d2nn/s200/teen-drinking.jpg" width="200" /></a>To avoid this label, teens sometimes will portray an image of being tough, rebellious, and uncontrolled by their parents, and smoking and drinking are the easiest ways to declare their independence.</div><br /><strong>Sexual Activity</strong><br /><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0N4RwCDTgxNKfQUK1cxVMyYQ3BAwxlNgHp4C9WOPkiXmQ-bnmqn9t6nkNGhrjLuB5qXEpAUtR3C6qh-_yWR1q3VBXojlH8lcKQMvYITFOcrFWX1c_oXYjhDrjKNJyOhySxMMHS7NNOTzc/s1600/sex_ed5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0N4RwCDTgxNKfQUK1cxVMyYQ3BAwxlNgHp4C9WOPkiXmQ-bnmqn9t6nkNGhrjLuB5qXEpAUtR3C6qh-_yWR1q3VBXojlH8lcKQMvYITFOcrFWX1c_oXYjhDrjKNJyOhySxMMHS7NNOTzc/s200/sex_ed5.jpg" width="200" /></a>Every year the age at which teenagers begin having sex gets younger and younger. A recent report released by the <a href="http://www.suntimes.com/news/7280420-418/survey-has-disturbing-stats-about-suburban-teens.html">Cook County Department of Public Health</a>. Showed just how active sexual activity is in teens, some 37% of teens say they have tried sex. Of that number 61 % were African Americans, 49% were Hispanic and 24% were Caucasians. What is even more shocking is that 7% report that they were physically forced to have sex against their will. Some girls feel pressured into having sex in order to be popular or liked by boys. Boys who are not willing to have casual sex with several girls are considered weak.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Oral sex has become very popular among teens due to their belief that oral sex isn’t serious because there is no risk of pregnancy.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Be open with your teenager about all forms of sexual intercourse. Explain that there are other reasons not to become sexually involved too early. Besides worrying about pregnancy and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases and AIDS, remind your teenager that he/she also needs to consider pride and self-respect.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>Drugs</strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">A more dangerous and potentially life-threatening pressure teens face is drugs. Teens have recently been bombarded with the issue of Marijuana. The question of Medical Marijuana has created a state of ambiguity amongst teens. If it is safe why can’t they try it? In fact, in the last two years that this debate has occurred over Medical Marijuana it directly coincides with two years of flat reduction in Marijuana use by teens. Marijuana is an inexpensive drug in today’s society, and most teenagers do not consider it harmful. Some believe it does not cause addiction, and teens don’t realize that it is the gateway to other drugs like cocaine, heroin, or methamphetamine. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZnduwIR7Nhh6K16MG9Ihyphenhyphenlc-yGZRMB5_2eRuRE4U1NRAXp0pXTEXIUaZcwEdEX5_Gu4PFmJ_Rn3rylYy2EeIvGM80TJqmf3EoWNvs_6sImE7ckaw01FNM1I8eagqJDH-R9bVGfiOu90UX/s1600/s-TEEN-DRUG-USE-large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZnduwIR7Nhh6K16MG9Ihyphenhyphenlc-yGZRMB5_2eRuRE4U1NRAXp0pXTEXIUaZcwEdEX5_Gu4PFmJ_Rn3rylYy2EeIvGM80TJqmf3EoWNvs_6sImE7ckaw01FNM1I8eagqJDH-R9bVGfiOu90UX/s200/s-TEEN-DRUG-USE-large.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">One of the biggest issues facing teens when . Teens don’t understand that one does not have to be a regular user in order to become addicted, especially when it comes to cocaine.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Parents need to be able to recognize signs of drug use in order to protect their child from becoming addicted to drugs, or to intervene if necessary. The longer a teen is using drugs, the harder it will be to stay sober after treatment.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> Reasons that put your teen at higher risk to give into peer pressure:</div></div><ul><li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Low self-importance</li><br /><li>Lack of confidence</li><br /><li>No particular interests or hobbies</li><br /><li>Feeling isolated from family</li><br /><li>Curiosity</li><br /><li>The need to “Fit In”</li><br /><li>Being made fun of or called a “loser”</li><br /></ul><br /><div>  <strong>Combating peer pressure</strong></div><br /><div></div><div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBSZMbHXNoUIEBLLidHlHRyrS8gZcmKLveehx9Pzmmetbf76Kf2QUpTyBlbwjRGGcHa1bqghatdumwzk-0CXYigrh7ZFjMRXJUQz8ZqmQk7b5CodKyZ3HDjSjH2VX1hUOpPKVAZW7vHTsn/s1600/imagesCADL1VJ9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBSZMbHXNoUIEBLLidHlHRyrS8gZcmKLveehx9Pzmmetbf76Kf2QUpTyBlbwjRGGcHa1bqghatdumwzk-0CXYigrh7ZFjMRXJUQz8ZqmQk7b5CodKyZ3HDjSjH2VX1hUOpPKVAZW7vHTsn/s200/imagesCADL1VJ9.jpg" width="200" /></a>Teenager’s may need encouragement to get involved in activities where he/she can find friends whose outlook and character are in line with your family's values. Do not be afraid to suggest activities or groups to them. Many teens are hesitant because they are not sure that they will enjoy it, sometimes they need coaxing.</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div></div><br /><div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Together, your teen and his/her friends can give moral support to each other which will make it much easier to resist negative peer pressure. Helping your teen learn to stand up for themselves and saying "no," will give them the courage to do the same thing and help others.</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">  </div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Discuss events, actions and their consequences often. Taking the time to help your teen work through these events will help your child to make the right choices when the situation arises.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div></div><br /><div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyVtUp7oQ92e9Rn3GphTgd2cE8jSi_ksgkZUZ6hOvgivQR7iu6tyNuOcNLcIzB_ErhZIc7xGLrZBqyMwabZp-u6eet9rLbwl4lo2q0ZEl4lWrCzTTDO1-jiu3uIl_0GF4PoqaIGczOZR_A/s1600/peer_pressure.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="143" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyVtUp7oQ92e9Rn3GphTgd2cE8jSi_ksgkZUZ6hOvgivQR7iu6tyNuOcNLcIzB_ErhZIc7xGLrZBqyMwabZp-u6eet9rLbwl4lo2q0ZEl4lWrCzTTDO1-jiu3uIl_0GF4PoqaIGczOZR_A/s200/peer_pressure.jpg" width="200" /></a>As parents we sometimes do not believe our children value our opinion, but the opposite is true, they do place a high value on it, however, how we apply it is usually where the message gets missed. Your teen is well aware of what you consider acceptable behavior, your value system, and the rules and limits you have set for your teen.</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">  </div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Telling your teenager not to give into these peer pressures will have little or no effect. Threats and punishment by parents put additional pressure on teenagers. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">  </div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>Tug-of-War</strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div></div><br /><div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Teens are faced with a constant tug of ware between parents and peers. This can be a harrowing time for a teen. As a parent try to avoid or ease the stress of this tug of war by conveying to your teen that you understand the pressures he/she is facing. Offer open discussions about situations and incidents - without the threat of punishment or judgment. </div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Telling your teen you care about them is paramount. You should try to foster a strong relationship based upon trust and respect. It is important that if your teen feels uneasy or unsure about doing something their friends suggest, he/she is probably about to do something that is wrong, maybe illegal and could possibly have a lasting negative effect on their life.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div></div><br /><div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> Helping your teen realize that the desire to fit in and not being called a loser is important and you understand that, but that they need to set a limit to how much influence his or her friends will place on your teens actions and potentially their future.</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div></div>

Parent Tips: Competing with your child's friends!

How as a parent can you compete with what “cool” friends dictate? Peer pressure can impact many areas of your child’s life, from how to dres...

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Drug Alert: Bath Salts

Another drug new drug to be concerned about for parents is "bath salts" This new over the counter drug are being sold with names like “Ivory Wave,” “White Lightning” and “Hurricane Charlie.” But these typical average bath salts that you pour into the bathtub to soak in after a long, hard day to relax – these so-called bath salts are intended to be snorted, smoked or injected – and users are getting high off of them.<br /><br /><br />The $20 packets are available in corner stores, truck stops and on the Internet, and marketed as bath salts or sometimes plant food and come with the (often-ignored) disclaimer, "not for human consumption." They're not subject to regulation even though they contain various potent chemicals, including mephedrone, which is a stimulant. <br /><br />The powders often contain mephedrone and methylenedioxypyrovalerone, also known as MDPV, and can cause hallucinations, paranoia, rapid heart rates and suicidal thoughts, authorities say. The chemicals are in products sold legally at convenience stores and on the Internet as bath salts and even plant foods. However, they aren't necessarily being used for the purposes on the label.<br /><br />There are reports all over the country of people experiencing extreme psychotic episodes. "It's a derivative that's very similar to amphetamines, and its side effects are largely the same side effects we see with amphetamines in large dose," said Jeffrey Baldwin, professor of pharmacy practice and pediatrics at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, which seems not to have experienced this scourge -- at least not yet. "Those side effects would be increased heart rate and blood pressure, not sleeping, not eating and eventually becoming paranoid."<br /><br />"If you take the very worst of some of the other drugs -- LSD and Ecstasy with their hallucinogenic-delusional type properties, PCP with extreme agitation, superhuman strength and combativeness, as well as the stimulant properties of cocaine and meth -- if you take all the worst of those and put them all together this is what you get. It's ugly," added Ryan, who recounted some harrowing stories. <br /><br />"The psychosis is impressive," he said.<br /><br />Once an addled user gets to the emergency room, they're not controllable with normal sedatives such as Valium, even in high doses, Ryan noted. <br /><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgScIbeClV-vkIpMrymGbmis0-n-GcQdifQpHKeHSAXxPDA7f1Kl5fRGLf73r4Liau1P6NFgBXNunvqfHtZq8eesBAuK-f3xL-AyhOmhmcxooPwYdoFxIcrv1DDheh8aAOZW0bBx6NLb7LL/s1600/Bath-Salts-Lines.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgScIbeClV-vkIpMrymGbmis0-n-GcQdifQpHKeHSAXxPDA7f1Kl5fRGLf73r4Liau1P6NFgBXNunvqfHtZq8eesBAuK-f3xL-AyhOmhmcxooPwYdoFxIcrv1DDheh8aAOZW0bBx6NLb7LL/s320/Bath-Salts-Lines.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">And when doctors try to wean patients off stronger sedatives or even anti psychotic medications, they just become uncontrollable again. "The longest I heard was someone who was sedated for 12 days and the psychosis came right back," Ryan said. "The huge concern is the possibility that some of these effects could be permanent. We don't know because we've never tested it on humans." </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">At least with older drugs, sedation works and the patient returns to "normal," at least until they hit the streets again. </div><br /><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Gary Boggs, an executive assistant at the DEA, said there's a lengthy process to restrict these types of designer chemicals, including reviewing the abuse data. But it's a process that can take years.</div><br /><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Dr. Mark Ryan, director of Louisiana's poison control center, said he thinks state bans on the chemicals can be effective. He said calls about the chemicals have dropped sharply since Louisiana banned their sale in January.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Ryan said cathinone, the parent substance of the drugs, comes from a plant grown in Africa and is regulated. He said MDPV and mephedrone are made in a lab, and they aren't regulated because they're not marketed for human consumption. The stimulants affect neurotransmitters in the brain, he said.</div><br /><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">"It causes intense cravings for it. They'll binge on it three or four days before they show up in an ER. Even though it's a horrible trip, they want to do it again and again," Ryan said.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Ryan said at least 25 states have received calls about exposure, including Nevada and California. He said Louisiana leads with the greatest number of cases at 165, or 48 percent of the U.S. total, followed by Florida with at least 38 calls to its poison center.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Dr. Rick Gellar, medical director for the California Poison Control System, said the first call about the substances came in Oct. 5, and a handful of calls have followed since. But he warned: "The only way this won't become a problem in California is if federal regulatory agencies get ahead of the curve. This is a brand new thing." </div><br /><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">In the Midwest, the Missouri Poison Center at Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center received at least 12 calls in the first two weeks of January about teenagers and young adults abusing such chemicals, said Julie Weber, the center's director. The center received eight calls about the powders all of last year.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Dr. Richard Sanders, a general practitioner working in Covington, La., said his son, Dickie, snorted some of the chemicals and endured three days of intermittent delirium. Dickie Sanders missed major arteries when he cut his throat. As he continued to have visions, his physician father tried to calm him. But the elder Sanders said that as he slept, his son went into another room and shot himself.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">"If you could see the contortions on his face. It just made him crazy," said Sanders. He added that the coroner's office confirmed the chemicals were detected in his son's blood and urine.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Sanders warns the substances are far more dangerous than some of their brand names imply.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">"I think everybody is taking this extremely lightly. As much as we outlawed it in Louisiana, all these kids cross over to Mississippi and buy whatever they want," he said.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">In northern Mississippi's Itawamba County, Sheriff Chris Dickinson said his office has handled about 30 encounters with users of the advertised bath salts in the past two months alone. He said the problem grew last year in his rural area after a Mississippi law began restricting the sale of pseudoephedrine, a key ingredient in making methamphetamine.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsU3i1B4QiKP4kKTHSwsMkNV7GWb7QfpWnPEbECdF8Fb6ona_fxMIu6vt4povx7FDABsGNexaRzPsCPAdwfRpVtJhjCn7gQ1qy6V_BZ46dbk9q6t_l78-cTaDOIINCCkZaRsiwTPmkyiwe/s1600/ivorywave.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsU3i1B4QiKP4kKTHSwsMkNV7GWb7QfpWnPEbECdF8Fb6ona_fxMIu6vt4povx7FDABsGNexaRzPsCPAdwfRpVtJhjCn7gQ1qy6V_BZ46dbk9q6t_l78-cTaDOIINCCkZaRsiwTPmkyiwe/s1600/ivorywave.jpg" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Dickinson said most of the bath salt users there have been meth addicts and can be dangerous when using them.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">"We had a deputy injured a week ago. They were fighting with a guy who thought they were two devils. That's what makes this drug so dangerous," he said.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">But Dickinson said the chemicals are legal for now, leaving him no choice but to slap users with a charge of disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Kentucky state lawmaker John Tilley said he's moving to block the drug's sale there, preparing a bill for consideration when his legislature convenes shortly. Angry that the powders can be bought legally, he said: "If my 12-year-old can go in a store and buy it, that concerns me."</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Illinois has recently banned the sale and possession of the substance.</div>

Drug Alert: Bath Salts

Another drug new drug to be concerned about for parents is "bath salts" This new over the counter drug are being sold with names l...

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Parents: Drug Awareness Series

As part of our ongoing effort to educate and raise awareness to the public and parents about the dangers of drugs we will be running a multi-part series on abused drugs over the next several months.  In light of the report released in December 2010 <a href="http://monitoringthefuture.org/">Monitoring the Future</a> public perceptions are changing in regards to risk and harm of particular drugs.<br /><br />There is also much in fact and myth surrounding many drugs that the teens, parents and the public are not aware.  It is through this series that we will be putting the spot light upon drugs that are available and out there and the risks to them. <br /><br />Look for information to come forward about<br /><ul><li>Alcohol</li><li>Marijuana</li><li>Cocaine & Crack</li><li>Heroin</li><li>Prescription Medications</li><li>Methamphetamine</li><li>Ecstasy MDMA</li><li>Ketamine</li><li>LSD</li><li>K2 (Spice)</li><li>Salvi</li><li>and much more</li></ul>Each series will provide information about patterns and trends as well as about common pathways to use of each particular of drug. In addition, resources will be provide to allow teens, educators and parents on where to turn to get help in addressing this issue.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color: red;">Part 1: Why young people try Illegal Drugs?</span></strong>

Parents: Drug Awareness Series

As part of our ongoing effort to educate and raise awareness to the public and parents about the dangers of drugs we will be running a multi...

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Children and Drugs

By Dr. Richard Wilmot<br /><br />Whenever a politician wants to rouse the public to champion a policy all he or she has to do is invoke the name of children: "it's all about the children"; "it's for our children,"   "it's to protect the children." There is a lot of hypocrisy and disingenuousness attached to such an invocation, as poverty and the lack of health care - two of the most manifest endangerment to children - seem to be perennially ignored.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Likewise, if one wishes to provoke intense public scrutiny all one has to do is mention children and drugs in the same sentence. If they are so juxtaposed, then the link between them had better emphasize their contrast and conflict. There is nothing good to say about the use of drugs by children ... except by children themselves and only when adults are not present. Perhaps we should put down the Ritalin and simply listen to them. <br /><br />Of course children know better than to say anything to an adult that could in anyway be construed as favorable towards drugs. Although among themselves, they will reveal their true feelings. It is too dangerous to talk frankly with an adult about drugs. There are sanctions. There is pain and punishment ... hurt feelings. Why bother? And it is just such a conspiracy of silence and self-censorship that places us in the position we are today: awash with drugs and drug problems with only cliches to say out loud about them.<br /><br /><br /><br />We are now engaged in yet another war - a civil war (for the children) against drugs, except it appears that the "enemy" is becoming a little more devious, a little more stealthy, and is hiding in common, ordinary household products and personal grooming aids such as finger nail polish and nail polish remover, spray paint, marking pens, spray on solvents, and whip cream dispensers. These are the products used in inhalant abuse, and although one does not necessarily need to be a child to use them, it is understood that a troublesome percentage of both adolescents and preadolescences do so.<br /><br /><br /><br />Who is this enemy in these products that threaten our children? NIDA director Nora Volkow, MD, identified the enemy in her article "Youth and Inhalant Abuse" - the enemy is the "quick high" (Volkow, 2006). <br /><br />Tell us more about this "quick high" threat to our children. But alas, throughout the remainder of the article, "quick high" is never mentioned again. Perhaps that is because of the profane reputation of the word "high" itself. It is really a "quick (& dirty) high".<br /><br /><br /><br />Be that as it may, now that the "enemy" has been identified, let us bring on the war! What should be our weapons to keep children off inhalants? Aerosol sprays, propellants, and solvents are not good things to inhale; on that we can all agree. However to ban such products because of their possible abuse would be absurd. It is incredulous to consider the makers of glue, shoe polish, paint thinner or gasoline as drug pushers. So the weapon of prohibition seems out of the question. What about propaganda? Perhaps if children knew just how bad it was for both their mental and physical health, they would cease and desist. Yet, as Volkow points out, studies indicate that users report that they "abuse inhalants in spite of known negative consequences." And after a lengthy description of just how negative those negative effects can be, Dr Volkow concludes with this prevention tip: "A solution to this problem ... aims to educate children and others about the dangers and risks involved." In other words: more propaganda about the negative effects of "huffing," "snorting" and "bagging" that children, as Volkow reports, do not listen to anyway (Volkow, 2006).<br /><br /><br /><br />How can we get the children to listen?  Perhaps we should listen to them, and if not through words, at least from a different angle - through their actions (i.e., behaviorally).<br /><br /><br /><br />Dr. Volkow made the comment:  "It is difficult to understand why anyone would stuff a solvent-soaked rag in their mouth, and begin huffing the concentrated vapors." Perhaps the reason has to do with that "quick high" mentioned at the beginning of her article.<br /><br /><br /><br />When Sigmund Freud first proposed "infantile sexuality" his conjecture was considered absurd. Nowadays, childhood erotica is viewed as a normal part of psychological development and genital manipulation is observable behavior in infants. Our knowledge about psychoactive drugs and particularly drug use by children seems to be at a similar parochial stage of understanding as was sex at the turn of the last century.<br /><br /><br /><br />However, just as Freud postulated sex as a universal drive, many experts in the field of drug studies are beginning to recognize that "getting high" is also a universal drive. Ronald Siegel, Andrew Weil, Stuart Walton and others have observed that "getting high" or altering one's consciousness is an evolutionary inevitability having to do with our human biology.  To paraphrase Siegel: "getting high" is as natural as falling in love (Siegel, 1989).<br /><br /><br />Weil also calls our attention to the natural orientation of children to alter their consciousness:<br /><br />The desire to alter consciousness is an innate psychological drive arising out of the neurological structure of the human brain.  Strong evidence for this idea comes from observations of very young children, who regularly use techniques of consciousness alteration on themselves and each other when they think no adults are watching them.<br /><br /><br />These methods include whirling until vertigo and collapse ensue, hyperventilating and fainting.  Such practices appear to be universal, irrespective of culture, and present at ages when social conditioning is unlikely to be an important influence (two and three years old).  Psychiatrists have paid little attention to these activities of all children.<br /><br /><br /><br />Freud noted them and called them 'sexual equivalents' which they may be, although that formulation is not very useful. (Weil, 1972).<br /><br />In his book Out of It (2002), Walton describes the death of a 15-year-old boy at Eton College resulting from a game of recreational asphyxiation, which had been all the rage in Britain's famous public school. In this asphyxiation game, intelligent adolescents from functional homes choked each other into unconsciousness by tying cloth cords around each other's necks and tightening them until one's playmate collapsed. When asked to explain the reason for such behavior one of the participants said: "The attraction was that it was something different. It makes you feel abnormal."<br /><br /><br /><br />Spinning until dizzy or asphyxiating until close to passing out and experiencing the disorientation and hilarity that such an altered state can produce are the same motivational triggers for doing drugs, whether it be inhaling nitrous oxide from an empty whip cream dispenser or smoking marijuana. The need to alter one's consciousness is a perfectly natural drive. When children attempt to "get high" they are doing something natural. They are playing. Adults who use spinning to promote spiritual mysticism (Sufi Dervishes) or enhance their sexual foreplay through erotic asphyxiation are using a child's game to do the same thing: alter their consciousness.<br /><br /><br /><br />If we can view a child's motivation for getting "high" as part of a universal desire to alter consciousness, we will have a better understanding of how to deal with abuse. What the child is doing is natural, but the tools he or she may be employing may be dangerously inappropriate. Approached in this way, we will have a better rapport with the child, and on that basis, be better informed as to what our children are doing.  No longer do we have to threaten the child by saying: "What in the hell are you doing that for or why in the hell are you taking that stuff." Such a prohibitive reaction simply 'shouts' down further communication. We can bypass the inquisition because we will already know. We can then say: " I know how you feel when you do this or take that ... this is natural ... I'm just concerned you might hurt yourself. Here is why."<br /><br /><br /><br />In conclusion, it should be noted that one of main propellants used in aerosols is nitrous oxide, considered the most abused of all other gases. William James, the father of modern American recovery psychology, used nitrous oxide himself in his experiments on human consciousness. He titrated his dose and created for himself a uniquely religious experience that he wrote about in his now classic work The Varieties of the Religious Experience.<br /><br /><br />Do children have such experiences themselves when they ingest such drugs as nitrous oxide? Perhaps it is time that we ask them. Maybe the answer to childhood drug abuse is to begin a dialogue with children on drugs that recognizes the fact that what they are doing is natural (not necessarily pathological or immoral) but also can be dangerous, and that our concern is over the danger and not about the alteration of consciousness itself.

Children and Drugs

By Dr. Richard Wilmot Whenever a politician wants to rouse the public to champion a policy all he or she has to do is invoke the name of chi...

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Fitness helps you fight: Drug Dependence

<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIJuwM6clVcdAxIZ_PbCGkf1LFpUeYz6wXsGMYJ4860jjQgh6K4uOhWvDFjDoQ_NS6PSS8haHd5moR5f7iVj0Ye7ugtjM5z3-P1kqX1biHXhlTY9n2cJB3hVGazkjnT4MPp-i8JZkV1QZg/s1600/teen+fitness.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIJuwM6clVcdAxIZ_PbCGkf1LFpUeYz6wXsGMYJ4860jjQgh6K4uOhWvDFjDoQ_NS6PSS8haHd5moR5f7iVj0Ye7ugtjM5z3-P1kqX1biHXhlTY9n2cJB3hVGazkjnT4MPp-i8JZkV1QZg/s320/teen+fitness.jpg" width="320" /></a>Research recently conducted by Davidson College demonstrates that the benefits of regular exercise include lowered dependency to become addicted to illegal drugs.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><br />According to Associate Professor Mark A. Smith, the results show that exercise can help prevent drug addiction. Smith said his research gave scientific validity for a long-standing suspicion among drug abuse researchers that exercise plays a role in helping people avoid and overcome drug addiction.<br /><br /><br />The research is based upon two years of study with three Davidson student research assistants. They compared the tendency to self-administer cocaine between two groups of rates. One group of rates lived in laboratory cages equipped with running wheel, and the other group lived in a standard cage with no wheel. During six weeks, the rats in the wheel cages increased their running to about 10 kilometers per day, while those without wheels not no exercise at all. <br /><br />At the end of the six weeks, all the rats were connected to infusion pump that would provide a dose of cocaine if they pushed a lever in their cage. However the number of pushes necessary to deliver a dose increased geometrically for each subsequent does.<br /><br />The researchers found that fit rats abandoned the task quicker than those who were sedentary. Those rates who ran the farthest abandoned the task at a lower number of pushes than their fellow exercising rates.<br /><br />According to Smith exercise works because both exercise and illicit drugs prompt the same release in the brain of the euphoria-inducing protein dopamine. Long-term exercise alters the number of dopamine receptors in the brain, meaning the drugs have less of a euphoric effect.<br /><br /><br />Smith hopes by following up on this research with whether or not exercise can help mitigate the effects of relapse to drug use among rates.<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=gateamerica&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=081607741X&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>

Fitness helps you fight: Drug Dependence

Research recently conducted by Davidson College demonstrates that the benefits of regular exercise include lowered dependency to become addi...

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