Alcohol Abuse

Ohio Coalition Receives Grant vs. Teen Party Drinking

Posted by Drug Free in Alcohol Abuse, Raising Healthy Kids on February 4th, 2012

The Coalition for a Drug-Free Clermont County received $2,000 from the Drug Free Action Alliance, which will be used towards efforts made to fight underage drinking.

Parents Who Host, Lose the Most: Don’t be a party to teenage drinkingThe Coalition is one of 22 organizations based in Ohio to receive such a grant, which is given out in order to bring down the number of teen alcohol parties hosted by parents. Over the past 20 years, the Coalition for a Drug-free Clermont County has worked with the community to promote drug-free environments for the youth, and raise awareness regarding the angers of abusing alcohol and drugs.

The grant money will be used by the Coalition for education and awareness activities on drug and alcohol abuse in the spring, to coincide with the high school graduation and prom season.

The program “Parents Who Host Lose the Most: Don’t be a party to teenage drinking” was developed by Drug Free Action Alliance. The program, which is recognized nationwide, raises awareness among parents regarding the health and safety risks associated with underage drinking, as well as underage drinking laws in the state of Ohio. Serving as Honorary Chair for the program is college basketball commentator and former NBA superstar Clark Kellogg.

Funding for the “Parents Who Host Lose the Most: Don’t be a party to teenage drinking” program is available with support from the Ohio Department f Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services, as well as the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

No Comments

“Talk & Text Family Night” Tackles Drugs and Bullying

Posted by Drug Free in Alcohol Abuse, Drug Addiction on February 3rd, 2012

The Junior League of Pelham (JLP) and the Pelham Guidance Council (PGC) held a screening of the documentary film “American Teen” for “Talk & Text Family Night” on Tuesday, January 31, at the Picture House.

teen drug abuseAround 80 to 100 teens and their parents attended the activity. The event was held in response to the results of a recent Prevention Needs Assessment survey, which indicated that rates for alcohol abuse and binge drinking among Pelham teens surpassed the national average.

Characters in the documentary “American Teen” included a jock, beauty queen, geek, rebel, and heartthrob, and deals with the pressures that today’s American teens face, including alcohol and drug abuse, sexting, and bullying.

While the documentary was being shown, teens were give a questionnaire and encouraged to text their comments.

Daragh Murphy, JLP president, shared: “We did get lots of texts… I think it was a great way to communicate with the audience, certainly with a group of this age. They seemed to be all engaged in the interaction.” Murphy shared further that some of the text messages they received indicated that the teens felt that the movie was similar to life in Pelham.

After the screening, a question and answer session was held with PGC director Cheryl Bobe. The high school group “Kids Helping Kids” then performed a scene from their anti-bullying play. Bobe shared: “This was our first time doing something like this and we had tremendous participation from the kids… “I think they learned that they’re in a similar situation. They learned about what each other felt.”

No Comments

Online Survey on Teen Drugs and Alcohol Use

Posted by Drug Free in Alcohol Abuse, Drug Addiction, Drug Testing on January 27th, 2012

After the January19 Town Hall meeting at Poway, organizers of the event are now gathering feedback from an online survey on teen drug abuse and alcohol abuse.

teen drug abuseAs of Tuesday, there were 134 respondents to the survey which can be accessed at www.powaytownhall.com yielding results that suggest the need for the implementation of random drug testing among athletes, more effective crackdown on “party buses” which transport teens, and transparency on drug-related issues in school campuses.

According to Steve Vaus who initiated the community forum, respondents were given the following choices in answering questions to the online survey: absolutely, possibly, undecided, and no way. Comments were also welcomed along with their answers.

It was no surprise that 90% of those who took the survey favored drug testing for school athletes, 67% saying “absolutely” and 23% said “possibly.”

There were also 86% who said that they wanted to be informed about drug or alcohol offenses on campus, 75% saying “absolutely” and 11% choosing “possibly.”

With regards to “party buses,” 82% said they wanted to have a total ban on such vehicles that transport teens to events which often carry drugs and liquor too.

Interesting comments gathered from the online survey include one participant stating parents should stop allowing their kids to use their credit cards to reserve party buses. Others also added that they have not heard of reports of student arrests or anything about substance abuse from campuses.

Comments like “when kids get caught, don’t sweep it under the rug,” and “withhold names, but publish everything about arrests and anything/everything that has to do with substance abuse,” and “how about parents stop letting their kids use their credit cards to reserve party buses. Parents, step up and get tough,” only prove that people are concerned about issues affecting the youth.

No Comments

Drunkorexia: No Eating, Just More Drinking

Posted by Drug Free in Alcohol Abuse on January 26th, 2012

What is drunkorexia? This condition happens when teens forego eating and use their money to buy more alcoholic drinks. When they don’t have anything in their stomach, the effects of alcohol are magnified and faster.

drinkingParents should be warned about this trend and they should be always on the lookout if their kids are into this type of situation. Recent studies from the American College Health Association have shown that 31% of students are already diagnosed for alcohol abuse and 6% are already alcohol dependents.

It has also been noted that most girls who drink have another reason for becoming victims of drunkorexia. Data results confirmed that 16% of women student drinkers have eating disorders and alcohol habits, in the hopes of losing more calories and shed the weight.

The dangers of alcohol abuse are very alarming, and combining them with eating disorders is a sure way of creating very disastrous conditions. The long-term and short-term effects of such habits could affect not only the physical development of a child but could very well hit the cognitive abilities of a student, which is often manifested through poor academic performance.

As high school is a highly stressful phase, drunkorexia can yield tragic results especially when body image and peer pressure are put on a spotlight. This is why it is very important to not only put a stop to alcohol, but to guide teens on how to cope with their problems and the stresses that they encounter.

No Comments

Alcohol Linked to Increased Risk of Breast Cancer

Posted by Drug Free in Alcohol Abuse on January 21st, 2012

Women who drink could become more susceptible to breast cancer. This is the outcome of nearly 65 studies published, gathered and summarized relating alcohol to breast cancer risks.

Researchers were able to come up with the result by analyzing data gathered from women participants that consume alcohol. All other factors that affect breast cancer risks were taken into consideration, such as age, family history, diet, and smoking habits in the analysis of their findings.

breast cancer and alcoholResults showed that alcohol may have an independent and direct effect in developing breast cancer regardless of the other risk factors of the disease. Scientists though are still continuing their studies on the subject, incorporating lifestyle and personal characteristics in the relationship between alcohol and breast cancer.

Reports have also been noted as to the amount of alcohol consumed that could trigger risks of breast cancer in women. When a woman drinks at least 2 to 5 drinks in a day, breast cancer risks could increase by about 40% more compared to non-drinkers. This information is very vital as women with a family history of breast cancer, without considering the alcohol factor, already have increased risks of up to 50% for the disease.

The period when a woman started drinking is also considered in understanding risks of the deadly disease. It is said that drinking before the age of 30 can increase risks of breast cancer rather than present drinking habits. Yet there are some reports that also support current drinking patterns as the main reason why breast cancer risks dramatically go up.

No Comments

Elderly Drug Abuse: A Real and Growing Threat

Posted by Drug Free in Alcohol Abuse, Drug Addiction, Drug Rehabilitation on January 19th, 2012

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, there will be approximately 4.4 million cases of elderly substance abuse by the year 2020. This means that senior citizen substance abuse is a real problem and a growing threat expected to affect millions of seniors if nothing is done about it.

seniors drug abusePrevious studies made on the same subject have presented figures of substance abuse among elders. In 2005, there were 184,400 individuals aged 50 and above placed under drug rehabilitation programs. Earlier in 2001, there were 143,000, which means an increase of roughly 8% in just a few years.

Below are some facts on elderly substance abuse we need to be familiar about:

1. Interventions are considered more of a necessity for elderly substance abuse cases. Senior citizens don’t often admit to having problems as they are afraid of what other people might say about them. This is why intervention should be done as early as possible for such cases.

2. The most common type of substance abuse at this level is alcohol abuse. Yet at present, the trend is increasing towards prescription drug abuse in this age group.

3. The bright side of it all is that when senior citizens are placed under rehab, they usually are more successful compared to other age groups. They are highly motivated to finish the program and they can easily adapt especially when the treatment program is designed for them.

4. Other types of drug abuse such as heroin or cocaine use seldom happens for senior citizens.

It is very important that elderly addicts be separated from their younger counterparts. There is a big difference between a younger addict and an elderly addict. Unlike younger people with substance abuse problems, senior citizens don’t behave as extreme as those of other age groups. They even prefer to be on a treatment program which gives them more time to be on their own rather than interacting with others on the same situation.

No Comments