Posts Tagged teen alcohol abuse

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.

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Best Defense Against Teen Alcohol Abuse: Educating Kids

Posted by Drug Free in Alcohol Abuse, Raising Healthy Kids on December 30th, 2011

One of the many reasons why kids get into the alcohol habit is the lack of information that parents should have provided about the addictive and dangerous substance. Alcohol education should start early, even before children are old enough to drink.

teen alcohol abuseTo talk about alcohol during the adolescent stages of children, parents can choose from among the many ways or approaches on how to deal with the subject, depending on where they can be most comfortable with.

It’s best to start by setting your expectations from your kids and explaining why you do so. Teenagers are very inquisitive, and telling them what to do and what not to do won’t be enough. You have got to have underlying reasons that will encourage them to follow the dos and discourage them from the don’ts. This is where family values play the greatest roles.

Remind your kids that not everything they see or hear about alcohol is true. Television ads can be very enticing and can make it hard for them to say no to alcoholic drinks. During their adolescent years, teens have the strongest desire to belong. This is what advertisers capitalize on to sell their products.

Share stories about drunk-driving teens and point out the consequences of these actions. If you have your own learning experiences to share to your kids, don’t be afraid to let them know about it because as a parent, you should be the first person to share important life lessons to them. You don’t need to do it regularly, but at least try to be consistent.

It pays to know your child’s circle of friends and their activities. Teens are often much attached to their peers that sometimes, this attitude could lead them to complicated situations. As the parent, it is your responsibility to keep your child safe, as well as his friends who also have concerned parents like you.

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Teen Marijuana Use Up, Teen Cigarette and Alcohol Use Down

Posted by Drug Free in Alcohol Abuse, Drug Addiction, Marijuana Use and Abuse, Tobacco Abuse on December 27th, 2011

In a latest survey conducted among teens in the United States, it has been noted that while tobacco and alcohol use declined among the youth, marijuana use increased.

marijuanaDr. Nora Volkow, who heads the National Institute on Drug Abuse, said that the decline in tobacco use among teens is welcome news. Yet the rate of its decline goes slower and slower over the years, and this could still be a concern for everybody. “This highlights the urgency of maintaining strong prevention efforts against teen smoking and of targeting other tobacco products,” Volkow said.

Survey results also confirmed that marijuana use among high school students has reached 25% in the past year compared to about 21% in 2007. The most troubling reality uncovered by the survey is the fact that daily marijuana use among senior high school students is at 7%. This percentage is by far the highest since 1981.

The rise in marijuana use could be due to the fact that mortality rates linked to marijuana use is by far much lower than reported tobacco fatalities. Smoking marijuana is perceived as much safer than cigarettes therefore more individuals are getting into the habit of pot smoking instead of cigarettes. What teens might be disregarding is that daily marijuana use leads to addiction which in turn could mean more serious conditions.

Alcohol use among teens is also on the decline. Reports regarding fatal cases on driving under the influence, higher risks for addiction and overdose, and violent reactions related to alcohol use have discouraged teens from alcohol abuse.

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Film on Teen Drinking and Driving Shown at Local High School

Posted by Drug Free in Alcohol Abuse on December 15th, 2011

The students of New Richmond High School watched a short video explicitly showing the consequences of teen drinking and driving.

The video, which was made by Richmond High’s own Youth Supporting an Alcohol Free Environment (SAFE), was a product of hard work for three months, but the final 60-minute video was enough to send the strong message of what drinking and driving could do to a teen’s life.

A number of students and members of SAFE played the parts in the short true-to-life video. In the hour-long feature, it all begins when one student decided to throw a party with his parents providing the alcoholic drinks during the event. As the film progressed, consequences of teen drinking and driving were slowly unfolded.

There were cases shown when two equally drunk teens rode on the same vehicle with one of them driving and they ended up figuring in a fatal car accident. There were also clips inserted from real accidents.

For New Richmond High Science instructor and SAFE moderator Deborah Swanson, it was very emotional for her during the production stage of the film, as she herself lost a loved one to drunk driving a few years back.

The film is entitled “Forever” and DVD copies were available for $20. Proceeds of the sales will be for the benefit of SAFE Youth programs and other initiatives.

The film has already made an impact to the school community, SAFE members claim. A junior and SAFE member Rose Smith participated in the film and was proud of it. “Because no one really seems to get it… The point was to show you that this (drinking and driving) is not okay,” she said.

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‘House Party’ Educates Teens on Underage Drinking

Posted by Drug Free in Alcohol Abuse on November 19th, 2011

A teen ‘house party’ sponsored by the Muskogee Community Anti-Drug Network and Muskogee Parks and Recreation together with the MHS OKY2Y group became an eye-opener for students on the dangers of underage drinking.

house party drinkingThe ‘house party’ is a part of a reality tour which is dedicated to help teens overcome peer pressure on using drugs and alcohol. In the event, apple juice served in beer bottles and 7UP in vodka bottles were given to the participants.

Throughout the day, teen participants drank, had fun and experienced how police deal with minor drinkers, and showed how drinking can cause premature death of teens when one of the participants overdosed on alcohol.

All these were done by the students and the organizers themselves to send out a strong message that ‘house parties’ where free flowing booze is made available can lead to serious consequences.

A lot of teens in Muskogee say that they often get invitations for such events. Some of them say that the activity is an important tool that will help them make the right decisions, while some don’t agree that all house parties are held the same way the tour depicts it.

Muskogee Police Public Relations Officer Pedro Zardeneta joined in the worthwhile event. He hopes that the reality tour will be enough to warn both parents and children about the things that could possible happen in house parties. For the longest time that he has been a police officer, he said his team has already conducted numerous police busts on house parties.

The tour also tackled how alcoholic drinks can be easily concealed by putting them in soft drinks bottles and whipped cream cans.

Sheril Morgan who is a MHS prevention specialist emphasized that parents should be aware of how these house parties go. “They think they’re keeping kids safe when alcohol is provided. In all honesty, it’s better not to have alcohol at all,” Morgan said.

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Alcohol: Substance of Choice Among Teens in North Stonington

Posted by Drug Free in Alcohol Abuse on November 17th, 2011

In North Stonington, alcohol is the most popular choice of teens when it comes to the type of substance that they enjoy using and abusing.

teen alcohol abuseThe Positive Health in Teens (PHIT) and the Southeastern Regional Action Council (SERAC) presented this truth after they looked into records of high school and middle school students in North Stonington. The groups conducted a survey among 12th grade students in the said area and alcohol came out as the overall substance of choice of teenagers.

The latest survey also noted a drop in the use of prescription drugs among teens. From the 247 respondents, only 2 to 4 percent admit to prescription drug abuse which is a very good development according to school officials.

Teacher Trish Albonti from Wheeler High School said that her class worked together with the PHIT to control prescription drug abuse, thus leading to a dramatic decrease in the cases of such type of substance abuse in her jurisdiction.

A point she emphasized though is the fact that more and more students are on marijuana use, and that it should be made as an important issue for the school to address. “The students said marijuana was more accessible than alcohol,” Albamonti said. “I asked the students if they could find marijuana, even if they wouldn’t use it, and 88 of 94 said they could.”

Terri Murach who is a parent and a hospital worker shared her experiences with substance abuse among teens. She said the effects of such habits on children are just devastating. This is why she keeps her line of communication open with her 16-year-old daughter and constantly reminds her about the dangers of drugs and alcohol.

Teacher Albamonti agrees that constant interaction between parents and their children is very effective in controlling substance abuse.

SERAC community coordinator Angela Duhaime claimed that based on the recent survey results, North Stonington still remains one of the areas where substance abuse rates are at the lowest.

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