Posts Tagged teen drug abuse

“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.”

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Teen News Network Tackles Prescription Drug Abuse

Posted by Drug Free in Prescription Drug Abuse on February 2nd, 2012

The Santa Barbara Teen News Network is a network for teens and run by teens. It features teen activities and interesting information on what teens can possibly do to help and at the same time have fun while in the Santa Barbara community.

Santa Barbara Teen News NetworkAssociate director and chief financial officer of the Patricia Henley Foundation Trisha Geyer adds that sbTNN is a teen scene magazine show. Now on its third season, sbTNN offers teens “community-based arts programs” which help develop effective communication and enhance performing arts for the youth.

In the last six months, sbTNN has been working with their media sponsor Noozhawk in creating a special six-week investigative report and public announcements pertaining to prescription drug abuse. Many of the videos and have already been posted in their website together with articles from Noozhawk reporters.

The Santa Barbara Teen News Network has since came out with 28 public service announcements for prescription drug abuse. By interviewing and talking to professionals like doctors and medical providers and other resource persons like recovering addicts, the staff of sbTNN have learned and absorbed useful information with regards to prescription medications misuse and abuse.

According to one sbTNN staff, the notion that drinking is the largest problem among teens could be overtaken by the issue of prescription drug abuse.

Teen staff of the network confirmed that people they interviewed were excited about the project. “Everyone was really caring and just wanted to help,” says one teen interviewer.

As a result of the interviews, the teens themselves learn a lot and were in turn empowered to share information and knowledge about prescription drug abuse to others of their age. “We’re living (with those who misuse prescription drugs) and can help guide them,” says one teen volunteer for the teen network.

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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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Parents Warned on Rise of Teen Heroin Use

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Abuse Prevention, Drug Addiction on January 18th, 2012

School authorities from the Carl Sandburg High School know how important the role of parents is in the fight against teen drug abuse. This is why, in the midst of recent reports that heroin use is up among teens, district administrators sent letters to parents to warn them of the situation and to seek their help and cooperation in keeping kids safe.

heroinDebbie Boniface, principal at Sandburg High, says that teens don’t usually listen to warnings. Enlisting the help of parents is very important in their fight against drug abuse.

“It’s very important for parents, community members and kids to know that the point is not to get someone in trouble, but to get them help and support,” the principal said. “This is about making healthy and appropriate choices, and whatever we can do to ensure that is important.”

The letter, which was sent by Superintendent James Gay, appealed to parents to talk to their kids about drug abuse. Also contained in the letter are useful information sites and which could help parents with the task.

A part of the letter reads:  “…disturbing stories about dangerous and sometimes deadly behavior in which teens in the south suburbs have been engaging. News reports include underage drinking and law enforcement concerns over the increase in availability of drugs, particularly heroin.”

Boniface added that breaks in school can be factor in promoting dangerous habits of students. It possible for kids to take advantage of these periods when nobody in authority is around them. Even during long school breaks, kids often succumb to drug-related activities.

“When kids are away from school for a while, their guard is let down,” she said. “They don’t have to be somewhere the next day, don’t have to get homework done. Sometimes bad things happen.”

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Free Workshop on Teen Substance Abuse for Parents

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Abuse Prevention, Drug Addiction on January 12th, 2012

A free workshop open to all parents and concerned citizens will be held at the Hanover-Adams County area on February 1, 6 to 8 pm at the New Oxford High School.

teen drug abuseThe event was originally scheduled last December 6, but an unfortunate turn of events took place the day before the workshop which prompted the organizers to move the event this February.

According to Jennifer Weigle, a guidance intern and Student Assistance Program counselor for the school, it was on the 5th of December last year that five teens from the New Oxford High School were killed in a car crash, which is why the event was immediately rescheduled.

The workshop will keep its original format on preventing and identifying teen drug and alcohol abuse which will be very valuable for parents in the area.

A local detective will be talking to parents on how to detect teen drug abuse as well as of the latest trends in drug and alcohol abuse among the youth. Resource speakers will also be at hand to give tips on how parents can talk to their children about drugs and alcohol as these are important steps to ensure kids remain safe and healthy.

Weigle said that there is a need for parents to be correctly informed about drugs and alcohol use or abuse. “To me, knowledge is power. And even if you think your child isn’t using and their friends aren’t using, just to have the information and be aware can be very helpful to parents and students. We want to reach parents before there’s a problem.”

The workshop will be open to all parents from Hanover and Adams County areas and they will be assisted by child care if they bring along kids 14 years old and younger. Snacks will also be served during the event.

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Parents Alert: More Teens Getting into Marijuana Use

Posted by Drug Free in Marijuana Use and Abuse on January 9th, 2012

A new survey conducted by the National Institute on Drug Abuse together with the University of Michigan has indicated that for the last four years, marijuana use has continued to rise among teens in the United States.

Results of the survey also include the fact that marijuana use among seniors has reached an all-time high at 6.6% in the last 30 years. Teens seem to disregard the dangers of marijuana abuse that even students in the 10th and 12th grades also register alarming figures as far as marijuana use is concerned.

teen marijuana abuseThe survey is one of the most credible indicators of substance abuse among teens in the nation.

According to psychiatrist Karl Benzio M.D., pot smoking has become so rampant that it’s almost like smoking cigarettes for teens. “Pot has become nearly as accepted as cigarette smoking in our society, and the dangers of it are grossly underestimated, especially for young people. As high schoolers smoke more pot, they are drawn to other drugs — drugs with devastating effects.”

Dr. Benzio is also the executive director of the Lighthouse Network which offers programs for addiction and mental health recovery with a 24-hour helpline and counseling for troubled individuals.

Other alarming findings of the study include a recorded 50% of high school seniors admit to use of illicit drugs at one point in their lives. There are also 40% of the same population who admit to use of more than one type of drug in the past year, and in the last month, 25% of the students claimed use of illicit drugs.

The study dubbed as the “Monitoring the Future” survey also recorded an increase in the use of synthetic marijuana products such as K2 and Spice as well as Ecstasy drugs which all have fatal effects on users.

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