Posts Tagged teen drugs

Common Club Drugs: Fun or Dangerous?

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Addiction, Drug Facts, Raising Healthy Kids on April 21st, 2011

When teens and young adults want to have fun, clubbing and all-night dance parties are usually the top choice. Yet aside from all the fun and excitement, danger looms in the form of “club drugs” or what many also refer to as “fun drugs”. The question that most parents have is how safe these club drugs are.

club drugsThere are notions that these substances are harmless, but research shows that they could very well bring about disturbing effects to their users. When taken with alcoholic beverages, they become even more potent and could have damaging effects to the body. Some common effects of these drugs include paranoia, hallucinations, amnesia, and in extreme cases, even death. There’s no sure way to find out how a person may react to these drugs as each case varies.

Some club drugs are colorless, tasteless, and odorless. For these reasons, they can be easily mixed into drinks and have become notorious date rape drugs.

Here are some examples of “club drugs” that both parents and children should be aware of.

a. Ecstasy – also known as “X,” “MDMA,” or “Adam.” It is a kind of stimulant and a hallucinogen in one. Kids usually use it to boost their energy while dancing and to give them the high they need to enjoy the activity. When an individual is under the influence, the brain’s function for memory, sleep, pain, and emotions are hampered.

b. LSD – called “Acid,” Lysergic Acid Diethylamide’s effects depends on the amount taken by the user, the user’s personality, and how the drug is used. Some dangerous effects are numbness, increased heart rate, sleeplessness, and nausea.

c. Methamphetamine – common terms for this drug are “Meth,” “Chalk,” “Speed,” and “Ice.” This drug can be manufactured in home laboratories and produces alarming health issues when taken into the body. Kids can become aggressive, violent, with psychotic behavior, and have heart problems in taking “Meth.”

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Mexican Teens Struggle with Drug Abuse

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Addiction on November 4th, 2010

Mexico has been associated with the U.S. drug trade for quite some time, and along with this association is a history of violence that accompanies the drug trade. We have heard of a number of people – innocent bystanders, law enforcers and those involved in the drug trade alike – who lost their lives in what has been termed as the “drug war.”

teen drug abuseIt is not unreasonable for the United States to actively try to do something about the issue of drugs being smuggled into the country, in order to protect its citizens. It is unfortunate, however, that such a crackdown leads to yet another problem, this time for Mexico: an oversupply of illicit drugs.

Based on data from the years 2000 until 2006, the Mexican Health Department reported that the number of new patients in drug treatment centers in Mexico has more than quadrupled, as shared in a feature on The Arizona Republic. This increase is being attributed to the fact that drug cartels no longer just focus on trying to bring drugs across the border to the United States; they are also trying to build a domestic market. As efforts to prevent drugs from crossing the border step up, an oversupply of these substances in Mexico has resulted in a significant drop in their prices, making these drugs relatively accessible – even to young teenagers.

The Mexican government is still actively involved in fighting the problem. In 2008, it provided funding towards addiction treatment. There are also companies that offer home-based drug test kits, such as HairConfirm now available in Mexico, that can be used by parents as a preventive measure against teen drug abuse.

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Keep Your Teen Drug-Free!

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Abuse Prevention on October 21st, 2010

The fight to keep your teens drug-free is no easy task. There is a need for constant care and involvement in your child’s life to inspire them to keep off these dangerous substances. Here are some things you can do to strengthen your child’s defenses against drugs:

parent child talk1. Show them that you care. Kids want to be listened to. Make sure that you listen more. Teach them the ‘why’ and not only the ‘what’ in every situation. If there is a need to call your child’s attention, do it with respect for their own person too. Let them know you love them by saying the words, not just by acts.

2. Take advantage of teachable moments. Learning the basics of drug abuse need not be done too formally. You can do it while you are out and about, say for instance, outside establishments. If you and your child see other kids who are smoking and drinking, you can always begin a talk on the negative effects of alcohol and cigarettes in the body. Conversation is one tool that you should make the most out of when sharing information to your child about the harm drugs do to the family and to the community.

3. Be sensitive of changes in your child’s behavior. Do not take for granted the little changes that you see in your child’s life or personality. Sure, you could say they are just part of their “growing up” but you’ll never really know unless you talk about it with your kids. The earlier you intervene, the greater the chances of keeping your child off drug abuse. Remember to talk in a calm and casual way so as not to scare your children.

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Gangs and Drugs Prevail in Public Schools!

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Addiction, Raising Healthy Kids on August 20th, 2010

The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University has released the results of its 15th annual back-to-school survey, and what these results revealed may be a cause of concern for parents.

school drugsThe teen survey showed that about a quarter – 27 percent (5.7 million) – of teens (aged 12 to 17) who attended public schools revealed that their schools were both drug- and gang-infected. A drug-infected school is defined as a school where “drugs are used, kept or sold on school grounds.”

Teens that are exposed to such an environment, the study revealed further, are: five times more likely to use marijuana; three times more likely to drink; twelve times more likely to smoke; three times more likely to be able to get marijuana within an hour or less; five times more likely to get marijuana within a day or less; and nearly five times more likely to have a friend or a classmate who uses illegal drugs such as acid, ecstasy, methamphetamine, cocaine or heroin.

In addition, the study showed that 46 percent of teens who attended public school said that gangs are present in their schools, while 47 percent said that there are drugs used, kept or sold in the school’s premises.

There is a difference, the study showed, in the situations in public and private schools. In comparison to public schools, only two percent of teens who attend private and religious schools report that there are gangs in their schools, while 78 percent report that their schools are drug-free.

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Media in Parent-Child Communication on Substance Abuse

Posted by Drug Free in Alcohol Abuse, Drug Addiction, Raising Healthy Kids on August 18th, 2010

A press release from the Partnership for a Drug-Free America shares the results of a research, which showed that more than a third of parents are concerned about the exposure of their teens to media. This exposure, according to the study, has become a hindrance to communication between parent and child regarding risky behavior, such as the dangers posed by the use of drugs and alcohol.

teen drug abuseThe results were based from a survey conducted among 1,200 parents. It showed that 38 percent of parents were concerned about TV, 37 percent about computers, and 33 percent about video games. Other areas that parents were concerned about are cell phone texting and social networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter.

A study conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation looked into two thousand teens and determined the average amount of time that young people between the ages of 8 and 18 spend using various entertainment media. The results showed that young people spend 53 hours – almost eight hours a day – immersed in some form of media. The same study also found that teens who consume more media tend to be less happy, while those who are attracted to media tend to perform poorly in school.

Partnership President Steve Pasierb said: “These new findings present a unique opportunity for parents to play a more active role in what their kids are watching, monitor how they are spending their time online and remain aware of the impact all of this media consumption is having on their impressionable teens.”

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Charlie Bartlett Highlights Teen Prescription Drug Abuse

Posted by Drug Free in Alcohol Abuse, Drug Films and Books, Prescription Drug Abuse, Tobacco Abuse on April 20th, 2010

With its current wide scope and strong influence on people, many journalists, publishers and filmmakers have decided to discuss the very basic things that concern real people these days — love, war, money, sex and even drugs.

Charlie Bartlett is one of the recent movies that discussed the reality of teenage prescription drug abuse. It is a comedy-drama film that revolves around the character Charlie Bartlett, played by Anton Yelchin.

Charlie BartlettCharlie is a teen who came from a wealthy family yet attends a public school after being expelled from different private academic institutions. Other actors in the film are Robert Downey Jr. as Nathan Gardner, the school principal; Kat Dennings as Susan Gardner, Charlie’s love interest and the principal’s daughter; and Tyler Hilton as Murphey Bivens, the school bully. Nathan is an alcoholic, Susan smokes a lot and Murphey beats other students while an assistant films it. These characters have basically covered a lot of teen issues.

Charlie, as the new student in school, was initially unable to fit in. However, by acting as the students’ resident psychiatrist and supplying prescription drugs (with Murphey in charge of selling the drugs), he was able to gain influence in the community. He feigned symptoms during psychiatric sessions and was able to get prescriptions for several medications from different psychiatrists, a strategy also known these days as “doctor-shopping.”

Aside from prescription drug abuse, parent’s alcohol abuse, nicotine abuse and school bullying, the film also presents the issue of teen depression and suicide. One of the school’s students, Kip Crombwell, suffers from depression and attempts suicide by drinking the drugs Charlie has supplied. His depression was rooted on the need for acceptance and low self-esteem.

Some critics thought that the movie lack a clear train of thought, but others see it as a movie that embraced the many different pressures that teens face in their lives. The movie was released in 2007.

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