Stephen Winkler has based his high school career around the principles of SADD (Students Against Drunk Driving): having fun without the influence of alcohol or drugs. He has shared the anti-drug and alcohol message with countless students, and now he'll be taking his message across state lines. Winkler has been named the SADD National Student of the Year.

"'I believe in the mission of SADD that students are the best people to influence other students about not making destructive decisions. It's something I'm passionate about... I've witnessed the effects of alcohol abuse firsthand. I've seen what it can do. And because I've seen it, I can stand against it and I can try to help others stay away from it, too."

Winkler admits that it's hard to know how much he has really influenced students and their decisions, but he continues to encourage them to be creative with how they spend their time. Hanging out doesn't have to include alcohol or drugs, and teens will probably enjoy themselves more if it doesn't. Source: Topeka Capital-Journal

If you suspect your child is experimenting with drugs and alcohol don't wait to get them into a treatment program. Read advice from other parents about the dangers of waiting too long before you get your teen help at DrugRehabTreatment.com.

Labels: awareness, prevention, SADD

Officials at the Rock Hill (South Carolina) Keystone Substance Abuse Center say that teenage drinking is getting worse. By "worse" they don't necessarily mean it's becoming more prevalent, but the teens that are drinking a lot more.

"...many underage drinkers no longer simply drink to get high but instead drink to induce oblivion. This binge-style often revolves around drinking games in which drinkers ingest large amounts of alcohol quickly, sometimes to the point where they suffer alcohol poisoning and have to be rushed to the hospital."

Many of the drinking games played by teens cause them to ingest five to seven shots in an hour. It takes the body about an hour to break down the alcohol contained in just one shot or can of beer. Source: The Rock Hill Herald

Labels: alcohol, alcohol_abuse, binge_drinking

They were stark images: the Grim Reaper and 29 "dead" students - their faces painted white, roaming the halls of Ontario (Ohio) High School. But their message was loud and clear: "drinking and driving kills."

"'The students (with faces painted white) cannot talk to anyone and teachers cannot call on them because they are the students who are now dead because of a drunk driver,' said Veronica Cain, Ontario Schools substance abuse coordinator."

The eerie event marked the beginning of Richland County's Youth Safety Awareness Week, aimed at reminding kids that prom and graduation season is a time for celebration, but also a time for responsibility. Source: Mansfield News Journal

Labels: awareness, education, prevention

On Vashon Island in Washington State, a group of parents, teenagers, law enforcement officials, and others came together to discuss the dangers of adolescent drug and alcohol use. The forum was convened in response to a recent survey which revealed that rates of teen substance abuse on the island are higher than statewide averages.

"The forum on drug and alcohol use among teens was sponsored by the PTSA and spearheaded by Laura Hansen, a mother active in school issues... In an effort to counter the perception that drinking and marijuana use are tolerated by adults on the Island, Hansen handed out a 'parents' pledge'. Parents who signed it vowed to 'teach our children to view alcohol and drug use as a serious concern...'"

Among the forum's speakers was Vashon High School student Hilary Hammond, who bravely shared her story of addiction and recovery. Last June she arrived at school so drunk that she couldn't walk straight. Today, she's clean and sober and is a primary voice in Vashon's effort to reduce teen drug and alcohol use. Source: Tacoma Daily Index

Labels: community_programs, recovery, support

Students at Pleasant Valley High School in Jacksonville, Alabama, got to experience firsthand the effects of alcohol. A grant from Westinghouse allowed the school to purchase four sets of "fatal vision goggles" which distort vision and simulate the effects of a 0.08 blood alcohol level.

"Students walked the green line of tape, were asked to stand on one foot for 30 seconds, find a nickel among a group of coins on the floor and then, the most difficult part, to pick it up... Most students were amazed by how distorted their vision was..."

The goggles were part of a Drunk Busters program which was held just a few days before prom. The hope was that students would be deterred from drinking and driving during this year's prom celebration. Source: Jacksonville News

Worried about being liable for your teen's risky behavior behind the wheel? Learn more about Parental Liability for Underage Drivers at DrugRehabTreatment.com.

Labels: alcohol, drunk_driving, students

The governor of the state of Oregon has named April "Alcohol Awareness Month." The designation comes, in part, in response to statistics from the Oregon Department of Human Services Addictions and Mental Health Division, which states that alcohol is the leading cause of death among the state's young people.

"As noted in the proclamation, alcohol contributes to adolescent motor vehicle crashes, traumatic injuries, poor school performance, and health and safety problems. Research shows that the younger individuals are when they start to drink, the more likely they are to become alcoholic."

DHS' Addictions and Mental Health Division prevention manager Rick Cady says April is just a "starting point" for raising awareness and getting people involved in finding solutions. Source: AA-UK.org.

NorthStar Center offers a rehab and recovery program for young adults who have completed full rehab and need a safe, sober environment to help them get back on track. Visit www.northstarcenter.com to learn more about their teen and young adult substance abuse recovery program.

Labels: alcohol, awareness, death

Two years ago, Montana launched its Meth Project, an awareness campaign that used graphic images to show the dangers of methamphetamine use. Today, the project appears to be working.

"Teen meth use is reportedly down nearly 45 percent. The number of employees testing positive for meth has dropped nearly 72 percent. In 2005, when the Montana Meth Project began, there were over 1,200 meth-related offenses reported by the state Board of Crime Control. In 2007, just 473."

Montana has launched phase four of its Meth Project, and expects continued success. Source: KFBB.com.

Labels: awareness, community_programs, meth

Cell phone technology may someday help teens in recovery from substance abuse.

Researchers from the Indiana School of Medicine asked 15 teenage girls to carry Global Positioning System (GPS)-equipped phones wherever they went. The idea behind the pilot study is not to spy on teens, but to use the new technology to keep track of health risks.

"The phones can help us better understand where adolescents spend their time and what they are doing," said Dr. Sarah Wiehe, a professor of pediatrics and lead author of the study. Researchers usually have to ask participants to recall what they did on a specific day or keep diaries. The new way is more accurate.

"But even more exciting," Dr. Wiehe said, "is the potential of using the GPS phones to intervene at the time they are taking a health risk, such as drinking or using drugs."

The study revealed that the girls spent a quarter of their time away from home or school, and on weekends, they went an average of 17 miles away from home.

This study appears in the Journal of Adolescent Health.

EXCEL Academy, a private boarding school in Texas, offers a strong program of recovery for teens while providing a high school education.

Labels: cell_phones, recovery, technology

Gay, lesbian, and bisexual teens are 190% more likely to smoke, drink, and use injection drugs or cocaine, marijuana, and methamphetamine compared to straight youth. Lesbian teens are at highest risk (400%).

Researchers from the Western Psychiatric Institute based their results on 18 studies done between 1994 and 2006 about sexual orientation and the use of illegal substances in teenagers.

The study appears in the journal Addiction.

SunHawk Academy, a private boarding school for troubled teens in Utah, combines intense adolescent substance abuse recovery with academics. Learn more at www.sunhawkacademy.com.

Labels: abuse, gay_teens

The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston has conducted a study to determine the effects of insomnia on adolescents. Researchers found that sleep is not the only thing that is lost.

"The study, published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, found adolescents with chronic insomnia were much more likely to have problems with drug use, depression, school work, jobs and perceived health."

More than 3,000 teens were interviewed as part of the study, and more than 25 percent were found to have one or more symptoms of insomnia. Read more at UPI.com.

Labels: insomnia, risky_behaviors, sleep

At just 18 years old, Christopher Gleason has enough experience with alcohol addiction to speak with authority about the damage it can cause. He has been drinking since he was 12 and is now in a rehabilitation program. He spoke to a group of Connecticut teens, hoping to discourage them from following in his footsteps.

"As part of a panel discussion on the consequences of underage drinking, Gleason talked about how alcohol and drugs have impacted his life. He'd go to parties and black out, remembering only the earlier part of the evenings. He'd get into fights, he said, and other trouble. He's also burned a lot of bridges."

Though four other panelists participated in the discussion, it was Chris' stories that teens connected with the most. Read more at TheDay.com.

Labels: consequences, effects, role_models

April is Alcohol Awareness month - a time when parents are encouraged to begin or continue discussions with their kids about the dangers of underage drinking.

"Parents can play a powerful role in influencing their children's attitudes. Parents' drinking behaviors and favorable attitudes about drinking are associated with adolescents' initiating and continuing drinking. Research indicates that children are less likely to drink when their parents are engaged in their lives and when they and their parents report feeling close to each other."

Organizations like Partnership for a Drug-Free America provide free resources to help parents determine the best way to talk to their kids about alcohol. Knowing a child's friends and their parents is also helpful because it better enables the parent to monitor a child's activities. Source: Pine City Pioneer

Labels: alcohol, awareness, communication