When Cody Mills was a sophomore in high school, he started hanging out with what he calls the "wrong crowd" of athletes. He wanted to increase his muscle mass and overall performance, so he ordered steroids from an online pharmacy.

"...he is now sitting behind bars at the Orange County Jail. Mills recently pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of possession of a dangerous drug. He was sentenced to 15 days in jail and a $1,000 fine."

Though his strength and muscle mass did increase as a result of the drug, so did his temper. And now he's got 15 long days away from friends and family to ponder his decision and its consequences. Source: The Orange Leader (CA)

Labels: influences, juvenile_deliquents, peers

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Under Ontario's new drunk driving law, repeat offenders will lose more than their license - they will lose their car. The new law includes a forfeiture stipulation which allows the court system to require repeat offenders to relinquish their vehicles.

"Today, in South Porcupine near Timmins, Attorney General Chris Bentley handed over a vehicle to the Ontario Community Council on Impaired Driving and its member group Action Sudbury to use as they raise awareness about the dangers and consequences of drinking and driving."

Two vehicles have already been relinquished, as government lawyers convinced the Ontario Superior Court that the vehicles were used, and would be used, in drinking and driving offenses. Source: Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General

Labels: consequences, drunk_driving, privledges

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With all the bad reports one hears about "kids today," parents could understandably feel as if their children's generation is quickly spiraling into self-destruction. But a new study offers a strange kind of encouragement - that kids today aren't that much different than kids were 30 years ago.

"It found that... a few things have changed substantially... family mobility is down, teen birth rates are down, and rates of smoking, drinking, and drug use are on the decline..."

Today's teens are also on equal footing in reading comprehension, and have fared slightly better in mathematics. The study also found that teens are at a much lower risk for death caused by accidents, violence, or disease. Source: The Jackson Sun

Labels: teenagers, generations, well-being

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A Southern California woman who gave methadone to her 17-year-old daughter's friend was sentenced to six years in state prison as punishment for the girl's fatal overdose.

"Prosecutor Chris Lindberg told the judge that the victim was not to blame and said [the mother's] 'reckless behavior' to give a dangerous prescription drug to a minor caused [the teen's] death."

The victim's mother vowed to pass a law named after her daughter that would require warnings on prescription methadone bottles. Source: San Diego CW6 News

Labels: death, overdose, punishment

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Grant money alone isn't enough to combat issues of underage drinking and substance abuse. "We need to do this together," said Peabody (Mass.) Mayor Michael Bonfanti. The city has been awarded a $300,000 grant aimed at fighting teen drug and alcohol abuse.

"With the money, the city will study and develop strategies to address underage drinking and substance abuse. The project - dubbed the 'Health Peabody Collaborative' - will involve a multitude of stakeholders in the community, including teachers, parents, law enforcement and outreach groups."

The collaborative will start with focus groups, surveys and interviews - all conducted with the intention of getting a clear picture of the problems and their root causes. That information will be used to develop and implement specific strategic plans. Source: The Salem News

Labels: prevention, awareness, communities

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Treatment for prescription drug abuse and addiction surged 321 percent in 10 years, according to federal statistics. Stephen Pasierb, president and chief executive for the Partnership for a Drug-Free America says this abuse is fueled in part by a low perception of risk.

"'There's a very low social disapproval. In fact, there are parents who are almost relieved that their kid is using Vicodin and not smoking marijuana,' he said."

Prescription drug monitoring legislation exists in 38 states, and some states offer pre-addressed, postage-paid envelopes for people to mail in unused medications for proper disposal. Still, the efforts seem to be making little headway in curbing this latest substance abuse trend. Source: Reuters

Labels: addiction, abuse, prescription_drugs

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The Jefferson County (Kentucky) Drug Court started in 1993. Since then, more than 2,000 people have graduated from its program, which offers court-supervised treatment aimed at curbing drug use and related criminal activity.

"The year-long program consists of three phases followed by aftercare. Although each individual has a specifically designed program, each plan includes group, family and individual counseling; frequent and random drug testing; education and vocational training; scheduled payments of restitution, child support and court fees; and health and community activities."

During the last week in July, fourteen more people graduated from the program in a ceremony at the County Courthouse that featured remarks from Supreme Court Deputy Chief Justice Will T. Scott. Source: Kentucky Post

Labels: treatment, criminal_activity, drug_courts

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The violent death of a teenager in Flagstaff, Arizona shocked the small city. That the death appears to be drug-related was not as surprising, at least not to area teens.

"Local teens contacted by the Daily Sun are well aware of the prevalence of drugs, saying it's easy to get their hands on their substance of choice, often from dealers who are their peers. Local authorities acknowledge that teens have a role in the drug trade..."

A few high school students admitted that they could probably get just about anything they wanted within an hour from someone at their school. The students said they rarely keep drugs on their persons, preferring instead to conduct their business from their cars. Source: Arizona Daily Sun

Labels: schools, awareness, death

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U.S. Senators from Vermont, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania have introduced a bill that would significantly change the nation's juvenile justice system.

"S3155 would encourage states to keep youth in juvenile facilities... look for ways to address racial disparities in the juvenile justice system, and tighten loopholes that allow judges to detain children who have committed nondelinquent status offenses - running away from home, truancy... and other infractions that are not crimes once the defendant is an adult."

Called the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Reauthorization Act, the bill will be voted on by the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, then - if it passes - be put to a full Senate vote.Source: Sentinel and Enterprise

Labels: juvenile_justice_system, juvenile_deliquents

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Salvia is an herb that can produce short, intense, hallucinogenic trips when it's smoked. For years, the substance went relatively unnoticed by law enforcement personnel - but it has recently garnered the attention of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, as well as several local governments that are trying to ban it.

"A dozen states have outlawed or begun regulating salvia since 2005, including Delaware, whose law was pushed by a mother who believes salvia contributed to her son's suicide. Massachusetts is among more than a dozen other states considering limiting or banning its sale."

People who have used the drug describe intense out-of-body experiences, but many say it's "not something that makes you feel good," and claim that the high is not worth the drug's cost. Source: Boston Globe

Learn more about the Cheap New Hallucinogenic Drug >>

Labels: drugs, salvia, hallucinogenics

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Teenagers suffering from "caffeine intoxication" are increasingly calling poison control centers or going to hospital emergency rooms. They complain to ER doctors that they have heart palpitations, nausea and headaches.

Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Medical School found that more than half of caffeine-related calls to poison control centers came from those under 19 years old. They speculate that the popularity of energy drinks, which can contain three times the caffeine in coffee, may be linked to the problem.

Labels: caffeine, energy_drinks, intoxication

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Two new studies indicate that teens who participate in family activities are less likely to drink, smoke, use drugs, or engage in risky sexual behaviors.

The first study, from the University of Minnesota, found that teenaged girls who had five or more family meals weekly and had a decreased likelihood of substance abuse. Researchers surveyed 806 teens in 1998 - when the subject were 13 years old - and again five years later. The girls who had five or more family meals a week had only half the odds of abusing cigarettes, drugs, and alcohol. However, the effect did not hold true for boys.

The second study, from Boston University, involved 5,000 teenagers and their parents. Those teens whose families spent time together in meals or "just having fun" were less likely to engage in unprotected sex. They also had a lower number of partners and incidences of unprotected sex. Parents who were "controlling and critical," however, increased their teens' chances of engaging in earlier and riskier sex.

Both studies appeared in the Journal of Adolescent Health.

Labels: parental_involvement, families, relationships

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An Associated Press analysis of government records found that alcohol poisonings among young adults doubled between 1999 and 2005, the last years for which statistics are available.

The study, which looked at college-aged adults, ages 18 to 23 years, found that more than 80 percent of victims were under age 21, and most were males. Death rates increased on weekends.

In 1999, 18 young people drank themselves to death, compared to 35 in 2005. In nearly every case, the person died when he or she was "sleeping it off." In 40 percent of the cases, there was a criminal investigation as to how the young adult was served too much alcohol.

One reason more young people are dying by alcohol poisoning may be the popular practice of having 21 alcoholic drinks on a person's 21st birthday.

Read "Beer Pong" and "21 Ritual" Can Be Deadly to learn more.

Labels: alcohol_abuse, college_students, binge_drinking

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In Dick Butkus' nine-year, Hall of Fame career in the NFL, the famously ferocious linebacker never took a single dose of steroids. Now, he's using his anti-steroid track record to raise awareness about the dangers the drugs pose to teenagers.

"He's the driving force behind a new program called 'I Play Clean.org,' and he's touring the country, educating kids, challenging them to stay off steroids."

The website includes facts about steroid use, nutrition and training tips, as well as a place where student athletes can pledge to play clean. An estimated 500,000 teenagers are believed to have used anabolic steroids at least once. Source: CBS

Labels: athletics, steriods

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A study by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) finds that the number of websites that advertise or sell prescription drugs dropped from 581 to 365 in the past year.

"'This decline in the number of Web sites advertising or selling controlled prescription drugs may reflect efforts of federal and state agencies and financial institutions to crack down on Internet drug trafficking...' said Joseph A. Califano, Jr., CASA's Chairman and President and former U.S. Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare."

Unfortunately, not all the news was good. CASA also found that few sites require proof of a prescription before consumers purchase controlled medications. Source: PharmaLive

Labels: internet, prescription_drugs, pharmacies

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In their regular column in the New York Daily News, Dr. David More and novelist Bill Manville discussed the danger, and destructive nature, of ambiguity as it relates to addiction and recovery.

"...the problem begins with society's destructive Ambiguity - capital A intended - about drug and alcohol abuse... Ambiguity means a lack of social standards that act as community pressure against substance abuse."

This Ambiguity is a silent approval - and sometimes admiration - of the ones who get drunk or high, More and Manville wrote. It encourages their behavior.

In contrast, environments that emphasize pressure to stay or get clean and sober are environments with the fewest substance abuse problems. Source: New York Daily News

Labels: rehab, recovery, sobriety

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