Young people in the city of Newcastle could find themselves getting some undesired attention if they're caught drinking. A new program in the Northern England town will refer underage drinkers to a youth worker whose job will be to ask some hard questions.

The Home Office scheme aims to assess the young person's alcohol consumption and [his or her] reasons for drinking. They will also be warned about the dangers of substance abuse, and may be referred for medical treatment. (Source: The Press Association)

The new program extends an existing, similar, program that focuses on adult drinkers. It is one of several programs being rolled out as England attempts to curb instances of underage drinking.

Labels: teenage_drinking, teen_drug_use

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A new study has found that teens who have strong relationships with their parents are less likely to begin drinking at an early age.

The findings, published in the May issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, underscore the important role parents play in the risk of problem drinking. Past studies have suggested that the age at which kids start drinking is a key factor in whether they eventually develop alcohol-related problems, like getting into fights or having academic or work problems. (Source: Science Blog)

The researchers surveyed 364 teenagers over a two-year period to determine their drinking habits and their relationships with their parents. The study defined "strong relationship" as one in which teenagers felt they could talk to their parents about their problems, and felt their parents respected their feelings.

Failing to engage in open and honest discussions with their children is among the most common mistakes parents make with teens. As the study alluded to above indicates, keeping the lines of communication open can result in a range of intended and unintended benefits.

Labels: prevention, alcohol, parental_involvement, teenagers

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Canadian parents got some good news this week, when a study of nearly 30,000 youth in British Columbia revealed that fewer young people are using alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs:

Twenty-nine percent of 13-year-olds said they have drunk alcohol, down from 34 percent five years earlier. For 15-year-olds, 58 percent said they had drunk alcohol, down from 65 percent in 2003. ...

"With all the negative stereotyping we see and hear about young people in our province, it is encouraging to note that smoking, alcohol use and marijuana use have all declined since the last survey in 2003," Annie Smith, executive director of the [McCreary Centre Society, which conducted the study] after the report was released.

The survey indicates that the typical age when kids first try marijuana is 13 and 14, but the overall number of youth who have tried marijuana shrank from 37 percent in 2003 to 30 percent in 2008. (Source: The Vancouver Sun)

The news wasn't all good, reported Sun writer Pamela Fayerman. "While use of alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, and amphetamines declined, the number of students who said they had ever used other drugs, like prescription pills (15 per cent) and hallucinogens (nine per cent), increased slightly," Fayerman wrote.

Any level of adolescent substance abuse is, of course, cause for concern -- and the Canadian study indicates that much work remains to be done. But the recent news out of Canada will surely be heartening to parents, teachers, and others who are working to keep young people away from alcohol and other drugs.

Labels: alcohol, adolescence, canada, drugs, teenagers

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The dangers of teen alcohol abuse have been widely documented, and many parents are rightly concerned about the dangers that alcohol can pose to their adolescent or teenage children.

Most of these worries center upon the effect that alcohol abuse can inflict upon healthy development, or the odds that a young person will get into an automobile accident while under the influence. But an April 9 New York Times article by Jennifer 8. Lee called attention to another danger: biking while intoxicated.

Some 21 percent of autopsies for New York City bicyclists who died within three hours of their accidents detected alcohol in the body, according to a Department of Health and Mental Hygiene study that examined fatal bicycling accidents in New York City from 1996 to 2005.

"It's something we have to call attention to," said Catherine Stayton, director of the health department's injury epidemiology unit. "To learn this is new for us. We want to get that information out there." ...

The study also found that alcohol was detected in six percent of the drivers involved in bicycle crashes.

Labels: alcohol_abuse, teenagers, safety

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Hundreds of youth organizers and teenagers gathered in Santa Barbara, Calif., April 16 to kick off an event called "Yes Youth Can!" Aimed at raising awareness about the dangers of drug and alcohol use, the program is also intended to honor the many teenagers who stay drug and alcohol free.

"It's about time for us to hear about all of these positive things," [Scott Guttentag] said, describing how surveys of local teens show that 57 percent have never consumed an alcoholic beverage and 81 percent have never smoked a cigarette." [Source: The Daily Sound (Santa Barbara, Calif.)]

These statistics may be surprising to some, who hear so much bad news about teen drug and alcohol use. But the percentages of teenagers who actually use drugs or alcohol is relatively low -- a fact that this group of teenagers hopes will persuade others to either stop using substances or continue to stay clean and sober.

Labels: teen_drug_use, alcohol_abuse, drug use, teenagers

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On April 13, a new set of federal regulations went into effect in the United States in an effort to control the Internet-based sale of prescription medications. The Ryan Haight Online Pharmacy Consumer Protection Act of 2008 aims to prevent illegal online sales and purchases of these commonly abused substances.

Unscrupulous or 'rogue' Internet pharmacies exist to profit from the sale of controlled prescription medicines to buyers who have not seen a doctor and don't have a prescription from a registered physician. The pharmacies lack quality assurance and accountability, and their products pose a danger to buyers. (Source: U.S. Department of Justice)

The new set of regulations includes a requirement of at least one face-to-face meeting between patient and doctor before a prescription is given, and the registration of online pharmacies.

Labels: laws, prescription drugs, drug_abuse, internet

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An middle school student in Iowa collapsed outside his classroom on Tuesday after overdosing on Coricidin, an over-the-counter cold medicine called.

Coricidin contains dextromethorphan, a substance that, if taken in high doses, can cause hallucinogenic effects similar to PCP, according to the University of Maryland Center for Substance Abuse Research. Excess amounts of the drug can also cause liver damage, a heart attack, stroke or death, according to the center.

An assistant police chief who was familiar with the case wouldn't comment on how much medication the student had taken, but confirmed that an investigation is underway to determine how the student obtained the pills.

Source: The Telegraph-Herald (Dubuque, Iowa)

Labels: over-the-counter-drugs, overdose, cold_medicine

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Governor John Baldacci of Maine has named April as Alcohol Awareness month. He called underage drinking a community problem that requires a community response.

The Maine Alliance to Prevent Substance Abuse (MAPSA) called on the Governor to make this proclamation to draw attention to the fact that even though we have seen a decline in alcohol use among Maine's 6-12th graders in recent years ... alcohol continues to be the leading drug of choice in Maine amongst both young and old alike.

Events and campaigns are planned across the state throughout the month of April, including local health fairs, public service announcements aimed at raising awareness about the dangers of underage drinking, and a campaign by local police to raise awareness about laws that forbid adults from furnishing alcohol or hosting underage drinking parties.

Source: The Herald Gazette

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The Community Child Protection Team of Salisbury, North Carolina, met last week to discuss teen abuse of prescription drugs and possible steps to address the problem in the community. The chairman of the group cited a recent statistic from the Partnership for a Drug-Free America that one in five American teens has abused prescription pain medication, stimulants, and/or tranquilizers.

A Salisbury attorney, Mr. Morris, shared his observations with the group: "I see it every day in court ... and the judges and DAs see it many more times daily." Morris said he believes that almost all physicians and pharmacists are honest; however, money may still be an incentive for over-vending the drug legally (a pharmacy makes $400 on a prescription for the painkiller OxyContin). OxyContin, which is the chemical cousin of heroin, may be even more addictive and more deadly.

(Source: www.salisburypost.com)

Labels: teens, abuse, prescription_drugs

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According to a new study from Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC), teens who own alcohol-branded apparel (T-shirts and hats that display the logos of alcohol makers) are more likely to start drinking and become binge drinkers.

Lead researcher Dr. Auden C. McClure, a pediatrician at DHMC in Hanover, New Hampshire, commented on the findings, saying, "Ownership of these items is associated with susceptibility to alcohol use and binge drinking. ... But it is also a direct link with susceptibility and initiation to drinking ... you can't say any longer that these items are just a marker of kids who drink."

According to Dr. McClure, approximately 3 million youth own alcohol-branded merchandise. The study surveyed 6,522 adolescents, ages 10 to 14, about drinking behaviors and susceptibility; the respondents also participated in three follow-up surveys. The study found that of alcohol-branded items owned by youth, 75 percent were beer brands. In addition, most of the items were purchased for the teens by friends and family (71 percent). (Source: www.forbes.com)

Labels: marketing, underage_drinking

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New reports from the Partnership for a Drug-Free America indicate that teenage abuse of methamphetamines dropped 25 percent in three years. Over half of teens in the latest survey believe it is risky to try methamphetamines even once.

The same survey found that one in ten teenagers abuse over-the-counter cough syrups, which translates into 2.4 million teens. However, 48 percent said they know that cough medications are dangerous, which is up from 45 percent in 2007.

The drug that teens abuse most often is marijuana, although its usage dropped 30 percent since 1999.

Labels: drugs, meth, teenagers

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Almost half of the sales of "alcopops," that is, soft drinks laden with alcohol, involve consumers who are not old enough to legally drink alcohol. Now some state legislatures are passing laws to restrict the sale of alcopops to retailers that are licensed to sell beer, wine, and liquor. Alcopops are currently on sale at convenience stores and other outlets that are licensed only for beer.

A recent poll by the American Medical Association found that one in six teenage girls became sexually active after consuming alcopops. The same poll discovered that one in four drove or rode in cars with drivers who had been drinking. The AMA and other groups are lobbying against the sale of such drinks to minors.

Labels: marketing, underage_drinking, alcopops

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