Harvard researchers have reported that alcohol abuse among teen girls and young women may increase the likelihood of developing benign breast lumps later in life.

Denise Mann of WebMD Health News reported on the study in an April 12 article:

Girls were aged 9 to 15 when the Growing Up Today Study began. They answered questionnaires from 1996 to 2001, and then again in 2003, 2005, and 2007. ...

Those participants who drank alcohol six to seven days per week were more than five times as likely to develop benign breast disease as their counterparts who abstained.

The teens and adolescent women who drank three to five days per week had three times the risk of developing benign breast disease as their counterparts who did not drink alcohol, the study showed.

Exactly how alcohol use during the teen years raises risk for benign breast disease is not fully understood, but the researchers speculate that alcohol use may increase levels of the female sex hormone estrogen, which may foster the development of benign lumps, bumps, and cysts in the breasts.

Labels: women, girls, alcohol_abuse, health_problems

Posted By: Aspen/CRC 0 Comments

In an attempt at drawing students from Oakmont (Mass.) Regional High School to an information event about the dangers of teen drug and alcohol use, organizers with Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) included a game of dodgeball on the schedule of activities.

But the game had an unusual twist: Several participants had to wear "drunk goggles" while participating. Writer Kevin Doherty described the event in a March 17 article on sentinelandenterprise.com:

By sandwiching an informative session concerning the negative effects of drug and substance abuse between free pizza and a "drunken goggle" dodgeball tournament, school officials are getting through to students, according to David Hamolsky, a guest speaker and substance abuse therapist from LUK, Inc. in Fitchburg.

"It was a great idea," said Hamolsky. "You have two great incentives to get kids to come to the event and in between you put a quick informative session about drug abuse, and the kids are energized to learn and be here. ... I know I throw a lot of information up, but my hope is something, anything sticks and they can use that in [their] lives." ...

Karen Fortin, Oakmont psychology teacher who played in the dodgeball tournament, said "the educational piece is the real reason we are here, but the dodgeball also showed how being impaired doesn't feel so great."

Labels: prevention, alcohol_abuse, drug use, awareness

Posted By: Aspen/CRC 1 Comment

After British researchers surveyed 23,000 people age 11 to 15 years old about their drinking habits, they became uncertain if their results were valid.

In some parts of Britain, the level of alcohol abuse among young people was stunning -- with one in four children telling researchers that they drank an average of nine pints of beer or one and a half bottles of wine every week. That was an average, with many children claiming to drink even more.

It is possible that many who responded to the survey exaggerated the amounts of alcohol consumed.

Despite the large numbers who reported getting drunk on a regular basis , the study actually showed a decline in binge drinking from 55 to 52 percent in two years. Girls drank just as often as boys, but the boys tended to consume greater amounts. The most drinking tended to occur in rural areas.

"Regular consumption at these levels puts boys and girls at considerable risk that extends beyond the usual considerations around accidents and injury through violence," according to the report from NHS Information Center. "At this stage, the adolescent mind is still developing, and for an unlucky minority, heavy drinking at so early an age will have profound and long-lasting implications for their learning and problem solving skills."

Labels: teenage_drinking, alcohol_abuse, adolescence, great britain

Posted By: Aspen/CRC 0 Comments

A new study of risky behavior among Alaskan teenagers was released this week. In it, surveyors found high instances of both drug and alcohol abuse.

"In spring 2009, the Alaska Department of Health and Human Services surveyed 1,373 students from 43 high schools that were scientifically selected to represent all public high schools in Alaska, Patricia Owen, state coordinator for the survey," said in a report by Alaska's KTVA Channel 11.

The survey found that 45 percent of students believe regular marijuana use is not harmful, KTVA reported. More than 20 percent of students said theyd taken prescription drugs that were prescribed to someone else.

Labels: teenage_drinking, teen_drug_use, alcohol_abuse, drug_abuse, alaska

Posted By: Aspen/CRC 0 Comments

Researchers at Brown University have identified a genetic variant that increases the risk for alcoholism in adolescence. Previous research has found that the same gene tended to appear in adult alcoholics.

Dr. Robert Miranda, an assistant professor of psychiatry and the author of the study, said the gene variant may enhance how teenagers feel when they drink, which partly explains why they are more at risk for alcohol-related problems. However, the gene does not cause alcohol-related problems, and both Dr. Miranda and his co-author, Professor Valerie Knopik, said that the disease appears to be a complex interaction between many genetic and environmental factors.

"The candidate gene is just one piece of tens, of hundreds, of thousands of genes that influence the actions of adolescents," said Dr. Knopik.

The study appeared in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.

Labels: alcohol_abuse, genetics

Posted By: Aspen/CRC 0 Comments

The biennial California Healthy Kids Survey -- which evaluates drug and alcohol use by surveying thousands of students -- has revealed troublesome trends among youth in the Santa Cruz, California, area:

Thirty-six percent of high school freshmen countywide report that they have been 'very drunk' or sick from alcohol, up from 29 percent in 2005. Sixteen percent of seventh-grade students report recent binge drinking, up from 10 percent in 2005. (Source: The Press-Banner)

Marijuana use among Santa Cruz youth has also risen significantly, increasing from 18 percent in 2005 to 26 percent this year among high school freshman. Bill Manov, director of alcohol and drug services for the countys Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, told The Press-Banner that he believes drug use is up because students dont perceive the behavior as dangerous or damaging.

Labels: teen_drug_use, alcohol_abuse, drug use

Posted By: Aspen/CRC 2 Comments

A study from from Weill Cornell Medical College suggests that friends' and parents' attitudes toward smoking may influence teens' use of alcohol and other drugs. The study also suggests gender differences in teens' substance abuse decisions:

• Professor Jennifer Epstein and her colleagues surveyed 2,406 sixth and seventh graders in New York City for this study.
• Girls were more influenced to use drugs and alcohol if their immediate peer group held benevolent or permissive attitudes toward smoking.
• If a boy thought that boys his age in general were smoking, he was more likely to use tobacco, drugs and alcohol himself.

"If a teenager feels that smoking is socially acceptable and widely practiced, they are much more likely not only to smoke but to also drink and use marijuana," Dr. Epstein said. "A parent's opinion matters. Moms and dads are critical role models and should let their attitudes against drug use be known."

This study appeared in the Journal of Child and Adolescent Substance Abuse.

Labels: smoking, alcohol_abuse, drug use, teens, influences

Posted By: Aspen/CRC 0 Comments

Throughout the world, high school and college students will spend a few moments today learning about the potentially devastating effects of peer pressure, hazing and alcohol poisoning.

According to a Sept. 22 article by Nancy Churnin of The Dallas Morning News, the global awareness event, which is known as "Gordie Day," was created by Leslie and Michael Lanahan to memorialize their son, Lynn Gordon Bailey Jr.:

Gordie was 18 and a freshman at the University of Colorado five years ago when he drank whiskey and wine as part of a fraternity hazing, was left to "sleep it off" and died of alcohol poisoning.

The Lanahans could have withdrawn into their pain. Instead, they turned it into the Gordie Foundation, which establishes Circle of Trust chapters to address the dangers of peer pressure and hazing, teach the signs of alcohol poisoning and encourage young people to pledge to call for help as needed.

The event is offered in conjunction with National Hazing Prevention Week (sponsored by HazingPrevention.org) in recognition that this is a likely week for hazing.

Labels: alcohol_abuse, awareness, hazing, alcohol poisoning

Posted By: Aspen/CRC 1 Comment

In a Sept. 2 Salem News article, columnist Brian T. Watson provides an up-close look at one teen's descent into drug addiction -- and the effort it took for this young man to get his life on track. The subject of the article, the 19-year-old son of one of Watson's friends, is referred to by the pseudonym "John" throughout the column:

John first tried marijuana, beer, and hard liquor at age 13 while in the eighth grade. ...

As a freshman in high school, though he would have an occasional drink, John was still an open, cheerful kid with excellent grades, good study habits, and plenty of friends. He was healthy and fit, had a solid family, and no known problems. ...

By junior year he was a mess. He was smoking a pack and a half of cigarettes a day. He drank and took all kinds of drugs constantly. Because he often stayed up half the night at friends' houses, he fell asleep in school. He feuded with his teachers and was suspended twice and arrested once. ...

John can tell you why he became a drug abuser, but it's not profound. He says being drunk or high was simply an alternative to boredom.

John began the process of overcoming his problems with drug and alcohol after enrolling in a private boarding school for troubled teens.

"John is solidly building his way back, learning, growing, and getting better at assessing and putting into perspective the infinite variety of people, attitudes, and personal choices that exist," Watson wrote.

Labels: alcohol_abuse, recovery, drug_abuse, boarding school

Posted By: Aspen/CRC 0 Comments

A study of teenagers in Georgia found that hard alcohol was the most abused substance among high school students:

• Thirty-eight percent of surveyed students told researchers that they were drinkers.
• Forty-four percent of self-identified teen drinkers had consumed Scotch, bourbon, rum, vodka or whiskey within the past month.
• The majority drank at friends houses and got the alcohol from someone who bought it for them.

Researchers used data from 2,465 students in grades nine through 12 that had been collected for the 2007 Youth Risk Behavior Survey.

Labels: alcohol_abuse, teens

Posted By: Aspen/CRC 0 Comments

In the past eight years, hospitals in New South Wales, Australia has seen a 50 percent increase in people needing treatment for alcohol-related issues.

"The surge in extremely drunk and ill or injured patients is made up mostly of the young, and research also shows how this rise mirrors the trend in consumption of ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages known as alcopops," Australian news website News.com.au reported.

The biggest rise occurred between 2005 and 2008, when acute alcohol problems rose from 110 to nearly 150 per 100,000 people, the site reported, and the sharpest increase was among 18-24 year olds.

Experts worry that the surge of problems related to alcohol abuse by teens and young adults will lead to higher rates of long-term issues involving alcohol abuse and addiction.

Labels: teenage_drinking, alcohol_abuse, young_adults

Posted By: Aspen/CRC 0 Comments

Students at Rodriguez High School in Vacaville, California, who are caught drinking have something more than detention to look forward to. Instructor Shanti Hendderson -- who has first-hand knowledge of the devastation that can result from teen alcohol abuse -- has started a program aimed at teaching teens the dangers of alcohol use.

The purpose, [Henderson] said, is to provide a comfortable environment where students can discuss and analyze their problem. ...

Hendderson doesn't just talk from a book. She knows from first hand-experience how alcohol hurts. "In my senior year of high school, I was in a car accident with my best friend and her boyfriend. I was the only survivor," she said. (Source: The Reporter)

Today, Henderson uses her experience as a means of educating students. They learn about the effects alcohol has on the body and mind, and about possible genetic predispositions to alcohol abuse and alcoholism.

Labels: high school, teenage_drinking, alcohol_abuse

Posted By: Aspen/CRC 1 Comment

College boys are just as likely to experience violence on campus as are college girls, according to a report in the Journal of Adolescent Health.

"We've known that drinking increases the risk of perpetuating violence," said the study's leader, Professor Elizabeth Saewyc of the University of British Columbia. "In this study we found alcohol consumption puts both young men and women at higher risk of being victimized."

• The study found that 17 percent of college men and 16 percent of college women reported emotional or physical violence in the past six months.
• Half the emotional and 20 percent of the physical violence came from romantic partner.
• Sixty percent of the men reported violence associated with drinking, compared to only 30 percent of the females in the study.

The study was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

Labels: alcohol_abuse, college_students, violence

Posted By: Aspen/CRC 0 Comments

Fathers who drink too much put their sons at greater risk for teen alcohol and drug abuse, according to a new government study of more than 9,500 father and son pairs:

• Researchers from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) found that 38 percent of male teenagers whose fathers abuse alcohol also drink.
• Among those whose fathers drank moderately, only 33 percent of their sons use alcohol.
• Among those whose fathers drank not at all, only 21 percent use alcohol. The teenagers in the study were ages 12 to 17 years old.

A father's abuse of alcohol also put a son at greater risk for drug abuse. Among teens in the study whose fathers abused alcohol, 24 percent said they used drugs. Among those whose fathers abstained from drinking, 14 percent reported having tried drugs.

The SAMHSA researchers used data drawn from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, which collected responses from 11,056 fathers and 9,537 father-child respondent pairs between 2002 and 2007.

Labels: teen_drug_use, alcohol_abuse, parents, drug_abuse, fathers

Posted By: Aspen/CRC 1 Comment

In an aftermath of an academic year during which students committed 57 in-school drug- or alcohol-related violations occurred, Oregon's Lincoln County School District has announced the adoption of a new program that may result in financial penalties the parents of student-athletes who fall afoul of school rules.

A June 30 article by Larry Coonrod of the South Lincoln County News provided a look at the district's contract with the Life Of an Athlete (LOA) program:

Instead of just signing a permission slip for their students to participate in athletics, LOA requires parents to attend a mandatory meeting on the program before signing a contract acknowledging their understanding.

Students who violate the student code of ethics will be required to meet with a substance abuse evaluator at the family's expense, meet with law enforcement officials, and write a letter of apology. ...

Wendy Rudy, the LOA coordinator, said the program has a strong educational component, and is more than just negative consequences for violations.

"It addresses chemical health," she said. "What students don't know is that one night of binge drinking destroys 14 days of training. That's something for them to think about, all that work training can be gone in a night."

The County News article also noted that a recent survey of Oregon youth found that 25 percent admitted to past-month marijuana use, and 45 percent said they had consumed alcohol during the same time period.

Labels: alcohol_abuse, drug use, students, athletics

Posted By: Aspen/CRC 0 Comments

According to a May 26 report by the United Press International, the annual rate of alcohol poisoning among German teenagers increased by more than 100 percent during the first seven years of the current decade:

Reports by the German Federal Commissioner for Narcotic Drugs said the number of adolescents treated in the hospital for alcohol poisoning went from 9,500 in 2000 to 23,165 in 2007. About 3,800 of these alcohol poisoning patients were ages 10 to 15, the study said.

Martin Stolle and colleagues of the German Center for Addiction Research in Childhood and Adolescence in Hamburg said that the main reason for the increase was the number of intoxicated teen girls.

With a much more permissive attitude than most Americans have toward young people and alcohol, German society is thought by many to encourage responsible drinking by not forcing young people to hide their alcohol use. However, this study indicates that increased openness does not necessarily equate to a safer experience.

In addition to alcohol poisoning, teen binge drinking has been associated with a number of other health, social, and developmental problems.

Labels: teenage_drinking, alcohol_abuse, binge drinking

Posted By: Aspen/CRC 0 Comments

Some Ohio teenagers got a dramatic look at the devastation that can result from drug and alcohol abuse during a "Party House" event that was staged by several drug prevention teams and organizations in the Dayton area. Writer Quest Lakes described the event in the May 6 edition of the Dayton Courier:

Several teens were sprawled on the floor in handcuffs, CPR was being performed on one teen, while oxygen was being administered to another. The scene was a dramatization of how unsupervised teen parties can -- and do -- go terribly wrong. ...

A different unpleasant scene awaited the tour participants in each room: the teen actors dramatized alcohol poisoning, overdose from prescription drugs, drunken fights, alcohol related injuries and marijuana and cocaine use.

Adults in recovery, members of Healthy Communities Coalition and Central Lyon Youth Connections, and representatives from Lyon Sheriff's Office debriefed participants at the end of each tour. They also offered suggestions about long-term strategies to reduce underage drinking and other drug use in the county.

Teen drug and alcohol use remains a significant problem throughout the nation, but a number of residential recovery programs have helped young people overcome their addictions and resume the pursuit of their greatest potential.

Labels: prevention, alcohol_abuse, drug_abuse

Posted By: Aspen/CRC 0 Comments

Yet another scientific study using MRI technology has linked teenage binge drinking to brain damage.

Professor Susan Tapert of the University of California, San Diego, performed brain scans on 28 people ages 16 to 19 years old. Half of Prof. Taper's subjects were binge drinkers who got drunk often. This group had lower levels of white matter fiber coherence in 18 separate areas of their brains. White matter is critical for the relay of information within the brain.

"Because the brain is still developing during adolescence, there has been concern that it may be more vulnerable to high doses of alcohol," Dr. Tapert said.

Government surveys show that about 55 percent of all high school seniors say they have been drunk once in the past year, and about 25 percent report drinking five drinks in a row during the past two weeks.

This study appeared in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.

Labels: teenage_drinking, alcohol_abuse, brain_damage, binge drinking

Posted By: Aspen/CRC 0 Comments

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

Posted By: Aspen/CRC 0 Comments

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

Posted By: Aspen/CRC 0 Comments

The Sigma Kappa sorority on the campus of California State University in Chico has been suspended after one of its pledges was rushed to the hospital for alcohol poisoning.

"Freshman Bethany Dixon, 18, had reportedly been attending a Sigma Kappa function and was later hospitalized for severe alcohol poisoning Thursday night after her friends called police, said Lt. John Carrillo of the Chico Police Department."

Multiple university departments have launched investigations, with the focus being on finding out who hosted the party and who bought the alcohol. Source: The Orion (Cal State - Chico)

Labels: alcohol_abuse, hospitals, college

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

A study by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism found that children who experiment with alcohol before age 15 are more likely to develop alcohol dependency as adults.

NIAA researchers analyzed records of more than 22,000 young people and found that those who took a first drink before age 15 had more drinking problems later in life than did those who delayed experimenting with alcohol.

The findings may indicate that parents should not offer a child and even young adolescent an alcoholic beverage because it could act as "trigger" for a problem, especially among those who have a genetic predisposition toward addictions.

Labels: teenage_drinking, alcohol_abuse, addiction

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

Pregnant rats that ingest alcohol give birth to offspring that are attracted to that substance, according to a new study from the State University of New York.

Scientists have already shown that for humans, the best predictor of teen and adult alcoholism is having a mother who drank during pregnancy.

The theory of the new study is that mammals can 'learn' that alcohol is something good even in utero, according to Professor Steven Youngentob. He and his colleagues point out that the senses are among the first systems to develop. A fetus may "learn" by smell and sight what to eat and drink according to what its mother ingests.

"All that information gets transmitted to the fetus during gestation or lactation," Dr. Youngentob explained. He believes this adaptation probably works in humans as well as rats.

If a young rat was not exposed to alcohol by adulthood, it lost its attraction. This study appears in the journal Behavioral Neuroscience.

Boarding schools for teens with substance abuse and addiction problems can help by offering a powerful combination of therapy and accredited academics.

Labels: alcohol_abuse, mothers, influences

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

Researchers at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York are determining whether severe blows to the head are at the basis of many problems, including school failure, alcoholism, drug abuse, learning disabilities and even homelessness.

Dr. Wayne Gordon, of Mount Sinai School of Medicine, believes that "Unidentified brain injury is an unrecognized major source of social and vocational failures."

Brain injuries are a very common result of automobile crashes, participation in sports, bike accidents, child abuse and falls. The problem is that parents do not associate their child's current problems with an injury that may have occurred several years before.

The Mount Sinai team looked at 400 children enrolled in programs for learning disabilities and found that 50% had suffered head injuries. Five years ago, they studied 845 patients in drug and alcohol centers and found that 54% had suffered hard blows to their heads. They evaluated 100 homeless people and found that of the 70% were in the bottom 10th percentile for memory and language, 82% had suffered head blows, usually from parental abuse.

The Mount Sinai team is also using the results of a study done in 2000, when researchers went door-to-door in Connecticut, interviewing 5000 people. About 7% of them had suffered head injuries involving unconsciousness or a period of confusion. This group had twice the rate of depression and alcohol and drug abuse.

Labels: alcohol_abuse, drug_abuse, injuries

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

In Port St. Joe, Florida, a group of parents and teenagers gathered to discuss the dangers of teenage drinking. The town-hall-style meeting was coordinate and hosted by the Gulf County Substance Abuse Coalition.

"In the coalition's third town hall meeting this year, participants shared their thoughts on such topics as why students drink, where they obtain alcohol, the consequences of drinking and law enforcement's response. Teens and adults divided into separate discussion groups and reunited at meeting's end to review the responses."

Six teenagers attended the meeting and told adults that most teens get alcohol from friends or other people who are 21 or older. They also warned parents and teachers that drinking during school hours is more prevalent than they realize. Source: The Star (Gulf County, FL)

Labels: alcohol_abuse, schools, underage_drinking

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

A recent U.S. study set out to discover whether sports stadiums sell alcohol to underage drinkers. Researchers discovered that many do.

"Nearly one in five people posing as underage drinkers, and three out of four people pretending to be drunk fans were able to buy alcoholic beverages at professional sporting events, according to the findings, published Wednesday in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research."

The study sent decoys into 16 sports stadiums in five states where they tried to buy alcohol both in the stands and at a booth. For most, buying alcohol in the stands was easier. Source: Whistler Magazine

Labels: alcohol_abuse, underage_drinking, alcohol_sales

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

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

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 2 Comments

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_abuse, alcohol, binge_drinking

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 1 Comment

The new show "Gossip Girl" on the CW, which tells the stories of Upper Manhattan's elite teens, glamorizes teen drinking - but the truth of underage drinking is much more sobering. The U.S. Surgeon General's office says that a quarter of the country's alcohol sales are attributed to underage drinkers.

"Although the overall percentage of drinkers has held fairly steady for the past five years, the most recent statistics from that survey show teens have begun drinking at younger ages, and binge drinking has surged - with nearly 7.2 million teens reporting they sometimes down five or more alcoholic beverages in a single setting."

Though the media often glamorizes underage drinking, parental influence far outweighs that of the media. Unfortunately, a high percentage of teens say that they drink at parties that are supervised by adults. Some admit that their parents buy alcohol for them. What small influence the media may have can be counter-acted by parents who model the motto "just say no".

Teens struggling with alcohol and drug addiction need a safe, secure, and structured environment to get back on track. SunHawk Academy is a residential treatment center in a boarding school setting. Learn more at www.sunhawkacademy.com.

Labels: alcohol_abuse, underage drinking, binge_drinking

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

A new study published in the Journal of Prevention Science finds that the reason a teenager drinks is important as to whether or not he or she becomes an alcoholic.

Lori Palen, chief researcher in the study done at Pennsylvania State University, surveyed 1877 high school seniors and found that 75% drink. One-third said they drink for the thrill of it, 36% to experiment, and 15% to relax.

However, the minority (18%) reported drinking for multiple reasons, such as an inability to deal with anger and frustration, experienced more problems with alcohol. They were more likely to have started drinking as early as sixth grade, and more likely to drink on a daily basis.

Teens who have difficulty controlling their emotions and dealing with their feelings may benefit from a residential treatment center that offers therapy and academics. SunHawk Academy is a residential treatment program in a boarding school setting that caters to the needs of teens with substance abuse problems.

Labels: alcohol_abuse, risky_behaviors, pressure

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

Researchers at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center recently study the depression's effect on alcohol and cigarette use. Four-hundred-and-sixty-two people participated in the study, which documented initial alcohol and cigarette use, the measured use six months after participants had completed cessation treatment.

"Among those who were depressed, the odds of drinking, the next time you checked in with them six months later, were 1.5 times greater than the odds of drinking for individuals without significant depressive symptoms."

Though depression had a significant effect on alcohol use, cigarette use was not affected. The study's lead author, Molly Kodl, says the results underscore the importance of assessing a patient's depressive tendencies when he or she enters a treatment program.

Teenage depression is a real and scary thing. If your teen is experiencing signs of depression, you have to act quickly to get them the help they need. A residential treatment program that offers a full assessment of behaviors and emotions can help.

Labels: alcohol_abuse, treatment, depression

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

With the holiday season upon us, The Science Inside Alcohol Project is suggesting that parents take a new approach when talking to their teens about alcohol abuse. Instead of trying to scare them, try to educate them.

"Provide kids with the scientific evidence behind why drinking alcohol can hurt them. Adolescents believe they are invincible, which is perfectly normal developmentally. So remember to link what you are saying as closely as possible to their personal experiences."

Talk to them about how the body is damaged by alcohol abuse, the effects of drinking at an early age, and other information that's relevant to them. If your teen is an athlete, educate him or her on how alcohol abuse can affect athletic performance.

Labels: alcohol_abuse, binge drinking, education

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

Researchers at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism have identified five distinct subtypes of alcoholism. This study differs from previous attempts at identifying sub-types because it includes people who don't or haven't sought treatment for their alcoholism. It's estimated that only 25% of people with alcoholism ever seek treatment.

"We find that young adults comprise the largest group of alcoholics in this country, and nearly 20 percent of alcoholics are highly functional and well-educated with good incomes. More than half of the alcoholics in the United States have no multigenerational family history of the disease, suggesting that their form of alcoholism was unlikely to have genetic causes."

The five subtypes developed by the NIAAA were: young adult, young antisocial, functional, intermediate familial, and chronic severe. Those who fall into the chronic severe subtype are the ones most likely to seek help. Read more at EMaxHealth.com.

Teen alcohol abuse is a serious condition. Research shows "that those who began drinking at an early age were significantly more likely to develop a dependence on alcohol, and the dependence is more likely to be chronic and associated with long-term health issues." Read more at www.drugrehabtreatment.com.

Labels: alcohol_abuse, alcohol, treatment

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

Teens who are depressed are twice as likely to use alcohol and drugs as those who report no depression, according to a study by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

The researchers looked at data from 2005. They found that 2.2 million people ages 12 to 17 experienced a major depression. The rate of depression was higher among older teens  4.3% among twelve-year-olds and 11.9% among seventeen-year-olds. Girls had higher rates of depression than boys 13.3% compared to 4.5%.

Teen alcohol and drug abuse is a serious matter. Find professionals who can help teenagers with drug addiction and substance abuse at the Teen-Help-Directory.com.

Labels: alcohol_abuse, drug_abuse, depression

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

As research continues to provide increasing evidence that the brain undergoes significant development during the teenage years, pediatricians are being encouraged to talk more honestly with their young patients about teen alcohol and drug abuse. At the same time, doctors are also asking parents to have more frank discussions.

 “Talk with your children about your family’s history of alcohol or drug use. There’s a genetic component to alcoholism, and kids should know if they’re at greater risk of problems. Give your children one-on-one time with the pediatrician. Think of it as their lesson in how to navigate the healthcare system.” (Source: U.S. News and World Report)

Parents should also set firm household policies about drugs and alcohol, making alcohol off-limits until age 21, and drugs off-limits period. It’s also important for parents to model responsible behavior. Have a beer, but don’t get drunk.


 

Labels: teenage_drinking, teen_drug_use, alcohol_abuse, drug use, teenagers

Posted By: Stefanie Hamilton 0 Comments

‘Tis the season. Not for twinkle lights and fat men in red suits, but for proms and graduation. The season is upon us, and while teenagers and their parents have much to celebrate, they have some things to be cautious about, too. With celebration often comes alcohol – but times of celebration are no excuse to justify teen alcohol abuse.

“To help prevent underage drinking, the Family Talk program encourages open, honest communication between parents and children. Developed by an advisory panel of education, family counseling, child psychology and alcohol treatment professionals, Family Talk materials are distributed free to parents and educators…” (Source: Columbus Parent Magazine)

In a 2009 report, 68 percent of kids ages eight to 17 listed their parents as the people who most influenced their attitudes about drinking. The Family Talk program aims to help parents capitalize on their influence. Visit www.familytalkonline.com for more information.

 

Labels: alcohol_abuse, teenagers, celebration

Posted By: Stefanie Hamilton 0 Comments

If you don't want your children to drink alcohol, be very clear that you disapprove of underage drinking, according to two experts on adolescent alcoholism.

• Caitlin Abar from Pennsylvania State University studied 300 teenagers and their parents.
• Abar found that parents who disapprove of underage drinking tended to have students who engage in less drinking, and less binge drinking once they were in college.
• Parental permissiveness was a factor linked to later binge drinking.
• Her research team also found that although parents drinking patterns influence a child's later alcohol use, it was a parent's rules about drinking that had the strongest effect.
• The study appeared in the journal Addictive Behaviors.

Another study, this time from Dutch researcher Haske van der Vorst, found that the European drinking model of having children drink with their parents at home actually encourages out of control drinking.

"The more parents drink at home, the more they drink at other places and the higher the risk for problematic alcohol use later," she said.
 

 

Labels: prevention, alcohol_abuse, parental_involvement

Posted By: Jane St. Clair 0 Comments

Young adults tend to outgrow impulsive behaviors, which in turn leads to a decrease in alcohol consumption, according to a new study from the University of Missouri,

Dr. Andrew Littlefield and his colleagues studied people in early adulthood, ages 18 to 35 years old, and found that impulsivity tends to decrease as people get older, and that trajectory corresponds to less alcohol abuse.

"Future studies could examine why some individuals make significant changes in impulsivity across time, whereas other individuals' level of impulsivity remains relatively stable," Dr. Littlefield wrote in his report in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.
 

Labels: alcohol_abuse, binge drinking

Posted By: Jane St. Clair 0 Comments

Not being attached to school and family are predictors of alcohol abuse among adolescents, according to a study in the Journal of Counseling Psychology.

• Professors Kimberly Henry and Eugene Oetting of Colorado State University and her colleagues studied 1,064 middle school students for two years, keeping track of changes to their true or false answers to questions such as, "My family cares about what I do," "School is fun," and "My teachers like me."
• Those students who answered in a way that showed a lack of attachment to their families and schools were more likely to abuse alcohol. Another predictor of alcohol abuse was having friends who abuse alcohol.

"The study showed that the short time in junior high school is a time of Important changes for some individual adolescents," according to the report. "There are significant changes in family and school attachment and significant changes in association with alcohol-using peers. These within-person changes were accompanied by within-person changes in alcohol use."
 

Labels: alcohol_abuse, causes_of_teen_substance_abuse, families

Posted By: CRC Health Group 0 Comments

Rates of teen alcohol abuse rise during the summer between high school and college, according to Dr. Mark Wood, a professor of psychology at the University of Rhode Island.

• Dr. Wood's research indicates that most American teenagers begin to drink by age 15 years old, but their consumption increases during that summer and their first semester of college.
• This occurs even among students whose parents establish rules and provide emotional support.
• Dr. Willett and his colleagues studied the drinking habits of 1000 incoming college freshmen, and then showed them how their habits compared to others their age.
• Some students received a Brief Motivational Intervention at the beginning of the study.

About 28 percent of the students did not drink at all, and many were surprised to learn the percent was so high. Heavy drinkers who got the intervention tended to cut back on their alcohol consumption. Moderate drinkers were less likely to transition into heavy drinking or develop alcohol-related problems if they participated in the intervention.

The study appears in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology.
 

Labels: alcohol_abuse, students, college

Posted By: Adolescent Substance Abuse 0 Comments

Being religious could help teenagers resist alcohol, even if they have a genetic predisposition toward alcoholism, according to a new study from the University of Colorado. However, this effect does not carry over into young adulthood.

Dr. Tanya Button studied 1432 pairs of identical and fraternal twins when they were adolescents and young adults, measuring their religiosity and problem alcohol abuse.

"Our study showed that genetic factors could influence problem alcohol use more in nonreligious adolescents than adolescents with a greater religious outlook," said Dr. Button. "This attenuation in religious participants indicates that religiosity exerted a strong enough influence over the behavior of religious individuals to override any genetic predisposition. The same was not true for young adults, however, for whom the genetic influence was consistent across levels of religiosity."

The study appeared in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.
 

Labels: prevention, alcohol_abuse, alcohol, religion

Posted By: Jane St. Clair 1 Comment

A new study has found that teenagers consume more alcohol during the summer before they start college than during any other time in their adolescence. In general, teen alcohol abuse also increases during the summer, with the months between high school and college seeing the most dramatic rises in this dangerous behavior.

“University of Rhode Island Psychology Professor Mark Wood advises parents to monitor their children – know where they are, whom they are with and what they are doing. He said ‘this type of monitoring, particularly in combination with an emotionally supportive parenting style, is associated with less drinking and few alcohol-related problems…’” [Source: Hindustan Times]

The tendency among teens to drink right before college was consistent regardless of parenting style, but teens whose parents were both supportive and set boundaries drank less than their counterparts.

 

Labels: alcohol_abuse, summer, college

Posted By: Stefanie Hamilton 0 Comments