Religious teens are less likely to drink alcohol, smoke tobacco, or use other drugs, according to a new study published in the Journal of Drug Issues.

The study found that individual religiosity is linked to being less likely to use alcohol or to smoke, and decreases a teen's chances of using marijuana by half. However, religiosity did not affect cocaine or heroin abuse.

Researchers from Brigham Young University looked at answers to these two questions given by over 14,000 teens: How often do you attend church? and How important is religion to you?

"Previously it was thought that if someone grew up in a religious community and went to church, then the community's religious strength would make a difference," said Professor Stephen Bahr, co-author of the study. "We basically found that was not the case. Individual religiosity is what makes the difference."

Labels: influences, religion, drug_use

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The vast majority of teenagers who use drugs do it to relieve school stress, not to have fun, according to a new survey from the Partnership for a Drug-Free America. That will surprise most parents. Only 7 percent of parents marked "school pressures" as a reason for teens to use drugs compared to 73 percent of teens in the survey.

The Partnership, a non-profit cooperation between parents, educators, and media professionals, surveyed 6,511 teens and parents.

"A wide disconnect exists between what teens are thinking and feeling and what parents believe about their teens when it comes to attitudes about drug use," according to Steve Pasierb, CEO of the Partnership.

The other reasons teens give for using drugs are "to feel cool" (65%) or to "feel better about myself" (65%). One in five teenager has abused prescription drugs, and over 40 percent believe they are safer to use than illegal ones. The most commonly abused prescription drugs are painkillers like OxyContin.

Labels: peer-pressure, stress, drug_use

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Doctors and pharmacists in California have trouble regulating the amount of prescription medication people get, primarily because the current tracking system is too slow. In response to the problem, Attorney General Jerry Brown has announced that California's prescription-tracking database will be placed on a secure website that will be updated in real time.

"Moving the state's Controlled Substance Utilization Review and Evaluation System online would allow doctors and pharmacists to immediately access a database of more than 86 million drug prescriptions. All prescriptions filled for schedule II, III, and IV drugs - including powerful painkillers like morphine, hydro-codone and codeine - would be instantly available."

Brown didn't give a timetable for implementing the website, saying the $3.5 million needed would have to come from private sources because the state doesn't have money. Brown's proposal names the Troy and Alana Pack Foundation as the primary source of money; the foundation was started and named after two young children who were killed by a motorist high on prescription drugs. Source: KCRA - Los Angeles

Learn more about Teen Over the Counter and Prescription Drug Abuse at http://www.teenoverthecounterdrugabuse.com.

Labels: drug_abuse, prescription_drugs, drug_use

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College students who exercise regularly and strenuously are more likely to use drugs and alcohol. However, they are less likely to smoke, according to a new study published in the Journal of American College Health.

Researchers in northeast Florida studied 491 college freshmen and found that the frequent exercisers and athletes drank more often and were more likely to binge drink than those who exercised less often. These results were similar to another study by the National College Risk Behavior Survey.

The authors of the new study, Drs. Michelle Moore and Chudley Welch, are not sure if being part of a sports culture somehow promotes the usage of alcohol and drugs.

Labels: athletics, drug_use, exercise

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Many parents whose children die from abusing inhalants are shocked. Though it's a form of substance abuse actively practiced by a high percentage of teens (over 50 percent admit having used inhalants by the 12th grade), many parents are unaware of the dangers.

"All of us who have lost a child to this form of substance abuse hope that every parent will learn of and use the tools to warn their children about this deadly high. Children naturally think that 'if it's in the house, it can't be dangerous.' But inhaling can kill..."

Inhalant abuse also can cause organ damage and is highly addictive. Parents who talk to their child about drugs and substance abuse need to include the dangers of inhalants in their conversations. Every child who is not warned is at risk. Read more at WashingtonPost.com.

Labels: drug_abuse, drug_use, involvement

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A survey of 4,000 adolescents in Idaho found that 20% believe using methamphetamine can make a person happy and help them to lose weight. Nearly a third said that they had been offered meth, which can be made in home laboratories by using over-the-counter cold medicines.

Meth releases chemicals in the pleasure centers of the brain, causing a user to feel temporarily happy and/or euphoric. Over time, using meth can destroy dopamine receptors, making it impossible to feel pleasure. These receptors can heal, but some research indicates that meth causes permanent damage to cognitive abilities.

Officials from the Idaho Meth Project are using the results of the survey to design an anti-meth program for their state.

SUWS wilderness programs have bee helping troubled teens for over 25 years. Located in Idaho, SUWS can help your troubled teen too.

Labels: meth, research, drug_use

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Megan Overstreet is a student at Northridge High School in Salt Lake City, Utah, and she has some (potentially) surprising news for parents; it's often easier for kids to get drugs in school than anywhere else.

"While polling my 11th-grade English class, I found that 52 percent of the students had been offered drugs since starting high school. Yet the most shocking statistic is that 88 percent of the students knew exactly who to talk to if they wanted drugs...'I could text some people and literally have it in my hands by the end of the school day.'"

Overstreet goes on to suggest that parents have far more influence in their teens' decisions than they realize. By taking an active interest in a child's life, asking questions, and knowing who their friends are, parents can help their teenagers avoid substance abuse pitfalls.

Labels: schools, influences, drug_use

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Though it's been prescribed legally since 2003, the drug Suboxene is now beginning to show up on the streets, in the possession of people who don't have a prescription and are using to curb withdrawal while still abusing illicit drugs.

"The hexagonal pills are meant to be the latest in the attack on opiate addiction. According to the pharmaceutical group that manufactures it, Suboxene is designed to combat withdrawal from heroin, pain pills and other opiates."

Drug experts say that recreational use of Suboxene - know as "bupe" on the streets - is spreading. The pill is meant to be placed under the tongue and allowed to dissolve, but recreational users often crush it into a powder, then snort or inject it; a practice that can cause deadly overdoses.

Worried about teen drug use and if you'd recognize the signs if your teenager is doing drugs? Visit our page on Signs of Teen Drug Use for more information.

Labels: drug_use, street_drugs

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A residential school for Indian children in Salem, Oregon has seen a dramatic decrease in violence, drug use, and drinking since Marion County Sheriff's deputies started providing security. Since the beginning of 2006, deputies have patrolled the 400-acre Chemawa Indian School - home to 385 students from 62 tribes in 21 states.

"Fights dropped by half during the 2006-07 school year, compared with the year before, and assaults were reduced by 44 percent, according to the school's statistics. Drug and alcohol abuse also continued a years-long decline."

Though the students were initially apprehensive about the presence of the deputies, they've grown accustomed to having them around. Some of the deputies even help with student-related activities like football or wrestling.

Boarding schools for teens with substance abuse offer 12-step programs in addition to accredited academics. Visit BoardingSchoolsInfo to find a private school or residential treatment program today.

Labels: schools, violence, drug_use

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One key to successfully helping people recover from substance abuse is to understand the biological reactions caused by prolong drug or alcohol use. Over time, the brain's chemistry is affected by substance use and no longer functions normally.

"The effect of addictive substances on the brain might chemically impair key survival functions - eating, drinking, even reproduction. Substance abuse also appears to interfere with the chemical wiring that connects emotion to action, which could account for why alcoholics and addicts often seem immobilized and unable to help themselves."

Understanding these types of things helps get rid of the stigma often association with substance abuse and addiction - which is still often viewed simply as a lack of willpower or a kind of "moral failure". In reality, substance abuse is a deeply rooted, physiological issue that takes time and support to overcome.

SunHawk Acadmey offers a substance abuse recovery program for troubled teens.

Labels: brain_damage, brain_chemistry, drug_use

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Teens who binge drink are more likely to develop drug habits, become homeless, and engage in criminal behavior as adults, according to a long-term British study.

Dr. Russell Viner of University College London and Professor Brent Taylor of the Institute of Child Health studied more than 11,000 Britons born in 1970 through the year 2000. They found that by age 16, about 20 percent were binge drinkers and 25 per cent were regular drinkers. By age thirty, the binge-drinking group was 40 percent more likely to have a drug habit, and 60 percent more likely to be homeless.

Dr. Viner noted that binge drinking "brings a distinct set of problems of its own."

This study appears in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

Learn more about teen binge drinking at DrugRehabTreatment.com.

Labels: criminal_activity, binge_drinking, drug_use

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