Adolescents who drink or use drugs before they turn 15 are more likely to fail in school, become dependent on drugs or alcohol, be convicted of a crime, contract a sexually transmitted disease, and face an unwanted pregnancy. This is true whether they come from "good" homes or abusive ones.

Duke University psychologists Dr. Avshalom Caspi and Terri Moffitt worked with colleagues in New Zealand and Britain to analyze data on 1,000 New Zealanders from birth through age 32. Half of the subjects in the study were from stable backgrounds, and half came from families with histories of alcoholism, drug abuse, and crime. The study focused on preteens who regularly abused drug or alcohol, not those who were merely experimenting a few times.

The ones without risk factors who used drugs and alcohol prior to age 15 were 3.6 times more likely to be drug dependent by age 32. A third of the females in this group were pregnant before age 21.

Among the girls from problematical backgrounds who used drugs and alcohol before age 15, two-thirds got pregnant before age 21.

Both groups had more health problems as adults.

"These findings challenge certain perceptions regarding teens and drug and alcohol use," said Professor Dan Nagin, one of the study's co-authors. "For example, the idea that we shouldn't be concerned when teens abuse drugs and alcohol, because the kids are just experimenting. It's clear from this data that early exposure to drugs and alcohol can make even a good kid veer off on a bad trajectory."

The study appeared in the journal Psychological Science.

Labels: teen_drug_use, underage_drinking, long_term_drug_use

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A new test developed by AbuseCheck" could help rehabilitation centers, counselors, and even court systems determine how much alcohol a person has consumed. The test measures the levels of fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) in hair follicles.

"FAEEs are byproducts of alcohol metabolism created by the body. As these molecules circulate in the blood, they are incorporated into the structure of growing hair. The more alcohol which has been consumed, the higher the levels of FAEEs in the hair during that period of time."

Unlike breathalyzers or urine tests that only evaluate recent alcohol use, the AbuseCheck" Hair Alcohol Test gives evidence of long-term use, according to the product's manufacturer. Source: MedicalNews Today

Labels: drug_testing, long_term_drug_use

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Alcohol use is more prevalent among young people than any other drug. The average age at which a young person takes his first drink is just 13, and 80 percent of all college students drink.

"Yet the consequences of underage drinking are described as 'astonishing in their range and magnitude' by the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth at Georgetown University, increasing morbidity and mortality rates by 200 percent between middle childhood and early adulthood."

About 5,000 people under the age of 21 die every year in alcohol-related incidents. Those who aren't killed may be faced with the early onset of alcoholism or developmental delays that they'll carry throughout their lives. Source: Redwood City Daily News

Learn more about the long term effects of binge drinking at DrugRehabTreatment.com.

Labels: binge_drinking, long_term_drug_use

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The National Institute of Health is funding a $4 million, four-year study of the long-term effects of marijuana. Dr. Barbara Mason, director of Scripp's Laboratory of Clinical Psychopharmacology, will lead the study which involves three other labs.

About one in nine people who try marijuana become dependent, according to research form the University of Michigan. While alcohol clears the human body within hours, marijuana lingers and can be detected up to 30 days after use. Some symptoms of marijuana withdrawal are sleep disturbances, anxiety, and irritability.

The new research will investigate whether marijuana use affects learning, judgment, and self-control. Dr. Mason and others will also study whether marijuana affects young people differently than adults.

"The thing that troubles a lot of us is that marijuana has an appeal to younger people," said Dr. Reese Jones, a professor of psychiatry at the University of San Francisco. "In recent time we have learned that the adolescent brain is so different in many ways than the final adult version. There is a lot of reason to think that all these issues may be a bigger deal for young people."

NorthStar Center is a residential treatment center for young adults in recovery from substance abuse. Learn more about their program that combines therapy with academics at NorthStarCenter.com.

Labels: marijuana, long_term_drug_use, effects

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A team of analysts from the U.K. has determined that years of study on marijuana have proven that the drug increases the risk of psychosis. The specific factors that cause the increased risk could not be proven, but researchers say the connection between marijuana and psychosis is undeniable.

"Doctors have long suspected a connection and say the latest findings underline the need to highlight marijuana's long-term risks. The research, paid for by the British Health Department, is being published Friday in medical journal The Lancet."

The team analyzed 35 studies that tracked tens of thousands of people for anywhere from one to 27 years. They looked for connections to both psychotic illnesses and cognitive disorders. Interestingly, no connection to cognitive disorders could be found. Read more at ABCLocal.go.com.

Adolescent substance abuse can have lasting implications that affect teens in may ways. Learn about ways to help teenagers at DrugRehabTreatment.com.

Labels: marijuana, long_term_drug_use, psychosis

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Shawn Bridges, a former truck driver whose body was ravaged by years of methamphetamine use, passed away this week. But not before his long and painful journey was chronicled and made into a 29-minute documentary. His hope was that his story would keep others away from the highly addictive drug.

"He was extremely satisfied, wanting to do more in getting the word out and showing kids what meth harm does."

Shawn was bedridden most of his final year, fed through a feeding tube. During his last few months, his family says he often slurred his words, and sometimes wasn't able to speak at all. Chris Rossetti, who filmed the original documentary, plans to produce a sequel that will chronicle Shawn's final year, in hopes that this final message will keep kids from making the same mistake that eventually cost Shawn his life. Read more online.

Labels: death, meth, long_term_drug_use

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