Amy Winehouse is in the news again, this time for being rushed to the hospital where she was reported to be coughing up blood. She is the latest in a series of stars whose "fast and furious" lifestyle is seductively appealing to many people - primarily young fans.

"The idea that some spirits burn too fiercely, consuming themselves in their own flames, is incredibly seductive to the people least likely to know better, by which I mean the young. As you get older, you start to question all that romantic nonsense and see such deaths for what they really are: a tragic waste."

The danger inherent in Winehouse's lifestyle is that, without ever realizing it, she may take others down with her. The singer is admired by many young people who don't view her as someone who makes reckless and destructive choices, but rather as a person who is living with an all-out passion. Source: Belfast Telegraph

Labels: influences, celebrities, media

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

Wired magazine is in trouble for an article in the May issue, "Twelve Ways to Supercharge Your Brain." One part of the 15-page article, called "Do the Right Drugs," includes discussions of eight drugs, some of which are illegal. The list includes Adderall, nicotine, and even methamphetamine, which "increases concentration and creative output." The author advises the magazine's 650,000 subscribers to "tap the black market" to obtain these substances.

Worried your teen is experimenting with drugs and alcohol? Learn about teen addiction and teen alcoholism at DrugRehabTreatment.com.

Labels: influences, media

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

A group of high school students from Lewistown, Pennsylvania have created anti-drug messages that are now appearing nationwide. Nickelodeon, Lifetime and Cartoon Network are just some of the networks that have picked up the ads.

"CNN aired one of the students' PSAs Friday afternoon in the region. In the PSA, two anti-drug messages targeting area youth came across the screen. One message said 'Mifflin County teens have better things to do than drugs.' This message showed area teens involved in extracurricular activities like basketball, band and 4H as opposed to the alternative."

Other ads dispel the myth that "everybody's doing it". A 2005 survey found that 72 percent of teens in the county said they didn't drink or do drugs, but more than 50 percent believed that their peers did. Read more at LewistownSentinel.com.

Labels: prevention, media, anti-drug_programs

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

A recent study at the University of Pittsburgh found that drug and alcohol use are still popular subjects in the music industry. This latest study found that, of 279 popular songs researched, one-third of them portrayed drug and alcohol use - and most of the messages were positive.

"Previous research has shown that exposure to substance-use messages in the media is linked to actual substance use in adolescents,' [Brian] Primack says in a news release. 'This is why we need to be aware of exposures such as these, especially when they are associated with highly positive consequences and associations."

Of the substances referred to in music, alcohol was the most common, with rap and country being the genres most likely to convey positive substance use messages.

Looking for ways to protect your child from risky behaviors such as teen alcohol and drug use? Visit DrugRehabTreatment.com for more information.

Labels: music, influences, media

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 2 Comments

David Nevins, son of HBO executive Sheila Nevins, has struggled with substance abuse for years. He's been sober for about a year now, but only after suffering through a decade of rehab, psychiatric treatment, and relapses. Nevins' experiences with her son made her realize how little she knew or understood about addiction and substance abuse, which inspired her to launch an HBO documentary serried called "Addiction".

"The short films that are a part of 'Addictions' include [Jon] Alpert's look at a busy Saturday night in a Dallas emergency room; [Rory] Kennedy and Liz Garbus' examination of brain imaging; and [D.A.] Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus' piece on opiate addiction."

The film airs on HBO on Thursday night, and all of the short films will be available for download from HBO's website. Read more online.

Labels: addiction, recovery, media

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments