Teens who think their parents are watching over their behaviors are less likely to use marijuana, according to new research from the Claremont Graduate University.

Dr. William Crano and his colleagues reviewed 17 previous studies of more than 35,000 people.

"It was clear that kids who thought their parents were monitoring them used much less marijuana than kids who did not.,"Dr. Crano said. "The interesting thing is that this has to do with the kids' perception of parents monitoring and not necessarily what their parents are actually doing."

"If your kids think that you know what they are doing and where they are at, who they are with and what they are doing when they are not within your sight -- that has a big impact on the kind of trouble they are going to get into," Dr. Crano said.

Labels: marijuana, parental_involvement, teen_drug_use

In the wake of revelations that dozens of young people were involved in a Virginia heroin ring that has been associated with four deaths, Washington Post reporter Caitlin Gibson wanted to know what leads a "good kid" to start using heroin. Her investigation led to a two-part article series titled “When Heroin Hits Home.”

The answer is simple, according to Edythe London, a neuroscientist and pharmacologist at UCLA who is at the forefront of addition study: "Heroin is an equal-opportunity substance." The factors that make a person susceptible to drugs cross ethnic and economic lines in ways many people don’t fully realize, London says.

The best that parents can do, Gibson opined, is pay attention, be involved in their kids' lives, and watch for signs of trouble.

Labels: heroin, parental_involvement, teen_drug_use

Many experts have identified parental involvement as the key to helping kids stay away from alcohol and other drugs. But the truth of the matter is that parental involvement won’t do any good if the child is unresponsive or detached -- thus, the essential component is cooperation between parents and teens.

This topic was addressed in a Sept. 21 article by Alice Englin, the coalition director for the Freeborn County (Minn.) Partners In Prevention:

An important step to making rules and consequences effective is to involve your kids in establishing them. Talk with your kids about your family’s beliefs and values, seek their input and commit to making the topic an ongoing conversation.

Involving them reinforces that you are interested in what they have to say and, in turn, will help them be more open to the important messages you have to communicate.

Parents can’t be everywhere, but you are the biggest influence in their life. That’s why it’s important to keep the lines of communication open, be firm about where you stand, and educate them so that they are equipped to make healthy choices when it comes to alcohol and other drugs.

Labels: communication, parental_involvement, prevention

Every parent of a teenager is likely aware of the saying that "actions speak louder than words." This is true of issues ranging from the way to you speak to your spouse to your attitude toward alcohol.

As pointed out in a June 26 article by the Maine organization Healthy Communities of the Capital Area, certain attitudes and behaviors of adults that may make alcohol more appealing to a teen.

"These actions are ones that many parents engage in," the organization reported, and while it may not be our intent to encourage underage drinking, some of these actions and behaviors may do just that":

• Making lighthearted or joking comments about other people's heavy drinking.
  
• Wearing T-shirts, baseball caps, etc. that advertise or promote drinking and/or specific brands of alcohol.
  
• Offering alcohol to your teen as a "special treat" for celebrations or family gatherings.
  
• Telling funny or glorified stories about you or your friends' drinking antics when you were younger.
  
• Watching television with your child, and laughing at scenes where alcohol is being abused.

Taken on their own, each of these behaviors may seem harmless to you. But when your children watch you say and do these things, they may get the idea that drinking alcohol is not only acceptable, but even expected.

Make sure that you’re modeling the type of behavior you would want to see in your own kids.

Labels: parental_involvement, teenage_drinking

Sun Street Centers’ Parents Creating Solutions is an organization with a simple message: Don't supply teens with alcohol. According to a June 5 article by David Nordstrand of The Californian, the organization was started by a group of parents who realized that adult-provided alcohol at teen parties was a problem:

"A lot of adults think it's OK to provide alcohol at teen parties," said Anna Foglia, executive director of Sun Street Centers in Salinas, which offers drug and alcohol-abuse programs.

Adults often do provide alcohol in the well-intentioned, but mistaken, hope that they'll be better able to control things by having a party at home. It's called "social hosting."

"It's dangerous, and it's illegal," Foglia said. "All those adults are really doing is sending a message that it's OK to drink."

Experts estimate that underage drinking is responsible for about 5,000 deaths in the United States every year.

Labels: parental_involvement, prevention, teenage_drinking

Not all teenage parties feature pizza and and soda. Some, instead, feature prescription pills. These so-called called "pharm parties" (short for " pharmaceutical parties" are obviously a significant risk to the health and well-being of teen attendees.

A recent Virginia event was designed to educate parents about the health risks of teen prescription pill abuse -- risks that their children may be facing

The trend was brought home earlier this week, when news reports focused on students at two Henrico [Virginia] middle schools sharing the prescription drug Adderall with friends.

Henrico’s Too Smart [2 Start] Coalition held a Town Hall meeting ... at Hermitage High School to draw attention to what appears to be a growing national problem. (Source: The Richmond (VA) Times-Dispatch)

Most of the parents who attended the Town Hall meeting seemed aware of the problem and were hoping for solutions, the Richmond Times reported. Guest speaker Aleta Meyer emphasized the importance of locking up medications and being aware of the types and quantities of medications in the house.

Labels: parental_involvement, prescription drugs, teen_drug_use

Have you seen those TV advertisements that refer to parents as "the anti-drug" and advise parents to talk to their children about drugs? Apparently, these ads are working.

According to the latest survey of parents from the Partnership for A Drug-Free America, more parents believe that they are the main influence in their children's lives when it comes to preventing drug abuse. Last year, 40 percent of parents believed it was the schools' responsibility to educate teens about drugs; this year, that number was down to 27 percent. Mothers were more three times more likely than fathers were to believe that parents are responsible for educating their children about drugs.

Another positive finding was that parents appear to have a greater understanding of the dangers of teen prescription drug abuse.

The annual survey involved more than 1,000 parents of children in grades four to 12.

Labels: drug_prevention, parental_involvement

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: alcohol, parental_involvement, prevention, teenagers

Sergio and Maria Aviles never expected to bury one of their children. But at age 17, their daughter Sarah died of a drug overdose. She was addicted to a concoction called "cheese," which is a deadly combination of heroin and Tylenol.

"A pretty girl with a heart-shaped face and a 'thug life' tattoo, she died after two years of addiction, two stints in drug treatment, and fights with parents who tried to save her..."

Sarah's trouble started when her parents divorced. She took it hard, and drugs became her coping mechanism. Her parents hope that by sharing their story, they'll spare other parents from experiencing the same heartache. Source: The Dallas Morning News

Labels: addiction, overdose, parental_involvement

The latest survey from Partnership for a Drug-Free America offers a glimmer of hope in the effort to improve communication between parents and their children:

"The Drug-Free America survey says 37 percent of teens surveyed said they are 'learning a lot' from parents about the dangers of drug use. That might not be the high number parents want to see, but it's an increase from 32 percent the year before."

The survey doesn't indicate whether the increased is the result of an increased number of parents talking to their teens, or an increased number of teens listening. Either way, it indicates that kids will listen. Source: The Tennessean

Labels: communication, dangers-of-drug-use, parental_involvement

The photo of Michael Phelps smoking pot has been circulated around the world. Though there were some consequences (like Kellogg pulling its sponsorship), he gets to keep his gold medals and most of his other sponsorships. So how does a parent use this story to talk to kids about the dangers of using marijuana?

"[Marsha] Rosenbaum [a sociologist] said the most important thing to keep in mind when talking to kids about drugs is that 'abstinence is really the best choice, but honesty is critical.' ... Rosenbaum said it's also 'no longer possible to offer the scare tactics that we've used for the last 20 years. You can't credibly say [that] if you smoke pot on Saturday, by the following weekend you'll be a heroin addict."

Rosenbaum encourages parents to use Phelps' story as an opportunity to share the facts, including potential legal ramifications. Nearly 40,000 people in New York City were arrested last year on marijuana-related charges, and similar numbers were arrested in other large cities, such as Atlanta and Cleveland. Source: Telegraph-Journal (Canada)

Labels: communication, parental_involvement, relationships

A mid-October investigation at Farmington (Michigan) High School uncovered illegal use of prescription drugs by at least 10 students. The investigation was prompted by a concerned parent who called the high school administration.

The juvenile department is dealing with the legal aspects of the investigation. As for the school disciplining the students, the high school administration is only allowed to hand out up to 10 days of suspension.

The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University found that prescription drug use in students ages 12- to 17-years-old increased by more than 200 percent between 1992 and 2003. Source: Daily Journal (MI)

Labels: parental_involvement, schools

Minnesota-based Partners in Prevention has chosen a Wisconsin city for a new program that is attempting to battle underage drinking by focusing on parents.

"The main focus of the grant project is starting a parent mentoring group in Edgerton that will help parents create positive experiences for children, making them less tempted to drink."

The program centers around the building of "developmental assets" that have been proven to reduce the risk of teen alcohol use. These assets include family support, adult role models, and creative activities. Parents who participate will meet one-on-one with a mentor who will help them to implement these developmental assets. Source: Gazette Xtra (Janesville, WI)

Labels: parental_involvement, role_models, underage drinking

Parents of toddlers lock up medicines so their children do not have access to dangerous drugs. Now experts are advising parents of teens to do the same thing.

A new study from the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse found that teens say it is easier to obtain prescription drugs than cigarettes, beer, or marijuana. One-third of the teens in the study who abuse such drugs obtain them from their own homes. Parents are often unaware teens are raiding family medicine cabinets because teens often steal just a few pills at a time.

Researchers in this latest government study interviewed 1,000 students ages 12 to 17 and 300 parents between April and June. Nearly half of the older teens reported knowing at least one friend who was abusing prescription drugs.

Illegal drug use among teenagers has declined 25 percent since 2001, but teen prescription drug abuse is increasing, according to the Office of National Drug Control Policy. Opiates such as Vicodin and OxyContin, which are chemical cousins of heroin and morphine, are particularly popular with teens. Teens are prone to addiction because the human brain does not fully mature until age 24.

"This has quietly and insidiously grown into a big problem," said spokesperson for the agency, Tom Riley. "It's not the creepy guy in an overcoat pushing drugs - this is about medications that are in your home. ... Teens are getting drugs from their parents' or grandparents' medicine cabinets."

Teens can also buy almost any drug they want from Internet pharmacies without doctors' prescriptions.

New legislation sponsored by California Senator Dianne Feinstein would require any business selling controlled substances on the Internet to register with the Drug Enforcement Agency. This measure passed in the House of Representatives and is now pending in the Senate.

Labels: abuse, parental_involvement, prescription_drugs

What is the best solution to underage drinking? Some parents choose to address the problem by hosting parties in their homes; believing that - since kids are going to drink anyway - it's better if they're drinking in a safe environment.

"Skeptical this is a widespread problem? A 2006 survey by the National Center of Addiction and Substance Abuse at New York's Columbia University found that 28 percent of teen partygoers surveyed said they had attended parties where parents were present and teens drank."

Adults who provide alcohol to underage drinkers can be fined thousands of dollars and even spend time in jail. Studies show that early drinking is strongly linked to alcohol dependence later in life. Teens don't need "cool" parents who will let them drink, but strict, law-abiding parents who will put alcohol use in proper perspective. Source: Hanover (NJ) Eagle

Labels: parental_involvement, role_models, tolerance

Danny was in eighth grade when he first got hooked on drugs. He started with the Ritalin that had been prescribed him for ADHD by crushing and snorting it. Then he started stealing other medications from his mother.

"By the time Danny was a sophomore in high school, he was using cocaine and crystal meth. One morning when he was 19, he woke up vomiting and hung over as usual. 'I just broke,' he said. 'I was wholeheartedly ready to stop.'"

Now, two and a half years later, Danny is clean, even after being prescribed Vicodin following extensive back surgery. Coming out of the surgery was a "huge turning point," making Danny realize how far he'd come and how much he'd gained since giving up drugs and alcohol. Source: San Francisco Chronicle

Labels: abuse, parental_involvement, prescription_drugs

Two new studies indicate that teens who participate in family activities are less likely to drink, smoke, use drugs, or engage in risky sexual behaviors.

The first study, from the University of Minnesota, found that teenaged girls who had five or more family meals weekly and had a decreased likelihood of substance abuse. Researchers surveyed 806 teens in 1998 - when the subject were 13 years old - and again five years later. The girls who had five or more family meals a week had only half the odds of abusing cigarettes, drugs, and alcohol. However, the effect did not hold true for boys.

The second study, from Boston University, involved 5,000 teenagers and their parents. Those teens whose families spent time together in meals or "just having fun" were less likely to engage in unprotected sex. They also had a lower number of partners and incidences of unprotected sex. Parents who were "controlling and critical," however, increased their teens' chances of engaging in earlier and riskier sex.

Both studies appeared in the Journal of Adolescent Health.

Labels: families, parental_involvement, relationships

A concerned parent wrote a letter to the Philadelphia Inquirer about a string of graduation parties he attended at which the graduates and their friends were given easy access to alcoholic beverages. The parties, he wrote, confirmed for him the findings of a recent study by the U.S. government which noted that many young people get alcohol from parents and other adults.

"'In far too many instances parents directly enable their children's underage drinking - in essence encouraging them to risk their health and well-being,' Acting Surgeon General Steven K. Galson said in a statement. 'Proper parental guidance alone may not be the complete solution to this devastating public health problem - but it is a critical part.'"

Some parents who approve of drinking at home may think they're protecting their kids from drinking and driving, but what they're really doing is encouraging drinking outside the home as well. A teenager who thinks his parents approve of his drinking is far more likely to partake at parties and other gatherings where parents aren't present.

Labels: parental_involvement, parties

'Tis the season for prom, graduations, and all the parties that go with them. The Alcohol and Drug Council of North Carolina has released information aimed at helping parents keep their kids safe this prom and graduation season.

"Before the celebrations begin, take a few minutes to talk with your graduate about the dangers of alcohol poisoning. What is it? Alcohol depresses nerves that control involuntary actions such as breathing and the gag reflex, which prevents choking. Someone who drinks a fatal dose of alcohol will eventually stop breathing. Even if someone survives an alcohol overdose, he or she can suffer irreversible brain damage."

The council also reminded parents that hosting a party with alcohol for underage teens is illegal and could result in criminal prosecution. Source: Mountain News

Labels: parental_involvement, parties, schools

A note was recently sent home from an Australian school district warning parents that children could be approached and offered crystal methamphetamine that looks and tastes like candy.

"A spokesman for the Department of Education and Training said last night a 'concerned and responsible Rozelle Public parent advised the school they heard a child (not a Rozelle student) was offered chocolate that may have been tainted with drugs.'

"The news has shocked and concerned many parents. Rozelle routinely teaches kids to avoid taking things from people they don't know, and to tell a teacher or parent when something like that happens. Source: The Daily Telegraph

Labels: candy, parental_involvement, warnings

Law enforcement officials in Placer County, California, have launched a new campaign titled "Parents Who Host Lose the Most" aimed at increasing awareness about the dangers of underage drinking - both for adolescents and the adults who supply the liquor.

"According to a survey conducted by the American Medical Association, 26 percent of parents in the United States with children aged 12 to 26 agree that teens should be able to drink at home with their parents present. A quarter of those parents admitted to allowing their children to drink at home."

Studies have found that the younger a person is when he starts drinking, the more likely he is to develop alcohol dependence later in life. Most states also have laws in place that prosecute adults who provide alcohol to underage kids, including their own. Source: News10 Sacramento

The effects of underage drinking can last long into adulthood. Learn more at DrugRehabTreatment.com.

Labels: parental_involvement, role_models, underage_drinking

On April 5, a group of young people will be setting the stage for a "party gone wrong." The simulated teen party will give adults an idea of what can happen when things get out of control.

"Youth leadership teams from Dayton, Silver City, Fernley, Silver Springs and Yerington have created dramatic skits involving worrisome situations for each room in a model home staged to look like a wild, unsupervised youth party. Adults will be led through a 20-minute tour of the staged party with a guide who will explain what they're witnessing."

When the tour is over, parents will have a chance to "debrief" with police officers, young people, and some adults who have recovered from addictions. The hope is that this simulated party will help parents get a better understanding of the things that can go wrong at teen parties, and how those things can be prevented. Read more at News.RGJ.com.

Parents also need to learn what they're liable for if their teen throws a party at their house. Read Hosting Teen Parties: What's Your Liability? to learn more.

Labels: parental_involvement, parties, prevention

Parents in Chattanooga, Tenn., gathered together on Tuesday night to discuss the issue of teen drug abuse. The forum was called in response to the March 1st death of a 15-year-old who overdosed on prescription medication.

"A group of students volunteered to start a peer council and share the experience of teen angst with their classmates... Parent Alan Broom said the peer council was the most well-received idea at Tuesday's forum, which was attended by dozens of parents but closed to the media."

Parents also discussed the importance of meeting their kids' friends and their friends' families. Read more at TimesFreePress.com.

Pharm parties are ways for teens to experiment with prescription drugs. Learn more about pharm parties and prescription drug abuse at ByParents-forParents.com.

Labels: parental_involvement, prescription_drugs

Last Wednesday, the Coalition for a Drug Free Nevada County hosted a town hall meeting intended to inform parents of the dangers of teen binge drinking. Unfortunately, few parents attended the meeting.

"The incidence of young men getting into a fight due to intoxication is huge, Callahan said. It's equally common for young girls to find themselves in physically vulnerable positions at parties because they're drunk, she added."

Lack of parental involvement and lack of understanding about the dangers of teen drinking lead to increased drinking incidents and also can lead to trouble with the law for both parents and teenagers. Read more at TheUnion.com.

Labels: binge_drinking, parental_involvement

Talk about teen substance abuse typically centers on extreme behavior - getting drunk at parties, habitual drug use, and so on. But even occasional use can create a dangerous habit.

"Most teenagers will tell you gulping down an occasional glass of beer along with a cigarette at a bar is fun, not substance abuse. That's where they are wrong. One glass of beer may not be addictive, but can lead to a chain of behavior that can leave you a physical and mental wreck. It can become a habit."

The habit becomes an even greater risk when parents aren't actively involved in their kids' lives. Read more at HindustanTimes.com.

NorthStar Center teaches teens and young adults how to have safe, sober fun. Learn more about their adolescent substance abuse treatment program at www.northstarcenter.com.

Labels: behaviors, parental_involvement, parties