The end of school has arrived for almost all U.S. students, and many are eager to take advantage of the lazy, hazy days of summer.

However, in addition to encouraging sloth-like behavior, summer is also the time of year when less supervision and more free time can prompt some young people to engage in dangerous behaviors such as drinking and the abuse of other drugs.

"There are ways to help prevent the incidences of underage drinking," Dale Cameron-Kody, the community wellness coordinator for Pittsford, N.Y., said in a June 16 article on the Democrat and Chronicle website. "Ask a lot of questions of your child. 'Where are you going? Who are you going with? Are you staying in one place or driving around? Do I have to worry about alcohol and drugs tonight?'"

If your child is going to a party at a friends house, call the parents that are hosting the party. Make sure they'll be home and that alcohol is not being served.

Labels: prevention, teenage_drinking, summer

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Summer vacation often means little or no structure for teenagers, which is one of the reasons they love summer. But the lack of structure can lend itself to unhealthy experiments.

"...there is a 40 percent increase in first-time youth marijuana use during June and July compared to the rest of the year. 'When there is more freedom, this is also more temptation,' Pathway Family Center said in a statement released on Tuesday. 'Statistics show that youthful experimentation with drugs, tobacco, and alcohol is more likely to occur during an unsupervised time when teens are alone or with their peers.'"

Parents can take proactive and preventative steps by planning summer activities for the entire family, encouraging their kids to continue afterschool activities into the summer, enrolling in summer camp or a wilderness program, and getting know their kids' friends and families.Source: Chesterton Tribune

Not sure what your teen will be doing this summer? Visit SummerCampsInfo.com for a list of teen summer camps or AlternativeSummerCamps.com for alternative summer camp programs.

Labels: marijuana, summer, first-time_users

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For parents whose children are abusing alcohol or other drugs, these behaviors – plus the risk of addiction and other potentially devastating effects – can often feel like overwhelming challenges.

And although the path back to a drug-free existence may not be an easy one, even the smallest steps have the potential to yield lifelong results.

Summertime provides many young people with increased opportunities to engage in destructive behaviors such as substance abuse. But summer can also be the ideal time to put your child back on track toward a healthy and drug-free future.

For example, at SUWS Adolescent and Youth Programs – a therapeutic wilderness program for youth ages 11 to 17 – as little as 28 days can provide students with the foundation they need to pursue long-term sobriety.

Amid the wonders of the wilderness, your child can experience a sober summer while developing the skills and strategies to pursue a productive life free from the chains of chemical dependency.
 

Labels: summer, wilderness

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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