With Spring Break approaching, parents throughout the nation are worried about the unhealthy decisions that their sons and daughters may make while vacationing with friends.

According to a March 22 press release from one of the nation's premier rehab programs for young adults, Spring Break excesses can be dangerous -- and, in some cases, deadly -- signs of problems that call for professional treatment:

Without the structure of school, many young adults use spring break as an excuse to shed their inhibitions and revel in their newfound freedom. College students die every year during spring break, many as a direct or indirect result of drug and alcohol use. Every year, there are cases of drug overdoses and alcohol poisoning, and stories in the news about car accidents, injuries, fights and arrests.

"The expectation is that young people will over-consume during spring break," said Jack Kline, LPC, LCAS, CCS, NCC, the executive director at Four Circles Recovery Center. "Their friends cheer them on, even when its apparent that theyre losing control. The mindset is thats what spring break is all about."

For many young people, the substance abuse that happens over spring break is an indication of a larger problem. Although many parents hope that their childs drug or alcohol use is a phase they will grow out of, this is rarely the case. Addiction is a chronic, progressive illness, which means it only gets worse if left untreated.

Labels: young_adults, rehab

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In the past eight years, hospitals in New South Wales, Australia has seen a 50 percent increase in people needing treatment for alcohol-related issues.

"The surge in extremely drunk and ill or injured patients is made up mostly of the young, and research also shows how this rise mirrors the trend in consumption of ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages known as alcopops," Australian news website News.com.au reported.

The biggest rise occurred between 2005 and 2008, when acute alcohol problems rose from 110 to nearly 150 per 100,000 people, the site reported, and the sharpest increase was among 18-24 year olds.

Experts worry that the surge of problems related to alcohol abuse by teens and young adults will lead to higher rates of long-term issues involving alcohol abuse and addiction.

Labels: teenage_drinking, alcohol_abuse, young_adults

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A concerned mom wrote to Dr. Michael Levy of the Eagle-Tribune (North Andover, Massachusetts), seeking advice regarding her son who has struggled with substance abuse for several years. Now that he's almost 18, and nothing has worked, mom is wondering what else she can do. Dr. Levy responds:

"First, you can petition the court to commit him to inpatient treatment for his alcohol and drug use... If the judge believes that your son's use of drugs and alcohol is so severe that it is endangering his life, the judge can order a commitment not to exceed 30 days so he can get treatment."

Dr. Levy acknowledged that while programs like Alcoholics Anonymous are excellent, they don't work for everyone. He also stressed the importance of getting whatever help is available for the woman's son. Source: Eagle-Tribune (MA)

Labels: young_adults, treatment, courts

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More suburbanites are experimenting with heroin, according to a new study of Chicago residents from Roosevelt University. Inner-city users tend to be middle aged and African-American. Suburban abusers of heroin tend to be under age 25 and white.

Chicago has the highest number of hospital admissions related to heroin in the United States. In 2008, Chicago hospitals recorded 24,000 such admissions, along with an increase in death by overdose.

Heroin is available in the suburbs for as little as $10. The young people usually start abusing prescription drugs that are opium-based, such as Vicodin and OxyContin, before they use heroin.

"I feel like we're seeing them transition from prescriptions a few years earlier than we did a few years ago," said Dr. David Lott, medical director of addiction treatment at Linden Oaks Hospital. Dr. Lott said he was concerned by the number of youth who were injecting the drug instead of snorting it.
 

Labels: young_adults, heroin

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