Talk to your kids today!

Recently we heard the news of a 14-year old dying after inhaling helium at a party.  Helium that is used inflate balloons – as innocent as it may seem, it also can kill when used inappropriately.  This is no different than many other household products.

What is inhalant abuse?

Inhalant abuse refers to the deliberate inhalation or sniffing of common products found in homes and communities with the purpose of “getting high.” Inhalants are easily accessible, legal, everyday products. When used as intended, these products have a useful purpose in our lives and enhance the quality of life, but when intentionally misused, they can be deadly. Inhalant Abuse is a lesser recognized form of substance abuse, but it is no less dangerous. Inhalants are addictive and are considered to be “gateway” drugs because children often progress from inhalants to illegal drug and alcohol abuse. The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that one in five American teens have used Inhalants to get high.

Here is a list of inhalants that are in many homes – click here.

Warning signs and slang that your teen or child may be using inhalants:

Monitoring your child will make your child much less likely to use Inhalants or other drugs.

· Know where your child is at all times, especially after school
· Know your child’s friends
· If you find your child unconscious, or you suspect your child is under the influence of an Inhalant, call 911 immediately.

If you suspect your child might be abusing Inhalants, call the Poison Control Center at   1-800-222-1222; or call the ’1-800′ number on the label of the product.

According to the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, “if you talk to your kids about the risks of drugs, they are 36% less likely to abuse an Inhalant.” Parents can make a tremendous impact on their kids’ choices by talking to them.

Be an educated parent, you will have safer children and teens.

For more information visit www.inhalant.org.

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Inhalants.

Most parents will continue to say, ‘not my teen‘, however how do you really know it isn’t your teen?

Just ask Mona Casey in Coral Springs, she lost her son 15 year-old Charles Gray just before his 16th birthday, when he inhaled refrigerant.  Especially in Florida, air conditioning refrigerant is prevalent, it is also deadly.  Watch video to see how dangerous it can be. 

Throughout her grief, Mona Casey founded a group, United Parents to Restrict Open Access to Refrigerant, (UPROAR).  Huffing chemicals such as refrigerant can result in death on the first use. This is a risk we cannot afford to take with our children. One of the goals of UPROAR is to propose solutions to lawmakers and governing bodies to address this problem.

What is inhalant use?

Inhalant use refers to the intentional breathing of gas or vapors with the purpose of reaching a high. Inhalants are legal, everyday products which have a useful purpose, but can be misused. You’re probably familiar with many of these substances — paint, glue and others. But you probably don’t know that there are more than 1,000 products that are very dangerous when inhaled — things like typewriter correction fluid, air-conditioning refrigerant, felt tip markers, spray paint, air freshener, butane and even cooking spray. See Products Abused as Inhalants for more details.

It is time parents stop being ignorant to the fact teens and tweens don’t understand the dangers of huffing.  Kids as young as 11 years-old are huffing and dying.  Watch video below.

Talk to your kids today!  School will be opening, peer pressure will be starting, school hallways are full of kids trying to fit in and be cool.  Will they take it a step further fit in with a sniff? 

Sources: Just News, UPROAR, Inhalants.org

Be an educated parent, you can save a life!

Watch video and read more.

The National Inhalant Prevention Coalition Awareness will help you learn about Inhalant Abuse. As 2010 rolls in shortly, start now in being an educated parent on this very serious issue teens are trying.

Did you know:

One on five students in America has used an inhalant to get high by the time he or she reaches the eighth grade. Parents don’t know that inhalants, cheap, legal and accessible products, are as popular among middle school students as marijuana. Even fewer know the deadly effects the poisons in these products have on the brain and body when they are inhaled or “huffed.” It’s like playing Russian Roulette. The user can die the 1st, 10th or 100th time a product is misused as an inhalant. – National Inhalant Prevention Coalition

Inhalant abuse is a serious concern especially since these products are easily accessible as well as common household products.  They’re all over your house. They’re in your child’s school. In fact, you probably picked some up the last time you went to the grocery store. Educate yourself. Find out about inhalants before your children do.

What is inhalant use? Inhalant use refers to the intentional breathing of gas or vapors with the purpose of reaching a high. Inhalants are legal, everyday products which have a useful purpose, but can be misused. You’re probably familiar with many of these substances — paint, glue and others. But you probably don’t know that there are more than 1,000 products that are very dangerous when inhaled — things like typewriter correction fluid, air-conditioning refrigerant, felt tip markers, spray paint, air freshener, butane and even cooking spray. See Products Abused as Inhalants for more details.

Who is at risk? Inhalants are an equal opportunity method of substance abuse. Statistics show that young, white males have the highest usage rates. Hispanic and American Indian populations also show high rates of usage. See Characteristics of Users and Signs of an Inhalant User for more details.
 

Source: National Inhalant Prevention Coalition
 

WATCH 60 SECOND PSA VIDEO. YOU COULD SAVE A LIFE.  Be an educated parent.

Also on Examiner.

Teen substance abuse is an issue many parents deal with, however are they aware of how it is effecting the other children in their family?  Is your at risk teen influencing their siblings?  Peer pressure, whether at home or at school, can lead to trouble and as a parent, we need to be aware of the warning signs and open up those lines of communications.  Is your oldest child a good model for the younger ones?  Is a younger one trying drugs and is your older one encouraging or discouraging them?  Stop, listen, read and learn. Be an educated parent.

Source: Connect with Kids

Sibling Influence

“I don’t want [my sister] to be mad at me, and I don’t want her to be disappointed in me.”

– Laura, 14 years old

The Partnership for a Drug-Free America says parents are the “anti-drug,” but there is another anti-drug: siblings. When it comes to making risky decisions an older sibling can play a crucial role too.

Teens experience many forms of stress, including the pressure to experiment with drugs and alcohol, on a regular basis.

Laura, 14, says she has been in situations where drugs and alcohol were present.

“It’s just there. So you can either choose to get some or just stay away,” she says.

For years, Laura and her older sister Amanda, 17, have had conversations with their parents about the importance of staying drug free.

“They just always talk to us about how it’s not good, that it’s bad, so don’t do it,” Laura says.

But part of what keeps Laura on the straight and narrow is a desire to please her older sister.

“I don’t want her to be mad at me, and I don’t want her to be disappointed in me. [W]e’ll always get along, but if she’s disappointed in me, maybe our relationship could grow apart,” she says.

When it comes to making decisions many kids will listen to their older brother or sister- good or bad.

In fact, researchers at the University of California-David found that teens are more likely to drink, use drugs, and have unprotected sex if they have a brother or sister who take those same risks.

“Adolescence is a time of deciding who you are and what you’re about. You decide that based on modeling. So the role of the older sibling as a modeling influence – somebody that the younger kid is gonna follow – is enormously important.” explains Dr. Robert Perez, a clinical psychologist.

Still, parents play the most important role in the prevention of childhood substance abuse. Experts say parents need to make it clear how they feel about using drugs. It’s also important that they start the conversation early and revisit the issue often.

The advice from Amanda and Laura’s mother: “Talk to your kids, have dinner with your kids. I think that’s the most important thing,” Mary Lou Waide says.

And it seems the Waides’ message about drugs and alcohol has stuck with their daughters.

“We don’t want to disappoint them,” Amanda says. “We know what we can and can’t do, and we know that if we do anything we’re gonna pay the consequences.”

Previous studies have shown that parents can influence their children to make positive decisions regarding drug use. Research conducted by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University shows that siblings also play an important role in keeping children drug free.

The survey of 1,000 teens aged 12 to 17 (half boys and half girls) focused on whether a siblings’ negative attitude toward drugs would deter a child from trying drugs, alcohol or cigarettes. The study found that teens who believed their older sibling would disapprove or would be “very angry” to find out they were using marijuana were less likely to use drugs or alcohol. Researchers also found that parents may underestimate their role in their children’s decisions to use drugs. In fact, more than one-third of the surveyed parents said they believe drug use is a fact of life in schools and that they are powerless to stop it.

Despite these findings, CASA says that many families still have a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy when it comes to discussing drug abuse. Nearly half of the surveyed teens said that their parents never talked to them about the dangers of drug use.

Tips for Parents

It is important that family members feel as though they can talk to each other about tough issues, such as drug use. Part of this early, open communication includes being a good listener. Whether you’re a parent or an older sibling, consider these listening techniques provided by the American Council for Drug Education (ACDE):

• Give your child an opportunity to talk. Stop talking and give your child sufficient time to complete his or her thoughts and process what has been said.
• Demonstrate interest by asking appropriate questions. Questions can help you clarify your child’s thoughts and suggestions. Be sure that you are interpreting what has been said correctly.
• Listen to the complete message. Listen to the total message before forming a response.
• Encourage your child to talk. Use door-opening statements (“You seem distracted today” or “Tell me what is going on”) that invite a response.
• Focus on content, not delivery. Avoid being distracted by your child’s poor grammar or manners. It is what is being said that is important.
• Listen for main ideas. Try to pick out the central theme of the conversation.
• Deal effectively with emotionally charged language. Be aware of words or phrases that produce anxiety and trigger emotions.
• Identify areas of common experience and agreement. Note similar experiences of your own or offer a shared point of view to communicate acceptance and understanding.
• Deal effectively with whatever blocks you from listening. Be aware of personal blocks that may prevent you from hearing what your child is saying.

Substance abuse can be an overwhelming issue with which to deal, but it doesn’t have to be. The Partnership for a Drug-Free America offers the following strategies to put into practice so that your child can reap the rewards of a healthy, drug-free life:

• Be your child’s greatest fan. Compliment him or her on all of his or her efforts, strength of character and individuality.
• Involve your child in adult-supervised after-school activities. Ask him or her what types of activities he or she is interested in and contact the school principal or guidance counselor to find out what activities are available. Sometimes it takes a bit of experimenting to find out which activities your child is best suited for, but it’s worth the effort – feeling competent makes children much less likely to use drugs.
• Help your child develop tools he can use to get out of alcohol- or drug-related situations. Let him or her know he or she can use you as an excuse: “My mom would kill me if I smoked marijuana!”
• Get to know your child’s friends and their parents. Set appointments for yourself to call them and check-in to make sure they share your views on alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. Steer your child away from any friends who use drugs.
• Call teens’ parents if their home is to be used for a party. Make sure that the party will be alcohol-free and supervised by adults.
• Set curfews and enforce them. Let your child know the consequences of breaking curfew.
• Set a no-use rule for alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.
• Sit down for dinner with your child at least once a week. Use the time to talk – don’t eat in front of the television.
• Get – and stay – involved in your child’s life.

References

• American Council for Drug Education
• National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse
• Partnership for a Drug-Free America
• Office of National Drug Control Policy

Also read on Examiner about Stop Medicine Abuse and Inhalant Use.

A major factor in drug use is peer pressure. Even teens who think they’re above the influence of peer pressure can often find it hard to refuse trying drugs when they believe their popularity is at stake. Teens may feel that taking drugs or alcohol to fit in is safer than becoming a perceived social exile, and may not realize that their friends will not abandon them simply for refusing a joint or bottle of beer. A popular adage that is thrown around regarding peer pressure says if your friends would abandon you for not accepting an illegal substance, they’re not “real” friends- but try telling this to a teenager. A more effective method is to acknowledge the pressure to fit in and work with your teen to find solutions to these problems before they arise. Suggest that your teen offer to be the designated driver at parties, and work with them to develop a strategy for other situations.

Even agreeing to back your teen up on a carefully crafted story can help enforce your bond with them- giving them the okay to tell their friends to blame you or that you give them random drug tests will go a long way. Knowing they have your support in such a sensitive subject can alleviate many of their fears, and knowing they can trust you helps instill the idea they can come to you with other problems. This is also an excellent time to remind them to never allow friends to drive under the influence and to never get into a car with someone under the influence. Reassure your teenager that if they should give in to peer pressure and become intoxicated or high, or if they have no sober ride home though they are sober themselves that it is always okay to call you for a ride home. Some parents may want to consider getting teens a cell phone for emergency use, or giving them an emergency credit card for cab fare.

Depression is another major factor in drug use. For more in depth information on teenage depression, please visit Sue Scheff™’s Teen Depression Resource. Despite the fact that many substances actually make depression worse, teenagers may be lured in by the initial high, which in theory is only replenished by more drugs. Thus begins the vicious cycle that becomes nearly impossible to break without costly rehabilitation. If you notice your teen is acting differently, it may be time to have a talk with them to address these changes. Remember- do not accuse your teen or criticize them. Drug use is a serious cry for help, and making them feel ashamed or embarrassed can make the problem worse. Some common behavior changes you may notice if your teen is abusing drugs and alcohol are:

• Violent outbursts, disrespectful behavior
• Poor or dropping grades
• Unexplained weight loss or gain
• Skin abrasions, track marks
• Missing curfew, running away, truancy
• Bloodshot eyes, distinct “skunky” odor on clothing and skin
• Missing jewelry money
• New friends
• Depression, apathy, withdrawal
• Reckless behavior

Learn More.

What is Inhalant Abuse?

Source: Inhalant.org

Inhalant abuse refers to the deliberate inhalation or sniffing of common products found in homes and communities with the purpose of “getting high.” Inhalants are easily accessible, legal, everyday products. When used as intended, these products have a useful purpose in our lives and enhance the quality of life, but when intentionally misused, they can be deadly. Inhalant Abuse is a lesser recognized form of substance abuse, but it is no less dangerous. Inhalants are addictive and are considered to be “gateway” drugs because children often progress from inhalants to illegal drug and alcohol abuse. The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that one in five American teens have used Inhalants to get high.

Huffing, Sniffing, Dusting and Bagging

Inhalation is referred to as huffing, sniffing, dusting or bagging and generally occurs through the nose or mouth. Huffing is when a chemically soaked rag is held to the face or stuffed in the mouth and the substance is inhaled. Sniffing can be done directly from containers, plastic bags, clothing or rags saturated with a substance or from the product directly. With Bagging, substances are sprayed or deposited into a plastic or paper bag and the vapors are inhaled. This method can result in suffocation because a bag is placed over the individual’s head, cutting off the supply of oxygen.

Other methods used include placing inhalants on sleeves, collars, or other items of clothing that are sniffed over a period of time. Fumes are discharged into soda cans and inhaled from the can or balloons are filled with nitrous oxide and the vapors are inhaled. Heating volatile substances and inhaling the vapors emitted is another form of inhalation. All of these methods are potentially harmful or deadly. Experts estimate that there are several hundred deaths each year from Inhalant Abuse, although under-reporting is still a problem.

 What Products Can be Abused?

Source: Examiner.com

By Michael Velardo

Michael Jackson’s death is a warning to parents about teen drug use

With Michael Jackson’s death still fresh in everyone’s mind, it is important to remember that there are many people in America with the same kind of problems he is alleged to have had. Although Michael’s notoriety has extreme draw power, we can’t forget about those 2500 teens who wake up every morning and get high for the first time on prescription drugs, some eventually ending up dead.

That is why, in this 2nd part series, I have short-listed some behaviors you can look for in your teen to help you determine whether he/she is using drugs or not. Although not an exhaustive list, it is a primer that will give you at least some knowledge of what you are dealing with. I’ve also included links where you can find extensive information on the topic as well as join in a community of parents with the same concerns. You can even subscribe to newsletters, emails that will provide you with tips, and information about teen drug abuse.

Please remember that exibiting these behaviors may not necessarilly mean your teen is using, but don’t use that to go into a state of denial. In fact, your teen may be in denial about drug use. The following information was taken from Partnership for a Drug Free America.

Your teen may be using if you notice any of these behaviors:

Behavioral Issues

A difference in family relationships or change in friends
Unable to focus
Edgy/hyperactive
Withdrawn/likes to be alone
Overly tired/sleeps alot
Hostile/angry more often
Starts lying/hiding things
Loud and obnoxious behavior
Slurred speech
Pinpoint pupils (physical) (narcotic use)
Dilated pupils (physical) (may have taken acid, speed)
Nodding out
Extremes in energy followed by excessive sleep
Unusually clumsy, stumbling around

If you notice any of these changes, there is a good chance that your teen is using drugs and/or alcohol. There may be a good reason that the behavior is happening, but probably not.

For an exhaustive list of behaviors, including personal appearance issues, health issues, school.work issues, personal habit issues, home and/or car related issues, vist a Time to Act, by a Partnership for a Drug Free America. There, you will find an exhaustive list of behaviors, both physical and psychological that will enlighten, and arm you with the information you need to identify a drug problem, and more importantly, what to do if you discover one.

Please look over this site, as it contains a lot of information you can access for substance abuse problems, educational information, etc.

New Data Shows Fathers Missing Key Opportunity to Be More Active in
Preventing Drug and Alcohol Use among their Kids
 
New York, NY (June 16, 2009) – New data from the 14th annual national survey of parents’ attitudes about teen drug and alcohol use by the nonprofit Partnership for a Drug-Free America and MetLife Foundation reveals dads take a much more passive role than moms when it comes to preventing substance abuse in their families. As Father’s Day draws near, this new data underscores a unique opportunity for fathers to get more involved and engage further with their children on this critical health issue.
 
New research from the Partnership/MetLife Foundation Parents Attitude Tracking Study (PATS) reveals dramatic differences between mothers and fathers:
·         Fathers were nearly three times as likely to believe that drug education should take place in school (34 percent of fathers versus 10 percent of mothers). 

Additionally, fathers report having greater difficulty reconciling the desire to have their child see them as a friend with the need to set rules and monitor their teens.

Fathers placed greater value on being their child’s friend (59 percent of fathers, 51 percent of mothers) although the majority of parents thought friendship with their child was important.

Fathers were far more likely (18 percent) to report having difficulty enforcing rules about alcohol, cigarette or drug use than mothers (10 percent).

“Fathers have real power in influencing the decisions teens make for themselves, yet many dads find it difficult to talk with their kids about drugs and alcohol,” said Partnership President Steve Pasierb.
 
Visit the Partnership for Drug-Free America’s Parent Toolkit available for free download at www.drugfree.org for tips to help dads get the conversation going with their teens.
 
For more information or to schedule an interview with an expert or to speak with a dad who can speak to the challenges of raising tweens and teens, please contact Candice Besson at candice_besson@drugfree.org or 212-973-3517.
 
About PATS:  PATS is a nationally projectable survey of 1,004 parents of children in grades 4-12 and was conducted in-home by the Partnership with major funding beginning in 2008 from MetLife Foundation. 
 
————————————————————
The Partnership for a Drug-Free America
Working with parents to prevent and get help for teen drug and alcohol abuse.

Defining “Gateway Drugs”

Kids today have much more societal pressure put upon them than their parents generation did, and the widespread availability of drugs like methamphetamines and the “huffing” trend (which uses common household chemicals as drugs) can turn recreational use of a relatively harmless gateway drug into a severe or fatal addiction without warning.

The danger of gateway drugs increases in combination with many prescription medications taken by teens today. These dangerous side effects may not be addressed by your child’s pediatrician if your child is legally too young to smoke cigarettes or drink alcohol. Drugs like Ritalin, Prozac, Adderrall, Strattera, Zoloft and Concerta can be very dangerous when mixed with recreational drugs and alcohol. Combining some prescription medications with other drugs can often negate the prescription drug’s effectiveness, or severely increase the side effects of the drug being abused. For example, a 2004 study by Stanford University found that the active chemical in marijuana, THC, frequently acted as a mental depressant as well as a physical depressant. If your child is currently on an anti-depressant medication like Prozac or Zoloft, marijuana use can counterbalance their antidepressant effects.

Other prescription anti depressants and anti psychotics can also become severely dangerous when mixed with alcohol. This is why is imperative that you as a parent must familiarize yourself with any prescription medications your child is taking and educate your child of the dangers of mixing their prescription drugs with other harmful drugs- even if you don’t believe your child abuses drugs or alcohol.

Marijuana – Why It is More Dangerous Than You Think

Parents who smoked marijuana as teenagers may see their child’s drug use as a harmless rite of passage, but with so many new and dangerous designer drugs making their way into communities across the country, the potential for marijuana to become a gateway to more dangerous drugs for your child should not be taken lightly.

Marijuana is the most commonly abused drug by both teens and adults. The drug is more commonly smoked, but can also be added to baked goods like cookies or brownies. Marijuana which is ingested orally can be far more potent than marijuana that is smoked, but like smoking tobacco, smoking marijuana can cause lung cancer, emphysema, asthma and other chronic conditions of the lungs. Just because it is “all natural” does not make it any safer for your lungs.

Marijuana is also a depressant. This means the drug slows down the body’s functions and the messages the body sends to the brain. This is why many people who are under the influence of marijuana (or “stoned”) they are often sluggish or unmotivated.

Marijuana can also have psychological side effects, both temporary and permanent. Some common psychological side effects of marijuana are paranoia, confusion, restlessness, hallucinations, panic, anxiety, detachment from reality, and nausea. While these symptoms alone do not sound all that harmful, put in the wrong situation, a teen experiencing any of these feelings may act irrationally or dangerously and can potentially harm themselves or others. In more severe cases, patients who abuse marijuana can develop severe long-term mental illnesses such as schizophrenia.

Tobacco – Just Because It Is Legal Doesn’t Mean It Is Safe

While cigarettes and tobacco are considered “legal”, they are not legal for teens to posses or smoke until they are 18. Still, no matter the age of your child, smoking is a habit you should encourage them to avoid, whether they can smoke legally or not.

One of the main problems with cigarettes is their addictive properties. Chemicals like nicotine are added to tobacco to keep the smoker’s body craving more, thus insuring customer loyalty. This is extremely dangerous to the smoker, however, as smoking has repeatedly proven to cause a host of ailments, including lung cancer, emphysema, chronic bronchitis or bronchial infection, asthma and mouth cancer- just to name a few.

In addition to nicotine, cigarettes contain over 4000 other chemicals, including formaldehyde (a poisonous compound used in some nail polishes and to preserve corpses), acetone (used in nail polish remover to dissolve paint) carbon monoxide (responsible for between 5000 to 6000 deaths annually in its “pure” form), arsenic (found in rat poison), tar (found on paved highways and roads), and hydrogen cyanide (used to kill prisoners sentenced to death in “gas chambers”).

Cigarettes can also prematurely age you, causing wrinkles and dull skin, and can severely decay and stain teeth.

A new trend in cigarette smoke among young people are “bidi’s”, Indian cigarettes that are flavored to taste like chocolate, strawberry, mango and other sweets. Bidi’s are extremely popular with teens as young as 12 and 13. Their sweet flavors and packaging may lead parents to believe that they aren’t “real” cigarettes or as dangerous as brand-name cigarettes, but in many cases bidi’s can be worse than brand name cigarettes, because teens become so enamored with the flavor they ingest more smoke than they might with a name brand cigarette.

Another tobacco trend is “hookah’s” or hookah bars. A hookah is an ornate silver or glass water pipe with a fabric hoses or hoses used to ingest smoke. Hookahs are popular because many smokers can share one hookah at the same time. However, despite this indirect method of ingesting tobacco smoke through a hose, hookah smoking is just as dangerous as cigarette smoke.

The Sobering Effects of Alcohol on Your Teen

Alcohol is another substance many parents don’t think they need to worry about. Many believe that because they don’t have alcohol at home or kept their alcohol locked up, their teens have no access to it, and stores or bars will not sell to minors. Unfortunately, this is not true. A recent study showed that approximately two-thirds of all teens who admitted to drinking alcohol said they were able to purchase alcohol themselves. Teens can also get alcohol from friends with parents who do not keep alcohol locked up or who may even provide alcohol to their children.

Alcohol is a substance that many parents also may feel conflicted about. Because purchasing and consuming alcohol is legal for most parents, some parents may not deem it harmful. Some parents believe that allowing their teen to drink while supervised by an adult is a safer alternative than “forcing” their teen to obtain alcohol illegally and drinking it unsupervised. In theory, this does sound logical, but even under adult supervision alcohol consumption is extremely dangerous for growing teens. Dr. John Nelson of the American Medical Association recently testified that even light alcohol consumption in late childhood and adolescence can cause permanent brain damage in teens. Alcohol use in teens is also linked with increased depression, ADD, reduced memory and poor academic performance.

In combination with some common anti-psychotics and anti-depressants, the effects of just one 4 oz glass of wine can be akin to that of multiple glasses, causing the user to become intoxicated much faster than someone not on anti depressants. Furthermore, because of the depressant nature of alcohol, alcohol consumption by patients treated with anti-depressants can actually counteract the anti-depressant effect and cause the patient sudden overwhelming depression while the alcohol is in their bloodstream. This low can continue to plague the patient long after the alcohol has left their system.

Because there are so many different types of alcoholic beverage with varying alcohol concentration, it is often difficult for even of-age drinkers to gauge how much is “too much”. For an inexperienced teen, the consequences can be deadly. Binge drinking has made headlines recently due to cases of alcohol poisoning leading to the death of several college students across the nation. But binge drinking isn’t restricted to college students. Recent studies have shown teens as young as 13 have begun binge drinking, which can cause both irreparable brain and liver damage.

It is a fact that most teenage deaths are associated with alcohol, and approximately 6000 teens die each year in alcohol related automobile accidents. Indirectly, alcohol consumption can severely alter teens’ judgment, leaving them vulnerable to try riskier behaviors like reckless stunts, drugs, or violent behavior. Alcohol and other drugs also slow response time, leaving teenage girls especially in danger of sexual assault. The temporary feeling of being uninhibited can also have damaging future consequences. With the popularity of internet sites like MySpace and Facebook, teens around the country are finding embarrassing and indecent photos of themselves surfacing online. Many of these pictures were taken while the subjects were just joking around, but some were taken while the subjects were drunk or under the influence of drugs. These photos are often incredibly difficult to remove, and can have life altering consequences. Many employers and colleges are now checking networking sites for any reference to potential employees and students, and using them as a basis to accept or decline applicants!

If you feel you need help with your teen, please visit http://helpyourteens.com

For more information on Preventing Drug Addiction – click here.

Inhalant Use

Inhalant.org offers great advice and how to speak with your kids according to their age.  Learn more by visiting http://www.inhalant.org/parents/tips.php and find your child’s age group.

Here is the 12- 18 year old Talkig Tips List:

• Ask your pre-teen or teenager if he or she knows about Inhalant Abuse or
is aware of other kids abusing products.

• Reinforce peer resistance skills. Tell him or her that sniffing products to get
high is not the way to fit in. Inhalants are harmful: the “high” comes with
high cost.

• Encourage your child to come to you if he or she has any questions about
Inhalants.

• Tell your child that the consequences of Inhalant Abuse are as dangerous as
those from abusing alcohol or using illegal drugs. Be absolutely clear
— emphasize that unsafe actions and risky behavior have serious consequences.

• Monitor your teen’s activities — set boundaries, ask questions. Be firm,
know his or her friends and his or her friends’ parents, know where they
meet to “hang out.”

•  Educate your child about the dangers, but don’t mention specific
substances unless your child brings them up. While many youngsters know
kids are sniffing some substances, they may not know the full range of
products that can be abused; and you don’t want to give them suggestions.

• Tell your children that you love them and that their safety is your number
one priority. Tell them again…and again…and again.