"The increasing consumption of entertainment media, including television and the internet, by teenagers not only puts them at risk for poor academic performance, it also makes it harder for their parents to talk to them about the dangers of drug and alcohol use. Parents can reduce the risk of their teenagers ever experimenting with drugs and alcohol by 50 percent just by talking with them, but finding the time has become more challenging... 'These new findings present a unique opportunity for parents to play a more active role in what their kids are watching, monitor how they are spending their time online and remain aware of the impact all of this media consumption is having on their impressionable teens,' said Jill K. Spineti, President and CEO of The Governor's Prevention Partnership. 'We know that kids today are bombarded with pro-drug and drinking messages via everything from song lyrics, movies and video games to social networking sites. Videos of kids abusing cough medicine and common household products to get high are all too accessible online, and that's why it's more important than ever for parents to break through the media noise and make their voices heard.'"
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Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Monday, August 9, 2010
Bully bystanders: Are bystanders being hurt more than bullied victims?
NY Parenting Issues Examiner (New York, NY) August 8:
"The 'bystanders' said that they'd witnessed someone being bullied through name-calling, hitting or kicking, being ignored, having rumors spread about them or being pressured to smoke, drink or use drugs. One-third (34 per cent) said they'd been victims of bullying, while one in five (20 per cent) admitted being perpetrators, and many students fell into more than one of those categories. The witnesses reported higher rates of depression, anxiety, and drug abuse than kids who are actual victims of bullying. Why does watching violence do such harm?"
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"The 'bystanders' said that they'd witnessed someone being bullied through name-calling, hitting or kicking, being ignored, having rumors spread about them or being pressured to smoke, drink or use drugs. One-third (34 per cent) said they'd been victims of bullying, while one in five (20 per cent) admitted being perpetrators, and many students fell into more than one of those categories. The witnesses reported higher rates of depression, anxiety, and drug abuse than kids who are actual victims of bullying. Why does watching violence do such harm?"
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Hospital Emergency Department Visits Involving Underage Alcohol Use
Newswise (online) August 9:
"The new report shows that, in 2008, there were 188,981 alcohol-related visits to emergency departments by patients aged 12 to 20, accounting for about one third of the drug-related emergency department visits (32.9 percent) by this age group. According to the report, the majority of the emergency department visits in underage drinkers involved males -- 53.4 percent among those aged 12 to 17, and 62.1 percent among those aged 18 to 20. The report further reveals that of the underage drinking emergency department visits, 70 percent involved alcohol alone while 30 percent involved alcohol in combination with other drugs. Of note, fifty-seven percent of these emergency department visits that involved alcohol combined with another drug, involved the use of marijuana. The report indicated that 17.8 percent of underage-drinking visits involving alcohol and drugs reported use of anti-anxiety drugs, 15.3 percent reported use of narcotic pain relievers, and 13.3 percent reported use of cocaine."
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"The new report shows that, in 2008, there were 188,981 alcohol-related visits to emergency departments by patients aged 12 to 20, accounting for about one third of the drug-related emergency department visits (32.9 percent) by this age group. According to the report, the majority of the emergency department visits in underage drinkers involved males -- 53.4 percent among those aged 12 to 17, and 62.1 percent among those aged 18 to 20. The report further reveals that of the underage drinking emergency department visits, 70 percent involved alcohol alone while 30 percent involved alcohol in combination with other drugs. Of note, fifty-seven percent of these emergency department visits that involved alcohol combined with another drug, involved the use of marijuana. The report indicated that 17.8 percent of underage-drinking visits involving alcohol and drugs reported use of anti-anxiety drugs, 15.3 percent reported use of narcotic pain relievers, and 13.3 percent reported use of cocaine."
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Friday, August 6, 2010
Maniago, Bingham take part in Torrington's National Night Out
The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT) August 6:
"Residents in many Torrington neighborhoods participated in the National Night Out Crime and Drug Prevention event. The event is in its 27th year and is designed to heighten crime and drug prevention awareness, generate support for, and participation in, local anticrime efforts. The event also aims to strengthen neighborhood spirit as well as police and community partnerships."
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"Residents in many Torrington neighborhoods participated in the National Night Out Crime and Drug Prevention event. The event is in its 27th year and is designed to heighten crime and drug prevention awareness, generate support for, and participation in, local anticrime efforts. The event also aims to strengthen neighborhood spirit as well as police and community partnerships."
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Prescription Nation: Why we should worry about the quiet epidemic of painkiller abuse.
Newsweek (online) August 6:
"But beyond the policy wonks, nobody seems to get how awful and scary this is. This isn’t about taking one of your friend’s Vicodins when your back goes out. This is about millions of young people who think that because painkillers are prescribed, they’re safe. And if they’re safe, adolescent minds reason, they’re safe in any quantity or combination. What that shocking 400 percent statistic doesn’t begin to tell you are the rising numbers of addictions, overdoses and deaths that result from opioid abuse—all of which have risen exponentially over the same 10 years....The old 'just say no' approach won’t work here. Prescription drugs, like alcohol, aren’t illegal—millions of them are lawfully prescribed and appropriately and gratefully used to relieve pain every year. So law enforcement can’t solve this problem alone."
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"But beyond the policy wonks, nobody seems to get how awful and scary this is. This isn’t about taking one of your friend’s Vicodins when your back goes out. This is about millions of young people who think that because painkillers are prescribed, they’re safe. And if they’re safe, adolescent minds reason, they’re safe in any quantity or combination. What that shocking 400 percent statistic doesn’t begin to tell you are the rising numbers of addictions, overdoses and deaths that result from opioid abuse—all of which have risen exponentially over the same 10 years....The old 'just say no' approach won’t work here. Prescription drugs, like alcohol, aren’t illegal—millions of them are lawfully prescribed and appropriately and gratefully used to relieve pain every year. So law enforcement can’t solve this problem alone."
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Thursday, August 5, 2010
Princeton Review's Top Party School List Rankles Administrators
Suite101 (online) August 4:
"The 2010 list of top party schools published by the Princeton Review may help prospective students decide on 'the ultimate college experience,' as one blog post put it, but the list continues to garner the consternation of university administrators and college health care personnel. The American Medical Association has repeatedly asked the editors of the Princeton Review to discontinue the listing and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) has published sobering statistics on the results of college binge drinking, or 'episodic drinking.' University administrators view the top party school list as unscientific and a misrepresentation of their institutions."
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"The 2010 list of top party schools published by the Princeton Review may help prospective students decide on 'the ultimate college experience,' as one blog post put it, but the list continues to garner the consternation of university administrators and college health care personnel. The American Medical Association has repeatedly asked the editors of the Princeton Review to discontinue the listing and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) has published sobering statistics on the results of college binge drinking, or 'episodic drinking.' University administrators view the top party school list as unscientific and a misrepresentation of their institutions."
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Legal Drug That Mimics Marijuana Grows In Popularity
KFOX 14 (El Paso, TX) August 4:
"Spice contains a synthetic component that mimics THC, the active ingredient in marijuana. It can be purchased legally online or at smoke shops, and it’s undetectable in drug tests. Eugene Flournoy, the program coordinator for teen substance abuse services at Aliviane, said he’s familiar with K2, which is basically a name-brand of the drug spice... He said the active ingredient that mimics THC makes K2 so dangerous because it is about 100 times more potent than THC."
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"Spice contains a synthetic component that mimics THC, the active ingredient in marijuana. It can be purchased legally online or at smoke shops, and it’s undetectable in drug tests. Eugene Flournoy, the program coordinator for teen substance abuse services at Aliviane, said he’s familiar with K2, which is basically a name-brand of the drug spice... He said the active ingredient that mimics THC makes K2 so dangerous because it is about 100 times more potent than THC."
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