Recovery from drug or alcohol addiction isn’t easy. Those in recovery need to set priorities and do what is right for them on a daily basis. They need to keep themselves safe and away from the things in life that trigger them to want to use or drink again. For a mother, it’s even harder.…
The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University released the results of their National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse XIII: Teens and Parents. It’s the 13th year they’ve done the back to school survey. This year, they’ve identified “problem parents” as increasing the risk that teens will smoke, drink…
A nationwide survey, being released today by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA), shows that more than half of the teens surveyed admitted to underage drinking and 40% of those teens got free alcohol from an adult. Among the youngest teens, girls were found to drink slightly more than boys, consistent with…
Incarcerated women in California are being forced to choose between healthy teeth or seeing their children and having access to a substance abuse treatment or vocational program. To gain access to such programs, they must not have any pre-existing health problems. This is due to the fact that the 3 women’s institutions were left at…
The National Association of School Nurses (NASN) has teamed up with PriCara®, Division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., on a program called “Smart Moves, Smart Choices.” The national program addresses the rise in prescription drug abuse among middle and high school students. A national survey of more than 1,300 school nurses showed that almost 60% of…
“Anyone who has lived through it, or those who are now living through it, knows that caring about an addict is as complex and fraught and debilitating as addiction itself. At my worst, I even resented Nic because an addict, at least when high, has a momentary respite from his suffering. There is no similar…
A woman from Iowa is becoming a bit of a celebrity because of an ad she is running in The Des Moines Register to sell her teenage son’s car. Much to her son’s dismay, the ad reads: “OLDS 1999 Intrigue. Totally uncool parents who obviously don’t love teenage son, selling his car. Only driven for…
A national study that analyzes parental attitudes and behaviors towards teen drug use is reporting a 12% decrease in “frequent discussions,” defined as 4 or more, about drug and alcohol abuse between parents and teens. The 2006 Partnership Attitude Tracking Study (PATS), conducted by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, showed that only about half…
Caron Treatment Centers, a nonprofit alcohol and drug treatment center in Pennsylvania, commissioned a study by Nielsen BuzzMetrics to see what teens talk about online. The results of the study were released on June 19th. According to USA Today, a computer program was used to search blogs, message boards, public chat rooms and “other places…
Rear Admiral Kenneth P. Moritsugu, MD, MPH was on the steps of the Maine State House yesterday warning parents about underage drinking. The Acting U.S. Surgeon General, along with First Lady Karen Baldacci and other community leaders, talked about how research has shown that alcohol can cause damage to the still developing adolescent brain. Research…
