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…
“In the past, people have had this angelic picture, but girls are just as bad as boys are. We do what we want to do, when we want to do it.” “Before, it was a novelty. It went from, ‘Well, maybe . . .’ to ‘Oh, I know I’m going to drink this weekend.’ ”…
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 10-minute screening and talk with a doctor about problem drinking can be extremely cost-effective for the health system, according to a recent review published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. However, only 8.7% of problem drinkers report receiving such screening or advice from their doctors. The systematic review looked at data from randomized…
According to the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, alcohol-related productivity loss to employers costs $134 billion annually. However, an article on the Ensuring Solutions to Alcohol Problems website reports that those employers who invest in screening and brief intervention for alcohol problems can receive a return on investment of at least 215%. A 2006 study…
A recent study has found that peers and gender can influence teen alcohol use. Girls, in particular, are vulnerable. The study, which used data from a population-based, longitudinal twin study of behavioral development and health-risk factors from Finland, found that the influence of risk factors associated with peers appeared to be stronger in girls. Researchers…
A recent report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) shows that young adult worker are more likely than older workers to use illicit drugs. The younger workers are also less likely to have access to an employee assistance program (EAP), which can provide alcohol and drug education, prevention and treatment resources,…
Here are two news stories from this past week regarding teens, young adults and drugs that the public shouldn’t ignore. “Cheese Heroin” CNN had a story about a cheap and highly addictive drug that has killed 21 teenagers around the Dallas area in the past 2 years. The so-called “cheese heroin” is a mixture of…
New research shows that middle school children are getting alcohol from their parents. And we’re not talking about stealing booze out of the liquor cabinet when mom and dad aren’t looking. A new study, lead by principal investigator Kelli Komro, lead author Mary O Hearst and colleagues, found that more than one-third of the alcohol…
The state of Maine released crime statistics for 2006, and they aren’t positive. In fact, they show the fastest increase in crime since 1993. The overall number of serious crimes in Maine increased 4.6% in 2006 over 2005. According to the stats, which are based on reports from the state’s individual police agencies, the number…
