Substance Abuse Archives | Page 7 of 9

National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week 2020 Part Two: Drug Use Among Adolescents

This year, National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week takes place between March 30th and April 5th. Organizers and advocates invite teens, parents, teachers, school administrators, public policymakers, and anyone involved in the life of teenagers to get on board with the theme for 2020: NDAFW 2020: SHATTER THE MYTHS About Alcohol and Drug Use This is our second article for NDAFW 2020. Our first article gave a quick history of

March 31, 2020

The Danger of Drinking Games for Teens

Celebrations in the U.S. often feature alcohol. At sports events, concerts, parties, and sometimes school dances and proms, it’s quite common to see young adults and teenagers with alcoholic beverages in hand. This even happens when alcohol isn’t officially allowed at these events. Teens manage to sneak in alcohol anyway. Or they may pregame the event by getting drunk beforehand. Unfortunately, this practice has reached the point where parents need

March 23, 2020

Parents

Common Household Products Teens Use to Get High

Teens who experiment with illegal drugs or use prescription drugs recreationally can develop a substance use disorder, or what most people call an addiction. Teens can become addicted to heroin, opioid pain relievers, benzodiazepines, marijuana, hallucinogens, and many other drugs. When addiction escalates, teens can become resourceful, creative – and irresponsible – in their quest to get high. They can empty their savings account to purchase street drugs. They may

March 13, 2020

Why is Adolescent Polydrug Use so Harmful?

When an individual uses two or more substances at the same time, the practice is called polydrug use. Polydrug use is particularly common among adolescents experimenting with alcohol and drugs. How Common Is Polydrug Use in Teens? One study of teens in California, conducted by the RAND research institute in Los Angeles, found that 29% of their sample of high school seniors engaged in polydrug usage in the past year.

February 19, 2020

Pros and Cons of Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opioid Addiction

Your teen is addicted to heroin or other opioids. You’ve been getting lots of advice. Mental health professionals have told you about Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), 12-Step programs (e.g. Nar-Anon), and adolescent drug rehab centers. You’ve also heard about detoxification (often referred to as detox), and Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT). For teens addicted to heroin or other opioids, traditional detox—cutting off all the substances from their system

January 23, 2020

Does Your School Have Narcan On Hand?

Your school has a fire alarm. Fire extinguisher on each floor. Earthquake drills, if you live in California. Active-shooter drills, because it’s the 21st century. AED unit, in case of heart complications. EpiPen, for allergies. But does your school have Narcan, in case of a drug overdose? What is Narcan? First, what is Narcan? When someone overdoses on opioids, whether it’s heroin, fentanyl, or prescription painkillers, they can stop breathing.

August 9, 2019

Breaking the Myth: Heroin is Not a Party Drug

Parents often call us when their adolescent is having substance abuse issues. Sometimes, when they mention that their teen has used heroin, they’ll follow up with a statement like, “But they say they’ve only tried it a couple of times at a party…” Unfortunately, we’re here to break your bubble: Heroin is not a social drug. If you’re imagining a bunch of teens getting high together and letting loose at

July 2, 2019

Addiction

Why Benzodiazepines are Dangerous for Teens

Two years ago, popular celebrity Lena Dunham shared her personal experience with benzodiazepines, otherwise known as benzos. Although her doctor prescribed benzos to manage her anxiety, Dunham found that she was becoming dependent on them. So much so, in fact, that she was taking the medication about every day for three years. They are only supposed to be prescribed for weeks, at most. Benzodiazepines are minor tranquilizers with sedative effects.

June 28, 2019

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Month Part II: PTSD and Substance Use Disorders

In our first post about PTSD Awareness Month – June is PTSD Awareness Month – we offered a basic definition of PTSD, listed the potential causes and common symptoms, then provided statistics about the prevalence of PTSD in adults and adolescents in the U.S. Here’s a quick recap of all that information. PTSD defined: PTSD is a mental health disorder triggered by witnessing or experiencing a traumatic event. Traumatic events

June 17, 2019

Heroin Addiction: How it Can All Start With a Prescription From the Doctor

Daniel just had his wisdom teeth removed. His cheeks were as swollen as a chipmunk, and he could barely open his mouth because of the pain. As soon as he started taking the Vicodin that the dentist prescribed, things got better. It was a blessed relief that the pain went away. He felt like he was floating on clouds. A week later, the pain was completely gone, but he had

June 13, 2019