Apparently we’ve done a pretty good job of preaching to teens about the dangers of drinking and driving. Studies show that drunk driving cases involving teenagers has steadily decreased in the last several years. However, teens are still drinking.
Besides the drunk driving dangers there are many other dangers associated with drinking. Your inhibitions are lowered. After many drinks you suddenly have the courage to ask the cute football player out or to tell the class bully what you really think of him. Teens may do something under the influence of alcohol that they wouldn’t have dreamed of doing while sober. …read more

On NPR this morning there was a segment on “smart drugs” or “study drugs” on college campuses. This isn’t a new issue, but it’s still an important issue. One that we need to continually talk to our college-age kids about.
College students are using Adderall (or it’s cousin Ritalin) to help them study. Adderall and Ritalin are commonly prescribed to kids with Attention-deficit disorder (ADD or ADHD). It helps a person stay on task, boosts concentratioin, and helps him/her stay focused. All things college students are looking for when studying for a big test.
One girl said “Addy” (as college students often …read more

On my local news last night they were talking about the drinking age. After more than 20 years the drinking age in the U.S. is being debated again. This time by a group of college presidents, including presidents at Whittier, Dartmouth, Duke and Johns Hopkins (plus the president at a small liberal arts college in my town). These college leaders have signed a petition to discuss lowering the drinking age from 21 to 18. According to the petition, these college presidents believe the current drinking age of 21 forces kids to drink secretly (ala Prohibition) which is the cause of …read more

We took the kids to see a movie yesterday. (The Dark Knight…which we all loved, btw.) Before the movie there was thirty minutes of previews. And before those previews were some ads for local businesses and organizations. One of those ads was for the Linn County Partnership on Substance Abuse. According to this advertisement 40% of teens report getting alcohol from a friend’s parent.
I immediately thought about my teens’ friends and their parents. We’ve already had some run-ins with some parents I’m less than thrilled with. There was the parent who left my not-quite-fifteen-year-old home alone all night long …read more

Always on the look out for a good time, teens are turning to a new drug. In the past couple of years some teens have found the Mexican herb, Salvia. Salvia is a powerful hallucinogenic herb with psychedelic effects. And it’s very potent. A teen can begin to feel the effects within just minutes of smoking it. According to experts, this drug works 10 times faster than cocaine.
And it’s legal.
Yep, you heard me. Teens can legally buy this drug in most states and many countries. A drug that causes kids to blackout, lose their balance, get in to accidents …read more

For my 21st birthday I went out to the bar like many young adults do for that big birthday. I went with some friends and my boyfriend (now husband). I drank way too much beer and way too many shots. We stayed in a hotel that night and the next morning I walked out in to the sun with my boyfriend and friends and instantly threw up in the bushes. The sun was just too bright for my hungover self. That whole day I was miserable. I remember trying to give my nine-month-old son a bath and trying not to …read more

You probably heard about Heath Ledger’s death last month “as the result of acute intoxication by the combined effects of Oxycodone, Hydrocodone, Diazepam, Temazepam, Alprazolam, and Doxylamine,” a combination of painkillers, anxiety medication and sleeping aids. The medical examiner stated Heath Ledger abused these drugs which means he used them to feel intoxicated or high rather than for therapeutic reasons.
This is becoming a new trend with young people. We’ve beat in the “Just Say No” message so overall drug use is down, but more kids are now seeking other ways to get high. According to ABC news the Office of …read more

Do you remember the Cocaine Energy Drink that came out a few years ago? There were many complaints about the product name and last summer FDA finally pulled the drink from the shelves stating Redux, the makers of the drink, were “illegally marketing the drink as a street drug alternative.” Apparently the can labeling said things like “Speed in a Can” and “Liquid Cocaine,” which I guess was false advertising since there was no actual cocaine in the drink.
Now there is another new energy drink that is really pushing the First Amendment right to free speech. It’s called Blow Energy …read more

Do you allow your underage child to sip from your alcoholic beverage? Do you buy her wine coolers for an “innocent” get together at your house? Or how about beer for him to take back to college?
I know a couple who allows their sixteen-year-old to drink with them. Apparently it is legal for a minor to drink in a bar in Wisconsin as long as their parent is with them. This couple took their son to a bar and watched while their son drank until he was drunk. To them this was a right of passage. An opportunity for their …read more

Recently there have been a few incidents in the news and in my local community that have really upset me. In all three incidents a child was harmed or killed as a result of a family member’s use of drugs and/or alcohol.  Now, I know tragedies like these happen every day all over the world, but I just can’t help but be deeply saddened and a little disturbed that it is making the local news.
In the first incident, the middle school aged daughter tried to escape from her father’s moving vehicle because he picked her up from school drunk. He …read more