Summer Substance Abuse

Summer. Every student's favorite time of year. What could be better than three whole, homework-free months of sleeping until noon and hanging out with friends? It doesn't get much better than that.

I think most of us would agree that summer is awesome. Parents are busy working, so you have the house to yourself for the who day, and you don't have school in the morning so you can stay out later on weeknights. This combination is pretty much a recipe for a good time. Unfortunately, this combination can also be a recipe for disaster. Summertime, while pretty excellent, can also create some dangers that don't exist during the rest of the year.

There are more driving related deaths in the summer than during any other time of the year. During the summer, it's really easy just to be swept up in the carefree, party atmosphere. But it's really crucial to remember that the same rules of common sense that apply during the school year, still apply during the summer. It's still not okay to drink and drive, and it's still not okay to let your friends drink and drive. We all know this, but it never hurts to remind yourself that bad things happen, and they can happen to you (even if you think they can't).

Another issue associated with summer is the increase in teen marijuana use during June and July. You just finished final exams and turned in big projects and you just want to relax, so you smoke pot. No big deal, you just use it every now and then with your friends. It may seem like a pretty insignificant matter, but marijuana use can have some pretty serious consequences, like driving while high, underage drinking, or unsafe sexual activity.

Even though you don't have school during the summer, that doesn't mean that you can turn off your brain. There's nothing wrong with having fun, but you shouldn't sacrifice your safety just to have a good time. It's important to look out for yourself and for your friends, and if you think your use of alcohol or other drugs is getting out of control, it is important to ask for help.

Labels: teen-alcohol-abuse, teen-drug-abuse, teen-drug-help, teen-substance-abuse

posted by beth @ 3:01 PM