Featured Articles

Over the past few years, the town of Revere, Mass., has seen a significant reduction in teen use and abuse of alcohol. Between 2001 and 2007, binge drinking by high school students was cut in half, dropping from 14 percent to 7 percent. (Binge drinking is defined as having five or more drinks in a row on six or more occasions in the past month.)

In 1997, a study reported that 59 percent of local middle school students had experimented with alcohol, and 54 percent had smoked cigarettes. In 2007, the number of students who reported drinking decreased to 42 percent and the number who smoked went down to 28 percent.

Local experts largely attribute these encouraging trends to CARES, a program that was instituted in Revere in 1997. CARES (Community Awareness, Resources, and Education to Prevent Substance Abuse) is a coalition of local agencies and individuals. CARES employs diverse strategies to raise awareness about the prevalence and dangers of teen substance abuse, and strives to change community acceptance of teen drinking.

Under the CARES program, sanctions for teen drinking were increased in severity, and adults in the community learned the dangers of considering teen drinking just a "rite of passage." The success of this program is especially encouraging for Revere, where adult drug and alcohol abuse rates have historically been higher than the statewide average.

(Sources: www.boston.com)

Labels: teen-drinking, binge-drinking

Posted By: jgarcia 0 Comments

Although fewer Canadian youth overall are drinking, binge drinking is on the rise. A story this week in the Winnepeg Sun explored a new report by the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba. Ecstasy use has also increased slightly, though the report indicated a decrease in use of marijuana, mushrooms, and crystal meth. AFM's CEO John Borody commented that binge drinking may be a learned behavior:

"A lot of the drinking behaviors that we see in youths are mimicked from what they see their parents do."

(Sources: winnepegsun.com)

Labels: binge-drinking, teen-marijuana-abuse

Posted By: jgarcia 0 Comments

Binge drinking and cigarette smoking among Florida middle school and high school students have decreased since 2000, according to the 2008 Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey. Between 2000 and 2008, cigarette smoking decreased by half; binge drinking is down 15 percent for the same time period. The news isn't all good, though. Prescription drug use is on the rise in Florida. This year's survey found that 4.5 percent of high school seniors abused prescription pain relievers in the past year, and 3.8 abused prescription depressants.

(Source: www.cbs4.com)

Labels: binge-drinking

Posted By: jgarcia 0 Comments

According to a story from Reuters this week, the number of teenage binge drinkers in Germany has decreased by 5 percent over the past year. According to the German government, however, the number is still "frightening."

Binge drinking is defined as consuming five or more alcohol beverages in one sitting. A recent study released by the government indicated that 20 percent of teens, ages 12 to 17, binge drink at least once per month, in spite of the fact that Germany prohibits the sale of alcohol to anyone under the age of 16. This percentage is down from 25 percent in 2007, but the nation remains in the top 10 globally for alcohol consumption per capita. German authorities are calling for an increase in prevention programs to educate youth on the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption.

(Sources: Canada.com/vancouversun)

Labels: teen-drinking, binge-drinking

Posted By: jgarcia 0 Comments

In light of all of the high school graduations coming up in the next week or so, it seems appropriate to bring up some interesting information about drinking and alcohol abuse in college.

Most people have heard the stories of the binge drinking and hazing at parties in college, and most people just chalk it up to the folly of youth. And really, isnt half the fun of college; being able to go out and have a good time, making your own mistakes without having to answer to your parents? Even though all of the parties and all of the drinking might be fun, there are some pretty serious consequences to these patterns of drinking in college.

In high school, alcohol is definitely present, but in college, around half of the students are legal drinking age, which makes alcohol even more accessible. But if everyone is drinking, then whats the big deal?

According to this study that I found on another blog, drinking in college can increase the risk for alcoholism in people who are already at risk for becoming an alcoholic.

Even if you are not predisposed to alcoholism, there is a whole set of dangers that are a consequence of alcohol abuse. Teens and college aged students who abuse alcohol are more likely to have unsafe, unprotected sex, are more likely to drive drunk (which we all know is not a good idea), and are more likely to have health problems as a result of their alcohol use. The bottom line is that no matter what, alcohol abuse has serious consequences and should be taken seriously.

A good way to prevent the consequences of alcohol abuse is to stay away from situations and that might encourage you to abuse alcohol. An interesting tool that might help you to do that is a set of questions for parents and students about the level of drinking (specifically binge drinking) on a college campus.

Understandably, most of us are looking to have fun in college, but there are definitely limits that should be placed on that fun.

Labels: college-drinking, teen-addiction, teen-substance-abuse, binge-drinking, teen-drug-help, teen-alcohol-abuse, teen-rehab

Posted By: beth 0 Comments

I saw a segment on the news a few weeks ago about some flip-flops with a built in flask. It seems to me that Reef was obviously trying to market to a young audience who would use these sandals to "smuggle" alcohol into classes, or dances, or whatever. Of course, Reef isn't going to come right out and admit that they are promoting underage drinking, but the concept of a shoe with a built in flask is simultaneously horrifying and hilarious. It is horrifying because the geniuses at Reef who came up with this design clearly had no regard for the underage drinking risk that they were creating with these sandals. It's hilarious because who wants to drink out of a shoe? Shoes come into direct contact with the ground, and who knows what kind of dirt and whatnot could get onto the spout of that flask. Gross. And wouldn't it be a little obvious to see some kid at school drinking out of his shoe? On both accounts, this flask-in-flip-flop idea seems like really bad one.

As ridiculous as this idea may be, it does bring up some more serious issues. Teen alcohol abuse is a real problem, and for a company who markets to young people to trivialize that problem is pretty irresponsible. I'm not trying to sound preachy, and some of you might think that this whole flask in shoe idea is pretty sweet. I'm also not trying to blame teen alcohol abuse on a flip-flop, but there are real consequences to the kind of teen alcohol abuse that is being promoted by this product.

I can sit here all day and tell you that underage drinking and alcohol abuse are dangerous, but I think it's more effective to read the story of a person who has dealt with the risks of alcohol abuse firsthand. While I was looking around the internet, I came across a blog that had an article about a teenage girl named Katie whose drinking got out of control. In this article, Katie talks about the consequences of her alcohol abuse, and what her life is like now. Check it out.

If you identify with Katie's problem or think that you might have a problem with alcohol or other drugs, it is really important to get help. Talk to a parent or someone you trust who can help you find the right solution for your problem.

Oh, and please don't drink out of your shoes.

Labels: teen-substance-abuse, binge-drinking, teen-drug-help, teen-alcohol-abuse, teen-rehab

Posted By: beth 0 Comments