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Sleep-deprived children are more likely grow up to be teenagers who abuse drugs and alcohol, according to a new study from Idaho State University.

• Professor Maria Wong kept track of 386 children from the time they were three years old until they reached their early 20s.
  
• Children who had trouble sleeping were more likely to use illegal drugs like marijuana, heroin, and cocaine as young adults.
  
• These individuals were also at increased risk for binge drinking and blackouts.

"The bottom line is that sleep is important," said Tim Roehrs, director of research at the Sleep Disorders and Research Center in Detroit. "Even if it is not causal for these relations, improving sleep will modify and minimize the risks. In the addicted adult, at least the alcoholic, sleep problems that remain after the initial acute withdrawal are predictive of relapse."

The Idaho study appeared in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.

Labels: sleep deprivation, drug-abuse, alcohol abuse

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The Plattsburgh (N.Y.) Campus and Community Partnership has just received a 5-year extension on its grant, thanks to the Office of National Drug Control Policy. According to an April 15 article by Steven Bartlett of The Press Republican newspaper, the extension will allow the program to continue to work of reducing teen drinking and drug use in the Plattsburgh area:

We have 30 different organizations that are part of the partnership," [said project coordinator Jessica Mathews]. "We try to eradicate and reduce the use of drugs and alcohol in the community among youth 18 and under."

The Plattsburgh Campus and Community Partnerships mission is to empower the community to make healthy lifestyle choices through collaborative planning.

This is done by fostering respectful, responsible and productive citizens and by preventing alcohol, tobacco and other drug use and related health and behavior problems.

Labels: drug-abuse, teen drinking, new york

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A new study from Arizona State University found that juvenile offenders who used alcohol and marijuana show problems with psychosocial maturity.

• Researchers followed 1170 offenders from ages 15 to 21 years old.
  
• The ones who decreased their alcohol and marijuana use were more likely to grow psychosocially, while the ones who continued using drugs and alcohol were more likely to stay immature.
  
• This study appeared in the journal the Psychology of Addictive Behaviors.

Labels: drug-abuse, alcohol

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Glendora, Calif., has seen a disturbing trend in the last couple of years: a drastic increase in the incidence of teen prescription drug abuse. According to data from the local school district, in 2006, 46 students were suspended for prescription drug use. The next year, the number rose to 54, then to 55 in 2008.

Last Christmas, a 15-year-old Glendora teen died from an overdose of prescription drugs that he got at a friend's house. In September, another high school student who was allegedly addicted to the prescription anti-anxiety drug Xanax shot himself. And last month, a Glendora teen was found running through traffic on a main boulevard after ingesting 40 OxyContin pills, Xanax and alcohol.

In response to the surge in teen prescription drug use, local law enforcement and school officials are collaborating to get the word out to unsuspecting parents and other adults: The stereotypical drug dealer is no longer the norm. More and more teens are buying drugs from their middle-class peers or obtaining them from the medicine cabinets of family, friends and acquaintances.

On Nov. 2, 2009, the police and school district held a drug forum at a local gymnasium to discuss local teen abuse of prescription drugs.

(Source: www.pasadenastarnews.com)

Labels: drug-abuse, prescription-drug-abuse, addiction

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In September 2007, 16-year-old Ana Rojas was dropped off by her father at her friend's house to spend the night. The next day, she was found dead of a "cheese" overdose, after spending the night out with friends. "Cheese," a mixture of Mexican black tar heroin and cold medicine, was readily available at the friend's apartment and at a party the teen attended, according to a witness.

Dallas County prosecutors are charging Victor Tellez, the brother of Ana's friend Julie, with delivering a controlled substance to a child in the death of Ana Rojas. Tellez faces life in prison if convicted.

According to Victoria Gonzales, 19, who testified at Tellez's trial, Ana snorted the drug at the Tellez apartment, at a party they went to and again upon returning to the apartment later that night. Ana, a 10th grader at a local charter school, also had marijuana and Xanax in her system, according to toxicology reports.

At least 32 people ages 18 or younger in Dallas County have died of "cheese" overdoses since 2005.

(Source: www.dallasnews.com)

Labels: drug overdose, drug-abuse, liability

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Mercer County, W. Va., is tackling adult crime by working with youthful offenders to keep them out of detention and get them the substance abuse counseling they need.

The court, which works with non-violent offenders from ages 10 to 17, is founded on the idea that helping offending teens to stop using substances will prevent the teens from committing future crimes, especially drug-related crimes. In order to participate in the teen drug court, youthful offenders must have a documented history of substance use or abuse.

The teen drug court coordinator and treatment team review the youth's history to ensure that the youth has not committed a violent crime. Youthful defendants who are given the opportunity to participate in the program are required to plead guilty to their non-violent, drug-related offenses and agree to face time in a correctional facility if they do not successfully complete the requirements of the program.

These requirements include regular court appearances, community service projects and mandated substance abuse treatment. Participating teens must also have a parent or guardian who is willing and able to attend required court appearances and counseling with the youth.

Mercer County Family Court Judge Anthony Bisaha commented: "A lot of our crimes, whether they're committed by adults or children, are related to substance abuse. If we stop children sooner, we can stop the crime and save the children, too. We see that we're teaching old dogs new tricks in the adult drug court, so we hope we can teach the young ones a better way of life."

(Source: www.bdtonline.com)

Labels: drug-abuse, teen substance abuse, drug-court, addiction treatment

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A North Carolina teen was arrested last week at a high school football game based on accusations that he was selling an exotic and dangerous plant as a recreational drug. The flowering plant, known as Angel's Trumpet, is prevalent in North Carolina.

Parents and authorities were stunned at the development. Prior to this incident, no one in the community had ever heard of ingesting the plant as a way to get high.

The teen, Joshua Jenkins, was charged with selling the drug to at least five students at East Gaston High School. One student who ingested the plant had to be taken to the hospital, but is now okay.

Captain Bill Melton of the Gaston County Police Department commented on the unknown nature of the plant: "I've been in law enforcement 21 years and this is the first time I've seen or heard of it."

(Source: www.wsoctv.com)

Labels: drug-abuse, Angel's Trumpet, drug dealing

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Nancy Poole, a research associate with the British Columbia Centre of Excellence for Women's Health, spoke to a group of Yukon workers this week. Poole's comment emphasized that women's bodies respond differently than men's to substance abuse, and that this fact should be considered by women as well as their counselors and physicians. According to Poole, research shows that girls and women develop addictions more quickly and die more frequently from substance abuse issues than men.

Recent research has shown that even young girls who drink heavily are at risk for developing osteoporosis. In addition, women who are pregnant must consider the health of their unborn children. Poole also pointed out that girls and women are more likely to experience sexual and physical violence during their lives. Violence is linked with the development of addiction as a coping mechanism, so girls and women are at greater risk for addiction due to violence. (Source: www.cbc.ca/health)c

Labels: drug-abuse, females

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According to state officials, methamphetamine has become the clear drug of choice among Utah females, ages 18-34. According to an article in the Salt Lake Tribune, Governor Jon Huntsman, Jr., recently spoke on the issue to the Utah Methamphetamine Joint Task Force, which gathered Monday one last time on Capitol Hill before disbanding. The two-year Task Force was formed in 2006 for the purpose of identifying "ways to attack the raging addiction that ravaged families in every part of the state." Governor Huntsman described the state's pattern of meth abuse: "It's the supermom syndrome - the thinking that you've got to do it all." Although women between the ages of 18 and 34 are the most typical users of meth in Utah, the state is also struggling with significant meth use at the junior high and high school levels. (Sources: www.sltrib.com)

Labels: drug-abuse, meth, females

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On December 15, representatives in the New York State Assembly proposed a 25 cent per bottle tax on beer, wine, and liquor to create revenues to be used to help curtail teen drinking. The excise tax would be charged to distributors and noncommercial importers of all alcohol sold in New York State. The authors of the bill cited recent data which indicate that between 12 and 20 percent of the alcohol market in the United States is composed of underage drinkers. In addition, the bill's justification includes the fact that "research has shown that higher prices on alcohol can reduce teen alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems." Approximately 1.6 million adults and 160,000 youth in New York State suffer from drug or alcohol abuse problems. (Source: legislativegazette.com)

Labels: drug-abuse, underage-drinking, teen-drinking

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