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School officials in North Carolina are concerned about the excessive caffeine consumption by many students. A recent survey of Charlotte-Mecklenburg students indicated that caffeine-laden energy drinks are extremely popular with teens - a fact that has some local drug abuse prevention officials worried.

To collect baseline data on teen use of energy drinks, Charlotte's Substance Abuse Prevention Services included questions about energy drinks in its annual student survey. According to this year's survey, one-third of participating students reported consuming energy drinks. A recent study published by the Journal of American College Health has also spurred concern over energy drinks; the study linked consumption of energy drinks to troubling behaviors among teens.

Although the U.S. has not issued official recommended caffeine limits for teens, the Canadian government recommends that youth ages 10 to 12 consume no more than 85 milligrams of caffeine per day. Many energy drinks contain about twice the recommended amount of caffeine - as much as 160 milligrams, the equivalent of four cans of Coke. Experts warn that excessive caffeine consumption can cause insomnia, irritability, and headaches.

(Source: www.charlotteobserver.com)

Labels: caffeine, abuse, kids, high school kids

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

Approximately 1 in 5 teens have abused a prescription drug, but there are steps that parents can take to help prevent prescription drug abuse. Three easy measures can help keep prescription medications out of the hands of teenage recreational users.

First, parents should carefully monitor medication. This includes keeping track of all prescriptions for family members, including the frequency of refills. If pills start to disappear at a faster rate than the prescription dictates, this is a sign of a possible problem. In addition, ask friends and relatives to do the same, and inform them about the high risks associated with prescription drug abuse.

Second, parents should make sure that prescription medications are secure. In a recent government study, over two-thirds of teens who reported abusing prescription substances said they got the substances from a friend or relative (without their knowledge). Prescription medications should be safely hidden or kept under lock and key to prevent dangerous misuse. Don't leave them unattended in the medicine cabinet.

Third, parents should safely dispose of medications that are no longer in use. Many pharmacies will accept unfinished prescriptions for disposal - a much safer alternative to simply throwing half-full bottles in the household trash.

(Source: www.examiner.com)

Labels: prescription drugs, abuse, kids

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments