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According to a new study by researchers at the University of Georgia, a family-based prevention program designed to help youth avoid substance abuse was especially effective for youth with genetic predisposition to the behavior. Researchers spent two-and-a-half years monitoring the progress of 11-year-olds participating in a family-centered prevention program called Strong African American Families (SAAF). Some of the youth participating were known to have a fairly common genetic variation which has been linked to impulsivity, low self-control, binge-drinking, and substance abuse.

Researchers found that youth with this variation who participated in SAAF were no more likely than their counterparts to have engaged in high-risk activities such as drinking, marijuana smoking, and sexual activity. Youth with the variation who did not participate in SAAF were more than twice as likely to have engaged in these behaviors.

Lead author of the study, Gene H. Brody, Ph.D., Regents Professor and Director of the Center for Family Research at the University of Georgia, commented on the studys findings: "We found that the prevention program proved especially beneficial for children with a genetic risk factor tied to risky behaviors. ... The results emphasize the important role of parents, caregivers, and family-centered prevention programs in promoting healthy development during adolescence, especially when children have a biological makeup that may pose a challenge."

(Source: www.sciencedaily.com)

Labels: drug prevention, genetics, teen

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Since the introduction of the brand-name energy drink Red Bull in 1997, energy drink consumption has continuously increased in popularity. Now some experts worry about the effects of these beverages on teens.

Energy drinks are often very high in caffeine, which can have detrimental effects on youth. The FDA regulates the amount of caffeine in soda (65 milligrams per 12-ounce ca) but has not introduced any similar regulation for energy drinks, some of which have over 200 milligrams of caffeine. A cup of coffee, by comparison, contains approximately 100 milligrams of caffeine.

Some experts point out that when a doctor prescribes medication to a young person, the dosage is often modulated based on the youth's smaller body size. When a 12-year-old child consumes 200 milligrams of caffeine, the effect is bound to be significantly greater than when a 35-year-old consumes the same amount of the drug.

(Source: google.news)

Labels: teen, energy drinks

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A 13-year-old girl in Lorain, Ohio turned her stepfather in to authorities after discovering that he was growing marijuana in her bedroom closet. The girl met police outside the house when they arrived and explained what she had seen. After searching the house and speaking to the stepfather, police recovered the four-foot-tall plan as well as eight more three-foot-tall plants and arrested the stepfather. The stepfather, who later admitted to selling the drug, was charged with trafficking in drugs, illegal cultivation of marijuana, and drug paraphernalia possession.

(Sources: www.msnbc.msn.com)

Labels: drugs, teen

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

People who have trouble sleeping, even teenagers, may turn to alcohol for help. And, while alcohol can help a person fall asleep, it causes other sleep problems.

Alcohol is known to interfere with the rapid eye movement (REM) stage of sleep, thus causing the sleeper to feel even less rested after awakening. ...

[Sara] Pieters and her team of researchers found that there was an association between earlier use of alcohol among the teens who tended to stay up later and who had problems such as difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, and who also perceived themselves as more tired.[Source: PsychCentral]

Though Pieters’ research showed a connection between sleep problems and alcohol, it wasn’t able to determine the causal relationship – whether sleep problems lead to alcohol use or alcohol use causes sleep problems.

 

 

Labels: alcohol abuse, sleep, teen

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