Myths and Facts Regarding Adolescent Alcohol and Substance Use PRESENTED BY: Janice Gabe, LCSW, LCAC New Perspectives of Indiana, Inc. 6314-A Rucker Road Indianapolis, IN 46220 (317) 465-9688 (317) 465-9689 Facsimile Newperspectives-indy.com barb6308@earthlink.nuet Parenting Myths That Endanger our Children Myth One: They are going to do it anyway Myth Two: The stricter we are on them in high school, the more they will rebel Myth Three: The more freedom they have in high school, the more prepared they will be in college Myth Four: Once they start driving you have no control over their choices Myth Five: I need to have unconditional trust or unconditional distrust Myth Six: My child is wise enough and mature enough to consistently make good choices even when overwhelmed by opportunities to make bad choices without accountability Myth Seven: The biggest problem with the internet is potential predators Myth Eight: Talking to my child takes the place of consequences Myth Nine: Maintaining a positive relationship with my child is more important than maintaining a parent relationship with my child Myth Ten: Grades are the ultimate measure of responsibility, maturity, character, mental health and future success Myth Eleven: It’s okay if my child experiments with drugs or uses alcohol as long as they are “safe and smart about it.” Myth Twelve: The more teens are allowed to drink in high school, the more responsible they will drink in college Myth Thirteen: If I allow my child to drink at home, they will drink more responsibly and have fewer problems Myth Fourteen: Kids won’t experience negative consequences of alcohol and drug use as long as they are not very frequent Myth Fifteen: Alcohol and marijuana are helpful to teens attempting to “blow off steam” or dealing with stress and anxiety Trends and Patterns SUBSTANCE USE PATTERNS Teens prefer drugs that separate them from the unpleasant feelings of depression The drugs do not make them feel better; just makes them not care as much that they feel bad Often prefer drugs that dull vs. enhance emotions (pills, weed, alcohol, opiates.) All teens that are addicted have some mood and anxiety disorder problems during active use and early recovery Substance use often creates a mood disorder which remains present, even when the use has discontinued Trends and Patterns with Adolescents/Young Adults with Substance Abuse 1. Percentage of teens reporting problems with stress and anxiety continues to climb 2. As stress and anxiety increase, adolescent use of substances increase 3. Young adults retrospectively report that the primary reason they used alcohol and drugs in high school was to deal with stress 4. Anxiety is often connected to achievement stress 5. National trends reflect an increase in Benzodiazapines (Xanax, Valium, Klonopin.) 6. The rate of alcohol and marijuana use is increasing more rapidly among adolescent females than adolescent males WHY ARE THEY USING ALCOHOL Alcohol (12th Graders): * 69.4% Lifetime * 41.5% Past month 90% of all teen alcohol consumption occurs in form of binge drinking 200,000 adolescents visit emergency rooms due to drinking each year The rate of alcohol and marijuana use is increasing more rapidly among adolescent females than adolescent males Today’s teens start drinking earlier; use larger amounts, more potent substances, and use with more frequency 34% males report drinking prior to age 13 Energy Drinks With Alcohol Energy drinks containing alcohol are very dangerous Examples: Phusion Projects, Four Loko, Blast, Jungle Juice, Tilt Alcohol Risk: Teens who experience onset of drinking prior to 14 are 4 times more likely to have life long problems with drinking Drinking becomes primary coping strategies for social anxiety and stress management Stress levels influence alcohol consumption in teens MRI indicate hippo campus volumes of smaller ______ in teens who drink. Hypo campus influences and memory Having a hangover is actually alcohol withdrawal. Every time you drink enough to have a hangover you are creating damage to your central nervous system. Every time you have a hangover you are damaging memory, verbal learning, ability of your brain to reorganize around a new experience, more often your exposed, more significant long term cognitive damage you are creating Brain remains toxic for several days after alcohol use Drinking a drink 2-3 times a month is enough to create cognitive impairment Alcohol has consequences in short term. Weed has consequences in the long term Alcohol and substance use is the number one risk factor for teen suicide Alcohol use impacts a dopamine receptor site in the brain Marijuana Trends Adolescent marijuana use is on the rise with adolescent females. This is particularly true for urban African American female adolescents Research indicates that adolescents who use marijuana are more likely to be sexually active Age of onset of first use continues to decline with anywhere from 19% to 24% of 8th graders reporting to have used marijuana. Some research indicates this number had doubled in the last decade, some research indicates the rate of use among young teens has jumped 142% in last decade Two thirds of the new marijuana users each year are between the ages of 12 and 17. 25% of these were 14 or younger Teens perceive risk of marijuana use to be insignificant THC Laced Candy and Food (Edibles) Looks like over the counter candy Made in U.S. and Holland Brownies, fudge, ice cream, jam, etc. __________ / Wax Butane hash oil High concentration of THC Intense high Toxins from Butane and nails used in production Consequences: Marijuana use in adolescents significantly alter and damage the cognitive development of teens. This creates structural and cognitive damage to the brain and impact grades, emotional well being and learning Learning and Academics Significantly impacts the ability to process and learn new information, especially higher level concepts Suppressing chemicals in hippo campus that is responsible for short term memory Using marijuana 4X a month impacts academic performance Marijuana Use On Academic Performance Source: SAMHSA, 2002, 2003, and 2004 NSDUH Survey of Households A or B Average Grade 100% C or Less Average Grade 27.8 42.0 80% 55.1 60% 40% 72.2 58.0 20% 44.9 0% No Past Month Marijuana Use Marijuana Use on 1 to 4 Days in the Past Month 17,000 Students Nationally Marijuana Use on 5 or More Days in The Past Month Brain has to work harder. Even easy tasks require more frontal lobe effort Alters pre-frontal lobe in girls which effects planning, focus, and decision making Difficulty shifting attention Problem with verbal recall Difficulty in learning processing, integrating new information Males who used marijuana throughout adolescence score 9 points lower on IQ test at end of their teen’s Longitudinal studies indicate a correlation between adolescent marijuana use and – Schizophrenia: 2 X more likely to experience schizophrenia and psychotic symptoms In absence of family history 2 ½ years earlier onset Depression – 2 to 3 X more likely (weekly or more) Anxiety – panic attacks – suicidal thoughts If not depressed when they start – 4 X more likely to become depressed Depressed kids more likely to become addicted K 2 Spice * “Synthetic marijuana” * Perceived as natural, not dangerous * Psychoactive (mind-altering) effects; hallucinogenic * Not for human consumption * Sold as incense products to mask intended use to get high Other Drugs of Abuse * Hallucinogenic – LSD, PCP, Acid, Mushrooms * Molly, Ecstasy, MDMA * Inhalants * Cocaine * Methhelamphetamines * Over the counter DXM products Prescription Medication Prescription medication was misused by adolescents more than any other drug besides marijuana and alcohol Top 3 commonly abused prescription drugs: * Pain relievers: Opiates (Vicodin, Oxycontin, Oxycodone) * Stimulants: Used to treat ADHD, narcolepsy and weight loss (Ritalin, Adderall) * Central Nervous System (CNS) depressants: Sedatives, Tranquilizers, Hypnotics (Valium, Xanax, Sleeping Pills) Non-medical opiate use was associated with the largest number of new users than any other category of illicit drug use Adolescent users of non-prescribed medication (PPR) initiate use of PPR at an earlier mean age of almost all other drugs. These teens more likely to become addicts Middle school “purple drank” cough syrup codeine. In some areas 8% middle school students report use Girls report more use of PPR in last 12 months than guys Hydrocodone products most commonly used PPR In 2006 estimated 2.2 million first time nonprescribed users of PPR in 12 months compared to 2.1 million new marijuana users Reason Teens Report Using Prescription Pain Medication Easy to get in medicine cabinets Available everywhere Not illegal Easy to get with other people’s prescriptions Can claim to have a script if you get caught Safer than illegal drugs Less shameful than street drugs Easy to purchase on internet Fewer side effects than street drugs Parents don’t care as much if you get caught (7261 - 7th to 12th grades) 62% 52% 51% 50% 49% 43% 33% 32% 32% 21% Heroin Use Among Teens (Young Adults) (SAMHSA) Number of teen deaths skyrocketing for 15-25 year olds from 199 in 1998 to 510 in 2009 80% jump in numbers of teens seeking treatment for heroin Number of teens reporting using heroin at some point in their lives has increased by 300% Initiation to heroin use by 12-17 year olds is up 80% Significant increases by affluent teens in suburbs A study of 16 female adolescent heroin users in Baltimore indicated: • Females are twice as likely to be introduced to drugs by a male friend or boyfriend • 94% initiation by inhalation • 75% injected at some point • Percentages significantly less for males Male heroin addicts are more likely than females to abuse alcohol heavily, use wider variety of other drugs more often than females 90% of teen and young adult females report their initial use of heroin was with a male (usually a boyfriend) 80% of world’s heroin supply is used in the United States Treatment admissions for opiate addiction in 2006 was secondary only to alcohol (National Survey of Drug use and Health) Limitation Access and Changing Attitude Goals Onset Reduce Frequency Reduce Amounts Accomplish This By: Monitor Close Catch it Early Make a Big Deal When it Happens CHANGING ACCESS Limit unsupervised unstructured hang time Do not allow teens to hang out in homes where parents are not present Limit overnights Eyeball teens when they come home at night Limit exposure of young teens to older teens Make expectations clear to the teens who visit your house frequently Network with other parents Stay present and involved when teens are at your house Closely monitor what teens bring into your house CHANGING ACCESS – CONTINUED Monitor for late night visitors and late night escapades (i.e., sneaking out) Make it clear that if adults serve your child alcohol, you will hold them accountable Your stance about alcohol and drug use needs to be consistent and not change just because you are somewhere that there is no drinking age Let your child know they will be held completely responsible for anything they have in their possession and their friend’s behavior at your home WHAT ADULTS NEED TO KNOW Teens do go through withdrawal from marijuana. Withdrawal symptoms include headache, sleep disturbances, irritability and agitation There is a direct correlation between teen’s perception that their parents approve of alcohol and drug use and seriousness of the adolescents use Research indicates that teens who know their parents have used marijuana were significantly more (40%) likely to use marijuana If adults do not explicitly disapprove of adolescent drinking and drug use, teens interpret this as approval WHAT ADULTS NEED TO KNOW (Continued) Talking to teens about what you think about drug and alcohol use is good, but more effective if this discussion includes an “enforcement component.” It is not hypocritical to tell your teen that they will not be allowed to use or drink, even if you yourself did use or drink as a teen Young teens that use or drink are typically introduced to this by an older teen, usually a friend’s older sibling Adolescent use patterns tend to be influenced by same gender older siblings We need to talk to our kids about drug and alcohol use whenever the situation presents itself