Back in the 1960s and 1970s, many states had a legal drinking age as low as 18 years of age. Slowly, over time, all states raised the minimum age to 21 years old, but the problem of underage drinking and excessive alcohol consumption in high school and college still remains a problem. Some people question [...]
Continue ReadingResearch from the University of Sydney’s Brain and Mind Research Institute found that nearly half of all adults with a mental health problem also struggle with a substance abuse issue. So it may not come as a surprise that teens and young adults with a mental illness have elevated rates of alcohol and drug abuse [...]
Continue ReadingResults from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) spanning the last decade were used to help compile a new report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) analyzing trends in teen’s attitudes towards drugs and exposure to drug prevention discussions in the media and at home. The latest report [...]
Continue ReadingTeens have been targeted for decades in anti-drunk driving campaigns with organizations such as Mother’s Against Drunk Driving (MADD) famously bringing the issue to light and working in communities throughout the US to help young people become aware of the dangers of drinking and driving. These efforts have been exceedingly successful; not only is the [...]
Continue ReadingA recent survey from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) found that an astonishing 64 percent of students with a diagnosed mental health issue will ultimately withdraw from college. The NAMI survey showed that a majority of the students who dropped out due to psychological problems were struggling with one of the following diagnoses: [...]
Continue ReadingGreek researchers believe they have found evidence for a link between Internet addiction and substance abuse in teens. The study included 1,271 students ranging in age from 14 to 19 years old living on the Aegean island of Kos. Each participant answered questions surrounding their use of drugs, alcohol, the Internet, and their personality traits. [...]
Continue ReadingWhen an adult or teen has a mental illness combined with substance abuse, this is known as a dual diagnosis. Due to cognitive, emotional, and behavioral deficits and challenges for teens struggling with a mental disorder, it is common for young patients to fall victim to a co-occurring drug or alcohol problem as well. Often [...]
Continue ReadingA recent study from the School of Community and Global Health at Claremont University found that children as young as 7th graders may be swayed to drink alcohol by ads produced by the liquor industry. The amount of exposure to commercials promoting alcohol consumption played a large factor in the influence the ads had on [...]
Continue ReadingColonel Gray High School, located in scenic Prince Edward Island in Canada, recently demonstrated the fact that the problem of teen drug and alcohol use is not isolated to cities and metropolitan areas. In fact, the school held a program called “Making the Connection” in which students from the school came forward to tell their [...]
Continue ReadingMany parents over the years have attempted to use scare tactics as a means of keeping their teens clean and sober. They use examples of other kids who have experienced horrific consequences from first-time drug use and other extreme “facts” that may or may not be false, but aren’t necessarily true either. It’s an honest [...]
Continue Reading