Substance Abuse and Teens

Weighing the Options: Planning a Defense
by SAMHSA
You've done all the right things as a parent-you've talked to your child about the risks of alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drug use. You've discussed the media messages. You're involved in your child's life and working hard at being a good role model

High School Success Helps Keep Teens Drug Free
by SAMHSA
High school can be an ongoing lesson in time management as students try new activities and meet new people. They often juggle busy schedules and may want to push schoolwork aside to do other things.

What is Meth?
by SAMHSA
Created in neighborhoods across the country, methamphetamine (meth) is American's homegrown drug epidemic. It's sweeping the Nation from the California coast to the eastern seaboard. Meth is leaving a path of destruction, particularly among small towns

The Latest Crazy Marijuana Flavored Candy?
by SAMHSA
A new product on the market may make parents double check the candy bowl. It's marijuana-flavored candy, and it already could be in stores near you. It may look like a normal lollipop or candy bar, but it tastes like pot.

Mom, My Friend Is Using Pot
by SAMHSA
What do you, as a parent, do when your teen comes to you with this story? It's more common than you might think. In 2003, 282,000 youths aged 12 to 17 used marijuana daily or almost daily.

Building a Grand Relationship Helps Keep Youth Drug Free
by SAMHSA
America's grandparents believe they are sharing a number of roles with parents in raising their grandchildren. More than half believe they are making a very important contribution to the lives of their grandchildren, according to a broad new look

Younger Students Still Smoking
by SAMHSA
Each day, 4,400 young people smoke a cigarette for the first time1 and by age 14, many are addicted.2 Much attention is given to preventing kids from smoking but middle schoolers may not be getting the message.

Parenting Help: Teenage Addiction
by SAMHSA
If you are seeking treatment for a mental health or substance abuse problem, you can start by talking with people you know, such as family members, friends, school teachers or counselors, clergy, and your doctor.

Good Decisions: More Than a Feeling
by SAMHSA
What was he thinking? How could she? If you find yourself wondering what your teen was thinking, the answer may be 'not much.' Kids often make snap judgments based on impulse, especially when situations come up quickly, leaving teens with little time

Why Kids Get Hooked
Teens Under the Influence: The Truth About Kids, Alcohol, and Other Drugs- How to Recognize the Problem and What to Do About It
by Katherine Ketcham
Fighting the stigma of alcohol and drug problems in youth presents us with a real challenge because there are really two pervasive stigmas-abusing alcohol and other drugs and being an adolescent. Coupled with the stigma is our imperfect understanding of

There Is a Solution
The Big Book Unplugged : A Young Person's Guide to Alcoholics Anonymous
by John R.
Alcoholism is the only disease that tries to convince you that you don't have it. So what's the purpose of the Big Book? It's simple: The Big Book provides solutions to what we couldn't fix.

Chapter 5
A Teen's Guide To Living Drug Free
by Bettie Youngs, Ph. D., Ed.D., Jennifer Leigh Youngs, Tina M. Moreno
You can get through the teen years without falling prey to drugs and alcohol. This book will show you how. As most teens like you know, drugs and alcohol are everywhere; pretending the don't exist could be dangerous.

Why Teens Begin Using Marijuana
Marijuana - What's a Parent to Believe?
by Timmen L. Cermak
As a parent, if you're not sure what to believe about marijuana, how will you handle the subject with your child? Maybe you smoked pot as a teen, or you use marijuana today. Maybe you never tried pot, or you don't even know what it looks like.

Why Do Some Kids Refrain from Drinking?
Alcohol - Whats a Parent to Believe? (The Informed Parent)
by Stephen Biddulph
Some kids don't use alcohol. If the statistics are correct, about 30 percent of high school seniors don't use alcohol, and an even higher percentage of younger kids are abstinent. Some of the kids in this category may try alcohol, use a few times

Why Do Kids Use Alcohol? A Look at High-Risk Teens
Alcohol - Whats a Parent to Believe? (The Informed Parent)
by Stephen Biddulph
It is unfair and often untrue to paint a high-risk kid as a drug or alcohol abuser or a troubled kid who goes around hating and fighting and causing trouble. Many high-risk teens—even those who are addicted or involved with serious abuse of alcohol

Adolescence and Alcohol: What's the Attraction?
Alcohol - Whats a Parent to Believe? (The Informed Parent)
by Stephen Biddulph
Any discussion of alcohol abuse and alcoholism is incomplete and almost meaningless without discussing the potential victims: the teens. This section looks at the nature of teens as developing adults and the reasons why some teens are at higher risk for