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Families | Addiction Treatment Strategies

Helping kids learn to make better choices (about d…

Parents with tweens or teens often wonder how to effectively parent their children so that the kids can make sound decisions even when their parents are not around, including decisions about drugs and alcohol.
 
A recent study in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs has confirmed that parenting style, in fact, does have an influence on their child’s impulsiveness, including control over their drinking, and the possibility of alcohol problems. Julie Patock-Peckham, Ph.D., and colleagues broke parenting styles into three categories: authoritarian (emphasis on rules and obedience and lack of discussion), authoritative (clear…


Adult-Supervised Drinking in Young Teens May Lead to More Alcohol Use, Consequences

Feb20

Adult-Supervised Drinking in Young Teens May Lead …

ScienceDaily  — Allowing adolescents to drink alcohol under adult supervision does not appear to teach responsible drinking as teens get older. In fact, such a “harm-minimization” approach may actually lead to more drinking and alcohol-related consequences, according to a new study in the May 2011 issue of theJournal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.
“Kids need parents to be parents and not drinking buddies,” according to the study’s lead researcher, Barbara J. McMorris, Ph.D., of the School of Nursing at the University of Minnesota. Allowing adolescents to drink with adults present but not when unsupervised…

Young Drinkers Ages 12 to 14

Young drinkers are more likely than other underage drinkers to get alcohol from their family, according to data from the most recent National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Nearly one-half of youths ages 12 to 14 who drank alcohol in the past month obtained the alcohol from a parent, guardian, or other adult family member* (31%) or took the alcohol from their own home (15%). In contrast, 27% of underage drinkers ages 15 to 17 and 18% of those ages 18 to 20 reported getting alcohol from family or their home the last time they drank. These findings suggest the need for increased parental education on the effects of early alcohol use as well…

Development Of Alcohol Use Disorders Can Stem From…

Both animal and human research suggest that an early age at first drink (AFD) may lead to greater stress-induced drinking. This study examined possible interactions between AFD and stressful life events, and whether these interactions would have an impact on drinking patterns during young adulthood. The findings suggest than an early AFD may indeed be a risk factor for later heavy drinking when precipitated by a number of stressful life events.
Results will be published in the June 2011 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Researchand are currently available at Early View.
“It has long been known that an early beginning…

Age at which teens had first drink

…findings of the 22nd annual Partnership Attitude Tracking Study (PATS), released by The Partnership at Drugfree.org and MetLife Foundation earlier this month, echo the reality that substance abuse treatment professionals see every day. The study shows that underage drinking has become more normalized among adolescents. Of those teens who reported alcohol use, 62 percent said they had their first full alcoholic drink by age 15, not including sipping or tasting alcohol. Of those teens who reported alcohol use, 25 percent said they drank a full alcoholic drink for the first time by age 12 or younger. Almost half of teens (45 percent)…

Major report released on families living with addi…

Press Release: University of Otago
New Zealand families living with other members suffering from addiction is the focus of a report just released by the Families Commission and carried out by researchers at the University of Otago, Wellington.
“This is the first time such an extensive report has been completed on this area in New Zealand and one which also uncovers new information about addiction,” says lead investigator Dr Helen Moriarty.
“Firstly the report shows the impact of addiction on families may be much greater than previously thought. Secondly, the exact nature of these impacts is more extensive than has been previously…

Drug Exposure During Adolescence Has Long-Lasting …

New research released today shows teenagers respond differently to drugs than adults and explores the long-lasting effects of drug use on brain development. One study shows people who start using drugs at a young age have greater cognitive shortfalls, including mental flexibility. Animal studies also suggest adolescents are more susceptible to lower doses of cocaine, are willing to work more for a cocaine “fix” than adults, and are at risk of developing compromised stress responses. The research findings were presented at Neuroscience 2010, the Society for Neuroscience’s annual meeting and the world’s largest source…

TEENS USING MARIJUANA AT YOUNGER AGES

New Data Shows Average Age of First Use Dropping;
White House Drug Policy Director Warns of Consequences of Rising Teen Marijuana Use
Washington, DC—Gil Kerlikowske, Director of National Drug Policy (ONDCP), today alerted parents to the heightened dangers of marijuana use that has risen sharply, with kids starting to use the drug at a younger age.
According to recently released data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), released by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), there were 2.4 million new past-year users of marijuana in 2009 and the average age of initiation – first-time use…

Heavy drinking in older teenagers has long- and sh…

In a systematic review of current evidence published in this week’s PLoS Medicine, the authors—Jim McCambridge from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK, and colleagues—conclude that there is enough evidence to recommend that reducing drinking during late adolescence is likely to be important for preventing long-term adverse consequences of drinking, as well as protecting against more immediate harms.
Although there is an urgent need for better studies in this area, research to date provides some evidence that high alcohol consumption in late adolescence often continues into adulthood and is associated…


How Children Learn To Say No

May14

How Children Learn To Say No

Their numbers are rising, but their age is dropping: children and young adults who drink so much that they have to go to the hospital. Binge-drinking is sadly fashionable amongst the under 20-year-olds. But how can adolescents be effectively protected from alcohol and substance abuse?
“Information alone is not good enough,” Dr Karina Weichold of the Jena University (Germany) knows. Because even children know that alcohol consumption and smoking can cause health damage. “Therefore prevention needs to start somewhere else.” This is what the developmental scientists, together with colleagues from the Institute of…