Adolescence | Addiction Treatment Strategies

“Of course it’s normal for teenagers to be
worried about exams, friends, social acceptance, and about
the future generally,” says Dr Lau. “But
anxiety can become a problem when it becomes persistent or
is out of proportion to the situation. For example when
someone…

Drinking is a popular pastime for most adolescents, but
when copious amounts of alcohol are consumed (known as
binging) on a regular basis, it could be indicative of a
deeper problem. Therefore, researchers in the Netherlands
set out to answer two questions: Why do some adolescents
engage in…

No child aspires to a lifetime of addiction. But their
brains might. In new research to appear online in the
journal Neuropsychopharmacology this week, Rockefeller
University researchers reveal that adolescent brains
exposed to the painkiller Oxycontin can sustain lifelong
and permanent…

Youths who receive more than ?10 (less than US$20) a week
in spending money and who buy alcohol for themselves are
more likely to become ‘problem drinkers’, a
survey of over 10,000 teenagers reveals. Mark A Bellis
from Liverpool John Moores University and colleagues
studied the…

In a systematic review of current evidence published in
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…

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…

Past Year Perceived Need for and Effort Made to Receive
Specialty Treatment among Persons Aged 12 or Older Needing
But Not Receiving Treatment for Illicit Drug or Alcohol
Use: 2009 The number and the percentage of youths aged 12
to 17 who needed treatment for an illicit drug or
alcohol…

Heavy alcohol use suggests a change in normal cognitive
development in adolescents ScienceDaily (2010-10-20)
— Adolescence and puberty is a period of significant
development in the brain. New findings indicate that
excessive alcohol use selectively damages the frontal
lobe, which is…

…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…

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