Adolescents and Substance Abuse

It is with great sadness that I feel the need to write this article. Primarily because the reason I'm writing it is in light of the recent teen fatalities that were related to underage drinking. I have a 17 year old son who knew the victims and it was heartbreaking to see the sadness and grief in his eyes. I have been working as an addictions therapist for over 22 years. I travel all over the world teaching, training and counseling people struggling with substance abuse. Actually I am writing this article from Koh Sumai, Thailand where I am working one on one with a private client.

Depending on the study, substance abuse and dependence rank as the number two or three public health issues facing this country. I have personally seem families torn apart by the devastating effects of one or more families members abusing or being addicted to alcohol and/or other drugs. The financial cost to our country is unbelievable and the emotional toll is undefinable.

It is particularly difficult when the substance abuser is an adolescent. We want so desperately to protect our children from the hardness of the world and when they voluntarily decide to drink and drug, it is terrifying to consider the potential consequences.

Todays teens are exposed to so much more temptation and stimulation than most parents can ever imagine. It is a different world now, the drugs are stronger, more plentiful, and the kids have much more information. With the internet, they network with each other, via myspace, facebook, etc and can research and even buy many drugs online. They are much more sophisticated and knowledgeable when it comes to pharmaceutical drugs and know what to look for in a doctors office or medicine cabinet. The marijuana they smoke is probably 20 times stronger than it was 15 years ago. They tend to have deeper emotional issues that they struggle with, as they watch their parents working in these difficult financial times. We are seeing more incidents of teen suicides and self injurious behavior like cutting and burning themselves. They have to worry about gangs, racism and violence on the school campus's and in their neighborhoods. Considering all this, without a lot of support, it's no surprise that many teens turn to drinking and drugging.

Even the music that teens listen to, often entices them to engage in drinking and drugging behavior.

In a 2008 study conducted by Dr. Brian Primack at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, he concluded, "Adolescents listen to nearly two and a half hours of music each day, We need to understand what our children are listening to and be aware of exposures such as these, especially when they are associated with potentially risky behaviors being portrayed in a positive light."

Explicit references to substance abuse were found in 77 percent of the rap songs on the chart, compared to 36 percent of country songs, 20 percent of the R&B/hip-hop, 14 percent of rock songs and 9 percent of pop, the study found.

Across all the popular music genres, alcohol was explicitly represented in about 24 percent of all songs, marijuana in about 14 percent and tobacco in about 3 percent.

Researchers found that popular music lyrics frequently associated substance use with peer acceptance, partying and sex. The consequences of substance abuse were portrayed as more positive than negative in 68 percent of the songs and more negatively in 18 percent. Only four songs contained specific anti-use messages, and none portrayed an instance of substance refusal.

I'm not suggesting that music causes substance abuse in adolescents, however it can be one of many messages they get that say, "drinking and drugging is okay". They get these messages from society at large, the media, movies, peer pressure and most importantly the parents. If you are drinking and drugging, you send a message to your child that drinking and drugging is acceptable.

In my experience once a family suspects that the teen is abusing alcohol and other drugs, they don't know what to do or where to turn. So here are some resources that might help.

Warning Signs of Teen Substance Abuse

Physical
• fatigue
• repeated health complaints
• red and glazed eyes
• lasting cough
Emotional
• personality change
• sudden mood changes
• irritability
• irresponsible behavior
• low self-esteem
• poor judgment
• depression
• general lack of interest
Family
• starting arguments
• negative attitude
• breaking rules
• withdrawing from family
• secretiveness
School
• decreased interest
• negative attitude
• drop in grades
• many absences
• truancy
• discipline problems
Social problems
• new friends who make poor decisions and are not interested in school or family activities
• problems with the law
• changes to less conventional styles in dress and music
Some of the warning signs listed above can also be signs of other problems. Parents may recognize signs of trouble but should not be expected to make the diagnosis.

Online resources:
NIDA for Teens ( Link ) from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, provides information in a format targeting teen readers or parents. Includes descriptions of drugs and effects, and answers questions typically asked by adolescents.

KidsHealth, (www.kidshealth.org ) from Nemours Clinic is written in kid-friendly language and provides comprehensive answers and information on a long list of chemicals.

Focus Adolescent Services, ( Link ) is an Internet clearinghouse of information and resources to help and support families with troubled and at-risk teens (Note: contains advertisements from sponsors)

Bubblemonkey, (www.bubblemonkey.com ) is produced by Drug Strategies, a non-profit research foundation, and supported by the California Endowment. It offers accurate information, quizzes, true stories, and creative interactional components, presented in a dynamic and engaging format directed to teens. Site is accessed in English or Spanish. Includes treatment locations for Los Angeles and San Diego. In the "choose a city" section, Petaluma is not included but choose any city to access the valuable information.

I am the Director and owner of Free Life Recovery Center, here in Petaluma. (www.freeliferecovery.com) my office will provide a free assessment and help with placement for any family that is concerned about substance abuse. Because the good news is that with counseling and early detection we can help get these kids the help they need before we have to read about another tragic accident in which a young life is taken too soon.