Fourth- and fifth-grade students in one US school were caught smoking and inhaling candy. The children’s fake drugs of choice were Fun Dip, a flavored sugar powder, and Smarties, which can be crushed into a similar powdery consistency. The principal responded by sending a letter home to parents, warning that while the candy may not
Keep ReadingAs the holidays approach, there are more social events with friends and interactions with extended family. The presence of alcohol and the pressures of the season can bring addiction issues to the surface. Behaviors observed at Christmas parties, office gatherings and family functions can leave you concerned about the health and well-being of a loved
Keep ReadingNearly 2 million people in the US are addicted to prescription painkillers, according to a 2009 government survey, and the problem continues to grow. While crackdowns on prescription medications may help deter some users, they simply push others to find cost-effective alternatives – usually heroin. We all know that powerful pain relievers like OxyContin put
Keep ReadingHookahs are back in the news as experts warn that this seemingly civilized way to smoke may lure young users into ignoring the dangers. While cigarette smoking can be somewhat social, at its heart it’s a solitary activity because it usually involves one person smoking one cigarette. But a hookah is usually used in groups,
Keep ReadingTreatment experts see this new finding as important because mental health issues like depression can make individuals more susceptible to substance abuse. Working moms are less likely to show symptoms of depression than stay-at-home moms, MSNBC.com reports, citing a new study. Working moms aren’t off the hook, though. Those who are harder on themselves when
Keep ReadingTrying to teach your teen responsible drinking by letting them imbibe at home doesn’t lead to better behavior after all. Think your teens are safe if the alcohol they consume is at home and under your watchful eye? Think again. A study in the May issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs
Keep ReadingIs the key to keeping kids off drugs as close as your dinner table? A new study suggests the meal is important in ways that have nothing to do with nutrition. For years, breakfast has received all the good press, begin touted as “the most important meal of the day,” but it turns out dinner
Keep ReadingParents still don’t know how to talk to kids about drugs. More than one in five parents feel ill-equipped to prevent kids from trying drugs and alcohol, according to survey data from Partnership for a Drug-Free America and the MetLife Foundation. The new data comes from the 2009 Partnership Attitude Tracking Study (PATS), sponsored by
Keep ReadingAddiction doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Its effects can often be felt for generations. Addiction doesn’t just affect those who are abusing. It can live on to affect the generations that follow. When one or both parents suffer from substance abuse or alcoholism, mental health issues or rage, trauma is created. Trauma at an early
Keep ReadingDespite prevention education programs, drugs and alcohol are still showing up at school in the hands of young children. You don’t need to live in the big city to know that drugs are a problem, but most of us thought third graders were still safe from temptation for at least a few more years. Not
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