Medications meant to treat Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) like Ritalin® or Adderall® can cause people without ADD to have unlimited energy and reduces the need to sleep. Strong pain medications like Oxycontin, Percocet®, and Vicodin® and anxiety medications like Xanex® can create pleasurable feelings when abused outside their prescribed use. The survey also found that 20.2% of youth reported taking prescription drugs that hadn't been prescribed to them (Eaton, Kann, Kinchen, et al., 2010). Moreover, 36.8% of the respondents reported using marijuana at some point in life, and 20.8% of them reported having used in the previous month (Eaton, Kann, Kinchen, et al., 2010). The primary ingredient in tobacco is nicotine, which is a highly-addictive stimulant. Furthermore, 26% of youth reported they are currently using some form of tobacco (Eaton, Kann, Kinchen, et al., 2010). The survey also reported that 46.3% of youth had smoked a cigarette at least once in their life, and 19.5% reported using cigarettes currently. It also increases the risk of a youth overdosing or experiencing alcohol poisoning. Binge drinking seriously increases the risk of youth becoming intoxicated and becoming involved in dangerous situations as their inhibitions are lessened. More worrisome, 24.2% the youth reported they had participated in binge drinking, which was defined as consuming 4-5 drinks or more within a few hours (Eaton, Kann, Kinchen, et al., 2010). Using alcohol can cause a person to feel more relaxed and more euphoric in the early stages of intoxication. Parents can familiarize themselves with the local drug situation by contacting their local police or child's school resource officer.Īccording to the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (CDC, 2009), 72.5% of high school youth reported they had drunk alcohol at some point in their life, and 41.8% of the responders reported they had drank in the previous month (Eaton, Kann, Kinchen, et al., 2010). The type of drugs youth choose to use depends upon the availability and popularity of particular drugs within their community, neighborhood, and culture. However, youth are still at risk for using other substances such as cocaine, ecstasy, heroin, methamphetamine, hallucinogens, or steroids. Today's youth are most likely to use and abuse alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, prescription and over-the-counter drugs, and inhalants. First, parents themselves must become informed about the risks and dangers of adolescent drug use as discussed in the previous section and become familiar with the alcohol and drug situation within their own communities. While parents cannot completely prevent their children's eventual exposure to alcohol and other drugs, there are steps parents can take to reduce the potential risks. But many parents mistakenly believe there is nothing they can do to protect their children. The prospect of drug use frightens many parents and with good reason.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |