Substance Abuse

Teens’ overall substance use declining, but marijuana use rising

in Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment / Drinking / Drugs & Alcohol / E-News / Marijuana / Smoking / Substance Abuse  by Adolescent Counseling Services 0 comments

Image: Torbin Hansen, Marijuana Joint Reported by: EurekAlert!, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)   Marijuana use in teenagers is on the rise, while cigarette and alcohol use are stable or declining, according to health statistics researchers. In particular, black teens are using more marijuana than in recent decades. “Our analysis shows […]

Read More ›

Medical Marijuana Sharing Amongst Adolescents

in Marijuana / Medical Marijuana / Substance Abuse  by acsteens 0 comments

As medicinal marijuana is more available in some states, via legal marijuana dispensaries, a new study from the University of Colorado School of Medicine found that it is very common for adolescents in substance abuse treatment programs to use medical marijuana recommended to someone else (also known as “diverted” medical marijuana). The study, “Medical Marijuana […]

Read More ›

US Law Enforcement Begins Major Crackdown of Synthetic Drugs

in Drugs & Alcohol / Other / Substance Abuse / Uncategorized  by acsteens 0 comments

As posted on Teen Talk in July 2011 and January 2011 the rise in the popularity of synthetic marijuana and bath salts, has increased immensely over the last year and has brought with it troubling stories of the affects the drugs have on users. These synthetic drugs are typically sold over-the-counter as “legal highs” in […]

Read More ›

April is Alcohol Awareness Month: What You Should Know

in Drugs & Alcohol / Parent Tips / Parent-Teen Communication / Parenting / Prescription Drugs / Prevention / Substance Abuse / Uncategorized  by acsteens 0 comments

National Alcohol Awareness Month was first started in 1987 by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD) to create awareness about the use of alcohol and the serious consequences associated with its misuse. The NCADD reports that teens who experiment with alcohol before age 15 are four times more likely to become alcohol […]

Read More ›

Marijuana is Most Popular With Teens, How to Notice the Signs of Use

in Drugs & Alcohol / Marijuana / Parent Tips / Parenting / Prevention / Recent Trends / Substance Abuse  by acsteens 0 comments

Since marijuana use among teens is thought to be more widespread than alcohol, About.com has posted some very informative statistics about marijuana use amongst teens. These statistics come from trusted government studies and prevention organizations and they tell a powerful story about when our children begin using substances like marijuana. Here are just a few: […]

Read More ›

New Study Finds US Adolescent Substance Abusers Started Using at Age 14

in Drugs & Alcohol / Prevention / Recent Trends / Substance Abuse / Upcoming Events  by acsteens 0 comments

A new study published in the April issue of the journal Archives of General Psychiatry found many alarming statistics about what age US children begin using substances such as; alcohol, marijuana, tobacco, and harder narcotics. In the study, Joel Swendsen, of the University of Bordeaux in France, and colleagues analyzed data from a U.S. survey […]

Read More ›

After-school Alcohol Education Program for Middle School Ages Shows Positive Results

in Drugs & Alcohol / Other / Parent Tips / Parent-Teen Communication / Parenting / Prevention / Recent Trends / Substance Abuse  by acsteens 0 comments

The age at which children begin drinking is surprising. According to a pamphlet distributed by the National Institute on Alcohol and Alcohol Abuse, “by 8th grade, 38.9% of American children have tried alcohol and 17.9% of 8th graders have been drunk at least once.”  To combat these percentages Elizabeth D’Amico, a psychologist who has been […]

Read More ›

New Study Shows Decrease in Mid-schooler Problem Behaviours When Parents are Given Guidance Before the Child Enters Middle-schoosl

in Behavioral Norms / Drugs & Alcohol / Mental Health / Mental Health / Parent Tips / Parent-Teen Communication / Parenting / Recent Trends / Setting Boundaries / Substance Abuse / Teaching Mindfulness  by acsteens 0 comments

At Adolescent Counseling Services, one of our key philosophies is that when the entire family is involved in resolving an issue faced by an adolescent, the outcome is positive and lasting. A recent study published in the February 2012  Journal of Adolescent Health put this theory to test. The study“Engaging Parents in the Family Check-Up […]

Read More ›

National Cancer Institute Speaks Directly to Teens Using Texting and Social Media Technology

in Depression / Drugs & Alcohol / Facebook / Mental Health / Mental Health / Other / Parent Tips / Parent-Teen Communication / Parenting / Prevention / Recent Trends / Recovery / Sleep / Smoking / Stress / Substance Abuse / Teaching Mindfulness  by acsteens 0 comments

Most adults know by now that smoking cigarettes is caustic to our health, partially because of the warning information printed on cigarette boxes and the intense media buzz provided by anti-smoking agencies and the United States government. Despite all that we know about the dangers of smoking, the prospect of smoking nicotine cigarettes is still […]

Read More ›

Everything You Wanted To Say To Your Middle Schooler, But Didn’t Know How-Part IV

in Cocaine / Drugs & Alcohol / Marijuana / Methamphetamine / Other / Parent Tips / Parent-Teen Communication / Parenting / Prescription Drugs / Prevention / Recent Trends / Setting Boundaries / Substance Abuse / Teaching Mindfulness / Uncategorized  by acsteens 0 comments

By Philippe Rey, Psy. D. Executive Director of Adolescent Counseling Services So now that we have a good idea about what is really going on with drugs and alcohol, let’s look at more ways we can help our teens. As I mentioned last week, as parents your task is to encourage choice. That means that […]

Read More ›