• Every day, 2,700 teens try a prescription medicine to get high for the first time.
• Today's teenagers are more likely to have abused medications than a variety of illegal drugs like Ecstasy, cocaine, crack, and methamphetamine.
• Nearly one in five teens (19 percent or 4.5 million) report abusing prescription medications to get high.
• One in 3 report being offered an Rx or OTC medicine for the purpose of abuse.
• One in 3 teens report having a close friend who abuses prescription pain medicine to get high.
• One in 4 teens report having a close friend who abuses cough medicine to get high.
• One in 10 (10 percent or 2.4 million) report abusing cough medicine to get high.

CRAFFT- Brief screening test for adolescent substance abuse

See Warning Signs for more information if you suspect any drug usage...

WEBSITES:

• Adolescent's Brain Development & Use

• The Science of Addiction- Excellent interactive website 
• Navigating the Teen Years- A parent’s handbook for raising healthy teens

• Quiz for students and parents.. might be a good idea to work on this together.

• CDC Youth Reports

• Onset of Sexual Activity in Tweens delayed by Theory-based Abstinence-only Programs

• Center for Diseases Control and Prevention- ADHD

• The young teen's place for infor on alcohol and resisting peer pressure- Reality Check

YouTube: 

• Adolescent Brain  7min

Articles:

• Teen drug use may impair memory later, study suggests
• Adolescents and Young Adult Mental disorders at risk of Long-term opioid use
• Adolescent and Brain Development (scroll down for specific article)

Each year, approximately 5,000 young people under the age of 21 die as a result of underage drinking; this includes about 1,900 deaths from motor vehicle crashes, 1,600 as a result of homicides, 300 from suicide, as well as hundreds from other injuries such as falls, burns, and drowning (For references, see NIAAAs publication Alcohol Alert No. 67, Underage Drinking.

For parents who state, "European countries allow underage drinking... "  Read the facts-Youth drinking rates and problems

Drinking in America- Facts & Myths

Treatment Recommendations:

For the best results you will want a facility that offers family counseling. Family and close friends need to be educated and become aware of ways to help versus enable a person in recovery. The home environment needs to be a safe place. Other features should include random drug testing, group therapy and a spirituality aspect as a major part of the program. Without hope, faith and a reason to live recovery is extremely difficult.  See Recovery for additional information.

     Educate Before you Medicate- Learn about the many myths about Rx use and abuse.

Teen Trends