BINGE DRINKING AND THE ADOLSCENT BRAIN

Studies show that teens who binge drink are doing serious damage to the "white matter" in their developing brain. This causes memory loss and low school performance. Share this article with your teen. They may not know the long term damage they are doing during times of heavy drinking.

http://kansasfamily.com/ns/newsdetail.cfm?NID=65

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS AND TEENS

Teens see prescription drugs as 'safe' and easy to obtain. If you have prescription drugs in your house, it is a good idea to be aware of what you have and keep them away from the teens who live with you or visit your home. Teens using prescription pain killers, Adderall, Sudafed, and other 'legal' drugs is a growing trend in Lawrence. There is big money in it for those who score from any medicine cabinet. Some Lawrence youth are having 'skittles' parties where they throw all the pills in a bowl and dig in! See this helpful article and video link: http://www.connectwithkids.com/tipsheet/2010/498_jul14/thisweek/100714_drugs.shtml

Why Do Adults Condone Underage Drinking?

Are you sure there is active parental supervision at the homes where underage drinking is condoned? Are kids leaving the home drunk? Are the parents cutting kids off when they go beyond 'social drinking'? (1 drink per hour is the rate at which the liver can metabolize alcohol-the excess goes into the blood stream and causes inebriation)? Are they also allowing the risky behaviors that go on with teen drinking? Do they ask if the kids are predisposed to alcoholism due to genetics? Do they ask where the kids got the alcohol they are bringing in to the home? Do you ask yourself if it is a wise message to condone teens to break the law?
It is a fallacy that allowing underage drinking in your home is to keep kids safe. Research shows that adolescents may be more vulnerable to brain damage from excessive drinking than older drinkers. Alcohol impairs brain activity in the receptors responsible for memory and learning, and young people who binge drink could be facing serious brain damage today and increased memory loss in years to come. If one begins drinking at an early age, he/she is more likely to face alcohol addiction. Click on the following video link...
http://www.connectwithkids.com/tipsheet/2010/497_jul7/thisweek/100707_drinking.shtml

HELPING STUDENTS WHO ARE AWAY FROM HOME

As a parent of a college student there are things that you should know and actions you can take to help your child make responsible decisions and avoid many of the problems associated with drinking while they're away at school. Check the local web sites about school alcohol policies and city social hosting laws. KU and the city of Lawrence have instituted many new policies and laws just this year. Send your student off prepared with the facts. Set up open communication about alcohol and drugs so if your child gets in over their head, either by drinking too much or being around it when it is out of control, they can call you for help and advice. Make sure your college student knows the signs of alcohol poisoning and what they must do to help their friends in need. Have them designate two or three friends they can call if they find themselves in trouble and need help themselves. Talk about the dangers of doing 21 shots on their 21st birthday. (Ever heard of a "Shot Book"- a scrap book documenting the progression of the birthday girl doing 21 shots throughout the night?) Below are some good conversation starters for you and your college bound student.

http://cocktails.about.com/od/healthsafety/a/college_drinkin.htm

http://www.haverford.edu/firstyear/files/parentsbrochure.pdf

http://www.brad21.org/pdf/Alcohol%20Poisoning_8.05.pdf

KEEP OUR YOUTH SAFE THIS 4TH OF JULY

Underage Drinking-Related Hospital Department Visits Nearly Double over the 4th of July Weekend
Hospital emergency department visits involving underage drinking nearly double during the Fourth of July Holiday weekend according to a new study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The study reveals that daily underage drinking-related visits to hospital emergency departments are 87 percent higher during the Fourth of July weekend than they are on an average day in July. The report estimates that on an average day in July, there are 502 hospital emergency department visits involving underage alcohol use. For the three day Fourth of July weekend however, the number of daily hospital emergency department visits jumps to 938.
"Underage drinking is not a harmless right of passage. It has far-reaching consequences. In addition to emergency department visits, injuries, arrests and embarrassment, 5,000 deaths in people under age 21 are linked to alcohol each year," said SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde, J.D. "Parents are a leading influence in their children’s decision to avoid alcohol. To help parents make the tough job of raising children a little easier, SAMHSA provides an online action plan to help parents talk with their children about expectations regarding alcohol use."
The study was developed as part of the agency’s strategic initiative on data, outcomes, and quality - an effort to inform policy makers and service providers on the nature and scope of behavioral health issues. It is based on SAMHSA’s 2008 Drug Alert Warning Network (DAWN) report. DAWN is a public health surveillance system that monitors drug-related hospital emergency department visits reported throughout the nation.
A copy of the study is available at: http://oas.samhsa.gov/spotlight/Spotlight003UnderageAlcoholUse.pdf.
Information and materials on how to help prevent underage drinking are available at: http://www.underagedrinking.samhsa.gov/
Also be sure to check out the Underage Drinking: Talk EARLY. Talk OFTEN: Get Others INVOLVED campaign Web site.