-
Talking to kids about teen smoking: The FTAS (Family Talk About Smoking) paradigm
Newsflash: Kids don’t like being preached to – especially when it’s done hypocritically A recent study assessed the impact parents have over the decisions their teenagers make concerning whether or not to ‘experiment’ with smoking cigarettes and to continue smoking in the long term, once they have tried it. Experimenting with smoking represents a form…
-
420, smoking weed, and drug problems : Marijuana facts
Co-authored by: Jamie Felzer It’s April 20th, or 4-20, and anyone who smokes marijuana knows what that means – It’s time to smoke weed- a lot of weed! In honor of this “stoner” holiday, or perhaps in reverence of its implications, I wanted to put together a post that explored some recent findings having to…
-
Does alcohol on T.V. make for more alcohol in the hand?
Dirk Hanson The title of the Dutch study, published in the journal Alcohol & Alcoholism, is unambiguous: “Alcohol Portrayal on Television Affects Actual Drinking Behaviour.” It is an easy and familiar accusation that has been levied at violent video games, drug use heavy movies, and alcohol advertising. But what is the actual evidence for it?…
-
Monitoring the Future by NIDA: Teen alcohol and drug use data from a national survey
One of the perks of being an alcohol, drug use, and addiction researcher, as well as of writing for a website like this and Psychology Today, is that sometimes we get to talk to people that most can’t reach or to receive information that others might not have access to. NIDA‘s Monitoring the Future, a…
-
Drug abuse and teens – The adolescent addiction challenge.
Guest author: Clint Stonebraker Recovery from any addiction is a difficult process. It involves an individual’s willingness to take responsibility for his or her actions, a concrete decision to make significant lifestyle changes, and the courage to repair damaged relationships. The level of emotional maturity involved in taking these steps is usually somewhat foreign to…
-
Weeding out your significant other? The effect of marijuana on relationships
contributing co-author: Gacia Tachejian Being young involves quite a bit of exciting change. There’s the end of high-school, the start of college and some measure of independence, and a whole slew of new experiences. A recent study conducted by Judith Brooks at NYU School of Medicine has revealed that one of those experiences, smoking marijuana…
-
Abuse of prescription drugs is on the rise
A recent article in the UCLA health system magazine Vital Signs talks about the increased prevalence of prescription drug abuse. Apparently, at 20%, prescription drugs are now the most commonly abused group of substances after alcohol and marijuana. With the same prevalence among teens, this is certainly a concern. The article notes a few indicators…