National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges

Home

Subject Library

Alcohol/Drugs

Alcohol/Drugs 5

Discarded Lab Chemicals Stymie Volunteer Highway Cleanup Plans

Authorities found more than 100 methamphetamine labs in ditches and wood across Ohio last year, and they believe many more are out there. The abandoned labs contain chemicals that can burn skin, sear lungs or leave someone blind and volunteer groups are wary of what they may run into in volunteer cleanups.

++++++++++

Parental Alcoholism Creates Risk Factors for Young Adult Children

A new study identifies parental alcoholism as an important risk factor for escalated use of both alcohol and other drugs during young adulthood. It is specifically associated with both an early onset of drinking and with persistent alcohol abuse throughout adulthood.

Currently 1 in 4 children (under the age of 18) grow up in a household affected by alcoholism according to the National Association of Children of Alcoholics. This means 1 in 4 emerging adults and young adults will be faced with an increased risk for alcoholism and illicit drug use, simply because of exposure to an alcoholic parent.

++++++++++

White Kids Are Most Likely to Abuse Inhalants

A federal study of inhalant abuse found: about 34% of young people between 12- and 17-years-old who tried inhalants for the first time came from families that earned at least 200 to 399 percent more than the federal poverty threshold.
70% were white
First-time users were as likely to be girls as boys – 50.5% female; 49.4% male.
30% of those who said they tried inhalants for the first time were 12- to 13-years-old; 39.2% were 14 or 15; 30.8% were 16 or 17.
++++++++++
Revised DARE Program Shows Promise

The revised DARE program is showing effective results in preliminary studies. Researchers found that students given the new curriculum were more likely to refuse drugs and had fewer misconceptions about how many of their peers use drugs, compared to students in a control group.

++++++++++
Reclaiming Futures Shows Promise

Research from the Urban Institute and the University of Chicago says that communities piloting the Reclaiming Futures anti-drug approach have made good improvements in coordinating juvenile-justice and addiction-treatment programs. Researcher Jeffrey Butts says that 12 of 13 indices being measured through the project have improved since 2003, including drug assessment, treatment outcomes and service delivery.

++++++++++
Drug Wars At Home

Parents are dragging their teens to drug testing labs and buying home testing kits by the case over the Internet. Home test kits typically cost $6 to $15 for one test that can detect between five and 10 different drugs. Advocates of drug testing say it is a powerful device that gives a socially acceptable reason for kids to reject drugs. Teen can tell their friends that their parents test them and they will lose cell phone, car or other privileges. Those opposed say drug testing of teens should be done by medical professionals who can better interpret test results and refer parents to appropriate resource if necessary.
++++++++++
Reunited, A Video for Parents Affected by Meth

This video is being distributed to all child welfare agencies throughout Oregon. It captures frank talk of parents who were able to overcome their problems and work with the child welfare agency in order to be reunited with their children. Most of the parents in the 25 minute video were using methamphetamines when their children entered the child welfare system. Other agencies or individuals can purchase the video at cost through the Reunited web site. Click on the link above. ++++++++++
Millions of Young Americans are Misusing ADHD Drugs

A new study from the National Institute on Drug Abuse estimates that more than 1.6 million American teens and young adults misused these drugs during a 12-month period, and 75,000 became addicted. ADHD drugs allow users to stay awake longer and finish work more quickly.
++++++++++
A Worrisome New Legal High

Salvia Divinorum is a cousin of the flowering sages enjoyed by backyard gardeners. It also contains the world’s most potent natural hallucinogen, as strong as LSD. The drug is legal in most states and easily available through hundreds of Internet sites. Recently, in Delaware, a straight-A high school senior committed suicide after using salvia over a period of time.
++++++++++
Women Under the Influence

The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse in this new book reveals critical and relatively unknown facts about women and substance abuse, including differences between the sexes for using drugs, how they exhibit abuse, how drugs of abuse are metabolized, and the effects and consequences of abuse. Compared to boys and men: girls and women --
become addicted to alcohol, nicotine, and illegal and prescription drugs at lower levels of use and in shorter periods of time,
develop substance related diseases like lung cancer more quickly,
suffer more severe brain damage from alcohol and drugs like Ecstasy, and
often die sooner.
92% of women in need of treatment for drug and alcohol problems do not get it. The book is available in hard copy and can be ordered at the web site. $20/paperback. $50/hardbound.
++++++++++
Bridging the Gap: A Guide to Drug Treatment in the Juvenile Justice System

A guide created through the combined efforts of researchers, specialists and experts, it details the major aspects of juvenile treatment that need to be included in any rehabilitation program. Bridging the Gap builds on the earlier work of Drug Strategies, a publicationcreated as a guide for adolescents.

Research by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse in 2004 found that fewer than 3% of arrested juveniles receive treatment for their substance abuse issues. (You read that correctly, the number is 3 %.) You will find a link to Bridging the Gap at the end of the article.
++++++++++
Montana’s Ads For Teens about Methamphetamine

These ads are not a repeat of the eggs in a frying pan PSAs of a decade or so ago. They are hard to watch. Whether they will be effective is yet to be seen. To look at the ads produced by the Montana Meth Project which are now saturating the state, click on the link you’ll see on the left side of this article.
These ads are not a repeat of the eggs in a frying pan PSAs of a decade or so ago. They are hard to watch. Whether they will be effective is yet to be seen. .
++++++++++
15% of US Workers Report Workplace Alcohol Use or Impairment in the Past Year

The national Survey of Workplace Health and Safety found the most common alcohol-related workplace behaviors were being hung over at work and using alcohol during the workday, primarily during lunch breaks. The survey’s authors found that “the prevalence of alcohol use and impairment in the workplace was sufficiently high to suggest that employers need specific policies directed at alcohol use and impairment at work and employees need to be aware of these policies.”

++++++++++
Genetic Test for Addiction

A low-cost test for a genetic marker for addiction has been developed by a UCLA researcher. The test is for the A1 allele, which researchers have identified as signaling elevated risk of addiction. The test is still under development and will cost about $35 to administer. It can be a prevention tool as well as a diagnostic tool.

++++++++++
A Multi-Purpose Family Drug Court on Maui

The Maui Family Drug Court may be unique. In addition to child welfare cases it was designed to handle cases involving juveniles, domestic violence, and divorce in which substance abuse is an issue. Treatment begins with the addicted person and grows to include partners and then other family members.
++++++++++
Teen Girls Have Surpassed Boys in Smoking and Prescription Drug Abuse

The 2004 National Survey on Drug Use and Health has found that in the past two years more young women than men started using marijuana, alcohol and cigarettes. This finding runs counter to a trend indicating an overall decline in teenage drug use. It is disturbing because young women appear to suffer more serious health consequences: a higher risk of depression, addiction and stunted growth. They are also more likely to contract a sexually transmitted disease or become pregnant.
++++++++++
Young Children of Substance Users: The Case for Alcohol and Other Drug Education

The prevalence of substance abuse in the US virtually guarantees that all children will have playmates, friends, and eventually adult friends and colleagues who have personal experience with alcohol and/or other drug problems.
This issue of The Source, the newsletter of the National Abandoned Infants Assistance Resource Center, is devoted to the need to educate all young children about the realities of substance abuse and to teach them how to handle their problems and feelings safely.

++++++++++
"Internal Possession" of Alcohol

The state of New Hampshire can arrest minors for what is called “internal possession” of alcohol, to the point of being intoxicated. An underage person with drinks in his or her system often faces the same charge as one with a drink in hand. A handful of states have taken similar positions.

++++++++++