Substance Use Treatment Admissions Have Significantly Changed

Over the past decade, there have been significant changes in some patterns of substance use treatment admissions according to a new study conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Between 1998 and 2008, treatment admissions for the abuse of drugs and alcohol declined from 44 percent to 38 percent; however the abuse of both substances has remained in tact. The study discovered some trends in treatment admissions found in teenagers. SAMHSA.com reports that, "The survey also showed that admissions for substance abuse treatment among those aged 12-17 increased by 13 percent between 1998 and 2002, but declined by 10 percent between 2002 and 2008. In addition, about four in five (79 percent) of adolescent treatment admissions involved marijuana as a primary or secondary substance, and almost half (48 percent) were referred to treatment through the criminal justice system...In 2000 only 24 percent of those 16 and older in treatment were unemployed in 2008 37 percent of people in this treatment age group were unemployed." The leaders of this survey hope these results will aid them in developing "more effective treatment programs."

Shoulder Taps Conducted in Marshall County

The Marshall County Anti-Drug Coalition and the Marshall County Family Resource Network have been teaming up with local law enforcement and youth to prevent youth social access to alcohol. Throughout the past two months, local law enforcement officers have been conducting alcohol shoulder taps at all alcohol retailers in Marshall County. Youth decoys, under the supervision of a law enforcement agent, approach adults outside of retailer locations and ask them to purchase alcohol. If the adult says no, the youths thank him or her for not providing alcohol to minors. However, if the adults says yes, a law enforcement officer joins the youths and explains the shoulder tap program. The officer then outlines the criminal penalties the adult could have faced had he or she been caught purchasing alcohol for minors. The project is in effect now and will continue until the end of May. What are your thoughts on the program? Do you think that this is a good way to help fight substance abuse in Marshall County? Please list your comments below, or contact the Marshall County Anti-Drug Coalition through email at marshallcountyspfsig@comcast.net.

Teen Alcohol Use Affects Brain Development

The American Academy of Pediatrics has been urging physicians to discuss substance abuse with their patients. The AAP issued a 2010 statement on teen alcohol use which was posted on the Pediatrics website last month. According to American Medical News online the statement "indicates that the brain's frontal lobes, essential for functions such as emotional regulation, planning and organization, continue to develop through adolescence and young adulthood. At this stage, the brain is more vulnerable to the toxic and addictive actions of alcohol and other drugs." It has been recommended by the Committee on Substance Abuse that physicians discuss the dangers of alcohol and other drugs during medical visits. It has also been suggested that parents should leave the room so that adolescents are able to talk openly and freely with their doctor. The AAP encourages physicians to conduct an annual screening of adolescents for alcohol and drug abuse. Motivational interviewing has been used as a way to help patients "attain the desire and confidence to make necessary behavioral changes." The same study has also discovered that teen girls who drink alcohol have a greater risk of benign breast disease compared to those who do not drink. American Medical News online states, "Researchers examined data on 6,899 girls age 9 to 15 who were enrolled in the Growing up Today Study. They followed the participants from 1996 to 2007. They found females who drank six to seven days a week were 5.5 times more likely to have benign breast disease than were those who didn't drink, or who had less than one drink a week. Participants who reported drinking three to five days a week had three times the risk." For more information on how to talk to your children about drugs and alcohol visit the Marshall County Family Resource Network.

Kids Are Likely To Pick Up Smoking From Their Mothers

A recent study sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration discovered that children between the ages of 12 and 17 are three times more likely to pick up smoking if their mothers partake in the habit. According to WTOP.com, "Of the teens whose mothers smoke, 16.9 percent are smokers, compared to 5.8 percent of teens whose mothers are smoke-free." However, data from the study also shows that there has been a decline in teen smoking. Between 2002 and 2009, the rate of teen smoking has dropped 3.7 percent. The full report can be found through SAMHSA's website.

D.C. Council To Vote on Legalizing Medical Marijuana

The D.C. Council is set to vote this week on legalizing medical marijuana. If the bill passes, it would allow people who are chronically ill to buy the substance from dispensaries in Washington. In an article published by the Washington Post on May 4, "Federal surveys put the District among the nation's leaders in pot consumption. More than 11 percent of Washingtonians older than 26 reported smoking marijuana in the past year -- the highest percentage of any state in the nation, according to a 2007 survey by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Vermont and Rhode Island were second and third, each with more than 10 percent of respondents reporting marijuana use." Washington D.C.'s arrest rate in 2007 for people caught in possession of marijuana was 677 out of every 10,000 residents and is among the nation's highest rate. Washingtonpost.com states, "the bill before the D.C. Council would allow physicians to recommend -- but not prescribe -- up to two ounces of pot in a 30-day period for patients with chronic, debilitating conditions." There are currently fourteen states that have already legalized the use of medical marijuana.

R-Rated Films Linked With Underage Drinking

New research has discovered that children who are permitted to watch "R" rated movies are more likely to partake in underage drinking than children who were forbidden to watch the films. Researchers at Dartmouth Medical School conducted a study with over two thousand middle-schoolers and found that "among those whose parents let them watch R-rated movies 'all the time,' almost a quarter had tried a drink without their parents' knowledge. That compares with barely 3% who tried a drink among those who were 'never allowed' to watch R-movies." These results come from an article which was published on USAToday.com. The researchers also discovered that while parenting decisions definitely have an effect on a child's actions, the movies actually had a greater influence.