1. What is the most popular form of substance abuse for high schoolers in 2009? Why is that so?

Alcohol and marijuana remain the most widely used substances on all campuses both secondary and higher education. One concerning trend is prescription drug abuse has doubled in the last five years.  Most notable among the abused prescribed drugs are the opiates including, but not limited to, Oxycontin and Vicodin.  We see widespread abuse of prescription stimulants in the college setting as well.  These drugs would include Ritalin and Adderall often prescribed to treat ADD/ADHD.

2. What makes teenagers want to engage in such dangerous activities?

The research around the initiation of alcohol and other drug use by teens suggests a myriad of explanations.  The teen years are a time where peer acceptance is a deep need among teens. There is a strong desire to fit in to one’s social group and this can lead to alcohol and other drug initiation.  I intentionally use the word “initiation” because the factors leading to initiation are different than those that contribute to sustained and dependent use of alcohol and other drugs.

Since this article is about private schools, it is important to note the research done by Professor Suniya Luthar at Columbia regarding affluent communities and families.  Teens that come from these groups have the highest levels of anxiety, depression, and eating disorders as compared to all other socioeconomic teen groups.   The research suggests that excessive achievement pressure and detachment (both physical and emotional) from parents contribute to these conditions.  Alcohol and other drugs can be seductive choices to self-medicate these problems for teens.

Family dynamics also play a role in the initiation and continuation of teen alcohol and other drug use.  In some families, teens are allowed too much power.  Alcohol and other drug use by the teen then becomes an unconscious attempt redress the imbalance by calling attention for the need for help.  Alcohol and other drug may also alleviate some of the anxiety that comes with too much power.  If the teen does not have enough power, then alcohol and other drug use creates a false sense of power and omnipotence. Keeping with the theme of Dr. Luthar’s work, when teens feel a detachment from parents, both physical and emotional, then alcohol and other drug use can be an attempt to draw them closer.

During my work in a drug treatment center, the most significant deficit that teens felt in their lives was a relationship with their fathers.

There are many reasons involved in the decision to drink or use other drugs, it is becoming clear that drug education, based on lessons from research, delivered in the proper context and in the appropriate way has the potential to reduce alcohol misuse, drug use (specifically tobacco marijuana, and cocaine) and/or at least to delay the onset of experimentation.

3. Is there any evidence that private school students use drugs and alcohol more than public school students?

No. There is little difference between alcohol and other drug use rates of public and private schools.  What appears to be the most salient difference is the availability of substances “on campus” appears to be less at private than public. There are private school campuses where alcohol and other drug use exceed national averages.

Alcohol and other drug use rates by schools and communities is more of a reflection of awareness and effective programming rather than the socioeconomic status of the individuals making up a defined community.

4. What can private schools do to prevent substance?

Private schools are in the best position to bridge the gap between science and practice in the field of drug education and mental health.  The freedom and resources available to private schools put them in a unique position to be transformative in developing drug education programs.  Private schools are not bound by standardized testing like public schools and often their small classroom size is conducive to effective drug education and mental health programs.

Developing effective drug education programs that achieve positive outcomes requires time and systems change. Effective programs should attempt to affect behavior both on the individual level and institutional level.  Funding for drug education programs in public schools is often year-to-year and sporadic.  Strategic plans that show initial promise can be abandoned when funding dries up.  Unfortunately, this uncertainty can lead to lukewarm institutional support for programs that most think will not be there next year anyway.

The first thing all schools need to do is abandon the myth that early drug education in elementary and middle school provides an inoculation effect against future alcohol and other drug use during the teen years.   The research tells us this is not so.  Drug education and mental health programs have to be sustained over the developmental lifespan of adolescents.  Each stage of the teen’s life is unique and should include social-emotional learning to meet the needs expressed during that developmental stage.

Schools need to identify high-risk groups within their community and customize their drug education and mental health programs to meet the needs of those groups.  When drug education programs are too generalized, they under-serve some groups and over-serve others.  For instance, there is good reason to conduct some elements of the drug education program in gender specific groups.  Female alcohol use is different from male use, the consequences are different and the risks are different.  Other higher risk groups would include teens on medication and those teens we know who are dealing with mental health issues like depression and anxiety.

It’s important to note that adolescent high-risk behaviors cluster.  Meaning, where there is drinking, it is safe to assume that there may be other drug use, sexual activity, and other risk-taking.  Therefore, drug education programs can no longer be conducted in isolation, but rather integrated into a comprehensive wellness strategy which views teen alcohol and other drug as behaviors existing on a continuum of risk.

This may sound somewhat self-promotional, but I suggest schools work with a certified prevention specialist.  The science around school-based wellness programming is complicated and requires a professional to perform assessments, design programs, and maintain institutional momentum.

An overlooked aspect of a drug education program’s efficacy is the disposition of the instructor.  A well-designed program delivered by an instructor with improper training and/or lack of enthusiasm for the material will not produce positive outcomes.  This is another reason to work with professional instructors with training and commitment to the material.

Drug use by teens is often categorized as adolescent rebellion, thrill seeking or peer pressure. These are convenient labels that often minimize and deny the connectedness of teen alcohol and other drug use with adult social systems like family, school, community, and culture.   Teen drug use is unique and needs to be addressed, however; effective drug education programs address teen drug use from an ecological viewpoint that doesn’t scapegoat teen substance use.

A school cannot change what it does not measure.  Often missing in the planning stages of a drug education program is building in assessment and evaluation opportunities.  Performing a school-wide assessment of a range of student behaviors and attitudes allows prevention professionals and administrators to design programs based on real data and measurable outcomes.  Some areas to measure are alcohol and other drug use, school connectedness, sexual behaviors, stress, sleep patterns, and parental controls.

Schools need to let go of binary thinking regarding drug education outcomes and stop determining program success strictly on a “use” “no use” basis.  It is unproductive and not consistent with what we know about behavioral change.  The goals of a drug education program should be to support and encourage those students who are making the choice to remain alcohol and other drug free.  And, for those students who will not make that choice, guide and intervene in such a manner as to not allow their use to escalate into dependence.

School-based prevention is one of three strategies we use in this country to control illicit drug use – the other two being enforcement and treatment. There has been a lot of research analyzing the cost-effectiveness of enforcement and treatment, but very little regarding prevention until recently.  School-base drug education programs have the added benefit by not only reducing the use of illicit drugs but licit drug use like alcohol and tobacco as well.  Research has shown for every dollar invested in prevention, seven dollars are saved on enforcement and treatment.

5. What are some of the warning signs parents can look for?

Since this article is geared towards a private school audience, it is useful to recognize that there are differences among private and public school students.

Private school students are often socially sophisticated and highly motivated.  These attributes can masks significant impairment issues such as developing addictions, anxiety, depression, and other assorted self-destructive behaviors. Traditional hallmarks of the troubled teen such as falling grades, delinquent behavior, and a change in physical appearance may be absent in private school students.

Private school parents have a hypersensitivity to privacy, which can fuel a reluctance to engage the school’s mental health resources.  Private school parents can enable their teen’s alcohol and other drug use by defending and rescuing their children from consequences that could have a curative effect on alcohol misuse or other drug use.

Some signs to look for that can be attributed to both substance use and mental health issues are:

• Achievement that is absent of joy
• Over-developed need for privacy
• Over-protective of their cell phone
• Abnormal resistance to family values and/or family time
• Angry outburst
• Unaccounted for money

Parents should not discount their intuition or “feeling” something is wrong.  The best protective factors against teens developing problems with substances are a loving and connected relationship with their parents.

This is an encore presentation of my interview with John McCardell of the Amethyst Initiative last September.

John McCardell believes the current drinking age law drives alcohol consumption out of public view, putting young people at greater risk for overdose and abuse.

Brief History of Drinking Age -

On April 14, 1982, President Reagan established the Presidential Commission Against Drunk Driving (PCDD). This commission established 39 recommendations to curb what was perceived to be a drunken driving epidemic. Taken together, the 39 recommendations were intended to be comprehensive approach with a goal of reducing the number of alcohol-related deaths on the nation’s highways.

Related Links:

John McCardell on the Colbert Report Comedy Central

Mr. McCardell’s Website

Have you ever had a conversation with your teen that went down the tubes? Of course. We all have. How do we avoid these patterns and create conversations that entice and invite teens to communicate openly and authentically. Our guest Dr. Jack Thaw suggests that parents need to learn how to create emotionally safe conversations. Dr. Thaw describes how parents can create safety for teens to share what is happening in their lives. Dr. Thaw will also share how to restore safety in a conversation with your teen if the tone begins to get out of hand and how to avoid safe conversation killers.

Our Guest

Dr. Jack Thaw is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist. Dr. Thaw is a Managing Partner of Counseling Affiliates with locations in Glastonbury and Farmington CT. He is the Senior Author of the book Developing Responsive Human Services. Dr. Thaw conducts workshops on family communication.

About a year ago, I was giving an assembly to a large school in the Midwest. There must have been over a thousand people in the auditorium, both students and faculty. It was 8:00 AM and the weather on the way to school was cold and rainy. Because of my schedule, I was speaking a week before finals.

These are not ideal speaking conditions. There is a big difference between a crowd who voluntarily comes to your talk and a crowd who is mandated to come. As students clumsily took their seats and faculty assumed their perch along the sidewalls, cups of coffee in hand, papers to correct in the other, I sensed passive hostility.

Students assume the worst of course. Another guy who going to tell us what to do, faculty if they don’t know me often default to if you’ve seen one drug speaker you’ve seen them all. Students are barely awake and teachers are eager to retreat to their classrooms to prepare for finals.

I walked around the room introducing myself to those students willing to make eye contact. This is a little speaker trick if you feel nervous. Maybe you’ll find a few friendly souls to make eye contact with during your talk. Instead, one student asked, “How long are you talking?” and another said “I saw you last year at another school, are you going to say the same thing?” I was.

I couldn’t help shake the feeling that I was being prepared for sacrifice. I felt like Mel Gibson at the end of Braveheart when he was awaiting his torture. I don’t care how confident or prepared you are as a speaker, you’re alone up there, you and your ideas. No one is going to save you.

As the crowd settled in, a young man from the IT department said he would take my laptop and get me set up in the control room high above the auditorium. The screen came down, projector came on and I turned my attention to the Head of School bounding down the aisle coming to greet me. As he took the stage, students quieted down and he began with a few perfunctory announcements.

I noticed my visual presentation was not running. I glance up into the AV box high above the auditorium and the young man seemed to be trying to get my attention. All the while, the Head of School was completing my introduction – please welcome “Mr. Jeff Wolfsberg”. I strolled confidently to the center of the stage, breathe, good posture, clear voice, strong start I said to myself.

I glance backwards, no visuals. Over the loud speaker I hear “Mr. Wolfsberg, what is your password so I can launch your visuals?”

I needed the visuals. They were a vital part of this particular presentation. I usually write my password on a piece of paper and hand it the AV guy in advance. I forget this time. Now, this young man puts me on the spot in front of a full auditorium unaware of the conundrum he has created. I lean into the microphone – “Captain Kirk” I say.

Thunder from the rain I thought. No, a roar of laughter from the audience. If you speak for a living as I do, you develop humility and a thick skin. I felt exposed and vulnerable. But something magical happened. My vulnerability and willingness to own it softened the room. There was a distinct and palpable change in the energy in the room as the distance between speaker and audience narrowed.

Whether you’re a parent or an educator, appropriate vulnerability makes us human and can allow us to connect with teens in a new way. We are bombarded with cultural messages proclaiming that being imperfect and vulnerable is synonymous with being inadequate and weak. In fact, nothing can be further from the truth – imperfections and vulnerabilities are what connect us to each other and to our humanity. Vulnerabilities are powerful reminders to keep our hearts and minds open to the reality that everyone is deeply connected and more the same than different.

About a year ago, I was giving an assembly to a large school in the Midwest.  There must have been over a thousand people in the auditorium, both students and faculty. It was 8:00 AM and the weather on the way to school was cold and rainy.  Because of my schedule, I was speaking a week before finals.

These are not ideal speaking conditions. There is a big difference between a crowd who voluntarily comes to your talk and a crowd who is mandated to come.  As students clumsily took their seats and faculty assumed their perch along the sidewalls, cups of coffee in hand, papers to correct in the other, I sensed passive hostility.

Students assume the worst of course.  Another guy who going to tell us what to do, faculty if they don’t know me often default to if you’ve seen one drug speaker you’ve seen them all.  Students are barely awake and teachers are eager to retreat to their classrooms to prepare for finals.

I walked around the room introducing myself to those students willing to make eye contact.  This is a little speaker trick if you feel nervous. Maybe you’ll find a few friendly souls to make eye contact with during your talk.  Instead, one student asked, “How long are you talking?” and another said “I saw you last year at another school, are you going to say the same thing?” I was.

I couldn’t help shake the feeling that I was being prepared for sacrifice.  I felt like Mel Gibson at the end of Braveheart when he was awaiting his torture.  I don’t care how confident or prepared you are as a speaker, you’re alone up there, you and your ideas.  No one is going to save you.

As the crowd settled in, a young man from the IT department said he would take my laptop and get me set up in the control room high above the auditorium.  The screen came down, projector came on and I turned my attention to the Head of School bounding down the aisle coming to greet me.  As he took the stage, students quieted down and he began with a few perfunctory announcements.

I noticed my visual presentation was not running.  I glance up into the AV box high above the auditorium and the young man seemed to be trying to get my attention.   All the while, the Head of School was completing my introduction – please welcome “Mr. Jeff Wolfsberg”.  I strolled confidently to the center of the stage, breathe, good posture, clear voice, strong start I said to myself.

I glance backwards, no visuals.  Over the loud speaker I hear “Mr. Wolfsberg, what is your password so I can launch your visuals?”

I needed the visuals.  They were a vital part of this particular presentation.  I usually write my password on a piece of paper and hand it the AV guy in advance.  I forget this time.  Now, this young man puts me on the spot in front of a full auditorium unaware of the conundrum he has created.  I lean into the microphone –  “Captain Kirk” I say.

Thunder from the rain I thought.  No, a roar of laughter from the audience.  If you speak for a living as I do, you develop humility and a thick skin.  I felt exposed and vulnerable.  But something magical happened.  My vulnerability and willingness to own it softened the room.  There was a distinct and palpable change in the energy in the room as the distance between speaker and audience narrowed.

Whether you’re a parent or an educator, appropriate vulnerability makes us human and can allow us to connect with teens in a new way.  We are bombarded with cultural messages proclaiming that being imperfect and vulnerable is synonymous with being inadequate and weak.  In fact, nothing can be further from the truth – imperfections and vulnerabilities are what connect us to each other and to our humanity.  Vulnerabilities are powerful reminders to keep our hearts and minds open to the reality that everyone is deeply connected and more the same than different.

As a parent, if you’re not sure what to believe about marijuana, how will you handle the subject with your child? Maybe you smoked pot as a teen. Maybe you never tried pot, or you don’t even know what it looks like. Maybe you’re simply confused over conflicting claims about the whether marijuana is addictive. At some point, you will find yourself in the position of having to take a stand. The issue of marijuana is not going away.

The national debate on the legalization and decriminalization of marijuana has been steadily picking up pace in the last 12 months as California explores legalizing and taxing marijuana to create new revenue streams to meet state budget shortfalls. All across the United States, the cultural tone continues to shift regarding marijuana.

At the time of this writing, ten states have passed laws allowing the use of marijuana for medical purposes. No doubt the battle will rage on as parties on both sides of the emotional debate sling scientific mud to rally constituents and influence politicians.

Making the issue of marijuana use more confusing is the growing number of marijuana alternatives, including the herbal marijuana known as SPICE.

As a professional working in the field of substance use and abuse, my experience tells me that there are few if any psychoactive intoxicants that don’t put the user at risk. Marijuana intoxication certainly falls into that category. It is my opinion that marijuana is addictive and can cause devastating consequences to adolescents – legally, emotionally, and physically.

Marijuana is the most widely used illicit drug used by teens today. Approximately 60 percent of the kids who use drugs use only marijuana. Of the 14.6 million marijuana users in 2002, approximately 4.8 million used it on 20 or more days in any given month.

The levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) – the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana – have reached the highest-ever amounts since scientific analysis of the drug began in the late 1970s. Each year, 100,000 teens enter drug treatment for marijuana dependence. This constitutes a steady rise in treatment admissions since the 1980s.

Far from the benign substance popular media likes to portray marijuana as, I speak with students on a weekly basis who struggle to quit using marijuana and/or minimize its impact on their life. Most of the pro-marijuana messages coming out of the media appear to be coming from adult users who have apparently (I’m speculating) navigated adolescence successfully.

Research does suggest the risk of marijuana dependence for adult users is minimal. It does not suggest the same for adolescents. The risks for teens are higher due to the confluence of risk associated with social maturation and biological vulnerabilities.

More alarming is the increasingly popular marijuana herbal replacement classified as SPICE. Like all new drugs entering the popular culture, there is very little known about SPICE or JWH-018, leaving many to speculate on its danger.

Recent tests have shown that smoking the drug can cause undesirable side effects on the heart, circulation, and nervous system. A SPICE high can cause what is called “couchlock” or the inability to move. Other risks include: persistent body numbness, lung irritation, high blood pressure, severe and persistent headaches, blacking out, blurred vision, and anxiety.

Last year, I received many emails from students asking me about it, which has only heightened my concern.

Here is an excerpt of an email I received from a student. “I inhaled the spicy smoke into my lungs and blew it out. It tasted awful. Two minutes later, my head was spinning, I couldn’t move, I was sweating profusely, I had this feeling of impending doom, waves of nausea hit me and I got sick in front of a dozen people. I felt ill for hours. Some guy said – you just smoked Spice.”

Some other terms to look out for are SPICE GOLD, SPICE DIAMOND, and YUCATAN FIRE. At times SPICE is called Designer Marijuana, but that is not accurate. The term “designer” describes a spectrum of marijuana varieties that are usually grown indoors hydroponically for high yield.

Spice contains JWH-018, a synthetic psychoactive substance that gives what has been described as a “marijuana-like” high. Usually, SPICE comes packaged in resealable plastic bags. It is most often smoked like loose tobacco or marijuana. SPICE is becoming increasingly difficult to purchase at what are called “Head Shops” due to increased attention from lawmakers.

The availability and legal status of SPICE and other blends seems to be state-by-state at this point. However, there are still companies selling it online. An online search of “SPICE GOLD” or “Herbal Weed” would certainly turn up an online source willing to ship to a buyer of any age.

I suspect this will go the way of the online pharmacy and begin to become more difficult as lawmakers and law enforcement become more vigilant. And if SPICE follows the same path as last year’s trendy drug Salvia, we will see an increase in attention and scrutiny from parents and lawmakers.

YouTube sealed Salvia’s legal fate. Salvia users posted their exploits on the popular video website in staggering numbers last year. The videos ranged from the benign and mildly humorous to the disturbing. These videos caught the attention of parents and lawmakers and soon legislation began to appear in state houses across the United States calling for a change in Salvia’s drug classification.

Education and communication continue to be our best strategy for combating these annual drug fads. Almost yearly, something new appears on the drug radar or an old drug reappears for uncertain reasons. In our hearts we know. We know that pleasure without purpose almost always creates risk.

As a parent, if you’re not sure what to believe about marijuana, how will you handle the subject with your child? Maybe you smoked pot as a teen. Maybe you never tried pot, or you don’t even know what it looks like. Maybe you’re simply confused over conflicting claims about the whether marijuana is addictive. At  some point, you will find yourself in the position of having to take a stand. The issue of marijuana is not going away.

The national debate on the legalization and decriminalization of marijuana has been steadily picking up pace in the last 12 months as California explores legalizing and taxing marijuana to create new revenue streams to meet state budget shortfalls. All across the United States, the cultural tone continues to shift regarding marijuana.

At the time of this writing, ten states have passed laws allowing the use of marijuana for medical purposes. No doubt the battle will rage on as parties on both sides of the emotional debate sling scientific mud to rally constituents and influence politicians.

Making the issue of marijuana use more confusing is the growing number of marijuana alternatives, including the herbal marijuana known as SPICE.

As a professional working in the field of substance use and abuse, my experience tells me that there are few if any psychoactive intoxicants that don’t put the user at risk. Marijuana intoxication certainly falls into that category. It is my opinion that marijuana is addictive and can cause devastating consequences to adolescents – legally, emotionally, and physically.

Marijuana is the most widely used illicit drug used by teens today. Approximately 60 percent of the kids who use drugs use only marijuana. Of the 14.6 million marijuana users in 2002, approximately 4.8 million used it on 20 or more days in any given month.

The levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) – the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana – have reached the highest-ever amounts since scientific analysis of the drug began in the late 1970s. Each year, 100,000 teens enter drug treatment for marijuana dependence. This constitutes a steady rise in treatment admissions since the 1980s.

Far from the benign substance popular media likes to portray marijuana as, I speak with students on a weekly basis who struggle to quit using marijuana and/or minimize its impact on their life.  Most of the pro-marijuana messages coming out of the media appear to be coming from adult users who have apparently (I’m speculating) navigated adolescence successfully.

Research does suggest the risk of marijuana dependence for adult users is minimal. It does not suggest the same for adolescents. The risks for teens are higher due to the confluence of risk associated with social maturation and biological vulnerabilities.

More alarming is the increasingly popular marijuana herbal replacement classified as SPICE. Like all new drugs entering the popular culture, there is very little known about SPICE or JWH-018, leaving many to speculate on its danger.

Recent tests have shown that smoking the drug can cause undesirable side effects on the heart, circulation, and nervous system. A SPICE high can cause what is called “couchlock” or the inability to move. Other risks include: persistent body numbness, lung irritation, high blood pressure, severe and persistent headaches, blacking out, blurred vision, and anxiety.

Last year, I received many emails from students asking me about it, which has only heightened my concern.

Here is an excerpt of an email I received from a student. “I inhaled the spicy smoke into my lungs and blew it out. It tasted awful. Two minutes later, my head was spinning, I couldn’t move, I was sweating profusely, I had this feeling of impending doom, waves of nausea hit me and I got sick in front of a dozen people. I felt ill for hours. Some guy said – you just smoked Spice.”

Some other terms to look out for are SPICE GOLD, SPICE DIAMOND, and YUCATAN FIRE. At times SPICE is called Designer Marijuana, but that is not accurate. The term “designer” describes a spectrum of marijuana varieties that are usually grown indoors hydroponically for high yield.

Spice contains JWH-018, a synthetic psychoactive substance that gives what has been described as a “marijuana-like” high.  Usually, SPICE comes packaged in resealable plastic bags.  It is most often smoked like loose tobacco or marijuana.  SPICE is becoming increasingly difficult to purchase at what are called “Head Shops” due to increased attention from lawmakers.

The availability and legal status of SPICE and other blends seems to be state-by-state at this point.  However, there are still companies selling it online.  An online search of “SPICE GOLD” or “Herbal Weed” would certainly turn up an online source willing to ship to a buyer of any age.

I suspect this will go the way of the online pharmacy and begin to become more difficult as lawmakers and law enforcement become more vigilant. And if SPICE follows the same path as last year’s trendy drug Salvia, we will see an increase in attention and scrutiny from parents and lawmakers.

YouTube sealed Salvia’s legal fate.  Salvia users posted their exploits on the popular video website in staggering numbers last year.  The videos ranged from the benign and mildly humorous to the disturbing.  These videos caught the attention of parents and lawmakers and soon legislation began to appear in state houses across the United States calling for a change in Salvia’s drug classification.

Education and communication continue to be our best strategy for combating these annual drug fads.  Almost yearly, something new appears on the drug radar or an old drug reappears for uncertain reasons.  In our hearts we know.  We know that pleasure without purpose almost always creates risk.

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• Senior-itis – Tips for Seniors from Radical Parenting
• Teens, Sex, and Technology by PsychCentral
• Junk Food – The Next Frontier
• Tens Tips to Conquer Perfectionism
• Video Game Addiction 1-10 Teens

Sarah Stewart is the Northeast Business Development Representative for Caron Treatment Centers.  Caron is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to provide an enlightened and caring treatment community in which all those affected by alcoholism or other drug addiction may begin a new life.
 
Now in its sixth decade of providing quality services, Caron offers a full spectrum of gender-specific chemical dependency treatment programs to meet the needs of everyone from adolescents to seniors. Caron’s proven expertise includes early intervention, medical evaluation and detoxification, residential primary, relapse and extended care, outpatient treatment for adults and adolescents, continuing care, family counseling and codependency treatment