Temptations

While experimentation with substances is a common feature of identity exploration, it can become problematic when it interferes with daily functioning and relationships and can lead to later negative consequences and substance dependence. Teenagers who use drugs are more likely to get high out of curiosity or due to peer pressure and sensation seeking, but…

In the 21st century, hardly anyone would argue that cigarettes and tobacco are bad. A widely acknowledged fact, the dangers of smoking have led to tobacco regulation. Unfortunately, however, there is a new criminal on the streets: teen vaping. Unlike regular cigarettes, e-cigarettes have a rather “harmless” reputation. Since they do not contain tobacco, many…

When is too much, in fact, too much? There are multiple strategies on discussing substance use with out of control teenagers. Some argue that honesty about your own experiences with substances (if such experiences exist) is an important step to connecting with your child. Others argue that discussing your own experiences sends the wrong message…

11% of all the alcohol consumed in the United States is consumed by those under 21 . The statistic isn’t based on college freshmen either: studies estimate that in the past month, 35% of high school students had some amount of alcohol – with 21% of the students binge drinking. If that wasn’t bad enough,…

High school is stressful. Your teen juggles assignments, homework, quizzes, exams, extracurricular activities, family, and a social life. All of that can take a toll on a teenage brain. When someone offers a way to overcome it all–study drugs–it can be hard for a stressed out teen to say no. Recent studies have revealed that many teens…

Perhaps the greatest misconception about missing school is that all cases are the same. In reality, there are many reasons why a child would not want to go to class – the two main offenders being school refusal and truancy in teens. School refusal and truancy are entirely different beasts; the first step to ensuring…

While it is easy to discount internet addiction as a minor issue compared to, for example, drug addiction, that would be a mistake – there are many ways to be addicted, and internet addiction is quickly becoming one of the major players. As a matter of fact, some 16% of young adults exhibit symptoms of…

Teens are overwhelmed daily by external pressure. The media portrays the ideal image of perfection; their friends tell them how to act; their teachers stress the importance of good grades. Everyone around them wants them to act, dress and look a certain way. There are many temptations each and every day, some positive, some negative…

If your teen is going to their friend’s house, it’s likely that they’ll do more than watch movies and gossip. Instead of straight up telling you that they’re going to a party, they’ll tell you a lie about the night in they had with their friends. It’s only when that lie turns into something dangerous…

New research published in the American Journal of Public Health compared high school drug policies in Washington State to those in Victoria, Australia. While high schools across America take a firm zero-tolerance approach to teen drug use, Australia opts for less extreme approaches. Teen drug users who were caught in Washington schools were twice as…