Parenting For Prevention: Substance Use & Abuse

No longer is it just a few deviant teens who use alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. Today the teens who do not drink, smoke, or use other drugs are often made to feel left out.

There are many pressures on teens to use alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs, the strongest of which comes from the adolescent’s peer group. Besides the knowledge of drug use among their friends and celebrities, youths are bombarded daily by television and other media messages promoting adventure and fun associated with the use of alcohol and tobacco. What is most important though is that adolescents tend to mimic the behavior of parents and other adults. Be aware that your child is at higher risk if there is a history of substance abuse in the family, as research has confirmed that there is a genetic determinant in substance abuse. Finally, remember that due to the critical development of the brain and body and the increased negative effects of alcohol and other drugs on children and adolescents; ANY youth use is considered abuse.

WHY ALCOHOL AND OTHER DRUGS?

Teenagers may try alcohol and other drugs for the same reasons they experiment with other behaviors. Here is a list of possible motivations:

Curiosity - desire to seek out new experiences
Peer Group Pressure - security that comes from being like others
Insecurity - desire for affection, identity, and respect
Boredom - lack of excitement, zest or challenge
Escape - refuge from problems, loneliness, or failure
Defiance of Authority - rebellion against parents, school, or society in general
Standards - lack of appropriate values for maintaining health and well-being
Ignorance - lack of actual information about the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse
Physical and Emotional Problems - overcome pain, stress, and strain
Stimulation - obtain increased physical and/or mental energy quickly and seemingly effortlessly

SUBSTANCE USE - WARNING SIGNS

There are many signs and symptoms that go along with substance use and abuse. The following lists describe some of the changes that you may see taking place in your teen, at home, or at school. Keep in mind that the majority of these behaviors and signs begin to show up after 6-9 months of frequent substance abuse and do not show up immediately after a teen has begun to use drugs/alcohol. Physical symptoms can include:

Acting intoxicated
Bloodshot, red, or glossy eyes; droopy eyelids
Imprecise eye movement
Repressed physical development
Loss of appetite or unexplained, significant weight loss (10-15 lbs in one month)
Abnormally pale complexion
Wearing sunglasses at inappropriate times
Neglect of appearance, dress, and personal hygiene
Having the “munchies”
Slurring speech and changes in vocabulary patterns

Behavioral symptoms can include:

Unexplained periods of moodiness
Loss of motivation
Depression, anxiety, or irritability
Erratic levels of energy or fatigue
Conflict within family: extreme anger or withdrawal
Strongly inappropriate overreaction to mild criticism or simple requests
Loss of ability to assume responsibility
Need for instant gratification
Decreased interaction and communication with others
Change in values, ideas, beliefs
Changes in friends, unwillingness to introduce friends to family
Preoccupation with self, less concern for feelings of others
Illegal behavior: shoplifting, curfew violation, possession of drugs/paraphernalia
Loss of interest in previously important things such as hobbies and sports
Noticeable increase or decrease in monetary status
Lying, denying, secretiveness

School Changes can include:

Steady decline in academic performance; drop in grades
Sleeping in class
Poor short-term memory; decreased concentration or attention span
Slow to respond, forgetful, apathetic
Increased disciplinary or behavioral problems
Loss of motivation, interest, energy, participation in school activities and classes

Physical Evidence can include:

Odor of marijuana in room or on clothing
“Bongs” (water pipes, usually glass or plastic)
Pipes, pipe filters, screens, strainer
“Joints” (marijuana cigarettes rolled by hand and twisted at the ends)
Cigarette rolling papers
Powders, seeds, leaves, marijuana plants, mushrooms
Small spoons, straws, razor blades
Eye drops, mouth wash
Incense or room deodorizers
Empty alcohol bottles or cans
Stash cans (soft drink, beer, deodorant, and other cans that unscrew at the top or bottom)
Capsules or tablets
Plastic baggies or small glass vials
Drug-related books, magazines, comics
“Roach clips” (metal clips to hold the butts of the marijuana joints)

By themselves, some of the symptoms may be typical of an adolescent growing and changing (see Normal Development), however, if several symptoms are noticed with increased frequency, you may wish to seek further help from a trained professional. This professional will determine if education, counseling, or possible inpatient treatment is needed to stabilize your child.

GATEWAY DRUGS

The first drugs to which people are exposed and with which they experiment are known as the gateway drugs, as they can “open the gate” to increase use and participation in more dangerous drug use. Traditional gateway drugs are:

alcohol
tobacco
marijuana
glue, propellants, and other inhalants (The sniffing or “huffing” of propellants, such as those found in the aerosol containers of many household products, can cause brain damage or death.)

According to D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education), most drug-dependent people began their cycle of addiction experimenting with gateway drugs.

Our teens are not immune to exposure to these drugs. Alcohol is the most popular drug among youths and adults in our country, and studies of school-aged children indicate that initiation of daily cigarette smoking (not occasional use) is highest among 12 to 14-year-old students.

REMEMBER, THE WAY PARENTS MODEL THE USE OF ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO INFLUENCES CHILDREN AND TEENS. CHILDREN LOOK TO THEIR PARENTS FOR AN UNDERSTANDING ABOUT HOW ADULTS SHOULD BEHAVE. PARENTS SHOULD NOT USE OR CONDONE THE USE OF ILLEGAL DRUGS.

TOBACCO - THE FACTS

Nicotine is a highly addictive nerve stimulant.
There are 4,000 chemicals and nearly 50 cancer-causing substances in cigarette smoke.
85% - 90% of those who smoke as adults begin by age 19.
Smoking is responsible for one out of three deaths in the United States.
A teen who smokes cigarettes daily is 20 times more likely to be a marijuana user and 13 times more likely to be a daily user of other drugs than a teen who does not smoke.
80% of adolescent cigarette smokers are also users of marijuana.
Nonsmokers exposed to environmental tobacco smoke are at an increased risk for the same problems as smokers.
Teenagers are prime targets of tobacco advertisers, and each year, one million teenagers will start smoking.

ALCOHOL - THE FACTS

Alcohol is called a drug because its main ingredient, ethanol, in higher doses, acts as a general anesthetic (like ether).
Alcohol is a depressant, and as such, it slows the brain and central nervous system. When large quantities are ingested, it is possible for the brain to shut down partially or completely, resulting in a coma, respiratory failure, or possibly death.
More than a third of America’s 3.3 million alcoholics are under the legal drinking age.
30% of high school seniors get drunk once a week and 6% are daily drinkers.
Adolescents can become alcoholics in 3-24 months versus 10-15 years for adults.
In the adolescent, very low blood alcohol levels can produce irrational judgment and reduce self control.
Incomplete muscle formation, bone growth, and juvenile fat deposits decrease the teen’s resistance to alcohol toxicity.

MARIJUANA - THE FACTS

Marijuana is now 2-10 times stronger than it was 10 years ago. Hybrid forms of marijuana like sinsemilla (seedless) contain much more of the active ingredient, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), rendering it even more potent. Potency also varies from climate to climate and ounce to ounce. Also, Marijuana dealers are in the business to make money and really don’t care about their “customers”. If they want to be known as someone with “good stuff”, they may lace the drug with other drugs, giving the buyer the impression of a better high, increasing the danger of adverse health reactions and overdose.

Cannabis inhibits short term memory, slows reaction time, and impairs visual tracking. Frequent use is also linked to cognitive impairment (an inability to understand concepts).
Frequent users’ rate of social development may slow. A pattern of denying problems and irresponsibility in facing obligations can develop.
Some frequent users find it hard to stay motivated, and develop a lack of initiative and concern about the future. Often a pattern of superficial relationships develops with people who expect or demand little of the user.
Cannabis is stored in the brain, testes, ovaries, and other fatty organs for up to a month or more and is detectable by urine tests. Detection periods span 4-6 days in acute users and 20-50 days in chronic users.
Marijuana is up to 200 times more likely to cause cancer than tobacco smoke, and frequent use is linked to an increase of lung cancer, bronchitis, and emphysema.
Marijuana depresses the immune system, therefore it is more difficult for the user to fight off colds, flus, or other viruses.
Cannabis speeds a user’s heart by as much as 50%, increasing risks for anyone with heart disease.
Marijuana inhibits nausea and allows a person to consume large quantities of alcohol without getting sick. As a consequence, death due to alcohol overdoses has escalated among teenagers.

LSD – THE FACTS

LSD is one of the most potent chemicals known to affect the human brain. It appears to work by profound disruption of brain neurotransmitters.
A white, odorless crystalline material, LSD is diluted and sprayed on sheets of blotter paper for oral ingestion. This paper, known as “Blotter Acid,” frequently has designs printed on it.
The “high” lasts for six to 14 hours.
Mental effects include changes in perception, thinking, emotion, arousal, and self image.
Even a small dose of LSD can unpredictably cause toxic delirium or “bad trips.”
Terrifying illusions and hallucinations may precipitate panic attacks or reckless behaviors.
16% of student LSD users reported the use of other illegal drugs, such as PCP, Ecstasy, Speed, Ice, or Heroin.

LSD is experiencing a comeback in the 90's among white, middle-class high school and college students. LSD is the third most frequently taken drug, after alcohol and marijuana, according to one study of adolescent users. In 1995, there were more LSD-related arrests, emergency room visits by adolescents, and violent behavior, including suicide, homicide, and accidental death than had previously been recorded.

Chronic aftereffects of LSD use include: chronic or intermittent psychotic states, recurrent depression, and Post-Hallucinogenic Perceptual Disorder (PHPD), e.g., flashbacks characterized by periodic hallucinatory imagery, months or years later.

LSD use is increasing sharply in the youth across the country. It is inexpensive, very available, easy to conceal, easy to administer, and use is difficult to detect through observation or testing.

INHALANTS - THE FACTS

Inhalant abuse is always dangerous and can be deadly.
Risks include suffocation, heart failure, and organ damage.
Inhalants are intoxicating in much the same way as alcoholic beverages. Abusers often act confused and giddy, and may appear clumsy and accident-prone. Odd and unpredictable behavior is also characteristic of inhalants.
A user’s lack of judgment and diminished physical coordination can pose significant danger.
Headaches, upset stomach, vomiting, diarrhea, and poor reflexes are among the side effects produced by inhalants.
Users may become dependent and undergo painful withdrawal symptoms when they stop using.
Many users of inhalants move onto other drugs, particularly alcohol, marijuana, and barbiturates.

Because they cost little and can be obtained easily, inhalants have become the drug of choice for many adolescents. Inhalants include gasoline, butane, toluene products (glues, acrylic paints, paint thinners), halogenated hydrocarbons (freon, solvents, spot removers, typewriter correction fluid), nitrous oxide (dental anesthetics, whipped cream propellants, automotive power boosters), and alkyl mitrites/nitrates (called “poppers” or “snappers”), which include room deodorants and liquid incense. Currently, the most popular inhalants are nitrous oxide (called “Nitty”), propane, and air fresheners.

OTHER DRUGS - THE FACTS

Stimulants - These drugs, sometimes called uppers, activate a pleasure center in the brain. Stimulants include caffeine pills; amphetamines such as Benzedine and Dexedrine; Ritalin (called “Ritz”); and cocaine. Cocaine comes in powder or rock form and can be referred to as “Rock,” “Crack,” “Blow,” or “Linen.” These drugs speed pulse rates and increase blood pressure, and they may contribute to insomnia and appetite suppression. Some stimulants, such as No-Doze, weight-loss pills and stay-alert pills, are also available over-the-counter.
Hallucinogens - Drugs such as PCP, MDA, DMT, STP, mescaline, peyote, and psilocybin relax inhibitions and can cause hallucinations that affect a person’s thinking, awareness, and sensations, as well as dramatically increases blood pressure and produce irregular heartbeats. Teens use the term “tripping” to describe the high obtained from these types of drugs. The most popular hallucinogens used today, aside from LSD, are mushrooms (called “shrooms”), Ecstacy, Ketamine (called “Special K”), and motion sickness pills.
Anabolic Steroids - Increasingly popular among teenagers, anabolic steroids (also called ‘roids, the juice, pump, or hype) build body muscle mass and enhance athletic performance. Some athletes start taking steroids because they think they must do so in order to win. Other teens use them to grow bigger and stronger at any cost. There are many side effects both physical and emotional. Considering the potential risks, steroids should be considered serious drugs of abuse even though they aren’t used to get high.
Narcotics - The abuse of opiates has occurred for years. Injectable heroin has been perhaps the best known opiate to be abused, but people have also abused opium, morphine, methadone, codeine, Dilaudid, Percodan, and Darvon. Currently, opium (called “Tar”) and brown heroin (called “Brown”) are popular in this area.

PREVENTION IDEAS FOR PARENTS

The key to reduce the risk of substance abuse is PREVENTIVE PARENTING. Sit down together and discuss your expectations. Explain that these behaviors are not allowed, why they are not allowed, and follow through with consequences. Your child/adolescent needs this external control from you at a time when his/her own internal controls are not developed. Studies also show that the likelihood of teens using drugs decreases when they know usage would upset their parents. Characteristics of Preventative Parenting include:

Don’t control, contribute. Give your teen positive alternatives for having a good time without alcohol or other drugs.
Do things with your child, but not all the time. They need their space too.
Talk to other parents and find out their rules. It is helpful to have support when making decisions, but make sure YOUR teens know YOUR rules.
Get to know people and organizations in your community who can be used as resources for your family.
Take an interest in your teens’ friends. The biggest indicator of whether adolescents will drink is their group of friends.
Be interested in social events your teen attends, as well as their academic and athletic events. It is helpful to know where your child is and who is with them.
Maintain communication with your children; it is the key. Concentrate more on discussion and less on establishing rules (but make sure the rules are established and known).
Do not deny that your teen could be using alcohol or other drugs. If you suspect he or she is a user, get help fast.
Model appropriate behavior. Remember, what parents do counts; parents are a child’s most important influence.

OTHER PREVENTION TIPS

Below are more suggestions on ways to discuss drug prevention with your teen.

Understanding - “I realize you are under a lot of pressure from friends to use drugs.”
Firmness - “As your parent, I cannot allow you to engage in harmful activities.”
Support - “I’ll help you find a way to say ‘no’ to drugs.”
Self-examination - “Are my own alcohol and drug consumption habits exerting a bad influence on my child?”

PREVENTION DOES NOT BEGIN WITH:

Sarcasm - “Do you think I don’t know what you’re doing?”
Accusations - “You’re lying!!”
Stigmatizing - “You’re a terrible person.”

THE FIVE BASIC A’S OF PREVENTION

Be Alert to their environments.
Be Aware of their attitudes.
Be Around their activities.
Be Assertive in your parenting.
Be Awake when they come home.

THE ENABLERS

Some parents unintentionally enable their teen’s risk-taking behaviors, which may include the use of alcohol and other drugs. Enabling protects the child from experiencing the consequences, and though most enabling is done out of care and love with the sincere belief that help and protection will solve the problem, it only makes the problem worse. Enabling behaviors can include:

Rescuing the child from trouble at school, on the job, with the law, or trouble with the other parent
Taking on responsibilities that actually belong to the teen
Keeping “peace at any price” in the belief that “good” marriages/families are free of conflict
Failing to identify or express feelings (this is called “stuffing”)
Minimizing the problem (“He/she doesn’t drink/use that much or that often.”)
Protecting the image of the user and the family
Bargaining with the drinker/user (“You can drink as long as it’s in our home or you don’t drive.”)
Blaming, lecturing, arguing, etc.
Waiting, enduring (“It’s just a phase, it will pass.”)
Denying the possibility of any chemical use or dependency

ILLINOIS UNDERAGE DRINKING LAWS

It is illegal for anyone, including parents, to purchase or provide alcohol to a person under 21.
It is illegal for anyone under age 21 to purchase, consume, or possess alcoholic beverages.
It is illegal for a person who is under age 21 to possess or transport alcoholic beverages in a car. A conviction for this, a petty offense, carries a possible fine of $1,000, a one-year suspension of driving privileges, and up to 6 months probation.
Passengers in vehicles where open alcohol is being carried are subject to the same penalties as the driver.
It is illegal to use a fake ID to buy alcohol.

Adult Liability includes:

A person who knowingly gives, sells, or furnishes alcoholic beverages to a person who is under age 21 is guilty of a class A misdemeanor and is subject to a fine of up to $2,500 or imprisonment for up to 12 months.
A person (parent or anyone else) who knowingly allows under-age drinking on his or her premises is guilty of a class A misdemeanor and is subject to a fine of up to $2,500 or imprisonment for up to 12 months.
Parental responsibility: Under Illinois law, a parent is deemed to have given permission if:

He or she knowingly authorized the use.
He or she enables the use of the residence by failing to control access to either the residence or alcohol maintained in the residence.
Permission is presumed to have been given, unless the contrary is established by a preponderance of the evidence. “Being out of town” is not necessarily accepted as an excuse.
Civil liability for monetary damages attaches to a child’s parent if a child under the age 21 is permitted to consume alcohol in a host residence, leaves the residence in an intoxicated state, and then injures another person in a motor vehicle accident.

USE IT & LOSE IT: ZERO TOLERANCE AND DUI LAWS

Under the Zero Tolerance law of Illinois, drivers under the age of 21 with any trace of alcohol in their systems will lose their driving privileges. They will also be charged with DUI if they have a BAC (blood alcohol count) of .08 or greater, any illegal drugs in their system, or other indications of impaired driving. An individual may still be convicted of DUI at alcohol levels between .05 and .08 if additional evidence determines that the driver was impaired. Penalties for drinking and driving under 21 fall under Zero Tolerance (BAC of .01 or greater) and include:

1st violation: 3 month loss of driving privileges
2nd violation: 1 year loss of driving privileges
1st test refusal: 6 month loss of driving privileges
2nd test refusal: 2 year loss of driving privileges

A Driving Under the Influence (DUI) Conviction (BAC of .08 or greater) includes:

1st violation: 2 year minimum loss of driving privileges
2nd violation: Until age 21 or 3 years minimum
1st test refusal: 2 year minimum loss of driving privileges
2nd test refusal: Until age 21 or 3 years minimum

In Addition:

Penalties include both a driver’s license revocation and the suspension of vehicle registration privileges.
DUI convictions permanently stay on public driving records.
DUI offenders face a possible $1,000 fine.
Penalties for those convicted of DUI in a crash in which a person is seriously injured or killed can result in a fine of up to $25,000 and possible imprisonment for up to 14 years.

OTHER STATE LAWS

Helping children and teens stay out of trouble is easier when rules of conduct are widely known and shared. This following section contains other state and local laws that are important for parents and their children to know.

Curfew

Curfews are set for the safety and well-being of children and teens. The state of Illinois has a curfew for juveniles under the age of 17. In addition, the teen’s driver’s license becomes invalid after curfew unless accompanied by a legal guardian of legal age. That curfew is:

11 p.m. to 6 a.m. - Sunday through Thursday
12 a.m. to 6 a.m. - Friday and Saturday

Within city and village limits, earlier curfews may apply

Possession of Cannabis

It is unlawful for any person knowingly to possess, manufacture, deliver, or possess with intent to deliver, and can carry the punishment of anywhere from a fine to imprisonment, depending on the amount of cannabis in question.

Possession of other Illegal Drugs

It is unlawful for any person knowingly to possess, manufacture, deliver, or possess with intent to deliver, and it is a felony offense for all controlled substances (cocaine, heroin, LSD, PCP), no matter what the amount. Also, any person who possesses nitrous oxide or any substance containing nitrous oxide commits a State misdemeanor.

Schools and parks are protected environments. The delivery of controlled substances within 1,000 feet of a school or park calls for the transfer of a juvenile offender into the adult court system.

Weapons Possession and Discharge

No person under age 18 shall have in his or her possession, carry, or use the following: a pistol, revolver, stun gun or firearm of any description, an air gun, BB gun, gas or spring operated gun, a slingshot, throwing star, or knife.

No person shall shoot or use out of doors a bow and arrow which has a “pull” of ten pounds or over. No person shall use any arrow with a tip or point of steel or other hard substance.

The State Legislature has expanded the general authority of local school boards to suspend or expel students and mandates a one-year expulsion for students who have brought a weapon to school.