Synthetic marijuana, known as Spice or K2, is gaining attention among high school seniors. According to The University of Michigan’s Monitoring the Future study one in every nine 12th graders reported using this drug.

Yesterday R. Gil Kerlikowske, Director of the White House ONDCP, urged parents to help stop teen use of Spice / K2. “It’s not in the vocabulary of parents, and they need to be aware of it so that when they have that conversation about substance abuse they are knowledgeable,” he said.  “These drugs are dangerous and can cause serious harm.”
 
Another synthetic drug to be aware of is Bath Salts, a synthetic powdered stimulants – sold online and in drug paraphernalia stores as bath salts and plant food.
 
So what exactly are these new synthetic “designer” drugs?  Here’s what you need to know:
 
Spice
 
Also Known As: K2, Fake Marijuana, Skunk, Yucatan Fire, Moon Rocks and others.
 
What Is It? Sold legally as incense under brand names such as “K2,″ Spice is a an herbal-and-chemical compound that, when smoked, simulates the effects of the tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, in marijuana. While Spice products are labeled “not for human consumption,” they are marketed to people who are interested in herbal alternatives to marijuana (cannabis) and are sold in gas stations, head shops (retail outlets specializing in drug paraphernalia) and via the Internet. Some Spice products are sold as “incense” but resemble potpourri rather than popular, more familiar incense products (common forms include short cones or long, thin sticks).
 
How Is It Abused? Like marijuana, Spice is usually abused by smoking, but it can also be prepared as an herbal infusion for drinking. 
 
How Does It Work? Spice appears to stimulate the same brain receptors as marijuana does and produces a similar high.
 
What Are the Health Effects of Spice Abuse? Presently, there are no large-scale studies on the effects of Spice on human health or behavior. The cannbinoids found in Spice bind to the same receptors as THC; however, some of them bind more strongly to the receptors, which could lead to a much more powerful and unpredictable effect.  Spice users report experiences similar to those produced by marijuana, and regular users may experience withdrawal and addiction symptoms.

The compounds found in Spice have not been fully characterized for their effects and importantly, their toxicity, in humans. However, a variety of mood and perceptual effects have been described, and patients who have been taken to Poison Control Centers in Texas report symptoms that include rapid heart rate, vomiting, agitation, confusion, and hallucinations.
 
What is the Extent of Use? This year’s Monitoring the Future survey captured the use of Spice among high school seniors for the first time. According to the results, almost 1 in 9 or 11.4% of high school seniors reported using Spice in the past year.
 
What is the Legal Status? A number of States have instituted bans on Spice and Spice-like products and/or synthetic cannabinoid-containing products, and many others are considering legislation forbidding the sale or possession of Spice.
Note: Because Spice is marketed as being “natural,” some teens may think it’s safe to use.  But the ingredients used to make Spice can vary, and no one’s watching to see what people producing Spice are using—meaning the results could have dangerous effects on your teen’s body and brain. 
 
For more information on Spice / K2 please see this NIDA InfoFacts. 
 
Bath Salts   
 
Also Known As: Ivory Wave, Purple Wave, Red Dove, Blue Silk, Zoom, Bloom, Cloud Nine, Ocean Snow, Lunar Wave, Vanilla Sky, White Lightning, Scarface and Hurricane Charlie.
 
What Is It?  A synthetic powder typically sold in small packets online and in drug paraphernalia shops. These products often contain various amphetamine-like chemicals, such as methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MPDV), mephedrone and pyrovalerone. Because these drugs are relatively new and for now unregulated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), scientists are not exactly sure of the ingredients in each brand.
 
How Is It Abused? While labeled as “not fit for human consumption” these drugs are typically taken orally, by inhalation, or by injection, with the worst outcomes apparently associated with snorting or intravenous administration.
 
How Does It Work? These chemicals act in the brain like stimulant drugs (they are sometimes touted as cocaine substitutes) and are said to produce highs like cocaine, Ecstasy and methamphetamines.
 
What Are the Health Effects of Bath Salts Abuse? It is too early to tell what the exact short- and long-term effects from abusing bath salts is, but what little we do know so far is alarming enough.  Chemicals in bath salts mimic the side effects of amphetamines—stimulants like cocaine or meth—such as rapid heartbeat, increased blood pressure and body temperature and even seizures, which have brought many people to emergency rooms across the country. Doctors and clinicians at U.S. poison centers have indicated that ingesting or snorting “bath salts” containing synthetic stimulants can cause chest pains, increased blood pressure, increased heart rate, agitation, hallucinations, extreme paranoia, and delusions.
 
What is the Legal Status? Several states, counties, cities and local municipalities have introduced legislation to ban these products.
 
Note: Because these chemicals act like stimulants, they present a high abuse and addiction liability. Bath salts have been reported to trigger intense cravings not unlike those experienced by methamphetamine users, and clinical reports from other countries appear to corroborate their addictiveness. They can also confer a high risk for other medical adverse effects. Some of these may be linked to the fact that, beyond their known psychoactive ingredients, the contents of “bath salts” are largely unknown, which makes the practice of abusing them, by any route, that much more dangerous. Mephedrone is of particular concern because, according to the United Kingdom experience, it presents a high risk for overdose.
 
Last February,  Kerlikowske stated: “[Bath Salts] pose a serious threat to the health and well-being of young people and anyone who uses them.”
 
Parents, and adults with a child in your life, you have extraordinary power to influence the decisions young people make.  We know active, open communication between parents and kids is the most effective prevention tool. To learn how to have more effective conversations about drugs and alcohol with your teen, please visit our Parent Toolkit.

 If you suspect or know your child is experimenting with Spice, Bath Salts or any other drug, please visit Time To Act. If your child needs help for a drug or alcohol problem or addiction, please visit Time To Get Help or call our Toll-Free Parents Helpline (855-DRUGFREE) to speak to one of our Parent Specialist for guidance.
 
Source: National Institute on Drug Abuse

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With this rise in prescription drug use among teens, it’s more important than ever for parents to lock up their medicine cabinets, find out about the prescription drugs in their child’s environment and how to address prescription drug use and abuse in their home.

Teenagers turn to prescription drugs because they perceive them as less dangerous than illegal drugs (like cocaine, heroin, meth, etc.). But it isn’t true and, as a result, there is a false sense of security about prescription and over-the-counter drugs.

Teenage prescription drug abuse is on the rise. But the good news is, as a parent, you can influence your teen’s decision not to use drugs. The majority of teens still report that their parents-not their peers or the media-have the biggest influence on their decision to stay drug-free. In fact, kids who learn about the risks of drugs at home are up to fifty percent less likely to use drugs.  Use this influence to talk to your teen about the dangers of abusing prescription drugs.

Download our Prescription and Over-the-Counter Drug Guide to learn about the legal drugs (like Miss Emmas, Oxy, Vike, Block Busters, Roofies, etc.) teens are using and abusing.

For more information on signs of potential prescription drug abuse and what a parent can do, visit Not In My House.

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Teens today have a wide range of social influences that make it seem acceptable to use drugs and alcohol. There’s the pervasive advertising on television (hello, Super Bowl Sunday), glamorization of drugs and alcohol on their favorite shows (Gossip Girl, many shows on MTV, etc.) and magazines, as well as being in the presence of alcohol use at home and in their communities. Is this why teen drug and alcohol use is rising to epidemic levels?

Well, there’s also family history, co-occurring disorders and traumatic events, which are all challenges that put teens at a higher risk for drug use and addiction.

According to a new study released by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA ), American culture is also a major contributor to teen drug use. Forty-six percent of children under age 18 live in a home where an adult is smoking, drinking excessively, misusing Rx drugs or using illegal drugs. That’s 34.4 million teens exposed to drug use at home nearly every day.

Jim Ramstad, Former member of Congress and a CASA board member, states that “the combination of adolescence, an American culture that glorifies and promotes substance use, and easy access to tobacco, alcohol and other drugs creates a perfect storm for our teens and taxpayers.”

With almost half of all American high school students currently smoking, drinking or using other drugs, and a third of them meeting the medical criteria for addiction, what can we do about it?

Is it time for all of us to recognize teen substance use as a preventable public health problem and addiction as a treatable medical disease? Let us know what you think below!

Photo credit: Rex Features/Image Source

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Robbery charges or get clean? That was the ultimatum that helped actor and star of Glee Cory Monteith to his sobriety.

According Sunday’s Parade, Cory Monteith, star of the hit musical-comedy-drama Glee, reveals that he had a serious drug problem as a teen.

At 13, he was skipping school, getting drunk and smoking marijuana. By 16, his drug problem had escalated to where he was using “anything and everything as much as possible.”

After getting treatment and relapsing, his turning point came after he confessed to stealing a large sum of money from a relative. Monteith admits that coming clean about the theft was “the first honorable, truthful thing that had come out of my mouth in years.” In lieu of robbery charges, he chose to get clean.

Now at 29, Monteith admits, “I’m lucky on so many counts – I’m lucky to be alive.”

His one piece of advice to teens? Monteith says, “I don’t want kids to think it’s okay to drop out of school and get high, and they’ll be famous actors, too … But for those people who might give up: Get real about what you want and go after it.”

Photo credit: Wenn.com

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Recently, the New York Times Magazine ran a story “You Blow My Mind.  Hey Mickey!” in which a dad recounts his trip to Disney World with his friend Trevor’s family.  Trevor, the author tells us “smokes a stupendous amount of weed” and in the course of the article introduces the author to a website that recommends “safe” places to get high at Disney World.  They slipped away to smoke for the first time while their families were on the Dumbo ride and later conclude that “it was hard not to feel that this was the perfect way to do the park.”

Needless to say, we disagree.  I sent the Letter to the Editor below to the Times to express our concern.

Please let us know what you think.

***

To the Editor:

As a nonprofit that helps parents of teens, The Partnership at Drugfree.org is concerned by the message of “You Blow My Mind.  Hey, Mickey!” (New York Times Magazine online, June 8, 2011), an irresponsible depiction of two fathers repeatedly getting high while with their families at Disney World.

Parents are the most important role models for their kids.  Setting a good example is important.  Our research shows that children who learn a lot about the risks of drugs at home are up to 50 percent less likely to use as those who do not.

The author writes “…we don’t need to go crazy with guilt and worry about our children.  We’re not responsible for them.”  We disagree.  Kids watch us and emulate us.  Parents spend a great deal of time and energy concerned about their children’s health and safety – including whether or not they are abusing drugs and alcohol.

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Parents! In case you didn’t see our June Parent E-mail, here it is. If you’d like to receive tips, tools and guidance for raising your tween, teen or young adult, please sign up for our monthly parent e-mail.

Hi, I’m Mitch and I work at The Partnership at Drugfree.org and am a proud father of three. 

There’s a Father’s Day tradition in my family. No, it’s not a brunch or a barbeque or a ballgame.

In my household, we celebrate Father’s Day by riding the Cyclone at Coney Island in Brooklyn, NY. For me, there’s nothing more symbolic of parenting than the thrilling yet frightening ups and downs and unexpected twists and turns of a rollercoaster.

(Blogger Jim Konrad shares 4 Lessons from Fatherhood.)

Here are examples of a few recent parenting “ups”: My son Mitchell graduating college and landing his dream job as an animator for a big-time film studio; my 12-year-old daughter Nia, graduating from junior high; and my 6-year-old son William, who is autistic, drawing a picture of our family.  It was colorful and incredibly detailed - even nearsighted family members were sporting glasses.

(Blogger Bruce Sallan shares A Father’s Day Reminder: Teenagers Can Be Full of Wonder.)

There’ve been some unexpected twists, too. Like seeing Nia dressed up for her junior prom last week. She looked beautiful — and so grown-up. A wave of panic rushed over me as I realized my little girl is very quickly becoming a young woman.

(Blogger Joe Keenan asks Tweens: Are Our Kids Getting Older Younger?)

An unexpected turn occurred the other day when Nia asked to attend an unsupervised party at a friend’s house. When my wife and I said she couldn’t go, we were met with a whiney, “Why can’t I go?!? Why can’t I do what I want?!?” and “Why don’t you trust me?!?”

(Blogger Aimee Stern offers tips on Learning to Say “No” to Your Teen and Meaning It.)

Also, Nia recently asked my wife and me about drugs. We sat down with her and explained the risks of using drugs and alcohol. We also let her know that alcoholism runs in both sides of our family and therefore, she is at a higher risk of developing the disease of addiction.

(Watch a video of Dr. Drew offering tips on Educating your Child about Alcoholism in the Family.)

On Father’s Day, I think of my own dad, who unfortunately is no longer with us. He was a special man and always took time to listen to us as kids. He talked with us, not at us. His best piece of advice? Stay close to your children no matter what.

(Learn ways to stay involved in your teen’s life.)

We all know that parenting can be challenging. I try to keep our children focused on living a good, clean life. But being good is hard. Like my dad taught me, I try listen to my children when they talk — and enjoy them before they are grown up.

(Neil Bernstein offers Tips for Dads on Talking to Your Teens.)

To build a strong relationship with your kids, I suggest talking with him or her all the time about anything. Listen when they talk. If they ask you a real question (about things like sex, drugs, your past) give them a real, honest answer.

This summer, we’re going to take our annual family vacation to Ocean City, MD. We plan to play miniature golf, swim in the pool, play at the beach and stroll along the boardwalk. We’ll probably also visit the amusement park. And we’ll definitely ride the rollercoaster.

Happy Father’s Day!

Mitchell Mays
Facilities Manager at The Partnership at Drugfree.org
Father of Mitchell (24), Nia (12) and William (6)

P.S. A colleague shared this quote with me. It’s from the 1989 movie “Parenthood”:

[Gil has been complaining about his complicated life; Grandma wanders into the room]

Grandma: You know, when I was nineteen, Grandpa took me on a roller coaster.
Gil: Oh?
Grandma: Up, down, up, down. Oh, what a ride!
Gil: What a great story.
Grandma: I always wanted to go again. You know, it was just so interesting to me that a ride could make me so frightened, so scared, so sick, so excited, and so thrilled all together! Some didn’t like it. They went on the merry-go-round. That just goes around. Nothing. I like the roller coaster. You get more out of it.

Related Links:
7 Ways to Keep Your Teen out of Trouble This Summer
Graduation & End-of-School-Year Madness
Good Parenting or Helicopter Parenting?
Parents Enabling Teenage Drinking
How to Develop a Safety Plan With Your Child

Interested in receiving e-mails like this one? Be sure to sign up for a our monthly parent e-mail!

• 	Posted by: Olivia Chao | 1 Comment(s)	Print This Post
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“If you’re going to drink, just don’t drive.”

“At least when I host the party and take away the keys, I know they’re safe.”

“Drinking at high school parties is a rite of passage for teens.”

You’ve likely heard these kinds of comments from parents — perhaps even said or thought them yourself — but the way teens interpret these messages may surprise you, namely, that it’s okay to drink (and in a teen’s world, that’s not sipping a glass of wine with dinner).

Navigating the high school years and what to say to your teen about drinking can be difficult. As parents, we want to do what’s best, and we want to trust our children will do as we say. But if our actions around drinking do not model our words, the mixed messages can be confusing for our kids. To keep it clear, consider these five things parents should not do in front of their teens:

1. Leaving it to the school to have the “drug talk.” Parents need to talk early and talk often with their teen. If the drug and alcohol issue is talked about at home like any other health issue — getting enough rest, wearing a bike helmet, using a seat belt — from elementary school on, your teen will be better informed about the dangers and consequences of teen drug and alcohol use.  

2.  Encourage (or turn a blind eye to) underage drinking. There are scientific reasons for this. The brain is not fully developed until one’s early 20s, often not until 25, and is experiencing brain changes related to puberty, cerebral cortex development, and the pruning and strengthening process. Therefore, there could be long-term consequences such as a negative impact on the memory center of the brain. Check out A Parent’s Guide to the Teen Brain for more information.

3. Drinking and driving. You, with your fully developed brain, may find you can consume a standard drink (Standard drink sizes = 5 oz. of wine or 12 oz. of regular beer) with dinner at 6:00 and be okay to drive home at 9:00 p.m., but if your child is with you, they may interpret the behavior as a message that it’s safe to drink and drive.  Explain to your teen how the body processes alcohol (see #4), which is why drinking and driving has dangerous consequences. Let them know it is not okay to get into a car with a friend who has had too much to drink – and that if a situation like that arises, they should give you a call. 

4.  Getting drunk in front of your children.  Parents, if you’re going to drink in front of your children, stay within moderate drinking limits.  Typically, if one waits until they “feel it,” it’s too late because alcohol is not digested like other foods or liquids — it is metabolized by the liver, which takes about one hour to be absorbed. Drinking more than the liver can metabolize changes how the brain functions.  For more information, visit our Drug Guide.

5.  Always celebrating with alcohol. When an event involves the kids, such as a Super Bowl party, wedding, backyard barbeque or their sports award program, and alcohol is being consumed by the adults, it sends the message that drinking is an important part of celebrations. To begin the conversation, try using a beer advertisement on TV as a teachable moment.  Or, throw an alcohol-free event to show that one can have fun without drinking alcohol. 

Related posts:
Find Out the Truth Behind Common Drug and Alcohol Myths and Misperceptions
How Teens Become Alcoholics Before Age 21
It’s Just a Sip
Is it Okay for Teens to Drink Now and Then?

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What’s trending on Twitter right now? #happy420. And it’s no surprise, since today – April 20th – is the unofficial marijuana day, when some people around the world celebrate cannabis and rally to push for laws to legalize marijuana.

Whether it’s expressed 420, 4:20, 4/20 or four-twenty, pot smokers use this universal code to symbolize lighting up – and 4:20 (the time of day) is the choice time to do so.

Learn the risk factors for teen drug and alcohol use — especially if you have a family history of drug or alcohol problems, or if your child struggles with depression, anxiety or ADHD. If so, your son or daughter’s marijuana use isn’t something to take lightly.

For tips on how to have a conversation about marijuana (or any drug use), visit Time To Act and find out what one mom said to her teen about marijuana.

Editor’s Note: Learn more about Marijuana in our Drug Guide and learn 5 Myths about Marijuana.

• 	Posted by: Olivia Chao | 1 Comment(s)	Print This Post
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Parents! In case you didn’t see our March Parent E-mail, here it is. If you’d like to receive tips, tools and guidance for raising your tween, teen or young adult, please sign up for our monthly parent e-mail.

Hi Parent,

Let’s talk about stress, shall we?

Many teens will be taking midterms and SATs this month. Others are visiting colleges — or deciding which college to attend. Pile on a varsity sport, a few school projects, nightly homework, a part-time job, a social life…and well, I’m getting stressed just thinking about it.

According to a recent report, there is a record level of stress among college freshmen. A large share of the students said they had frequently felt overwhelmed with all they had to do as high school seniors.

The recent documentary Race To Nowhere explores this very issue.

And I see it every day with my own daughters.

As co-captain of spirit week for her sophomore class, my 15 year old is busy writing a skit, rehearsing a step performance and overseeing the production of hallway murals. Not to mention two big school assignments, a just-added Italian class and the upcoming regents exams. And that’s just this month.

My 13 year old loves to dance, sing and swim, but she was feeling stressed so my husband and I decided to scale back her activities to relieve some of the pressure. Now we just have to figure out where she’s going to high school next year (in New York City we have the option of applying to a mere 600 high schools) and help her navigate the not-always-kind social dynamics of middle school. Sigh.

But the good news is she recently developed a love for cooking and it’s turned out to be a fun — and relaxing — outlet for her.

We all know stress can take a toll on our teen’s physical health. But stress is also associated with initiation of alcohol or drug use. In fact, our national research study showed the number one reason teens use drugs is to deal with school stress.

Science shows that transitions — moving, starting a new school, puberty — are particularly stressful periods for kids. And they are more likely to experiment with drugs and alcohol at those times.

(Kids in military families face more significant transitions — and therefore more stress — than kids in most other families. Here are resources specifically for military moms and dads.)

It’s important for us to pay attention to our kids’ stress levels and help them learn how to cope in healthy ways. Here are a few tips from our guide Helping Teens Slow Down and Stress Less — I know I’m certainly going to try to put them to use.

• Discuss How You Deal With Pressure. Have frequent conversations, giving your child details from your own life like, “I’m really worried about getting this proposal in by tomorrow. Do you get anxious like that about school?” Or ask, “Are your friends stressed?” Then you can follow up with, “What about you? How are you dealing with it?”
• Make Time to Connect. Schedule family dinners or get-togethers every week and set it in stone just like sports practice. Use the time to catch up on what’s going on in your kid’s life, including what’s not going well. Stressed kids may feel isolated, which can lead to experimentation with drugs and alcohol. Let them know you love them too much to see them risk getting hurt by experimenting or using.

Learn more ways parents can help their teen deal with stress.

Take a deep breath, fellow parents — we can do this!

Best to you,

Claire Kelly
Mother of two teenage daughters

P.S. Be aware that stress in teens has been associated with abuse of prescription medicine. Our blogger Joshua Lyon shares this related tip:

“If you hear a teenager make an off-hand joke about wanting a Valium to deal with something mildly stressful…then you might already have a problem on your hands. These seemingly innocent remarks could indicate that your teen believes prescription medicines aren’t something to be overly concerned or careful about.”

If you think or know your child is using drugs or alcohol, please visit Time To Act and Time To Get Help.

Interested in receiving e-mails like this one? Be sure to sign up for a our monthly parent e-mail!

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