Since I write a column for a Spanish gastronomy publication, I often find myself reading wine magazines to see what’s out there pleasing palates these days. I do wish I could be one of those people who delights in taking small delicate sniffs and dainty sips of a prized vintage before making learned comments in which I would toss around terms such as oaky and smoky. Alas, back in the day I tended to do much more swigging and swilling than I ever did swishing and sipping and therefore, it’s always a bit hard for me to relate to the whole world of wine-tasting. Tasting is all well and good but what’s the point really if you can’t go on to guzzle? That’s what I always say anyway. I guess that’s one of the reasons I no longer drink…

Back to my point. I was recently flipping through the June issue of Decanter magazine when I came across an article that really irritated me. It was called “How to Get Your Kids into Wine.”  Author Beverley Blanning kicks off by writing  about how horrible it is that the UK government has actually given the warning that “Parents and young people should be aware that drinking, even at age 15 or older, can be hazardous to health and not drinking is (More…)

• 	Posted by: Johanna Bailey | 1 Comment(s)
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Performance in a Feature Film, Anne Hathaway, “Rachel Getting Married”; Performance in a Drama Multi-Episode Storyline, Benjamin Bratt, “The Cleaner”; Performance in a Comedy Series, Dana Delany, “Desperate Housewives”; Performance in a TV Movie or Miniseries, Chandra Wilson, “Accidental Friendship”; Talk Show Episode, Dr. Phil, “The Bridge” Credits: Entertainment Industries Council, Inc. and PRISM Awards

Last night the Partnership was proud to co-sponsor the Entertainment Industries Council’s 2009 PRISM Awards showcase on Capitol Hill. The PRISM Awards are presented each year to members of the entertainment industry to honor the accurate depiction of substance abuse, treatment, recovery and mental health issues. Given the power of the media to shape our attitudes and beliefs, (More…)

• 	Posted by: Joe Keenan | 2 Comment(s)
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Something I see a lot of in my field is the classic (and fraudulent) tactical mistake parents too often make when disciplining their teens. This tactic takes on features that are Ponzi-like in the realm of parenting, which is why I call this strategy “Ponzi Parenting.”

As I’m sure most of you know, in the financial world, a Ponzi scheme is a scam that aims for short-term gain instead of long-term success, setting off a whole series of bad behaviors. Similarly, “Ponzi Parents” try to please their kids — and make life easier for themselves — in the short term, without worrying about larger, and possibly lifelong, negative consequences.

The main theme of the error is that when parents discipline for the moment and get in the habit of choosing the easy way out, they bank on the short-term gain of pleasing their child and on the hope of avoiding conflict. But keeping children happy doesn’t necessarily mean (More…)

• 	Posted by: Ken Winters, Ph.D. | 1 Comment(s)
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Just read this fantastic guest blog on Lisa Belkin’s Motherlode (New York Times). This brave mother, Janice Lynch Schuster, has two teens currently battling what she figuratively refers to as a “big black snake” – or, as it is more commonly known, drug and alcohol addiction. I’m sure that most parents who have watched their children struggle with a drug problem would agree that Schuster is right on target when she compares addiction to a scary – and possibly deadly –snake.

Facing her children’s drug problems, she writes, used to paralyze her. Even when she wanted to confront the monster, she was reduced to ineffectively yelling, taking away things that her kids could just get more of, and convincing herself that drug use was simply a rite of passage for teens. But luckily, Schuster finally got strong enough to intervene and get help for both her addicted children. Here’s a great quote from the post:

“I insisted that first one child and then another be admitted to a substance-abuse recovery program, a residential program that specializes in treating children, like mine, who are alcoholics and drug addicts. Just writing that is painful and foreign; it is as difficult as speaking in the snake’s tongue. The language of addiction is full of loss — lost opportunities, lost lives, lost potential, lost families, lost time. Now both children are in what is called recovery — they have been clean and sober, one for about eight weeks and the other for scarcely more than two.”

For those of you who can relate to Schuster’s story, I highly encourage you to check out Intervene, our newly launched blog here at the Partnership. We’re so proud of Intervene because it’s more than just a website – it’s a supportive community of parents and caring adults concerned about a beloved teen or young adult’s drug use. Right now, we have some very inspiring guest bloggers posting, including two authors with new books out and one wonderful woman who has been running marathons all over the world to raise funds and awareness for drug addiction and treatment.

And remember, you can also visit our website TimeToAct if you suspect or know your teenager is using drugs. TimeToAct has tips on how to initiate a conversation and get your child help.

• 	Posted by: Joe Keenan | 2 Comment(s)
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Doesn’t it seem like we’re getting hit with a lot of bad news these days? Well, here’s some good news to brighten your day: Little Leaguers are in agreement that use of performance-enhancing substances is bad.

Sure, they don’t seem to entirely comprehend the health risks of using steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs. But your 11- and 12-year-old boys do know what has gone on, and they’re very clear that they don’t like it. Many Little Leaguers say that they’re disappointed with their favorite players, and some even call those under scrutiny “cheaters.” But more importantly, these young players are vowing not to let performance-enhancing substances affect their own lives. Baseball leagues across the country are having their players wear “I Won’t Cheat” patches and pledge to remain clean.

But remember, parents, just because your kids are in the know about pop culture doesn’t mean you should let a teachable moment pass you by. Try discussing with your kids not just cheating, but also the physical and emotional toll steroids can have on the body. And be conscious not to be too hard on your kid’s hero - the Little Leaguers mentioned in the article above agreed that the pros “messed up,” but they also believe the players deserve a second chance.

• 	Posted by: Joe Keenan | 0 Comment(s)
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In President Obama’s recent online town hall meeting, one of the most discussed issues was the possibility of decriminalizing marijuana as a way of boosting the economy. Personally I’ve never taken much active interest in the debate of whether or not pot should be legal. I suppose that this is mostly because I’ve been sober for a number of years and therefore wouldn’t be smoking it anyway. Besides, pot is one of the few drugs which (despite numerous past attempts) I never developed any affection for. I vaguely remember eating entire bags of Doritos in one sitting before puking them up and then falling into bed and wishing that I’d bought solid colored sheets since the checkered pattern on mine was making me feel as though I was being driven through an M.C. Escher painting with a serious case of motion sickness. Oh, and also, a sensation that my tongue had been re-upholstered with shag carpeting.
 
Nevertheless, a recent story on NPR caught my interest. In it, the show’s producers created a simulated world in which marijuana had been legal for two years in the United States. They then proceeded to interview a variety of experts (all of them real) about the hypothetical affects of such a scenario. Their purpose was to make people think a bit more deeply about the issue. Here are some of the points that were raised:
 
* Despite the expectations of many that legalizing pot would provide a huge boost to our economy, chances are that this wouldn’t be the case. Yes, it would create an additional estimated 20 billion dollars a year in revenue but compared to the size of our deficits, it wouldn’t cure any significant ills. “There may be good reasons to do it but the budgetary part is not a crucial reason to do it.”- Jeffrey Miron, a Harvard economist who has studied and written about the economics of the marijuana market.
 
* Legalizing pot would only increase adolescent use. “They’ll start using it sooner now because it looks like it’s more okay, it seems less harmful because they see their parents doing it.” “Do we know how to keep kids from drinking alcohol? No, we don’t. So why would we expect we’d be any better at it with marijuana?”- Rosalie Pacula, co-director of the Drug Policy Research Center at the RAND Corp.
 
And we should care about that because…
 
* “We know that marijuana use and chronic use, as it is now, in an adolescent population can cause extreme developmental delay…. It can cause memory loss, reduce the ability to concentrate and reduce brain cell activity.” - Dr. Vicki Nejtek, a research doctor who works on drug abuse at the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth.
 
These are only a few of the issues that were discussed but you can hear the entire program here. What I enjoyed about the episode was that although clearly not in favor of the legalization of marijuana, I still thought that they did a fairly good job in presenting the issue realistically from different angles. In other words, unlike so much of the debate on this sensitive topic, the thinking was not all black and white (i.e. the “Legalizing marijuana would be tragedy” school of thinking versus the “There’s nothing wrong with pot and people should be able to smoke it if they want” school of thought). Saying that something is all good or all bad is only a way of giving ammunition to those who feel differently because the truth is that almost every idea is going to have its benefits and disadvantages. It strikes me that a more productive approach to this issue is to look at the possible affects of legalization and make our decisions accordingly rather than planting our feet on one side of the fence and criticizing all those who feel differently. NPR’s program may not cause anyone out there to change their minds but it provides a unique perspective on the subject which I believe is valuable.

• 	Posted by: Johanna Bailey | 11 Comment(s)
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It’s occurred to me lately that my 3-year-old son has developed a somewhat alarmingly unhealthy relationship with cherry-flavored children’s Tylenol. He asks for it when his nose is stuffy or when he has a sore throat. Other times he will claim that more unusual body parts are giving him trouble. His bellybutton say, or occasionally his hair. I’ve always just chalked it up to the fact that he loves the flavor, a sickeningly sweet concoction containing enough sugar and brilliant red dye to send any child into momentary raptures of hyperactive joy. 

Lately, however, I’ve become a bit concerned because his preoccupation with treating ailments with medications has begun to expand beyond the aforementioned red goop. If I complain that I have a headache, he’ll immediately ask if I plan to take something for it. When his back was itching the other night, he called out from his bed to ask if I had any medicine that would “scratch it” for him. It’s obvious that he’s already made a strong connection between physical ailments and chemical solutions and what’s even more upsetting to me, is tha this is completely my fault.

I’ve been clean and sober for eight years now but I’m the first to admit that even though I haven’t ingested anything stronger than Benadryl in all that time, I still have the mind of an addict. If something hurts, I take something. I’ve never fooled myself about this and there are times when I pop an Advil, that I am perfectly aware that my reasons for doing it are just as much psychological as they are physical. I never dwelled on it much, however, as I always figured that in terms of important issues to deal with, I had bigger fish to fry. If it makes me feel better to take an antihistamine after a couple sneezes, well it’s certainly the lesser of a bazillion other lurking evils.

Now that I’m pregnant and the only medicine remaining on the shelf is a bottle of Tylenol (which trust me, I have not neglected), this dependence has become even more glaringly obvious to me. Last month I had a nasty cold and spent many a waking hour lamenting the lack of Alka-Seltzer Cold Plus in my life. The crazy thing being, that even as I pined for the fizzy remedy, I admitted to myself that it had never really helped that much to begin with. I just wanted to take something.

It is now clear to me that my son has noticed this and that my attitude toward medicine is making a quick descent down the branches of the family tree. I realized the other day that although I’m always quick to appear with the noxious red syrup and a teaspoon at the first sign of any complaint on his part, I have never really sat down and talked with him about the purposes of medicine, and that while it can be very helpful, it can also be very harmful. I suppose that I always thought he was still too young but now I’m not so sure. I freak out if a man sits down next to us at the bus stop while smoking a cigarette but don’t think twice about running to the medicine cabinet at the first sign of a stuffy nose (and this, despite the fact that I’m well aware that there is not even any real evidence to show that these medicines work in young children). Something’s wrong with this picture.

Despite the fact that there are plenty of guidelines about how to talk to young children about smoking, drinking and illegal drugs, there is very little information out there about how to talk to young children about OTC (over-the-counter) medications. I find this surprising as it seems doubly important to talk to them about the substances that they see and are in some cases, already ingesting on a regular basis.

This is especially crucial in light of the fact that adolescent abuse of both prescription and OTC medications (such as cough syrup) has been on the rise in recent years. What’s more, studies show that although more parents are discussing the risks of alcohol and illegal drugs, for the most part, they are still not talking about the very real dangers of OTC and prescription drug abuse.

My son is only 3 but it is now clear to me that I am setting a dangerous precedent for him and that something needs to change in my whole approach towards medication. Any suggestions are welcome!

• 	Posted by: Johanna Bailey | 11 Comment(s)
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A recent article in U.S. News and World Report talked about how the majority of Alcoholics Anonymous attendees drink coffee (90%) and smoke cigarettes (60%). Many believe that by helping to alleviate feelings of depression, anxiety and irritability, these “lesser” addictions can actually help alcoholics and addicts avoid relapse. Now, however, a researcher from the Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center of the University of California, San Francisco is suggesting that recovering alcoholics who continue smoking cigarettes may actually have a higher chance of relapse. Because of this, she feels that nicotine and alcohol addictions should be treated at the same time.

The article doesn’t go into details about the evidence for this claim other than mentioning that animal studies have shown “that nicotine can cause relapses to alcohol drinking” and after reading it, I felt a bit uneasy. The idea that smoking can lead to higher rates of relapse amongst alcoholics is compelling and it would indeed be interesting to see if more AA members who smoke relapse than those who don’t. In the meantime however, without further research, I think it could be a bit risky to start advocating the idea that people who are trying to quit drinking should also quit smoking at the same time.

In my own experience getting sober, cigarettes (and coffee too for that matter), have played a fairly crucial role in my recovery. I got sober at 25 but it took me another 4 years to quit smoking and I still drink at least 2 or 3 cups of coffee a day. Certainly I’m not claiming that I couldn’t have gotten sober without these crutches because in retrospect, it’s impossible to say. What I do know is that at least for me, it made staying clean and sober easier, but not for the reasons that most people might expect. Yes, cigarettes did “take the edge off,” but my real motivation for continuing to smoke went deeper than that because to me, drinking, using, and smoking cigarettes were not just addictions, they were a part of my identity.

(More…)

• 	Posted by: Johanna Bailey | 7 Comment(s)
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According to the pile of paper on my desk, the latest research news confirms, ”at home” and “early” spell trouble for our kids.

I get to see a lot of data that help us understand the health risks of youth substance abuse.  Sometimes it’s tough to make sense of all of the numbers and conclusions these studies put forth.  However, a few came across my desk in recent weeks that have a consistent theme for parents…

First, findings from right here at the Partnership that confirm both the fact prescription drug abuse is a serious problem among our teens today – one in five report having done it — and also that teens say the number one source of the products they are abusing is their own home medicine cabinet, the medicine cabinet of a family member, or a friends home.  

Second, an analysis of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health reporting that 45 percent of childhood drinkers ages 12 to 14 report getting their alcohol free from adult family members (30 percent) or take the alcohol from their own home (15 percent). Remember, we’re talking about 12-14 year-olds here! 

Then, another study that reports, “the earlier a person begins drinking alcohol, the more likely they are to have ever used other drugs illicitly.”  It’s called the National Longitudinal Alcohol Epidemiological Survey.  Now while that name’s a mouthful, the finding that half of those who began drinking at age 14 or younger had also used illicit drugs in their lifetime, compared to just around one-tenth of those who began drinking at age 20 or older should make all us sit up in our seats and think about the kids in our lives!  All of the analysis done by the study authors boils down to the single fact that starting alcohol use at a younger age was the strongest independent predictor of ever using drugs illicitly. 

So you may see where am I going with this.  It comes back to my favorite theme, that parents have real power.  We have the unique ability to control access to these products in our own homes and to educate kids about the risks they pose to their health.  While we certainly can’t ourselves control drug trafficking over national borders, we sure as heck can control what’s accessible in the family medicine cabinet, the kitchen refrigerator or in the family room.  What’s more, parents have real power as once again we see helping your child avoid childhood drinking and drug use has benefits that last them throughout their lives.

Even the most dramatic of study findings defining a problem are not reasons for hopelessness, rather they offer hope and further emphasis that talking with our kids about drugs and alcohol, preventing their use and intervening when early use occurs can and does make a profound, positive impact.  It’s not always easy, but it makes a big difference. 

• 	Posted by: Steve Pasierb | 4 Comment(s)
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