Kids Shout Out

UNDERAGE DRINKING:

ABOUT THE PROBLEM:
Young people under the age of 21 say that alcohol is their number one drug of choice.

IN CONNECTICUT:
Children are drinking too much, too early and too often.

Here are some startling facts*:

Alcohol continues to be the #1 drug of choice among Connecticut's youth with 47% of 9th and 10th graders surveyed reported using alcohol within the past 30 days;
Easy access to alcohol is the factor which 47% of 11th and 12th grade students say encourages their decision to drink;
77% of high school students obtain alcohol at home with or without parent's permission;
66% of teen drinking occurs in their own homes;
36% of young people purchased their own alcohol;
30% of young people get alcohol from home with parental permission.

*Information provided by the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services.

NATIONALLY:
Underage drinking is a critical issue. In a 2009 survey, 50 percent of high school seniors admitted to drinking an alcoholic beverage in the past month; 40 percent of 10th graders admitted to the same.
*Monitoring the Future

THE HARMS OF ALCOHOL:
Many people dismiss alcohol as a "rite of passage in adolescents"; however, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, alcohol is one of the most common contributors to injury, death and criminal behavior in youth. It is also associated with the three leading causes of death among young people, including car crashes, suicide and homicide. In addition, some recent national studies have future demonstrated the harms of alcohol.

Alcohol and the Adolescent Brain
It is illegal for individuals under the age of 21 to possess or purchase alcoholic beverages. There are sound health and safety reasons for this. Alcohol is especially bad for a young person's development, especially brain development.

The latest research suggests underage drinking can cause irreparable brain damage. For example, American Medical Association has reported that alcohol use takes a greater toll on adolescent brain development and health than any other age group. Finding included that adults would have to drink twice as much as adolescents to suffer the same damage. Further, the AMA reports "adolescent drinkers scored worse than non-users on vocabulary, visual-spatial and memory tests and were more likely to perform poorly in school, fall behind and experience social problems, depression, suicidal thoughts and violence."

Alcohol and Girls
According to the National Household Drug Survey from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), alcohol use for girls rose to be equal to that of boys during the mid to late 1990's. Since 2000, that number has now risen to surpass that of boys, according to the Leadership to Keep Children Alcohol Free, with 38% of girls versus 34% of boys age 12-17 reporting drinking.

WHAT KIDS CAN DO:
Youth should learn about the dangers of alcohol, and equip themselves with the right refusal skills, especially if their friends start drinking. They should also talk to a parent, teacher, or adult they trust.

WHAT PARENTS CAN DO:
Talk to your children. You are the most influential person in your child's life.
For a copy of a helpful communication model designed to help you talk to your children about drugs or alcohol, click here.

Set limits. Research shows that teens with "hands-on" parents who have established a culture of rules and expectations for behavior are at one-quarter the risk of drinking or using other drugs as other young people.

"Hands-on" parents consistently take most or all of the following actions:

Monitor what their child is watching on television.
Monitor what young people do on the Internet.
Set guidelines for music purchased.
Know where their adolescents/children are after school and on weekends.
Are told the truth by their children about where they are really going.
Are "very aware" of their adolescent's academic performance.
Impose a curfew.
Make clear that they would be "extremely upset" if their children used alcohol or other drugs.
Eat dinner with their adolescents six or seven nights a week.
Assign children regular chores.
Have an adult present when adolescents return from school.

For more information, visit: preventionworksct.org/parents.html

KIDS AND TOBACCO

ABOUT THE PROBLEM:
The largest preventable cause of disease in the United States is smoking, killing more people every year than car accidents, fires, AIDS, homicide, illegal drugs, suicide, and alcohol combined. Because young people are concerned about "fitting in" and "looking cool," they may not recognize the long-term effects of smoking.

IN CONNECTICUT:
Although tobacco use among youth has declined, rates remain too high. An estimated 48,600 middle and high school students in Connecticut's public schools have used some form of tobacco at least once during the previous month. Among them, 9,250 are in middle school and 39,350 are high school students. This translates to nearly one in 10 middle school students and one in four high school students who smoked and/or chewed tobacco sometime in the past month.

Among students who use tobacco, cigarette smoking is most prevalent. Approximately, 32,600 middle and high school students have smoked at least once in a 30-day period. Overall, 3.4 percent of middle school students smoke cigarettes and 16.9 percent of high school students do so. Cigarette smoking increases more than 5-fold from 3.4 percent of sixth graders to 16.9 percent of 12th graders.

2007 Connecticut School Health Survey - Youth Tobacco Component
2007 Youth Risk Behavior Survey

NATIONALLY:
Twenty-three percent of high school students in the U.S. are current cigarette smokers, and each day, approximately 4,000 young people between the ages of 12 and 17 begin smoking. In the same age group, it is estimated that 2,000 young people become daily cigarette smokers.
*U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

WHAT KIDS CAN DO:
Youth should learn about the dangers of tobacco, and equip themselves with the right refusal skills, especially if friends start smoking. They should also talk to a parent, teacher, or adult they trust.

WHAT PARENTS CAN DO:
Youth susceptibility to smoking is highest between grades 7 and 10. Talk to your child as soon as possible about the dangers of tobacco use and give your child an opportunity to respond with his or her beliefs about cigarette smoking. Make sure your child knows what to do if he or she is offered a cigarette by a friend and practice ways to say no. If you find out that your child is already smoking cigarettes, call your child's school or Infoline at 211, to inquire about a smoking cessation program. While some students quit and never smoke again, others may only quit temporarily and may need additional help to stay off cigarettes.

Talk to your children. You are the most influential person in your child's life.

For additional hints and a copy of a helpful communication model designed to help you talk to your children about drugs, tobacco or alcohol, click here.

BULLYING

ABOUT THE PROBLEM:
Bullying is a significant and pervasive problem involving many school children.

Fear is a part of the everyday lives of bullying targets. They may avoid certain areas of school, skip school or actually become sick under pressure. The fear of bullying is felt by not only the target, but also other classmates and adults.

The normal growing up process does not and should not include children abusing other children. Adults must take responsibility for setting and enforcing norms that do not tolerate bullying behavior.

The child who bullies also needs help. When this behavior goes unchecked, it may become a lifelong destructive pattern.

HOW BIG IS THE PROBLEM?

Nearly three in ten (29 percent) Connecticut high school students have reported being bullied or harassed on school property.
In Connecticut, students in grade 9 (35.5%) are significantly more likely to be bullied at least once on school property than students in grade 12 (22.7%).
Eight percent of Connecticut high school students reported being threatened or injured with a weapon at school.

WHAT IS BULLYING?

When a person is the target, repeatedly and over time, of negative actions undertaken by one or several other individuals who are more powerful than the target in some way.
Negative acts include attempts to injure or humiliate another person, including physical or verbal attacks.
Bullying often takes place through social isolation and exclusion from a group.

The following are examples of bullying behaviors that may be repeated over time:

Name-calling
Making fun of someone because of the way he/she looks or acts
Writing anonymous notes, online posts, or text messages
Making anonymous phone calls
Making a fool of someone in front of other people
Talking about a person behind his/her back
Hitting someone

WHAT KIDS CAN DO

Remember that you are not at fault. You are not to blame. The person who is bullying must learn how to act differently, and he/she will need the help of adults to make those changes.
Make sure to tell more than one trusted adult that you need help wit the situation. By law, your school must allow you to file a written report about bullying.

WHAT CAN BYSTANDERS DO?

Withhold support from the person who is bullying.
Don't encourage him/her with laughter or words.
Don't repeat gossip or rumors.
Don't do what she says if it is hurtful.
Support the target in private.
Be friendly.
Be kind and supportive.
Tell him/her that you know that the mean things being said are not true.
Tell an adult.
Be a witness for the target.
Tell what you've seen or heard.
Support the target in the presence of the person who is bullying.
Be friendly to the target.
Try using problem-solving skills.
Stand next to him/her.
Help him/her leave the situation.

WHAT PARENTS CAN DO

Watch for symptoms:
Your children may be withdrawn, experience a drop in grades, show a loss of appetite, be hesitant to go to school, or come home with torn clothes or unexpected bruises. Be alert to other signs such as your child needing extra school supplies or lunch money. A bully could be extorting things your child loses.

Talk, but listen too:
Communicate openly, but don't pry. Encourage your child to share information about school, social activities and the walk or ride to and from school.

If you suspect bullying is taking place at school, inform school officials immediately in writing.

Don't bully your child yourself.
Take a look at your family's discipline measures. Try to teach your child to obey rules using consistently enforced, but non-physical forms of discipline.

Teach your child to be assertive, but not aggressive.
Don't simply tell your child to "fight back" against bullies or "just ignore them, and they'll go away." The inclination is to hit back when threatened, but that actually may cause more harm. Teach children to stand up for themselves verbally and help them practice these skills. Talk about the importance of getting trusted adults to help. Encourage children to make friends, to socialize and communicate with others.

Invest in quality time with your child.
Kids require time and attention, and they tend to reflect the care and thoughtfulness shown to them. A good goal of parenting should be to help youngsters find success.

Other helpful hints:
In order to help children overcome challenges such as bullying, and succeed both academically and socially, parents should make an effort to be more closely linked with their child's school:

Listen to your children and how they portray their day at school.
Visit your child's school and talk with school officials.
Volunteer to serve on a school committee or parent organization.
Attend parent organization meetings to learn what's happening.
Talk to other parents.
Know your child's principal, school superintendent and members of the school board.

2007 Connecticut School Health Survey

INHALANTS:

ABOUT THE PROBLEM(S):
Though alcohol and marijuana are the most prevalent drugs of choice for young people, there are other drugs that are threatening to the lives and futures of young people such as inhalants. These substances, found in common areas such as schools, offices and the home, are easy to access and prevalent among younger children.

Inhalant abuse is the deliberate inhalation of fumes from common products.

Nearly one in five 8th grade students (17.1%) have used inhalants;
Sniffing can severely damage many parts of the body, including the brain, heart, liver and kidneys;
"Sudden Sniffing Death" can occur during or right after sniffing;
Even first time users can die from sniffing inhalants. The heart begins to overwork; beating rapidly but unevenly and can lead to cardiac arrest.
Initial use of inhalants often starts early.

IN CONNECTICUT:
At least once in their lives, an estimated 19, 400 public high school students have used inhalants, representing one out of every nine students. Next to alcohol and marijuana, inhalants are the most frequently used substance used by underage students get high. Use is most common among younger adolescents and starts as early as 11.

2007 Connecticut School Health Survey

SIGNS OF INHALANT ABUSE:

Unusual breath odor or smell on clothing
Slurred or disoriented speech
Drunk, dazed or dizzy appearance
Red or runny eyes or nose
Spots and/or sores around the mouth
Nausea and/or loss of appetite
Chronic abusers may show signs of anxiety, excitability, instability or restlessness.

WHAT KIDS CAN DO:
Youth should learn about the dangers of inhalants, and equip themselves with the right refusal skills, especially if their friends start "huffing". They should also talk to a parent, teacher, or adult they trust.

WHAT PARENTS CAN DO:

Parents should communicate with their children about this extremely harmful behavior. If you suspect an inhalant problem, consult a school counselor, drug counseling center or Infoline. Education must start at a young age because inhalant use often starts in elementary school and can lead to further drug abuse or even death.

Talk to your children. You are the most influential person in your child's life.
For additional hints and a copy of a helpful communication model designed to help you talk to your children about drugs, tobacco or alcohol, click here.

MARIJUANA

ABOUT THE PROBLEM:
Among adolescents, marijuana is the most widely used illegal drug in the United States. As continuing research has shown, marijuana has many serious consequences, and is not as harmless as many baby boomers once thought. In addition, several studies have found that the marijuana youth smoke today is stronger than the marijuana that their parents used. Debates about the medical use of marijuana have created the impression in children's minds that it can't hurt them.

IN CONNECTICUT:
In similar studies, current marijuana use rates for boys and girls in Connecticut are higher than those for their U.S. counterparts. An estimated 39,400 or 23.2 percent of public high school students in Connecticut used marijuana one or more times within 30 days. The percentage of students who used marijuana at least one time in the past 30 days more than doubles between grades 9 and 12 (15.4 percent and 333.6 percent). Among the 38.6 percent of public high school students who report having ever used marijuana, 28percent have used it 100 or more times during their life. Among students who have tried marijuana, 71.7 percent first experimented between the ages of 13 and 16. Approximately 14,500 or 8.5 percent of Connecticut's public high school students first tried marijuana under the age of 13.

2007 Connecticut School Health Survey

NATIONALLY:
Mirroring illicit drugs overall, reported use of marijuana has been dropping during the past, though the decline seems to have halted among 8th graders. As captured in the national 2008 Monitoring the Future study, 14.6 percent of 8th graders in the U.S. have used marijuana and/or hashish at least once, compared to 29.9 percent students in 10th grade and 42.6 percent in 12th grade.

Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse

EFFECTS ON THE BODY:

Inability to concentrate, despite illusion of better concentration
Feeling of intoxication
Increased pulse rate and blood pressure
Rapidly changing emotions that can lead to reckless or erratic behavior
Distortion of time
Reduction of motor skill coordination

HARMS OF USE:

Marijuana can cause substantial changes to the brain, lungs, heart and reproductive system. The active ingredient in marijuana, THC, suppresses the information-processing system of the brain making it more difficult to learn and remember things while using marijuana.
Daily use of one to three marijuana joints appears to produce approximately the same lung damage and potential cancer risk as smoking five times as many cigarettes.
Marijuana significantly increases the pulse and heart rate and affects the reproductive system, resulting in reduced fertility or temporary loss of fertility.
Marijuana is potentially debilitating to adolescents because it suppresses motivation. Also, young people who use marijuana regularly have higher rates of skipping school, fighting, delinquency, arrests and health problems than their counterparts.

CHANGING PERCEPTIONS ABOUT MARIJUANA:

Everybody is not "doing it." In fact, the majority of 12-to-17-year-olds have never touched marijuana.
Marijuana is addictive. Many users report that, over time, they require more of the drug to get the same effect.
Marijuana is not harmless. As mentioned above, marijuana impairs a young person's thinking and judgment, increasing the risks of sexually transmitted diseases, violence and car crashes. Marijuana can cause cancer and other lung diseases as well as permanent changes to the brain.

WHAT KIDS CAN DO:
Youth should learn about the dangers of marijuana, and equip themselves with the right refusal skills, especially if friends start using drugs and use peer pressure to get them to do the same. They should also talk to a parent, teacher, or adult they trust.

WHAT CAN PARENTS DO
Start early by preventing tobacco use, since smoking tobacco is an indicator for later marijuana use. Talk to your child often about the harms of marijuana, emphasizing that using marijuana can hurt their chances to do well at school, sports and other important activities. Also, stress the harm that marijuana can do to their body and brain. If you have tried marijuana yourself, be honest but don't dwell on the subject. Share your regrets about using. Make sure that you set clear expectations about not using marijuana rather than delivering an unintended "I survived, you can too" message.

PRESCRIPTION AND OTC DRUGS

ABOUT THE PROBLEM
Prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medications are fast becoming the new "party" drugs for many teenagers. But many parents, who may be aware of their children's familiarity with illegal street drugs, do not have "pharming" - that is, their kids' using prescription and OTC drugs for recreational use - on their radar screens, even though nearly one in five teens has used powerful narcotic pain relievers for non-medical reasons (PDFA).

IN CONNECTICUT
The Drug Enforcement Administration - Hartford indicates that oxycodone, hydocodone, methadone, methylphenidate, alprazolam and diazepam are among the most frequently abused diverted pharmaceuticals. It is illegal to manufacture, distribute, or sell prescription drugs. At least once in their lives, an estimated 22,500 or 12 percent of high school students attending Connecticut public schools used over-the-counter medications to get high.

NATIONALLY
Prescription drug abuse is a growing problem in schools and communities throughout the U.S. Today's teens are more likely to have abused prescription medications than a variety of other drugs, including cocaine, LSD, methamphetamine and heroin, according to a 2005 study conducted by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America. That study found that one in five teens (more than 4 million) had experimented with painkillers to get high.

FRIGHTENING STATS
A survey of teenagers by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America found that:

Nearly 1 in 5 teens has tried used hydrocodone, a powerful and potentially addictive narcotic pain reliever, for non-medical use.
1 in 10 has tried Oxycodone, another prescription narcotic, for non-medical use.
1 in 10 has used the stimulants methylphenidate or amphetamine/dextroamphetamine for non-medical purposes.
1 in 11 teens has admitted to getting high on cough medicine.

WHAT PARENTS CAN DO?
As a parent, you are in the best position to help steer your child away from intentionally abusing prescription drugs. Some tips:

Educate yourself.
Know the signs of prescription drug abuse; the signs may differ depending upon the person and the drug being abused. Generally a person may show changes in personality and mood, be confused and show poor judgment, have trouble with coordination, sleep too little or too much, lose interest in school, activities and/or friends. These signs can also indicate other health problems.
Parents should communicate with your kids; set an example, about how getting high on prescription drugs and over-the-counter drugs is not safer than getting high on illicit street drugs.
Parents should communicate the importance of following a health-care provider's instructions for any prescription drug use. Educate/inform your child to never take a drug that wasn't prescribed to him/her.
Keep all drugs out of reach of children and/or monitor any prescription drugs in your household.
Be aware of your child, including what s/he is doing and who s/he are hanging out with.

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