Kids Shout Out

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Use the information below to learn more about these issues and then return to the Shout Out Entry Page to submit your shout out.

UNDERAGE DRINKING:

ABOUT THE PROBLEM:
Despite the fact that it is illegal, 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. Connecticut's youth also drink at rates 26 to 28 percent higher than their peer's nationally. Over half of youth surveyed by the State of CT, Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services reported that they obtain alcohol at home and one-third report that they can purchase their own alcohol.

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;

Alcohol is amazingly easy to obtain from friends, parent, and sales outlets even though it is illegal to sell or provide it to them.

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 recent 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 drink alcoholic beverages. There are sound health and safety reasons for this. Alcohol is especially bad for a young person's development, especially their brain development, and it diminishes a young person's ability to control their actions.

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-and when-their friends start drinking and use peer pressure to get them to do the same. 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 a free copy of "A Parent Action Guide to Preventing Underage Drinking" call The Governor's Prevention Partnership at 800-422-5422 Ext. 48 or click here to download a copy of the alcohol guide or drug guide in PDF.

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 do not recognize the long-term effects of smoking.

IN CONNECTICUT:
Although tobacco use among youth has declined, rates remain too high. An estimated 54,000 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, 12,500 are in middle school and 41,500 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, 37,300 middle and high school students have smoked at least once in a 30-day period. Overall, 5.9 percent of middle school students smoke cigarettes and 17 percent of high school students do so. Cigarette smoking increases more than 30-fold from less than one percent of sixth graders to 27.7 percent of 12th graders. The rates of smoking between boys and girls are similar in middle school but somewhat higher among girls than boys in high school. About one in eight high school students smoked their first cigarette before they turned 13.

2005 Connecticut School Health Survey - Youth Tobacco Component
2005 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-and when-their friends start smoking and use peer pressure to get them to do the same. 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:

For a free copy of a "Parent Action Guide to Preventing Drug Use" call The Governor's Prevention Partnership at 800-422-5422. Or click here to download a copy of the alcohol guide or drug guide in PDF.

BULLYING

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

Fear is a part of the every day lives of bullying targets. They voice 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 the process of children abusing other children. Adults must take responsibility for setting and enforcing norms that do not tolerate bullying behavior.

The bully himself also needs help. When his/her behavior goes unchecked, bullies also continue a lifelong destructive pattern.

HOW BIG IS THE PROBLEM?

1 in 10 students report being regularly harassed or attacked by bullies.
80 percent of 8th - 12th graders reported being bullied at some point.
90 percent of 4th - 8th graders reported being bullied at some point.
22 percent of 4th - 8th graders reported academic problems resulting from peer abuse.

WHAT IS BULLYING?

A child who is exposed repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the part of one or more children.
Negative acts include actual attacks or attempts to injure or humiliate another person, including physical or verbal attacks.
Bullying often takes place in social isolation and exclusion from a group.

The following are examples of bullying behaviors:

Name-calling
Making fun of someone because of the way they look or act
Deliberately writing anonymous notes
Making anonymous phone calls
Making a fool of someone in front of other people
Talking about a person behind their back
Hitting someone
Robbing someone
Pressuring someone to take drugs

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.
Ignore the person.
Walk away assertively, as if you weren't afraid.
Avoid the person.
Tell the person to stop.
"Stop talking about me behind my back." "I don't like it when you pull on my backpack. Stop it now."
Then walk away assertively, if possible.
Tell an adult.
Use humor-laugh it off.
Make sure the joke is about what the bully said, not about the bully.
Example: When insulted about hairstyle, say "Yeah, I'm having such a bad hair day the police have already been to see me."
Then walk away assertively, if possible.
Change the subject.
Agree with the person.
Combine with humor, such as "Yes, this is a bad haircut; the lawn mower got out of control this weekend."
Combine with assertiveness, such as "Yes, I did fail my test, and I don't appreciate you looking at my paper."
Do something unexpected.
Ask for help from your peers.
Use positive self-talk.
Think to yourself things like: "It's their problem, not mine. They don't know what they're talking about. I know that's not true. There are people who care about me."

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.
Talk to the person who is bullying in private
Tell them to knock it off.
Say they're making a fool of themselves by acting that way.
Tell them others are talking about them.
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.
Confront the person who is bullying.
Use an I-message.
Tell them to stop.
Tell them that's not the way people should treat each other.
Leave.
Join with others to confront the person who is bullying.
Stand together.
Tell them to stop.
Tell them that's not the way people should treat each other.
Leave.

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.

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.
It's all too easy to drop your children off at school in first grade, then pick them up 12 years later wondering what went wrong in between. 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 schools:

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 committee.
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.

To talk with your children about drugs, alcohol and other difficult subjects, click here for an effective communication model.

For a free copy of "A Guide to Preventing Bullying" call The Governor's Prevention Partnership at 800-422-5422.

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 found in homes, offices and schools to get high. There are more than 1,000 products (i.e., glues, marking pens, paint thinner, household cleaners, etc.) that are classified as an inhalant.

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 19,200 public high school students have inhaled household, office or industrial products, 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.

2005 Connecticut School Health Survey

NATIONALLY:
Across the U.S., 2.7 million youth under the age of 18 are current smokers. Each day, approximately 4,000 12-to-17-year-olds start smoking, and an estimated 1,140 young people become daily cigarette smokers. That's 416,000 new underage daily smokers each year. Among high school students in the U.S., 23 percent are current cigarette smokers while 8 percent of middle school students smoke cigarettes. The vast majority of all adult smokers - 90 percent - begin while in their teens, or earlier, and nearly two-thirds become regular, daily smokers before they reach the age of 19. If current patterns of smoking behavior continue, an estimated 6.4 million of today's children can be expected to die prematurely from a smoking-related disease.

Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
2005 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)

National Institute on Drug Addiction
2006 Monitoring the Future survey

SIGNS OF INHALANT ABUSE:

Unusual breath odor 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-and when-their friends start "huffing" and use peer pressure to get them to do the same. They should also talk to a parent, teacher, or adult they trust.

WHAT PARENTS CAN DO:
Parents who suspect their children are using should be alert for changes in their child's attitudes and interests, decline in school performance, disoriented/dazed appearance, slurred speech, and chemical odors on their child's clothes, breath or backpack. In addition, adults should look for red spots or sores around the nose and/or mouth, complaints of headaches, empty lighters, spray cans, or household containers or rags or plastic bags with chemical odors.

Parents who suspect their children are using should be alert for changes in their child's attitudes and interests, decline in school performance, disoriented/dazed appearance, slurred speech, and chemical odors on their child's clothes, breath or backpack. In addition, adults should look for red spots or sores around the nose and/or mouth, complaints of headaches, empty lighters, spray cans, or household containers or rags or plastic bags with chemical odors.

Parents should communicate with their children about this extremely harmful behavior. If they 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:

Contact the Connecticut Inhalant Task Force at: 203-294-3591

The Connecticut Inhalant Task Force was formed in 2004 by the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, in collaboration with the Meriden and Wallingford Substance Abuse Council. The task force comprises organizations from across the state, including police officers, Connecticut Safe Kids, UCONN Health Center Poison Control, The Governor's Prevention Partnership and several health and youth-serving organizations across the state.

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 40,000 or 23.1 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 doubles between grades 9 and 12 (15 percent and 30 percent. Among the 39.8 percent of public high school students who report having ever used marijuana, 26 percent have used it 100 or more times during their life. Among students who have tried marijuana, three out of four first experimented between the ages of 13 and 16. Approximately 14,700 or 8.5 percent of Connecticut's public high school students first tried marijuana under the age of 13.

2005 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 2006 Monitoring the Future study, 20.9 percent of 8th graders in the U.S. have used marijuana and/or hashish at least once, compared to 31.9 percent students in 10th grade and 42.3 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-and when-their 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. Children rarely use marijuana that have not smoked first. 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. Make sure that you set clear expectations about not using marijuana rather than 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 Oxycontin, Vicodin, oxycodone, hydocodone, methadone, Ritalin, xanax and diazepam are among the most frequently abused diverted pharmaceuticals. Anyone illegally manufacturing, distributing, selling prescription drugs or dispensing can be held accountable under state statues Sec. 21a-277 formerly Sec. 19-480. 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 Vicodin, a powerful and addictive narcotic pain reliever.
1 in 10 has tried Oxycontin, another prescription narcotic
1 in 10 has used the stimulants Ritalin or Adderall 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, stop the myth about how getting high on prescription drugs and OTC 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 them.
Keep all drugs out of reach of children and/or monitor any prescription drugs in your household.
Be aware of your child and what they are doing or who they are hanging out with.

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