What Parents Need to Know About College Binge Drinking

From the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids

“It’s a rite of passage.”

“He’s just experimenting.”

“It’s a phase. She’ll grow out of it.”

Our culture has a habit of justifying certain types of teen and young adult substance use as perfectly normal, but research indicates otherwise. Ninety percent of addictions begin during the teen years, while the brain is still very much in development. Risk-taking and making mistakes may be normal teen behavior, but when it comes to substance use, there is reason to be concerned and take action.

Happy First Day of Summer! Spend time with family this summer and enjoy the wonderful activities and places Maine has to offer! Family Days Out has a great activities list here

Maine leads nation in decline of prescription opioid sales, report finds

From Common Sense Media: As the school year winds down, consider sending kids off with a few movie recommendations to get them thinking and reflecting this summer. The selections here can help students see the world from new perspectives, giving them an introduction to people, cultures, events, and beliefs that may be new to them. And though movies aren’t always 100 percent historically or scientifically accurate, they can still be a great starting point for rich conversations.

To read the full article from Common Sense Media please click here

Julien Lavandier, a Colorado State University student, started smoking e-cigarettes as a high school sophomore. He says he’s now hooked on JUUL and has been unable to quit. Dr. Deborah Liptzin, a pediatric pulmonologist at Children’s Hospital Colorado, sees e-cigarettes as the “new way to get kids addicted to nicotine.” She worries there’s been little research on health risks.

To read the full article click here

Preventing Parent Burnout

• Make a list of your child’s core strengths
• Recall fun and funny times
• Practice simple acts of kindness
• Smile when they walk in the room
• Grow your empathy
• Touch base, literally
• Frame your frustration as a puzzle to be solved
• Allow yourself to feel what you feel
• Notice the bright spots
• Monitor your reactions to their behavior
• Connect with others
• Don’t take your child’s behavior personally

To read the full article from the Child Mind Institute click here

One-fourth of high school seniors in the United States said they would try marijuana or use it more often if the drug were legalized, according to the nationwide Monitoring The Future survey. That is the highest rate in the 43-year history of the survey, HealthDay reports.

To read the full report click here.

In 2016, 44 percent of fatally injured drivers with known results tested positive for drugs, up from 28 percent 10 years before.

Additionally, this new report discusses the challenges involved in addressing drug-impaired driving; outlines data available on drugged driving; details the effects marijuana and opioids have on driving ability and crash risk; and provides recommendations for states to curb drug-impaired driving.

To download the report: https://www.ghsa.org/resources/DUID18

From the Child Mind Institute, here are some tips for managing your kids’ downtime to help make it relaxing for everyone:

– Maintain your schedule
– Make it visual
– Make plans
– Get outdoors
– Maintain or create a behavioral system
– Find support
– Mimic home routines, even when traveling
– Work with your child’s strengths and interests
– Pinpoint your child’s anxieties
– Give the child time to adjust
– Prepare yourself for some tough times

To read the full article with enhanced tips please click here