In a recent University World News report, surveys have been documented that suggest technology is now threatening the success of these females. The last 18 months have seen a significant increase in texting, mainly by girls who seem to have developed an addiction to the activity.

This constant flow of communication is not as much of a problem as the way girls handle the process. The Pew Internet and American Life project has conducted a number of surveys on this subject and has found that one-in-three U.S. teenagers send more than 100 texts every day. These teens, when they receive a text, feel they must respond to it right away.

When these adolescents were asked why they just didn’t turn off their phones, the response was a look of horror. This generation cannot even conceive the possibility of turning off their phone – and thereby cutting their lifeline to their friends.

The Pew surveys also revealed that teen girls aged 14-17 are texting more than boys. Text messaging has become the primary communication method for teens, soaring above e-mail, instant messaging and voice calling.

In addition, 12 percent of all students are able to have cell phones at school anytime during the day; 62 percent of students are allowed a cell phone at school, but not in class; 64 percent of teens have texted in class; 24 percent attend schools that ban cell phones from school grounds, but 65 percent bring their phones to school anyway.

Disturbingly, 15 percent of teens aged 12-17 owning cell phones have received nude or almost nude pictures of someone they know. Only 4 percent of teens owning phones admit to sending sexually suggestive pictures of themselves to others.
 

He added that parents should also tell their children that they disapprove of alcohol use, setting out consequences if the rules are broken. Several studies show that this approach, combined with an emotionally supportive parenting style, curbs drinking and other behavioral problems among teens and young adults.

Wood said that most American teens start drinking alcohol by the time they turn15, so they usually have a great deal of drinking experience under their belts before leaving for college. Because of this, parents should talk to their kids about alcohol early and often.

In 2004, the researchers recruited 1,000 incoming freshmen, assigning them randomly to a Brief Motivational Interview (BMI), a parent-based intervention, both a BMI and a parent-intervention, or only an assessment.  the researchers to receive either a Brief Motivational Intervention (BMI) or a parent-based intervention, both, or an assessment-only control. Unlike other studies, the researchers recruited drinkers and non-drinkers alike for the study. About 28 percent of the participants didn’t drink when they started college.

An interventionist gathered information from the students about their drinking habits, the consequences they associate with drinking, and family history of alcohol abuse. This showed the students that they tend to overestimate the drinking habits of their fellow students, believing them to be drinking more than they actually do. Changing these misconceptions can be an important part of curbing alcohol abuse among teens and young adults. 

If a participant said that alcoholism runs in her family, the researches would tell her that although we know substance abuse disorders are genetic, she won’t necessarily become an alcoholic–she just needs to be aware the she has a higher risk of developing a substance abuse problem. 

Non-drinkers were praised for their decisions and told that many students are similar to them; then they discussed ways to continue avoiding drinking when surrounded by others who tend to drink. 

The students were followed up with over the next two years, and the researchers found that the interventions were successful for both drinkers and non-drinkers. Those who participated in a BMI were much less likely to drink heavily, and the BMI helped curb heavy drinkers among students who were already drinking at the time of the study. 
 

SAMHSA and Ad Council Partner on Campaign

In conjunction with April’s Alcohol Awareness Month and as part of the Surgeon General’s “Call to Action to Prevent to Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking,” the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Advertising Council have created a powerful new series of national PSAs to encourage parents to talk to their children about drinking alcohol at an early age.

In a press release announcing the new campaign and study, SAMHSA Administrator, Pamela S. Hyde, J.D., said, “Prevention is the number one priority of SAMHSA, and reducing underage drinking is a key part of that effort. Underage drinking is a national crisis putting the lives millions of Americans at risk as well as the futures of many of our youth.” Talking about the partnership, she continued, “The national campaign SAMHSA is undertaking with the Ad Council aims at bringing to bear the most effective weapon against underage drinking – conversations between parents and their children.”

But the two partners aren’t strangers to such awareness campaigns. SAMHSA and the Ad Council first launched the national Underage Drinking Prevention campaign in November 2005. The Ad Council’s own tracking study showed that since the launch, there has been a significant increase in the number of parents who are extremely concerned about underage drinking. Now, parents’ concern is comparable on such issues as sex, drug use, and academic performance.

Ad agency Deutsch Inc. through the Ad Council, created the PSAs to reach the parents of children aged 11 to 15, with particular emphasis on the parents of middle school children. The aim is to help parents get the alcohol prevention message across to their younger children before they start drinking.

The PSAs, consisting of TV, radio, newspaper, magazine, and Internet ads are all designed to reduce and delay the onset of underage drinking by increasing communication between parents and children. The intent is simple: Get parents and children talking about the dangers of alcohol early, often, and get others involved as well.

SAMHSA is a public agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Its mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America’s communities. The Advertising Council, a private, non-profit organization, has been the largest producer of public service advertisements (PSAs) in the country since 1942.

Sobering Statistics Highlight the Urgency

The campaign couldn’t come at a better time. Underage drinking is an epidemic in the U.S. that’s borne out by the facts. A survey by SAMHSA, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) shows that more than a quarter of America’s youth aged 12 to 20 (27.6 percent) drank alcohol in the past month. Even more troubling, some states had underage drinking rates as high as 40 percent (North Dakota and Vermont).

Consider the following:

• Alcohol is the most widely used substance of abuse by America’s youth.
• Alcohol initiation starts early: 40 percent of youth have tried it by the time they reach 8th grade.
• Alcohol is a major contributor to the three leading causes of death among 12- to 20-year olds (unintentional injury, homicide, and suicide).
• Youth who start drinking before the age of 15 are 6 times more likely to experience problems with alcohol as adults than those who started drinking at age 21 or older.
• The study also shows that nationwide, approximately 8.6 percent of past-month drinkers (12 to 20) purchased their own alcohol the last time they drank. The highest rates (18.8 percent) included Louisiana and the District of Columbia while states with the lowest rates included Alaska (3.1 percent) and New Mexico (3.7 percent).

What’s In the Campaign?

The campaign highlights three action areas: talk early, talk often, and get others involved.

• Three TV PSAs: “Tommy” – A mother has unreal expectations of her son. “Julia” – An oblivious couple drop their daughter off at a party. “Our Guys” – Two fathers miss an opportunity to talk about underage drinking.

• Print campaign: “Are you having a Real Conversation with Your Kids about Alcohol?”

• Outdoor: Billboard features the campaign’s slogan – “Talk Early. Talk Often. Get Others Involved.”

In addition to these ads, SAMHSA and the Ad Council will launch culturally relevant PSAs designed to specifically reach parents in the American Indian, Chinese, and Hispanic communities.

Talk Early

Actually, it’s never too early to start talking to your children about the dangers of alcohol. In fact, it’s between the ages of 9 and 13 that children start to think differently about alcohol. They might think that drinking when you’re under 21 is somehow okay. Some even start to experiment with alcohol that’s available in the home.

Why should parents start talking with their children early about alcohol? According to surveys, more than 70 percent of children say their parents are the leading influence in their decision whether or not to drink. That’s a powerful motivator to get the conversation going.

Other reasons to talk early:

• Children’s curiosity may lead them to try drinking early – particularly as they start to view the examples and patterns of their parents’ drinking habits.

• If parents talk openly and honestly with their children about choosing not to drink, the children are more likely to respect parents’ rules advice about alcohol.

• Statistics are pretty brutal on the outcomes of children who start drinking before the age of 15. By talking to children early, parents can help prevent future drinking behavior that could lead to lifelong problems with alcohol.

• The chances that children will use alcohol increase as they get older. By age 12, about 10 percent say they have tried alcohol. But by age 15, that percentage skyrockets to 50 percent. The earlier you talk to your children about alcohol, the better chance you have at curbing experimentation and use.

• Not talking says something as well – and it may not be what you intend. If you don’t talk about the dangers of alcohol, your children may get the idea that you approve of underage drinking.

Why do children start drinking? There are many reasons, really, but it’s important to understand what they are. It’s also important to know that it isn’t just one reason, but a combination of factors that influences even good children to drink:

• Stress – All children experience stress. Sometimes it’s the stress of trying to fit in, or get good grades, or it may be all about their physical appearance. There are better ways to cope with stress than turning to alcohol. Encourage your children to get involved with physical activity – sports, exercise, etc. – to help deal with normal childhood stresses.

• Increased freedom – Children start spending more time with their friends and less time at home with their parents and family as they get older. While you want to encourage friendships and outside activities, be sure that there’s a responsible adult present or accessible when they’re at a friend’s house, and be sure you always know where your children are – keep track of them to keep them safe.

• Curiosity – You can’t just try something because you’re curious – especially when that something is alcohol. This should be the message parents impart to their children, along with a frank discussion about the risks of underage drinking and the fact that you don’t condone and will not accept underage drinking on their part.

• Peer pressure – When “everybody’s doing it,” trying alcohol seems like a cool thing to do to fit in and be accepted by peers. Parents need to boost their children’s confidence and help them find new ways to say no to alcohol pressure from their friends. Most important, be sure they know that real friends wouldn’t encourage them to do something that’s bad for them – like drinking.

• Transitions – During periods of transition, certain life events – such as going from middle school to high school, moving to a different neighborhood, the effect of divorce, separation or death, the birth of additional children, breaking up with a significant other – can cause children to turn to alcohol as a solution. They need to be reassured by parents at times such as this that things will get better. Make sure they understand that alcohol never solve anything.

• Environment – Children mimic behavior they see around them. If you drink heavily on a regular basis, no amount of words will convey the message about not drinking when they’re underage. Instead, if you do choose to drink, do so in moderation, and make sure your children understand that underage drinking is not acceptable permitted.

• Genetics – Research shows that children who come from a family with a history of alcoholism face increased risks of becoming alcoholics themselves. If your family history includes alcoholism, it’s crucial to make sure your children know about the seriousness of the disease.

• Personality – Some children who are disruptive, unruly, hyperactive, or depressed are also at greater risk for developing problems with alcohol. If you know or see that your child has social issues that could lead him or her to abuse alcohol, consider having your child see a drug and alcohol counselor.

Risks of Underage Drinking

Thanks to scientific research, we know that when children drink, they drink a lot – an average of 5 drinks per occasion. Besides the considerable risks of short- and long-term consequences that drinking brings about, underage drinking also negatively impacts the lives of others around them.

• More than 67 percent of young people who start drinking before age 15 will try an illicit drug.
• More than 4 in 10 young people who first drink before 15 will eventually become alcohol dependent.
• Children who drink generally have lower school performance and higher rates of academic problems than non-drinkers.
• An estimated 5,000 children under age 21 die each year in the U.S. as a result of injuries caused by underage drinking. This includes deaths from car crashes, suicide and homicide, as well as those from burns, drowning, and falls.
• Teens that drink – are more likely to engage in sex at an early age, to have sex more often, and to have unprotected sex than teens who do not drink.
• Children who drink are more likely to become victims of violent crimes such as robbery, aggravated rape, and assault, than children who do not drink.
• Drinking lowers inhibitions and results in bad decision making – which increases the chances that children will choose to do the wrong thing, something dangerous, or something that they will regret when they’re sober.
• Health problems increase among children who drink. These may include anxiety and depression, along with a host of other emotional, behavioral and health problems that can occur as a result of even low levels of alcohol consumption.,

Talk Often

Once is not enough for parents to talk with their children about the dangers of alcohol and to give them information and guidance they need. The older your child gets, the greater the chance that they will try or think about trying alcohol.

Short and frequent discussions are best. You don’t want to overload your children or seem to be coming down too hard on them. Since pressures increase as children transition from middle to high school, it’s important to keep the conversations going throughout adolescence.

Chat with your children each day, getting to know about how their day went, anything that’s on their mind – and having a frequent conversation, where appropriate, about drinking. Conversation that’s regular, open and honest helps build trust. And trust is a valuable currency that you need with your children – especially when they come to you for advice about issues relating to alcohol.

Make your views and the rules about alcohol clear to your children. Delivering clear and consistent messages that alcohol use is unacceptable is the way to go.

Use age-appropriate words and information. As your children get older, they’ll need and be able to understand, more complex information.

Be sure that the conversation is a two-way street. You don’t want to just talk at them. You also need to listen to what they have to say, including concerns they may have, talking about school and peer pressures, whatever it is. Encourage them to ask you questions as well. Children who feel that they have parents who listen to them and encourage them to ask questions are more likely to be able to say no to alcohol than children whose parents simply lay down a set of rules.

Set a good example by either not drinking at all or drinking moderately. Never drink and then drive. And always know where your supply of alcohol is in the home. Better yet, keep it under lock and key – if you must have any in the home.

Be Prepared to Answer Tough Questions

Children are pretty sharp – a lot sharper than parents often give them credit for. Be prepared for them to ask some tough questions – and have the answers ready. Remember, you’re the ones who encouraged them to be open, honest and candid. You need to give them the same consideration.

Here are some of the usual suspects – the zingers that children ask:

• You drink alcohol. Why can’t I?
• Did you drink alcohol when you were a child?
• Why do you drink?
• I got invited to a party. Can I go?
• What if my friends ask me to drink?
• Why is alcohol bad for me?

Get Others Involved

Family, friends, schools and the community all have a part to play in helping to educate children about the dangers of alcohol. Studies show that most children who drink get the alcohol from a friend or family member. Over 70 percent of 8th graders say alcohol is easy to get. Another shocker is that 30 percent of children aged 12 to 14 get alcohol from a family member. Make sure these people know how you feel about underage drinking and enlist their support in helping to prevent alcohol use by your children.

The influencers include you, your child’s peers, brothers and sisters, other relatives, community leaders, and other parents.

The Time to Get Started is Now

Begin a dialogue with your children today. Don’t worry that you may not have all the answers, or that you wish you had started before. The important point is to get the conversations going, to begin to share your guidance and how you feel about underage drinking.

Set a good example. Be consistent, be creative, and make sure to continue the conversations throughout your child’s adolescence.

You are the best hope for your child’s future attitudes – and actions – involving alcohol. The national underage drinking prevention campaign begins at home – with you. Get started now.

The University of Florida News reports that the study is the first to demonstrate secondhand and thirdhand exposure to heroin and other opium products in Afghanistan. Bruce Goldberger, a professor of pathology and psychiatry with the University of Florida College of Medicine and director of the William R. Maples Center for Forensic Medicine, will present preliminary findings of the two-year study today during the 27th annual International Drug Enforcement Conference in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Top drug law enforcement officials from 88 countries will be at the meeting.

Goldberger and Dr. Mark Gold, the Donald Dizney Eminent Scholar and chairman of the department of psychiatry, two leading experts on drug abuse, were selected by the State Department to conduct the research.

The resulting data will aid the effort to reduce demand for narcotics and prevent drug abuse in Afghanistan.

The researchers drew on their 10-year effort to develop laboratory models and protocols for measuring harmful exposure to tobacco smoke to estimate secondhand exposure to opium products through inhalation and thirdhand exposure through contact with contaminated surfaces.

“The research team has an interest in the health and welfare of the women and children of Afghanistan who are innocently exposed to opium and opium products,” Goldberger said. “We have demonstrated that second- and thirdhand exposure to opium and opium products can result in serious health consequences, including addiction.”

Afghanistan produces more than 90 percent of the world’s illegal supply of opium, the drug from which heroin is made, according to the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime. But little is known about the abuse of opium and other drugs in the Afghan population.
To learn more, the International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs bureau of the State Department funded the study as part of its drug abuse and trafficking prevention work with the Afghanistan Ministry of Counter Narcotics.

The researchers obtained samples of indoor air, surfaces, and hair from women and children in homes where family members smoked opium and heroin.

Hair samples from the women and children were positive for opium products, as well as several synthetic opioids. In addition, opium products were present in indoor air samples and household surfaces such as floors, tables, toys and bedding with which children came into regular contact. The presence of synthetic opioid compounds suggests that the use of prescription drugs might also be a problem. Such exposure puts children at risk of abnormal development, including failure of the brain and lungs to grow properly. Such developmental delays can make it hard for children to pay attention and learn.

“There are critical periods in organ, body and brain development that can easily be hijacked by a toxic environment,” Gold said. “Our efforts are aimed at giving each child a chance to develop and grow to his or her potential.”

As has been proved for tobacco smoke, researchers suspect that adverse effects can also pop up in unexpected ways, such as in the development of bladder cancer.

Preliminary results show consistently that in more than 90 percent of study homes, indoor air, surfaces and residents’ hair contained opium and opium products.

The researchers will release more detailed results later and perform further analyses to get a clearer picture of the drug abuse problem in Afghanistan. To help address the issue, the study might expand to include culturally sensitive drug education and prevention programs.

The State Department has released a fact sheet on the study at www.state.gov/p/inl/rls/fs/140668.htm.

Sadly, parents often forget to explore the potential liability issues for allowing their child to either drive their car or, in extreme cases, drive any car at all. A typical scenario involves a teen getting into a fender bender and causing the family’s auto insurance rates to increase, over and above the amount it already rose due to having a teen driver. But, what about the more extreme examples of teen driving incidents? What if your child drives your car while under the influence? Are parents criminally or civilly liable when their teen goes out and hurts someone? The short answer is, yes.

Parental liability for teen driving is something that all parents should explore prior to signing for a license for their teen or allowing the teen to use the family car. The liability arises on a state law level, with different standards applied by different jurisdictions. Typically, however, three major areas of parental liability can attach as the result of a teen driving accident. In some cases, one or more theories of liability can attach to a single incident, increasing the total amount of financial exposure.

Parental liability for signing for a teen’s driver’s license

Parents who sign for a child’s license will be liable for motor vehicle injuries caused by that child until either the child’s eighteenth birthday or the day the parent withdraws support for the license. In California, signing for a driver’s license attaches strict liability, meaning that there is very little that a parent can do to avoid being held responsible for the acts of the minor. The liability, however, is often capped at various dollar amounts.

Liability for letting someone borrow your car

Another major type of parental liability would attach regardless of the driver’s age or familial relationship. Most states impose liability on the owner of a vehicle that has been involved in an automobile accident, if the owner knew or should have known that the driver presented a dangerous risk to others. Parents typically find themselves subject to this “negligent entrustment” liability when their teen has a history of problems with drugs or alcohol, prior DUI’s or other significant risk factors. All owners, however, could find themselves at the wrong end of a negligent entrustment suit for letting even an adult friend or relative borrow the car, if they do so despite evidence of prior dangerous behavior. For instance, if you know your 38-year old brother has two prior DUI incidents on his record, but you lend him your car anyway, you could be sued for negligent entrustment if he goes out and hurts someone with your car as a result of drinking.

Liability for negligent parenting

The final type of parental liability for teen accidents arises from the concept of negligent parenting. Although this liability can attach in any personal injury situation, such as assault, bullying or rape, parents typically encounter negligent parenting charges as a result of teen DUI or reckless driving incidents. As with negligent entrustment liability, most states require a plaintiff to show that the parent knew or should have known that the child needed to be supervised during the given activity. A teen’s history of bad behavior or drug or alcohol abuse will typically aid the plaintiff in proving that the parent was negligent in supervising his or her child.

Examples of Parental Liability for a children’s DUI

At 3:30pm on a Friday afternoon in April 2008, Chynna Stone, a sophomore at SMU, was sitting on her couch when 24-yr old Brian Adams drove through her living room in his parents’ GMC Yukon. Stone was pinned to the back wall and buried under three feet of rubble. The impact also caused Stone’s water heater and various pipes to burst, flooding the first floor of the apartment and causing water damage to any items not already destroyed by the crash. It took rescue crews at least forty minutes to free Stone from the pile of debris; she was later taken to Baylor hospital.

Stone and her parents filed a lawsuit in March 2010 against not only the driver, but also his parents. Adams’ parents are being sued civilly in Texas under the theory of negligent entrustment of a motor vehicle, as they knew or should have known that Adams was incompetent, reckless or unfit to operate a motor vehicle when they allowed him to drive it. In addition to standard negligence causes of action, the Stones are also suing the parents for gross negligence – a conscious indifference to the rights, safety and welfare of the general public. Gross negligence damages are typically not covered by liability insurance and may even be non-dischargeable in a bankruptcy filing.

In the suit, Stone alleges that Adams’s parents let him use their car, even though they knew that he had serious issues with alcohol and drug abuse. In support of their claims, the Stones allege that Adams had previously been arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia and had a prior DWI charge. The suit also alleges that the parents unsuccessfully attempted to persuade Brian to go to drug rehab and, when he refused, continued to allow him to drive their vehicle anyway.

There is evidence that, at the scene, Adams had bloodshot eyes, slurred speech, and smelled of alcohol. He admitted to police that he had been drinking, and failed a series of field sobriety tests. It was determined that his blood alcohol content (BAC) at the time of the crash was 0.16, double the legal limit. Toxicology tests also showed that Adams was under the influence of marijuana and cocaine at the time.

Adams was later charged with aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury (Texas Penal Code section 22.02(A)(1)); he pled guilty and was sentenced to ten years probation.

Prior to the accident, Stone suffered from obsessive-compulsive disorder. The suit alleges that this condition has gotten worse as a result of the accident and her attorneys claim that she will endure physical pain and mental anguish in the future, as well as loss of earning capacity, physical impairment, and disfigurement. Her parents are suing on the basis of loss of services and earnings of their dependent child.

Criminal liability for a child’s DWI in New York

A more recent New York case is an example of how negligent parenting can lead to criminal charges. In September 2009, 17-year-old Lars Haas was driving drunk when he ran a red light and hit a truck driven by 72-year-old Robert Meehan. Meehan was ejected from the truck and died from his injuries six weeks later.

An investigation revealed that Haas’s mother, Susan, had furnished the alcohol that resulted in his intoxicated state. Haas was also driving his mother’s 2008 Pontiac Vibe at the time of the collision; Susan was not in the car. Several cans of beer were found in the car after the accident, and chemical tests revealed that Haas’s blood alcohol content was above the legal limit for New York. He also had marijuana in his system.

The son has been charged with aggravated vehicular homicide and DWI. Not surprisingly, the DA has also charged Susan Haas with serving alcohol to minors (a misdemeanor). A civil suit is likely on the horizon.

Millie Cavanaugh, Esq., is a former insurance defense attorney currently practicing immigration law. She is licensed to practice law in California and Massachusetts. The information contained herein is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as a solicitation for your business or as legal advice on any subject matter. You should not act or refrain from acting on the basis of this information without seeking independent legal advice.

Sources
http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2010/03/two_years_after_she_was_buried.php
http://www.smudailycampus.com/2.6641/prayer-service-held-for-smu-student-1.962258

http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=871953&category=region

Data for the report was collected during the period 2006 to 2008 from a sample of 67,850 individuals aged 12 to 17 and sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Research reports that significant numbers of adolescents use these dangerous drugs, with 143,000 of them using inhalants while being treated for serious or potentially serious conditions such as pneumonia, bronchitis, asthma, or sinusitis.

The report also states that every day, 44,000 adolescents put their lives and health at risk by using inhalants. The reports found a 4.4 percent use of dangerous inhalants among young people with significant respiratory ailments.

Minority groups were twice as likely to be involved in huffing as those in the general population. These included Native Americans with a 5.5 percent use compared to 2.5 percent use by African American adolescents.

The risk of inhalants increases when an individual has certain medical conditions that by themselves impair respiratory system functioning. Add to the equation dangerous inhalants, and the likelihood of permanent injury increases, as observed by Pamela S. Hude, JD, SAMHSA administrator.

“No one should engage in huffing. The consequences can be deadly,” said Hyde. “The fact that adolescents with respiratory problems are just as likely to engage in huffing as adolescents in general underscores the continued need to educate parents, teachers, service providers and young people about what they can do to prevent this misuse of common everyday products.”
 

A new study focuses on the alcohol choices made by those who have entered retirement status. Penny L. Brennan, Kathleen K. Schutte, and Rudolf H. Moos looked at how retired status affected older adults’ 10-year drinking trajectories.

Because the prior research on how retirement affects drinking later in life has been minimal and has also been focused on cross-sectional examinations, or on short-term follow-ups of groups, the researchers wanted to study whether a retirement status would have an effect on the trajectories of older adults.

Brennan et al. also wanted to find out whether age, gender, income, health and problem-drinker status explained or moderated the effects of retirement on 10-year trajectories of retired persons.

To gather data, the researchers examined the trajectories of 595 individuals at 62 years of age, using three successfully predictive multilevel regression models: unconditional growth, retired status alone, and retired status controlling for covariates.
The study then looked at whether Retirement Covariate interactions would change the trajectories’ predictions.

The results of the study showed that there was a moderate decline in drinking frequency during the 10 years and that a change to retirement status sped the rate of the decline. When the researchers added covariates, however, the effect was eliminated.
Baseline poorer health, lower income and current problem-drinker status predicted a steeper decline in drinking frequency. Those who were formerly identified as a problem-drinker were predicted to have a slower decline.

Likewise, lower income and current drinking problems predicted a steeper decline in the amount of alcohol consumed.

Other covariates did not produce an association with the trajectories. Retired status and age, gender, health, income, or drinking problems did not affect the prediction of 10-year trajectories.

The findings of the study suggest that other factors are more important than retirement status for predicting adults’ drinking trajectories. The researchers stressed that the three factors and taking into consideration how recent drinking problems may affect the trajectories are critical for understanding future research.

As individuals enter retirement age, it is important to understand the various transitions that exist during older adults’ later years. The explanation of different factors impacting alcohol choices is useful in helping retired adults enjoy their retirement.
 

Of these young users, 8 percent are women. Females also account for 13 percent of drug users within the university student population. The February 8th study showed the number of adolescent drug users grew from 35 percent in 2007 to 45 percent in 2008.

The Wedadia Association for Combating Social Problems organized a two-day conference for anti-drug activists in Algiers to discuss these new findings and strategies to eliminate the blight of drug addiction in Algeria.

"We cannot hope to redress the problem of drug use or addiction in general without direct communication, which should reveal the actual reasons behind the aggravated social problems in Algerian society," the Algerian Organization of Youth Care Associations chief, Mr. Obaidat, said at a post-conference press briefing.

Obaidat called for the expansion of the 2007 National Plan for Monitoring and Protection to uncover the reasons behind the spike in drug use. He also announced his group’s new campaign to fight drugs and addiction: "Let Us Save One Youth through Another".

"We are hoping that 2010 will be crowned by launching a national plan, because the phenomenon of drug addiction that is daily encroaching on adolescents and youths requires extensive field efforts" across all Algerian provinces, he added.

Dr. A. Messaoudi of the Oued Aïssi psychiatric hospital, called for a multi-faceted approach to help reintegrate adolescents in society as drug free. He believes that through strict punishment of the promoters of these poisons that the spread of use and addiction would be reduced.
 

Information provided by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) indicates that approximately 5.1 percent of all adult women (approximately 5.9 million) needed alcohol treatment in 2008. This number has stayed relatively steady since 2002, but several characteristics of the population have changed between 1992 and 2007.

Overall the number of female substance abuse treatment admissions increased between 1997 and 2002, from 27.4 percent to 32.5 percent. However, the number of women reporting alcohol as the primary reason for treatment declined from 47.4 percent to 33.4 percent.

Use of secondary and tertiary substances with alcohol as the primary substance also decreased, from 19.2 percent to 14.9 percent.

The trends also show an increase in age among those women admitted for alcohol abuse treatment. The mean age in 1992 was 34.1 years, while in 2002 the mean age was 37.9 years.

There was little change in the racial and ethnic components of female adults admitted for substance abuse. There were increases in the proportion of adult female primary alcohol admissions that never married (from 35.4 to 45.1 percent) and had some college education (from 26.5 to 33.0 percent).

Between 1992 and 2007 the principal sources of referrals for adult female admissions remained stable. The most common types of referrals were self-referral and referrals from the justice system.

While reporting a psychiatric problem at admission is a voluntary item in the Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS) system, there was a significant increase in psychiatric problems reported among female adult admissions between 1992 and 2007. The percentage almost doubled, from 17.7 percent to 33.6 percent.

Another important component of treatment for alcohol and substance abuse is the transferring of an admission to another level of treatment or the completion of a treatment program. In 2007, almost two-thirds of adult female discharges with alcohol abuse as the primary treatment program completed treatment or transferred to another level of care.

One notable aspect of these findings is that the number of admissions for primary alcohol abuse has declined from 1992 to 2007, even though the number of women needing treatment for alcohol abuse has remained relatively stable. This information indicates a need for additional alcohol and substance abuse screening in multiple settings.

Additionally, the findings indicate the importance of age and gender screening, along with psychiatric screenings for female adult admissions for alcohol abuse treatment.
 

This year, 19.4% of high school seniors said they had smoked marijuana at some point in the prior 30 days, as did 13.8% of 10th-graders and 5.8% of eighth-graders. Melissa Healy of the Los Angeles Times reports that this downward trend has stalled in the last two years, and kids’ attitudes suggest a reversal may be ahead.

In 1991, 58% of eighth graders said they thought occasional marijuana use was harmful. By last year, that number had fallen to 48%, and this year, to 45%.

In a Washington, D.C., news conference Monday, drug czar Gil Kerlikowske called such numbers "a warning sign."

"When beliefs soften, drug use worsens," said Kerlikowske, whose office is expected to release its first policy initiatives to combat and treat drug abuse in February.

University of Michigan researcher Lloyd Johnston, who oversees the annual survey, said there was "serious softening" in the perceived risks of LSD, inhalants and the party drug Ecstasy—a sign that "a new generation of kids are interested…in rediscovering these drugs, because they don’t understand why they shouldn’t be using them."

Johnston also flagged a phenomenon the survey has recently begun to track—“extreme binge drinking," or the consumption of more than 10 drinks on a single occasion. They survey’s findings suggest that such high-risk drinking is not unusual among older teens.

Binge drinking, defined as consumption of five drinks or more in a row, has declined since peaking in 1983. But Johnston said there has been "not much decline" in numbers of extreme binge drinkers.

Among high school seniors, 11% said they had drunk 10 drinks or more in a row in the two weeks prior to the survey; 6% said they’d had 15 or more.

Healy writes that the survey also showed that U.S. adolescents continue to raid their parents’ and friends’ medicine chests. Use of prescription painkillers is at an all-time high: 10% of high-school seniors reported taking Vicodin for nonmedical reasons in the last year, and 5% reported taking OxyContin.

Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, which has commissioned the survey for 35 years, said at the news conference that teen use of prescription stimulant drugs is holding steady, with just over 7% of 10th- and 12th-graders reporting they had taken amphetamines for nonmedical reasons. Volkow said that in many cases, teens take these drugs before tests or study sessions as "cognitive enhancers." Although fewer kids reported taking Ritalin, much of that decline was because kids had merely shifted to Adderall, a newer ADHD drug.

The officials said that youths report some confidence that prescription drugs are less harmful than street drugs.

In the survey’s first accounting of where kids get drugs, it found that 66% who reported illicit drug use said they got the drugs from a friend or relative. Almost 19% said they got drugs with a doctor’s prescription.