Alcohol and drug use are known contributors to adolescents engaging in dangerous sexual activity, which can lead to health risks such as unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. However, research suggests that fewer than half of pediatricians report screening patients for substance use and at-risk sexual behavior.
Read more about Substance Abuse Screening for Teens Can Also Predict Risky Sexual Behavior
A new report by the European Union’s drug agency found that Britain is the online capital of Europe for potent synthetic drugs that mimic the effects of illegal substances such as Spice, a cannabis substitute sold as a herbal smoking mixture.
Read more about Britain Named European Capital for “Legal Highs”
Thomas Farley, Jr., brother of the late Saturday Night Live comedian and actor Chris Farley, visited the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater to raise awareness of drug and alcohol abuse in a comedic way.
Read more about Chris Farley’s Brother Speaks about Substance Abuse at University
Tennis superstar Andre Agassi reveals in his new autobiography that he used crystal meth while playing professional tennis in 1997, and then lied about it to officials after testing positive for drugs.
Agassi, 39, says he hit rock bottom in his career due to a wrist injury that year—and was having serious doubts about his upcoming marriage to actress Brooke Shields—when his assistant, “Slim,” offered him the drug, according to an excerpt in The Times of London.
With the Ignition Project, teenagers get a dose of reality as they make their way through a life maze that helps them learn how to make good choices.
Read more about Maze Teaches Teens to Make Better Life Choices
With the rise in drug and alcohol abuse among teens, three organizations are undertaking an online educational campaign to encourage parents and children of military families to talk about substance abuse.
Read more about Campaign Educates Military Families on Substance Abuse
When some parents discover that their child has been using alcohol or drugs, they brush it off as “inevitable” or assume that it’s okay for adolescents to experiment with substances. However, what many parents may not know is that any amount of “experimenting” can harm their child’s developing brain, sometimes creating irreversible damage.
No one with any ethics will tell you that getting clean is easy. It isn’t. In fact, it is probably the most difficult challenge you will ever face. Just making the decision to enter treatment for drug or alcohol addiction is a thoroughly daunting prospect. Many addicts and alcoholics dance around the subject for months or years and never really quite get around to it, or they do it for the wrong reasons. The truth of the matter is, when you try to get clean for the wrong reasons, you’ll fail every time. Why is that? Let’s examine some of them.
Read more about Why Getting Clean For the Wrong Reasons Fails
By decriminalizing possession of small amounts of certain drugs, Mexico now has one of the world’s most liberal laws for drug users, which worries US police. The Associated Press reports that US police say the law contradicts President Felipe Calderon’s drug war, and some fear it could make Mexico a destination for drug-fueled vacations.
A recent online survey of more than 2,500 moms conducted by Vocalpoint.com in collaboration with the Partnership for a Drug-Free America found that moms’ top concern about their children heading back to school is that their child might be exposed to kids who drink or use drugs. The next most popular concern was that their kids might feel pressure to do well academically and feel pressure from tests.
Read more about Moms’ Top Back-to-School Concern Is Substance Abuse