Source: Connect with Kids

“My parents are pretty powerful in my life. I have their respect, and they have mine.”

– Deepak, 16 years old

Teenagers are bound to experiment with drugs, alcohol and sex – right?

Not necessarily, says 15-year-old Nick. “It’s not inevitable,” he says. “It’s just a personal decision.”

“There’s [sic] a lot of people who just don’t want to try any of that stuff, but there are some people who do,” says 15-year-old Chris Mullings.

The Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs reports that when underage drinkers are disciplined by their parents they are less likely to become heavy drinkers compared to kids whose parents ignore their drinking.

“My parents have a pretty big influence on everything that I believe in – what I will and won’t do,” says Elizabeth, 15.

Nick echoes her sentiments.  “For all my decisions, I’m always thinking about what they taught me, and even if I don’t do what they said, it’s still always in my head,” he says.

What’s more, teens themselves say parents help them make healthy choices by talking to them and knowing where they are, whom they’re with and what they’re doing.  And when their expectations are clear.

“If they have heard what you think is appropriate behavior and you have modeled it, when they are in a position where they have to think critically, they have already had a chance to, in some ways, rehearse it,” says psychologist Dr. Peter Thomas. 

And, experts say, if you find your teen has been experimenting- speak up!

“By not commenting directly, they’re, in essence, giving their child permission to continue to drink or get stoned or do whatever they’re doing because the child will interpret their silence as its okay, it doesn’t matter,” explains psychologist, Alexandra Phipps.  “I would tell parents if you don’t talk about things with your child, it’s probably going to happen again and again and it’s probably going to get worse.”

Tips for Parents

Research defines binge drinking as having five or more drinks in a row. Reasons adolescents give for binge drinking include: to get drunk, the status associated with drinking, the culture of drinking on campus, peer pressure and academic stress. Binge drinkers are 21 times more likely to: miss class, fall behind in schoolwork, damage property, injure themselves, engage in unplanned and/or unprotected sex, get in trouble with the police, and drink and drive.

Young people who binge drink could be risking serious damage to their brains now and increasing memory loss later in adulthood. Adolescents may be even more vulnerable to brain damage from excessive drinking than older drinkers. Consider the following:

• The average girl takes her first sip of alcohol at age 13. The average boy takes his first sip of alcohol at age 11.
• Underage drinking causes over $53 billion in criminal, social and health problems.
• Seventy-seven percent of young drinkers get their liquor at home, with or without permission.
• Students who are binge drinkers in high school are three times more likely to binge drink in college.
• Nearly 25 percent of college students report frequent binge drinking, that is, they binged three or more times in a two-week period.
• Autopsies show that patients with a history of chronic alcohol abuse have smaller, less massive and more shrunken brains.
• Alcohol abstinence can lead to functional and structural recovery of alcohol-damaged brains.

Alcohol is America’s biggest drug problem. Make sure your child understands that alcohol is a drug and that it can kill him/her. Binge drinking is far more pervasive and dangerous than boutique pills and other illicit substances in the news. About 1,400 students will die of alcohol-related causes this year. An additional 500,000 will suffer injuries.

A study by the Harvard School of Public Health showed that 51 percent of male college students and 40 percent of female college students engaged in binge drinking in the previous two weeks. Half of these drinkers binged frequently (more than three times per week). College students who binge drink report:

• Interruptions in sleep or study habits (71 percent).
• Caring for an intoxicated student (57 percent).
• Being insulted or humiliated (36 percent).
• An unwanted sexual experience (23 percent).
• A serious argument (23 percent).
• Damaging property (16 percent).
• Being pushed, hit or assaulted (11 percent).
• Being the victim of a sexual advance assault or date rape (1 percent).

Students must arrive on college campuses with the ability to resist peer pressure and knowing how to say no to alcohol. For many youngsters away from home for the first time, it is difficult to find the courage to resist peer pressure and the strength to answer peer pressure with resounding no. Parents should foster such ability in their child’s early years and nurture it throughout adolescence. Today’s youth needs constant care from parents and community support to make the best decisions for their wellbeing.

References

• Alcohol Policies Project
• Focus Adolescent Services
• Harvard School of Public Health
• National Youth Violence Prevention Center
• Psychological Assessment Research & Treatment Services

Summer ideas and a great way to get your teens involved!

One of the best ways to become a productive citizen is through involvement with various community projects and organizations. Every American community will have its own flavor of local organizations, and it’s simply a matter of finding out which ones are around to participate in. There are also a series of programs that are available in most places in America, and anyone who wants to be a good citizen can join. The main goal in joining these organizations is to connect with other people in your community while promoting a good cause.

Neighborhood Watch Program™

One of the most popular and effective community organizations is the Neighborhood Watch Program™. The Neighborhood Watch™ is great to become a productive citizen because it is one of the best ways to connect members of a community in a unified crime prevention effort.

If your area lacks a Neighborhood Watch Program™, then you can easily start one. All you need to do is gather a group of local neighbors who are concerned with community safety, inform the local police of your intentions, and get started with a new Watch program. The police will often arrange a meeting with Watch members and you can hash out exactly what kind of organization you w ant to run and figure out how you will work in cooperation with law enforcement. Then it is simply a matter of registering at the Neighborhood Watch Program™ web site.

The Neighborhood Watch™ is the perfect way to start your journey as a productive citizen because the Watch brings neighbors together as they gather for meetings and discussions on community safety. These meetings help keep the community informed of danger while promoting healthy neighborhood communication. Proper citizenship relies on participation, and the Neighborhood Watch™ doesn’t merely help connect neighbors but also helps protect your neighborhood from crime. Once becoming a part of the National Neighborhood Watch™ network, you can hold regular meetings and spread information through pamphlets and training techniques that the national organization sends you, this way you can help lead your entire community to a safer way of living, and as everyone looks out for each other it promotes a greater sense of community.

Recycling and Composting

Another great option for community involvement involves local recycling programs. There are always recycling programs available to join in communities, often run through local school systems. Joining these programs is easy and helps promote an eco-friendly community view. You can even set up a compost system in your own backyard or through the recycling program. Compost provides some of the best soil you can ever produce and is a great way to recycle and reuse your waist products.

Becoming involved in these types of earth friendly activities helps show your children and the community that saving waste can help keep a community clean and isn’t even that difficult too do. If you are working on a compost system, you can use it to create a community garden in a local park; this can promote community unity and help beautify the area. People in the community will look up to you when working on these type of recycling projects, especially if you use them to create something more than just recycling, like a community garden. Creating this type of end product for your work to accumulate towards can solidify the idea of a good citizen in the minds of those who actually see you in action.

Red Cross™

There are a variety of Red Cross™ branches and splinter groups spread across communities throughout the United States, and it’s a good idea for serious citizens to become involved in at least some of them. There are a variety of different ways to become involved in Red Cross organizations, depending on your desired level of participation. Donating blood at a local Red Cross™ blood drive is a great way to become involved. Blood donations save the lives of large numbers of people each year are some of the easiest, but most rewarding forms of participation a good citizen can undertake. Truly dedicated citizens may take their involvement one step further and volunteer at a blood drive or a Red Cross™ homeless shelter. There are a variety of programs and events going on through Red Cross™ that don’t take much work, but do a lot of good, and these programs impart a powerful sense of pride in those that participate.

Volunteering with Red Cross™ not only shows leadership and drive but helps aid those who need it the most. Working with the Red Cross™ on any level affects a much larger number of people then you might think and can help bring others in your community to the same level of involvement. The most important action a good citizen can do is serving as an example for others to follow, and there is no better way than volunteering with a local Red Cross™ organization.

Learn more - click here.

Yikes - many of us cringe when our teen starts into adulthood by driving!  Be prepared, learn all you can about educating your teen today behind the wheel. 

Here’s a message from The Safe Teen Drivers Club:

Our Mission

To help you (Mom and Dad!) safeguard and protect your teen, leading to reduced driving crashes, injuries and fatalities.

What We Do

We provide education and information for parents to help them protect and safeguard their children as they begin driving. To help parents with concrete and actionable steps they can take, we also deliver services and tools — proven to reduce the likelihood of a crash — to help parents keep their teens safe and alive.
Why We Do It

There is no other threat that consistently takes over 5,000 young lives each year. If there were, our nation would long ago have been galvanized into action to do whatever was necessary to stop the carnage. Yet teen driving has been a national health and safety issue — and a tragedy for thousands of families — every year since the late 1950’s when teens began driving in large numbers. We believe there is no more important step we can take for our young people than focusing on ways to keep them alive behind the wheel.
About Safe Teen Driving Club

Vehicle crashes are the #1 cause of death and injury for youngsters age 15 to 20. Guns, drugs, suicide, homicide and all other causes take a back seat to driving crashes.  Nearly half of teen deaths result from vehicle crashes. For those who survive crashes, some 300,000 teens must be treated in hospital ER’s each year, many with life-changing injuries.
The Safe Teen Driving Club is a community of concerned parents, teens and professionals, and a resource for protecting teenage drivers and their families. We are working with parents, schools, educators, businesses, non-profits and public policy makers to create a safer driving environment for teens, while giving parents the tools and services they need to significantly affect and improve their teen’s driving behavior. We want to help you keep them safe!

Visit and Contact Safe Teen Driver’s Club here.

Sabrina Bryan has teamed up with The Alliance for a Healthier Generation to launch their new campaign called empowerME by challenging  today’s youth to make their own workout video!  The top five finalists will receive autographed copies of Sabrina’s newest BYOU DVD and the winner will also receive a personalized video message from Sabrina.   For more information on The Alliance for a Healthier Generation, the empowerME campaign and Sabrina Bryan’s video contest please visit www.empowerME2B.org.

About empowerME:  empowerMe is a by kids, for kids movement that inspires today’s youth to eat healthier and move more, motivate each other, and to be a solution to America’s obesity epidemic.  One million kids have already joined the movement and we want one million more by 2010!    For more information about the empowerME campaign, please visit: empowerme2b.org 

About the Alliance for a Healthier Generation: The Alliance for a Healthier Generation is a partnership between the William J. Clinton Foundation and the American Heart Association created to reduce childhood obesity and empower kids to make healthy lifestyle choices. For more information on the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, please visit: www.HealthierGeneration.org  

There has been such a huge jump in childhood obesity and there is no time better than now to join the fight against it!

Today’s parents seem to constantly have to keep up with the new concerns with teens today.  “Sexting” is a growing and disturbing issue with many parents of teenagers today.  What these kids are not realizing is what goes online, stays online and spreads like a virus.  Teens today don’t think about college admissions or potential employers 2-4 years from now.  In an instant, a not so flattering photo can arrive in thousands of mailboxes!  That is, email boxes.  Take the time to talk to your kids about the ramifications this can potentially have on their future.

Source: Good Morning America

Sex easily and quickly integrated itself into the digital age; and now the teen trend of “sexting” — where a user sends sexually explicit images or messages via text on a cell phone — has parents struggling for a way to address the situation.

“We’re seeing 14, 15 and 16-year-olds and up are very commonly sharing naked pictures or sexual pictures of themselves,” said Internet safety expert Parry Aftab, of Wired Safety. “We’re talking about kids who are too young to wear bras who are posing in them, and then topless and then actually engaged in sex or even in masturbation. So we are seeing a lot of kids who are sexually active.”

There’s nothing coy about this 21st century amorous pursuit. Children as young as 12, who aren’t sexually active, are sending explicit, provocative and even pornographic images to their peers.

Click here to ask Internet expert Parry Aftab a question.

 

Click here for more Internet safety tips from Parry Aftab.

Everyone fears drinking and driving and the danger it can cause, today we need to add driving while high (smoking pot) and how your instincts are diminished to the point that it could cause accidents and worse.  Learn more now.

Source: Connect with Kids

“Pot is the sneakiest of drugs because it takes out your functioning. It decreases reaction time. It messes up judgment. It messes up driving,”

– Steven Jaffe, MD, psychiatrist

For a young driver, there are so many dangers: speed, ego, inexperience and another often ignored danger: drugs.

 “I think it’s very irresponsible and it could lead to a lot of dangerous accidents.  It’s just as bad as driving drunk – quite possible even worse,” says 17-year-old Allison Meisburg.

Researchers from the University of Montreal studied the habits of 83 male drivers.  They found that nearly 20 percent have been high behind the wheel.

“…and I would estimate at least two or three times that number have been in the car in which the driver was stoned,” says Dr. Steven Jaffe, a psychiatrist, who specializes in substance abuse issues.

“[Driving while high] is not as bad as drinking and driving, but it is still bad of course, because you know your reflexes are delayed and all that jazz,” says 16-year old Justin.

Experts say teens simply don’t realize the dangers.

It’s hard to believe, but some kids believe pot helps them driver better.

“They really think they do,” says Dr. Jaffe. “But they don’t. They really don’t. They don’t realize they are impaired. Pot is the sneakiest of drugs because it takes out your functioning. It decreases reaction time. It messes up their judgment. It messes up driving.”

Dr. Jaffe says parents should adopt a zero-tolerance attitude. Remind your kids that pot is a mind-altering drug and not to ride with drivers who are high on any drug. Then, remind them of the consequences.

 “The biggest consequence would be you run into another on-coming car during traffic and you kill them and yourself. That’d be the biggest consequence,” says Reggie, 17.

Dr. Jaffe concurs. “It only takes one time to kill yourself and kill somebody else.”

Tips for Parents

According to government studies, nearly 11 million Americans, including one in five 21-year-olds, have driven while under the influence of illegal drugs. Young adults don’t consider driving while high to be as dangerous as driving while under the influence of alcohol, according to John Walters, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. Therefore, his office is starting a campaign warning teens about driving while smoking marijuana. Concentration, perception, coordination and reaction time can all be affected for up to 24 hours after smoking marijuana, Walters said.

So how can you determine if your teen has been using drugs, namely marijuana?  The experts at the National Institute on Drug Abuse suggest looking for these trouble signs in your teen. He/she may:

• Seem dizzy and have trouble walking
• Seem silly and giggly for no reason
• Have very red, bloodshot eyes
• Have a hard time remembering things that just happened
• Seem very sleepy or groggy (after the early effects fade, sleepiness may occur)

In addition to these signs, parents should also be alert to changes in any of the following:

• Behavior, such as withdrawal, depression, fatigue, carelessness with grooming, hostility and deteriorating relationships with friends and family
• Academic performance, including absenteeism and truancy
• Loss of interest in sports or other favorite hobbies
• Eating or sleeping patterns

Also be on the lookout for:

• Signs of drugs and drug paraphernalia
• Odor on clothes and in bedroom
• Use of incense and other deodorizers
• Use of eye drops
• Clothing, posters, jewelry, etc., promoting drug use

References

• National Institute on Drug Abuse
• Parents. The Anti-Drug.
• Office of National Drug Control Policy
• University of Montreal

The Choking Game - a teen thing?  What is the Choking Game?  It is definitely not a game any parent want to learn about the hard way.  Learn more now about this horrific game through G.A.S.P. (Games Adolescents Shouldn’t Play).

I received an email from a mother that almost lost her son to this game.  She is now part of an advocacy group to help inform and educate others about this choking game.  She understands she almost lost her son, as a matter of fact, she thought she had.  Miraculously, her son survived after several days in a coma following this incident.  As a parent advocate, I always encourage others to share their stories, mistakes, experiences etc in an effort to help others.  This is one of the many parents that is hoping you will learn from her firsthand experiences.

Source: G.A.S.P.

It’s not a game at all—just an act of suffocating on purpose.

Adolescents cut off the flow of blood to the brain, in exchange for a few seconds of feeling lightheaded. Some strangle themselves with a belt, a rope or their bare hands; others push on their chest or hyperventilate.

When they release the pressure, blood that was blocked up floods the brain all at once. This sets off a warm and fuzzy feeling, which is just the brain dying, thousands of cells at a time.

From this parent:

Holding my son, as he took his first breath of life, for the second time took my breath away.  He got a second chance to make a better choice.  What I witnessed defies logic and reason.  I made a choice to quit trying to understand, and instead pour my passionate gratitude for his life into advocacy work -  to be a ripple in the wave of some much needed change. Stopping this behavior only starts with awareness.  Ed4Ed is a program of education for educators.  I consider all who possess knowledge, all upon acquiring it who connect with youth,  care for and/or guide them, are then in turn ambassadors of that truth – incumbent educators. 
 
When I am personally presenting from the materials of the program, I conclude by passing that torch to those with whom I speak.  This deadly activity, masquerading as a “game” is an international problem, with a simple solution, educate!  Give our kids the facts and they’ll make a better choice.  Once he became aware of what had happened, Levi just shook his head and said “I didn’t know, Mom.  People pass out all the time.  I didn’t know.”  Not one boy in the 500 that attended his boarding school knew the facts.  They studied physics, science, biology and anatomy.  None thought of it as anything more than a parlor trick, something new to try, not drugs, not alcohol – just a game.  When we know better, we do better.  When they know better, they will too.

 

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Local Therapy:

 

Local therapy is a good place to start with children that struggling at home and school.  To locate a local therapist, it is beneficial to contact your insurance company for a list of adolescent therapists in your area.  If you don’t have insurance when calling therapists, ask them if they accept sliding scales according to your income.  Check your yellow pages for local Mental Health Services in your area or ask your Pediatrician or Family Doctor for a referral.

 

Military Schools and Academies:

 

Military Schools have been around for over a hundred years.  Many parents are under the misconception that Military Schools are for at risk children.  Military Schools are a privilege and honor to attend and be accepted into.  Your child must have some desire to attend a Military School.  Many children believe Military Schools are for bad kids, however if they visit a campus they may realize it is an opportunity for them.  Many parents start with a Military Summer program to determine if their child is a candidate for Military School. 

 

Military Schools usually do not offer therapy, unless contracted on the outside of the school.  They offer structure, positive discipline, self-confidence, small class sizes and excellent academics.  Military Schools can build a student’s self-esteem; motivate them to benefit their future both socially and academically.

 

Traditional Boarding Schools:

 

Traditional Boarding Schools are like Military Schools, in which your child will have to want to attend and be accepted into the school. There are many excellent Boarding Schools that offer both academics and special needs for students. Many specialize in specific areas such as fine arts, music, and competitive sports.  In most cases, therapy is not offered unless contracted on the outside.

 

Therapeutic Boarding Schools (TBS):

 

Therapeutic Boarding Schools offer therapy and academics to students.  Usually the student has not done well in a traditional school and is making bad choices that could have an effect on their future.  Although many of the students are exceptionally smart, they are not working to their ability.  Sometimes peer pressure can lead your child down a destructive path.  Removing them from their environment can be beneficial to them to focus on themselves both emotionally and academically.

 

Christian Boarding Schools:

 

Christian Boarding Schools and Programs for struggling teens offer therapy and academics.  They have a spiritual foundation that can assist a child to better understand Christianity as well as bring them closer to a Higher Power.  Many offer Youth Groups and activities that can create life skills for a better future.  A program with a Christian setting may enhance a child’s better understanding of the world today. 

 

Residential Treatment Center (RTC):

 

Residential Treatment Centers, similar to a TBS, offer therapy and academics.  However Residential Treatment Centers are for children that require more clinical support.  Their issues are more specific with substance abuse, eating disorders, self-mutilators, and other behavioral issues.

 

Summer Programs:

 

Summer programs are a great place to start if your child is beginning to make bad choices or losing their motivation.  Finding a good summer program that can build self-confidence can be beneficial to student’s prior starting a new school year. 

 

Visit www.helpyourteens.com for more information and a free consultation. 

For just seventeen, Adam Shapiro’s work experience is impressive. “I have worked at my synagogue… like three hours a week probably on a Sunday. I was assistant teacher. I’ve ref’d soccer before,” he says.

But with major exams this week, the jobs will have to wait.

“Are you studying the rest of the week?” his mom, Karen, asks him,
“Yeah,” says Adam.

“The number one priority for us is his studies. So, if he wanted to work and make extra money that was great, as long as it did not interfere with his studies,” explains his mom, Karen.

Previous studies have found that kids who work just ten hours a week admit to cheating more often in school and taking less challenging courses.

And a new survey by the Rand Corporation finds that kids who work are also more likely to use drugs and alcohol and smoke cigarettes.

The difference between them and their unemployed peers: lack of supervision for one and extra cash.

“They end up experimenting in such a way that the use of that the use of that income is not really going toward beneficial things for them,” explains Dr. Richard Winer, a psychiatrist.

He says parents need to keep a close eye on where the money is going, and how the job is affecting their child. “Their sleep patterns, their eating patterns, their social skills among peers as well as family member… if there’s a distinct change that’s taken place then it’s probably worth looking into to that, because that might be kind of a warning sign.”

Finally, he says kids will do better off if they take a job for the experience, not just the money.
 
“If you enjoy your work, it won’t feel that taxing to you,” he says, “and [it] probably will have less likelihood of being an impediment to your academic work as a teen or as a college student.”

Adam, who already has been accepted to college early admission, says that’s exactly what happened to him.  “I ref soccer, and I enjoy, I love sports… so, I try to find a happy medium in between working, getting paid… and doing something I love.”

Tips for Parents

The Department of Labor estimates that 80 percent of high school students will hold a job at some point before graduation. Most teens are working for spending money. Few are contributing to family expenses. The National Academies assessed how work affects the health, education, development and behavior of young people. Their research found advantages and disadvantages for students that work.

Among the advantages of a job are that it can …

• Help develop responsibility and time management skills.
• Provide experience in dealing with people.
• Provide opportunity to acquire specific job skills that might transfer to subsequent work situations.

Research has also shown the following negative consequences of work, particularly when a teen works more than 20 hours a week:

• Work can interfere with schoolwork and academic achievement
• Work can take precedence over extracurricular activities and social experiences that are an important part of adolescent development
• Work can interfere with sleep
• Students who work long hours – more than 20 hours – are more likely to use illegal drugs or engage in other deviant behavior.
• Many students who work long hours get insufficient sleep and exercise and may spend less time with their families.
• Students who consistently work more than 20 hours per week also complete less schooling.

Though working can help to acquire specific job skills, the reality is that many teens are employed in jobs that utilize low-level skills and do not provide any valuable learning experience. The National Academies and others recommend that Congress give the U.S. Department of Labor the authority to limit the number of hours worked during the school year by all children under 18.

Currently, under federal law, students under 16 cannot work more than three hours on a school day and 18 hours in an entire week. The government has not set guidelines for 16 to 17-year-olds. The National Consumers League recommends that 16 to 17 year olds be restricted to no more than four hours per day and 20 hours a week during the school year.

The North Carolina State University Family and Consumer Sciences offers these tips for parents and kids to make the most of a teen’s job:

• Agree to make schoolwork the number one priority
• Set clear expectations about the conditions of acceptable employment (type of work, how much work, maintaining good grades, etc.)
• Have the teen work out expectations and conditions with employer (e.g. must have time off during finals week, must finish by a certain hour on school nights, etc.)
• Consider working only during school vacations and/or vacations.
• If money is not the issue, consider an unpaid or volunteer work that will serve the teen’s personal growth and long-term career interests.

Before your teen sets his or her heart on a job, make sure he or she is aware of the potential hazards of the job. According to the National Consumer League, the five worst and dangerous jobs for teens to hold include the following:

• Driving and delivery, including operating or repairing motorized equipment
• Working alone in cash-based businesses and late-night work
• Cooking with exposure to hot oil and grease, hot water and steam, and hot cooking surfaces
• Construction and work at heights
• Traveling youth crews

As a parent, you need to teach your child the skills to keep a job by excelling in his/her chosen field. The YouthRules! Initiative of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) offers parents the following tips for teaching their child the importance of appearance and courtesy on the job:

• Know the dress code. If business attire is expected, wear it.
• Make sure your clothes are clean, pressed and fit you properly. Shoes should be polished.
• If you’re supposed to wear an identification card, wear it.
• The basic rule is clean and neat: Bathe and brush your teeth before your work day. Hands and fingernails should be clean. Hair must be clean and neat, in acceptable styles and colors.
• When you answer the phone at work or meet customers, always say, “Good morning (or afternoon or evening). Thank you for calling [name of your employer]. May I help you?”
• Be friendly and sociable. Remember to say “thank you” and “please.”
• Even if someone is rude to you, remain polite and keep your good attitude.

References

• National Center for Education Statistics
• National Consumers League
• North Carolina State University Family and Consumer Sciences
• The National Academies
• Rand Corporation
• U.S. Department of Labor
• YouthRules!

I feel this topic is so important, that I am posting another Blog Post on it with a bit more information.  Many parents fear their teens are involved in substance abuse (whether it is pot or crack) - but what you need to remember is many of the drugs can be located in your own home.  Cough medicine, sleeping pills, prescription drugs (meant for other family members, etc).  Take the time to learn more.

Source: StopMedicineAbuse

Recent studies among middle and high school aged kids across the country show a disturbing form of substance abuse among teens: the intentional abuse of otherwise beneficial medications, both prescription (Rx) and over-the-counter (OTC), to get high.

Teens who learn a lot about the dangers of drugs from their parents are half as likely to abuse drugs.

According to the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, one in five teens reports having abused a prescription drug to get high. Where OTC medicines are concerned, data from the Partnership for a Drug-Free America indicate that one in 10 teens reports having abused OTC cough medicines to get high, and 28 percent know someone who has tried it.

The ingredient the teens are abusing in OTC cough medicines is dextromethorphan, or DXM. When used according to label directions, DXM is a safe and effective ingredient approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and is found in well over 100 brand-name and store-brand over-the-counter cough medicines. When abused in extreme amounts, DXM can be dangerous.

StopMedicineAbuse.org was developed by the leading makers of OTC cough medicines to build awareness about this type of substance abuse behavior, provide tips to prevent it from happening, and encourage parents to safeguard their medicine cabinets. Substance abuse can touch any family: The key to keeping teens drug-free is education and talking about the dangers of abuse.