E-cigarettes, or vaporizer pens, now have a thriving, growing and vulnerable new market here in Broward County and greater South Florida. Teens looking to experiment with drugs are increasingly using these battery-operated devices, often touted as a healthier alternative to traditional cigarettes, to vape synthetic substances like flakka (an amphetamine-like drug similar to bath salts)…
The prevailing theory about teenagers’ brains is that the prefrontal cortex — which is thought to control complex cognitive behavior and planning — isn’t fully developed. But new research out of the University of Pittsburgh is beginning to challenge that premise. The research was presented at the American Association for the Advancement of Science annual…
Teenage drug abuse facts may be surprising to many adults, and especially alarming to parents of teens. Many more teens are experimenting with, abusing and becoming addicted to drugs than most adults ever imagined. They are using illegal drugs, but they are also getting prescriptions from friends and family members to use as study aids…
Not all teen prescription drug abuse prevention programs are created equal, as researchers from Duke University and Pennsylvania State University discovered during a recent study.
Kids who enter a new school year struggling with drugs or alcohol can see their dreams for academic success dashed before the year even begins, but parents can help. Promises Behavioral Health has developed a helpful 10-item checklist with key warning signs that a teen or young adult needs to tackle a drug or alcohol…
New findings from a group of American researchers indicate that almost one-fifth of all U.S. college students misuse a prescription medication classified as a stimulant.
As parents you want to keep your children safe, even more so when they become teenagers and venture out to explore the world, have fun and be with their friends. That’s when most parents truly begin to worry, wondering if they’ve done enough to prepare their offspring for the many dangers associated with use of…
Teenagers in the U.S. are more likely to use alcohol than any other substance. Unfortunately, alcohol use in adolescence comes with greater risks than adult alcohol use, and significant numbers of teens will develop serious drinking-related problems. In a series of studies presented in late 2014 to the Society for Neuroscience, researchers from Georgetown University…
It’s that time of year parents of teenagers dread: spring break. Even if you are not sending your teen out into the world to go on an unchaperoned trip, you still have things to worry about. Research has shown that when teens and kids are left unsupervised, they are more likely to engage in risky…
In the U.S., marijuana use is fairly common among teenagers and young adults in the typical college age range of 18 to 25. Unfortunately, intake of the drug is associated with a number of significant problems, including memory and concentration deficits, altered brain development and the onset of cannabis use disorder (cannabis abuse and/or cannabis…