Following a decade of steady declines, a new national study released today indicates that teen drug and alcohol use is headed in the wrong direction, with marked increases in teen use of marijuana and Ecstasy over the past three years. The 22nd annual Partnership Attitude Tracking Study (PATS) affirms a disturbing trend that has emerged [...]

A new analysis of four years of government data shows that most underage youth get alcohol from home, and about a third were given it by their parents or guardians, according to a Feb. 17 press release from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
Drawing on data from the National Survey on Drug [...]

A new report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) found that 709,000 youth ages 12 to 14 in the United States are drinking beer, liquor and other alcoholic beverages.
And the surprise is that many of these underage drinkers aren’t just getting a friend to buy a six pack for them or [...]

Officials in 25 states are growing concerned about alarming numbers of adolescents and others ending up in emergency rooms and mental hospitals after intentionally snorting, injecting or smoking “fake cocaine,” a powder legally sold as “bath salts,” and are proposing bans.
R. Gil Kerlikowske, Director of National Drug Control Policy, this week released a statement following [...]

February 2011
1. My 15yo daughter is out of control – skipping school, smoking and drinking, hanging out with older kids – needless to say my house is a battle zone. I’ve tried counseling and tough love, but unfortunately the peace doesn’t last. Her father is out of the picture and I’m dealing [...]

March 2011
1. My 16yo son is close to getting his driver’s license. We can’t afford to buy him a car (like many of his friends) so I need help with appropriate boundaries for his use of the family car. He’s basically a good kid, but does bend the rules now & then. [...]

The Associated Press this week reported that there are new concerns about energy drinks produced by a Chicago-based company that combine high levels of caffeine with alcohol. The Food and Drug Administration began investigating these types of beverages a year ago, but a recent Washington state college party is renewing questions about their safety.
Earlier this [...]

The number of fatal crashes involving 16- and 17-year old drivers dropped by more than a third between 2004 and 2008, though crashes still remain the leading cause of death for teens in the United States, according to a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released last week.
Nationally, the number of [...]

Q: I’m concerned about the influence my ex-husband’s behavior might be having on our son who is in middle school. My ex is pretty irresponsible, drinks a little too freely, and has several fairly casual girlfriends. How do I convince my ex to be a better example to our son? And [...]

For those of you unfamiliar with Proposition 26 –
here is some information from the Marin Institute.
That’s why they have joined with Big Oil, Big Energy and Big Tobacco to change our state constitution with Proposition 26. It’s an absolutely terrible initiative that would absolve companies that harm the public health and environment with dangerous products [...]