Leslie Glass's Blog, page 367
May 18, 2018
Medical Pot Ads Mean Higher Teen Pot Use
From Science Daily Adolescents who view more advertising for medical marijuana are more likely to use marijuana, express intentions to use the drug and have more-positive expectations about the substance, according to a new RAND Corporation study.
The findings — from a study that tracked adolescents’ viewing of medical marijuana ads over seven years — provides the best evidence to date that an increasing amount of advertising about marijuana may prompt young people to increase their use of the drug. The study was published by the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence.
“This work highlights the importance of considering regulations for marijuana advertising that would be similar to rules already in place to curb the promotion of tobacco and alcohol across the United States,” said Elizabeth D’Amico, the study’s lead author and a senior behavioral scientist at RAND, a nonprofit research organization.
Researchers say the issue is of increasing importance because 29 states and Washington D.C. have approved sales of medical marijuana, and nine states and Washington D.C. also have approved recreational sales of the drug. Both actions are likely to lead to more marijuana advertising that will be visible to adolescents, even if they are not the target of the ads.
The RAND study followed 6,509 adolescents from 2010 until 2017 who were originally recruited from 16 middle schools in three school school districts in Southern California, and went on to more than 200 high schools in the region. Participants were periodically surveyed to assess their exposure to medical marijuana advertising, and asked about marijuana use and related topics.
The participants were ethnically diverse. and rates of marijuana use at the outset of the study were similar to national samples of adolescents.
The proportion of adolescents who reported viewing medical marijuana advertising increased sharply over the course of the study. In 2010, 25 percent of the participants reported seeing at least one medical marijuana advertisement during the previous three months — the exposure rate grew to 70 percent by 2017.
Adolescents who reported greater exposure to medical marijuana advertising were more likely to report having used marijuana over the previous 30 days, and were more likely to report that they expected to use marijuana during the next six months. Viewing more medical marijuana advertising also was associated with having more-positive views about the drug, such as agreeing that marijuana relaxes a person and helps a person get away from their problems.
Youth who were exposed to more medical marijuana advertising also were more likely to report negative consequences because of marijuana. This included missing school, having trouble concentrating on tasks, doing something they felt sorry for later or having gotten into trouble at school or home.
“Our findings suggest that increased exposure to medical marijuana advertising is associated with increased marijuana use and related negative consequences throughout adolescence,” D’Amico said. “Thus, it is possible that teens who were exposed to the most medical marijuana advertising were more likely to use marijuana heavily and therefore experience more negative consequences.”
Researchers say that future research should look more closely at the impact of different sources of marijuana advertising, such as billboards, magazine ads or signage at retail outlets.
“As more states legalize marijuana for medical or recreational uses, we must think carefully about the best ways to regulate marijuana advertising so that we can decrease the chances of harm occurring, particularly for adolescents,” D’Amico said. “We must also continue to address beliefs about the effects of marijuana as part of our prevention and intervention efforts with this age group.”
Story Source:
Materials provided by RAND Corporation. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
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Teens Choosing Pot Before Cigarettes and Alcohol
From Newsweek Increasing numbers of young Americans are choosing marijuana over cigarettes or alcohol as their first drug of choice, according to new research published in the journal Prevention Science.
Researchers from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) examined nationally representative survey data from more than 275,000 people aged between 12 and 21. The study is based on the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, which was conducted between 2004 and 2014 and involved questions related to the use of marijuana, tobacco, alcohol as well as other illegal drugs.
The researchers found that around 8 percent of respondents in 2014 reported that marijuana was the first drug they ever used—almost double the figure of 4.8 percent reported in 2004. This rise could be related to a declining rate of young smokers (21 percent in 2004 to 9 percent in 2014) or the larger number of young people abstaining from substance use altogether (36 percent to 46 percent in 2014), according to the researchers.
The trend is particularly noticeable in specific ethnic groups. Researchers found that young people who used marijuana as their first drug were more likely to be male and come from black, Native American, Hispanic or multiracial backgrounds.
“Our findings suggest important targets for public health intervention and prevention of marijuana use, especially among American Indian/Alaska Native and Black youth, who are less likely to have access to treatment or successful treatment outcomes,” Brian Fairman, a postdoctoral researcher at the NICHD, said in a statement.
Fairman said that young people who started off on marijuana before alcohol or tobacco were more likely to become heavy users and have cannabis-related problems later in life. In light of this, he recommended that drug prevention strategies be targeted at different groups depending on their specific risk of using marijuana, alcohol or tobacco first.
“To the degree these trends continue, and greater numbers of youth start with marijuana as their first drug, there may be an increasing need for public interventions and treatment services for marijuana-related problems,” Fairman said.
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What Have You Done For YOU Lately? A Weekly Recovery Check-up
This checklist serves two purposes. First, it helps you look back and monitor your recovery process. Second, if you find many of these activities didn’t make it into your schedule, you can easily see which ones need a little more intentional planning to incorporate. In the past week, have you:
Set personal positive goals for myself this week.
Attended at least one recovery support group this past week.
Had individual contact with my sponsor this week.
Applied recovery concepts to my daily life this week.
Spent leisure time with others in recovery this week.
Enjoyed time with friends this week who support my recovery.
Successfully avoided people, places and things I associate with my addiction.
Tried to do something positive to improve my relationship with my spouse/partner this week.
Had positive contact with my children this past week.
Read recovery-related literature this week.
Carrie one or more objects with me every day that remind me of my commitment to recovery.
Called or visited someone in recovery this week.
My diet and exercise this past week will enhance my physical health.
Tended to any physical problems I experienced this past week.
Had a good week at school or work.
It was a good week emotionally for me.
Using Weekly Recovery Check-up To Plan
So, how did you do? This weekly check-up can show you patterns in changing past harmful habits. It can also show you if you need to add any new helpful habits. After reviewing your list, is your recovery spirit starving from lack of nourishment? Are you as physically strong as you could be? Did you run into many past triggers? After reviewing my weekly recovery check-up, what do you need to purposely add to your schedule for next week?
Content originally published by William White. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
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Busting The Biggest Exercise Excuses
From Helpguide.org: Making excuses for not exercising? You’re not alone. Many of us dismiss what we should do using these six most common excuses. Whether it’s lack of time, energy, or fear of the gym, there are solutions. Here’s how you can overcome the best of bad intentions.
1. I Hate Exercising
Many of us feel the same. If sweating in a gym or pounding a treadmill isn’t your idea of a great time, try to find an activity that you do enjoy—such as dancing—or pair physical activity with something more enjoyable. Take a walk at lunchtime through a scenic park, for example, walk laps of an air-conditioned mall while window shopping, walk, run, or bike with a friend, or listen to your favorite music while you move.
2. I’m Too Busy
Even the busiest of us can find free time in our day for things that are important. It’s your decision to make exercise a priority. And don’t think you need a full hour for a good workout. Short 5-, 10-, or 15-minute bursts of activity can be very effective—so, too, can be squeezing all your exercise into a couple of sessions at the weekend. If you’re too busy during the week, get up and get moving at the weekends when you have more time.
3. I’m Too Tired
It may sound counterintuitive, but physical activity is a powerful pick-me-up that actually reduces fatigue and boosts energy levels in the long run. With regular exercise, you’ll feel much more energized, refreshed, and alert at all times.
4. I’m Too Fat Old or Sick
It’s never too late to start building your strength and physical fitness, even if you’re a senior or a self-confessed couch potato who has never exercised before. Very few health or weight problems make exercise out of the question, so talk to your doctor about a safe routine for you.
5. Exercise Is Too Painful
“No pain, no gain” is an outdated way of thinking about exercise. Exercise shouldn’t hurt. And you don’t have to push yourself until you’re soaked in sweat or every muscle aches to get results. You can build your strength and fitness by walking, swimming, even playing golf, gardening, or cleaning the house.
6. I’m Not Athletic
Still have nightmares from PE? You don’t have to be sporty or ultra-coordinated to get fit. Focus on easy ways to be more active, like walking, swimming, or even working more around the house. Anything that gets you moving will work.
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Just One Extra Drink Could Take Years Off Your Life
From Ana Sandoiu @ Medical News Today: Do you think drinking in moderation is good for you? You can think again. Do you like a glass of wine in the evening to help you relax? Forget about it. If you drink, you’re likelier to die, a new study reminds us, with each extra drink shaving months — possibly even years — off your life.
If you enjoy a glass of something in the evening to unwind, this study will make sure that you don’t anymore.
These new findings will make you look at that extra glass of wine in a wholly different light; researchers say that an additional drink can take years off your life.
Who came to this…ahem…dispiriting conclusion, I hear wine lovers ask, and how legit is the study?
Unfortunately (for us), the study was carried out by perfectly competent British-based researchers led by Angela Wood, who is a lecturer in biostatistics in the Department of Public Health and Primary Care at the prestigious University of Cambridge.
As for the study itself, it investigated the drinking patterns of almost 600,000 people in 19 different countries all over the world. So in that sense, the conclusion does seem to hold water. Or liquor, if you will.
Oh, and if you drink, the bad news doesn’t stop there: although the authors don’t point the finger at the United States specifically, the findings do seem to suggest that the U.S. alcohol guidelines are too lenient and should be lowered.
This fun-loving study was just published in The Lancet, where you can read it in full — and weep.
How alcohol shortens life expectancy
Prof. Wood and colleagues examined 83 prospective studies, which included information about people who don’t drink versus that of “current drinkers.”
The researchers examined the alcohol intake of 599,912 current drinkers. None of the subjects included in the study had any history of cardiovascular disease at baseline, and the scientists adjusted for age, sex, a history of diabetes, and smoking status.
All in all, the study counted 40,310 deaths and 39,018 cases of cardiovascular diseases during the period analyzed.
In short, the new research revealed that there is no such thing as beneficial moderate drinking. The “safe” drinking limit was as low as seven “standard” drinks per week, with anything above that increasing the risk of premature death.
More specifically, the safe amount of alcohol was found to be 100 grams of pure alcohol. This is the equivalent of just over seven standard drinks in the U.S., as defined by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
A U.S. standard drink is equivalent to a small can of regular beer or a 5-ounce glass of red wine, with no more than 12 percent alcohol volume.
Anything above this threshold translated into a shorter life expectancy. People who had more than seven and up to 14 standard drinks per week, for example, were likely to have their life expectancy shortened by around 6 months.
Those who consumed over 14 drinks and up to 25 per week were likely to have 1–2 years taken off their lifespan, and a consumption of over 25 standard drinks per week correlated with 4–5 fewer years.
The life expectancy was calculated for a person who is 40 years old and would continue to drink at this rate for the rest of their life.
The final nail in the “moderate drinking is good for you” coffin came from the links that the scientists found between alcohol intake and cardiovascular illness.
A higher risk of stroke, heart failure, and fatal hypertensive disease were only some of the adverse cardiovascular events associated with higher alcohol consumption.
The U.S. should lower its guidelines
The authors comment on the significance of the findings, suggesting that countries whose upper alcohol limits are higher than those of the United Kingdom should take note and lower them.
“This is a serious wakeup call for many countries,” says Prof. Jeremy Pearson, an associate medical director at the British Heart Foundation (BHF), a British non-profit organization that partially funded the study.
Victoria Taylor, a senior dietitian at the BHF, says, “This powerful study may make sobering reading for countries that have set their recommendations at higher levels than the U.K.”
The U.S. is definitely one such country. The official guidelines from the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion recommend that men do not drink more than 196 grams of pure alcohol per week, and that women do not exceed 98 grams per week.
This amounts to no more than 14 standard drinks per week for men, and no more than seven for women, but the guidelines are still well above the 100-gram threshold proposed by the study.
“We should always remember that alcohol guidelines should act as a limit, not a target, and try to drink well below this threshold,” adds Taylor.
“The key message of this research is that, if you already drink alcohol, drinking less may help you live longer and lower your risk of several cardiovascular conditions.”
– Prof. Angela Wood
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New Hope: Non-opioid Drug Treats Opioid Withdrawals
From CBS News: Federal regulators on Wednesday approved the first nonopioid treatment to ease withdrawal from quitting addictive opioids. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration expedited approval of Lucemyra to help combat the U.S. opioid epidemic. Two-thirds of drug overdose deaths in 2016 involved opioids, mostly fentanyl, heroin and prescription painkillers.
The pill was approved to treat adults for up to two weeks for common withdrawal symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain and agitation. It is not an addiction medicine but can be part of a longer-term treatment plan, according to the FDA.
People going through detox are usually given a safer opioid medicine like methadone, which eases the cravings without an intense high. “The fear of experiencing withdrawal symptoms often prevents those suffering from opioid addiction from seeking help,” FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb said in a statement.
In two studies of 866 adults, those given Lucemyra reported less severe withdrawal symptoms when they abruptly stopped taking opioids, compared to those who were given dummy pills. Side effects included low blood pressure, dizziness, sleepiness, slow heart rate and, in a few people, fainting.
The FDA is requiring drugmaker US WorldMeds of Louisville, Kentucky, to conduct more studies in teens and newborns of opioid-addicted mothers and for possible longer-term use in people tapering off opioids.
Privately held US WorldMeds said it had not yet set a price for Lucemyra.
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May 17, 2018
What The Sopranos Taught Me About Mental Illness
From DigitalSpy:
As part of Mental Health Awareness Week, Digital Spy staff are sharing their stories of when TV shows and movies spoke to them about their own experiences with mental health problems.
Note: This article contains discussion of mental ill health and intrusive thoughts that some readers may find upsetting.
Mental health is almost as important a theme as organised crime in The Sopranos, as Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) attempts to deal with his depression.
In one particularly pertinent episode – the season 2 finale, ‘Funhouse’ – we’re shown a series of Tony’s dreams. In one sequence, Tony has been diagnosed with a terminal disease and has just six months to live.
“But instead of waiting till then, he’s gonna light himself on fire,” says Christopher Moltisanti.
Tony tells Chris, Paulie and Silvio that he’s going to kill himself instead and they express their appreciation, as he’ll be sparing them countless visits to the hospital. He covers himself in gasoline and Paulie lights a Zippo. Christopher then asks: “What if these doctors are wrong?”
It’s too late and Tony goes up in flames.
Other dreams in the episode feature various encounters – including a hot romp with Dr Melfi and a chat with Big Pussy Bonpensiero (in the form of a fish), who reveals he’s been working with the government as an FBI informant.
Tony wakes up from his dream and tells his wife, Carmela, that he’s depressed and that life is “a big nothing”.
Except he’s not depressed.
“It’s coming from here… It’s not my f**king head, it’s my stomach,” Tony moans. “I’m nauseous!”
He runs to the toilet, and as we hear his, erm… gastric distress, it becomes clear he’s just got food poisoning.
Four years ago, I had what I can only describe as a breakdown. I have obsessive-compulsive disorder and experience debilitating intrusive thoughts, mostly about my wife, who I would envisage, 24/7, dead, bloodied and battered.
After years of hedonistic self-medicating, my incessant – and I mean incessant – thoughts finally tipped me over the edge.
Bedridden, chain-smoking, sweating, shaking and unable to eat or work, I was quite literally haunted by my thoughts. It was a living hell, one that I wasn’t sure I’d survive.
Cognitive behavioural therapy, diazepam and a daily maximum dosage of the antidepressant sertraline and I eventually felt OK again – bar a fear of relapsing.
Two years on from my breakdown, I was aware that it had been two years but I wasn’t engrossed in it, as I had been on the ‘anniversary’ the previous year, when I found myself marking the exact date that it had happened and worrying about potentially relapsing.
Instead, I was calm. I’d had no relapses, spikes or otherwise – my mental health had remained stable.
Until it hit me, as I sat on the sofa with my (definitely alive) wife, eating dinner and watching TV. I hadn’t been ruminating, obsessing or worrying, but I had an immediate, gut-wrenching physical response to something. I was dizzy, sick to my stomach and terrified, exactly as I had been before.
That’s when I thought of Tony Soprano.
Desperately, I tried to convince myself that I had some kind of stomach sickness – that it wasn’t all “a big nothing” – that I was just physically ill. Okay, Tony has depression and I have OCD, but the response was the same.
Unfortunately, I hadn’t done a Tony Soprano. In this instance, it was my “f**king head” – something had snapped upstairs and I was physically responding to it. Physical symptoms of anxiety can include numbness, dizziness, chest pain and stomach upsets – and because of the physical reaction, it’s often hard to tell whether it’s your body or your mind playing up.
The Sopranos made that subtle point way back in its second season. And, despite mine being an upstairs issue, as opposed to Tony’s downstairs problem, I was fine again after a few weeks.
We inhabit complicated bodies. But they aren’t beyond repair.
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Maintaining A Daily Rhythm Is Important For Mental Health
From CNN:
Sticking to a normal daily rhythm — being active during the day and sleeping at night — can have more benefits than you might expect.
A new study found that it is linked to improvements in mood and cognitive functioning as well as a decreased likelihood of developing major depression and bipolar disorder. The study, published Tuesday in the journal The Lancet Psychiatry, looked at disruptions in the circadian rhythms — or daily sleep-wake cycles — of over 91,000 adults in the United Kingdom. It measured these disruptions using a device called an accelerometer that is worn on the wrist and measures one’s daily activity levels. The participants were taken from the UK Biobank, a large cohort of over half a million UK adults ages 37 to 73.
The researchers found that individuals with more circadian rhythm disruptions — defined as increased activity at night, decreased activity during the day or both — were significantly more likely to have symptoms consistent with bipolar disorder or major depression. They were also more likely to have decreased feelings of well-being and to have reduced cognitive functioning, based on a computer-generated reaction time test.
For all participants, activity levels were measured over a seven-day period in either 2013 or 2014, and mental health proxies such as mood and cognitive functioning were measured using an online mental health questionnaire that participants filled out in 2016 or 2017.
“It’s widely known that a good night’s sleep is a good thing for well-being and health. That’s not a big surprise,” said Dr. Daniel Smith, professor of psychiatry at the University of Glasgow and a leading author on the study. “But I think what’s less well-known and what comes out of this work is that not only is a good night’s sleep important, but having a regular rhythm of being active in daylight and inactive in darkness over time is important for mental well-being.”
The findings were found to be consistent even when controlling for a number of influential factors including age, sex, lifestyle, education and body mass index, according to Smith.
“I think one of the striking things that we found was just the consistency in the direction of our association across everything we looked at in terms of mental health,” Smith said.
Daily circadian rhythm is controlled by a collection of neurons in an area of the brain called the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus helps regulate a number of important behavioral and physiological functions such as body temperature, eating and drinking habits, emotional well-being and sleep, according to the National Institute of General Medical Sciences.
The findings are consistent with research indicating a link between sleep disruptions and mood disorders. A 2009 study, for example, showed that men who worked night shifts for four years or more were more likely to have anxiety and depression than those who work during the day.
However, the new study is the first to use objective measurements of daily activity and is among the largest of its kind, according to Aiden Doherty, senior research fellow at the University of Oxford, who was not involved in the research.
“This study is the first large-scale investigation of the association of objectively measured circadian rhythmicity with various mental health, well-being, personality and cognitive outcomes, with an unprecedented sample size of more than 90 000 participants,” Doherty wrote in an email.
“Previous studies have been very small (in just a few hundred people), or relied on self-report measures (asking people what they think they do). … However, this study used objective device-based measures in over 90,000 participants; and then linked this information to standard measures of mood disorders, subjective well-being, and cognitive function,” he added.
The findings have significant public health consequences, particularly for those who live in urban areas, where circadian rhythms are often disrupted due to artificial light, according to Smith.
“By 2030, two-thirds of the world’s population will be living in cities, and we know that living in an urban environment can be pretty toxic to your circadian system because of all the artificial light that you’re exposed to,” Smith said.
“So we need to think about ways to help people tune in to their natural rhythms of activity and sleeping more effectively. Hopefully, that will protect a lot of people from mood disorders.”
For those who struggle to maintain a consistent circadian rhythm, certain strategies — such as avoiding technology at night — have proven to be an important part of good sleep hygiene.
“Not using your phone late at night and having a regular pattern of sleeping is really important,” Smith said. “But equally important is a pattern of exposing yourself to sunshine and daylight in the morning and doing activity in the morning or midday so you can actually sleep properly.”
Based on the observational nature of the study, the researchers were unable to show causality, meaning it is unclear whether the sleep disturbances caused the mental health problems or vice versa.
“It’s a cross-sectional study, so we can’t say anything about cause and effect or what came first, the mood disorder or the circadian disruption,” said Kristen Knutson, associate professor of neurology at Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine, who was not involved in the study.
“And it’s likely they affect each other in a circular fashion,” she added.
The researchers also looked exclusively at adults between age 37 and 73, meaning the results may not apply to younger individuals, whose circadian rhythms are known to be different than those of older adults, according to Smith.
“The circadian system changes throughout life. If you’ve got kids, you know that very young kids tend to be nocturnal,” Smith said. “My suspicion is that we might observe even more pronounced effects in younger samples, but that hasn’t been done yet, to my knowledge.”
But the study adds more credence to the idea that sleep hygiene — including maintaining a consistent pattern of sleep and wake cycles — may be an important component of good mental health, according to Smith. “It’s an exciting time for this kind of research because it’s beginning to have some real-world applications,” Smith said. “And from my point of view as a psychiatrist, I think it’s probably under-recognized in psychiatry how important healthy circadian function is, but it’s an area that we’re trying to develop.”
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Simple Mental Health Tips
I find it funny for that for a group of people who used to spend all their time trying to feel good, for some of us, in recovery, practicing self-care is really hard. I struggle with it sometimes. I’m not ashamed to admit that sometimes my fridge is full of groceries and sometimes I run out and it takes me a week to refill. Sometimes I can’t work out for a few days, or a week, sometimes I’m too tired from work and life to make it to other recovery things that help me. So, what are some small things I do when I need a quick mood pick-me-up and I have to find the easiest thing possible?
I’m glad you asked.
These are my favorite mental health boosts that require little effort but make enough difference to notice.
Laugh.
Laughter is my favorite medicine. I’ve survived many, many heart-wrenching times in my life by binge-watching sit-coms, watching funny movies old and new or reading something hilarious. These days we have Netflix comedy specials, youtube everything, and even specific Instagram accounts will have me amused for a while. Force yourself to at least turn on the tv or computer and start something great. In my experience, I’m out of my head and into something better quickly. Here’s a list of great Netflix shows if you need help.
Spend time with a furry friend.
I have a dog, so it’s easy. If you have a pet, take a few minutes and focus on them. Your animals know when you’re happy and sad. Even more, your emotions can affect them too. Almost every healthy dog wants to be walked, fed and cuddled. Maybe take the scenic route for your next walk and you can both smell the flower, share mealtime with him or her, and a nice cuddle with a furry friend never hurt anyone.
Practice forgiveness.
Practicing forgiveness is weird, no doubt. However, by putting into a practice a ritual where I included the people I thought had done me wrong into my prayers and meditations by wishing them everything I wanted for myself, I found myself happier and healthier. In case you don’t believe me, here’s an article on why forgiveness is vital from the Mayo Clinic.
Sit in the sun.
I live in Southern California so finding sunshine is not hard for me, and I don’t mean to make it sound insensitive to those in harsher climates. But, spring is here, and we’re headed towards summer, so there’s hope. Obviously, you should wear sunscreen, etc. But some sunshine is healthy for you and here’s an article from Forbes that tells you why.
Treat yourself to something delicious to eat.
When I say treat yourself to something delicious, this means different things to different people. If you’re maintaining a healthy diet, I don’t recommend doing something that will make you sick. But, when you think comfort food, what comes to mind? Sometimes a lovely Matzoh Ball Soup does the trick, and sometimes I need an ice cream cone. Depends on my mood, but small amounts of safe self-soothing with food can be quite nice. Here’s a link to our very own Co-Dependent in the Kitchen’s Cookbook. It’s got lots of fun recipes in there if you’re looking for something new.
Give one, or all a shot, and let us know what you think. We’re working on our healthy lifestyles and we want to know what works for people.
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May 16, 2018
30 Creative Ways To Avoid Teen Drinking
Teen drinking is considered cool at school, a teacher working a prevention program in 11 schools told us yesterday. How can teens turn down a drink when everyone else seems to be drinking? We’re glad you asked.
The teen years can be difficult as there are so many issues associated with growing up. Issues include learning to separate from parents, relationships with peers, school, extracurricular activities, dating, sexual pressures, and pressure to drink and drug. As alcohol is the most commonly used substance for adolescents, looking for ways to refuse drinking is important.
Best Ways To Avoid Teen Drinking
You hang out with other friends who don’t drink
You can simply leave the situation when drinking starts
You can walk around with soda or flavored water and sip on that instead of alcohol
You can refuse the alcohol – no excuses needed. If your friends are true friends, they will respect your boundaries. They may test you for awhile, but will give up if you continue to say no.
Reasons You Can’t Drink (even if they aren’t always true)
You promised your parents you wouldn’t drink
Your parents will ground you forever
Your parents smell your breath or will give you a breathalyzer when you get home
Your privileges at home will be denied such as being banned from using the car or no use of your phone
Drinking is against your own beliefs and values
You’re worried about legal charges such as a minor in possession charge or drunk-driving charge
You are on medication that makes drinking impossible
You become an angry or weepy, depressed drinker and are no fun to be around
You don’t like the taste of alcohol
There is alcoholism in the family and you don’t want to become an alcoholic
You’re allergic to alcohol (including gluten)
Your culture is one that has a high rate of alcoholism such as Native Americans
Your religious/spiritual beliefs do not support drinking
Your family upbringing is one of no alcohol use and you honor this
You’re on a sports team and can’t drink
You are focusing on school and getting into a good college
You are afraid of doing stupid things when you drink
You believe in a healthy lifestyle which includes no alcohol
You have plans in the morning so can’t allow yourself to drink and disrupt those plans
Your parents just called you and said you had to come home.
A Touch Of Humor To Avoid Teen Drinking Never Hurts
“I break out in handcuffs when I drink.”
“I spend my whole time peeing if I drink.”
“I break out in unprotected sex when I drink.”
“My parents will kill me if I get caught.”
“My dog doesn’t like me to drink.”
“I don’t want to get fat.”
“I’m so impulsive, I’ll probably get drunk and do stupid things.”
“I’m crazy enough without alcohol.”
“I’d like to keep the few brain cells I do have.”
“My parents are friends with the cops and I’m afraid of getting caught.”
Here’s one other really crucial thing to know. Women process alcohol at twice the rate of men. That means 1 drink is really two. And 2 drinks are really 4. Get the ROR downloadable poster to spread the word,
In essence, there are many ways, creative ways, to say “no.” But the first step is up to you. You can make healthy choices or unhealthy ones.
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