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“It must be my fault”
Although many people are aware of the effects of alcohol abuse on family and friends, missing from this equation is a child’s reaction to a parent who drinks too much.
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Club Drug Use Carries Uncertain Risks
When discussing the potential side effects of drugs, risks must be viewed within a realistic context. Indeed, my last column on Ecstasy, or MDMA, and today’s on GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyrate), Rohypnol (flunitrazepam) and ketamine, contain information that is factually correct.
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The Club of Tortured Souls
Recently, one of my patients with bipolar disorder took Ecstasy at a rave. Within 60 minutes she had collapsed on the dance floor from dehydration.
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The betterment of one's life
A common student question asked at Canterbury High School focuses upon the melange of moral, ethical and consequential aspects of smoking cannabis.
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Students stressed, desperate for help
One of the more difficult aspects of answering teen questions is the degree of angst and pain that spills from them. Although the majority of our teenage children progress through adolescence to become well-adjusted, productive adults, a substantial minority is desperate for help during life’s stressful events.
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Survey shows youth drug use up in past decade
In this continuing series based on teens’ questions asked at Canterbury High School, today’s column looks at the drug issue, which is all too often intertwined with the issue of sex among teenagers.
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How do you get herpes?
How have society’s changing attitudes about sexual activity and responsibility affected our teenage children? The Medical Institute for Sexual Health, a U.S. non-profit group promoting sexual abstinence outside marriage, lists the devastating toll laissez-faire attitudes have had on our teens.
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Cutting loose from tobacco
Most people know the risks of cigarette smoking. They often employ many strategies to quit, often with lukewarm success. An understanding of the addictive nature and the associated habits and triggers of smoking is essential before attempting a smoking cessation program.
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Which is worse: cigarette or joint?
You walk a fine line at times when responding to teens’ questions. One frequently asked centers around comparisons between marijuana, cigarettes and alcohol. For example, a common question is, “What is worse, smoking a joint or smoking a cigarette?”