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Teens Using Drugs: What To Know and What To Do
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About The Program
"Teens Using Drugs: What To
Know and What To Do" is a free, ongoing, two-part workshop
series for parents, family members, teens, and people who work with teens and
families. It is designed to provide education on how to understand,
identify and address adolescent alcohol/drug use and problems, create a
positive attitude towards obtaining help for adolescents with alcohol/drug
problems, and increase participants' readiness and ability to address
adolescent alcohol/drug use. These workshops have made a difference to families
struggling with teen substance abuse, and to others who want to help.
The workshops are
presented by Ronald E. Harrison, SW. Ron is a social worker with over 35 years of
experience working in diverse settings with substance-involved teens and their
families. He has presented numerous education and training programs on teen
substance abuse, addiction, recovery, and family issues.
The workshops are held at
the St. Joseph Mercy Hospital Education Center, 5305 Elliott Drive, Ypsilanti,
Michigan; from 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm on the 1st (part 1) and 2nd (part 2) Tuesday
evenings of each month from October through June. {Please note: due to New
Year’s Day, the January 2008 workshops will be on the second (part one) and
third (part two) Tuesday evenings in January.}
The part one
presentation provides information on how to understand the progression of teen
substance abuse problems, recognize signs and patterns of a teen substance
abuse problem, and know when a teen's use of alcohol/drugs requires action.
Part one includes an eight-minute video.
The part two
presentation provides information on what should and should not be done when teen
substance abuse is suspected or recognized, and strategies for helping
"teens using drugs." Part two includes a recovering young person, who
describes his or her experiences - how it was, what happened, and how it is
now.
All presentations are free
and open to all. A certificate of attendance can be provided on request. Free
literature and resource information is available. Refreshments are provided.
Ample free parking is available. The presenter will stay after the workshop to
talk with people who have further questions or concerns.
The workshops are co-sponsored by Dawn Farm,
the Livingston/Washtenaw Safe and Drug
Free Schools and Communities Act Consortium, and Saint Joseph Mercy Health System
Mission Services. The series
is funded with a grant from the Wal-Mart Foundation,
courtesy of the
The "Teens Using
Drugs: What To Know and What To Do" program began with a presentation in
March 1999 at Huron
Based on this response,
regular presentations of the workshops were organized. The Saint Joseph Mercy Health System
provided a site. Ron Harrison was asked and agreed to
continue to present the program as a community service. Initially, the workshop
was a one-part presentation focused on understanding teen substance abuse
problems and identifying teens that need professional help for a substance
abuse problem. This was presented in October, November and December of 1999. Based
on further feedback from participants, a "part 2" was developed to
help people learn about what to do and what not to do when addressing a teen
substance abuse problem. This 2-part series has been presented since January
2000, on the first and second Tuesdays of each month from October through
June.
The sponsors of this
program are: Dawn Farm,
a continuum of programs for treatment of and recovery from addiction; the Livingston/Washtenaw Safe and Drug
Free Schools and Communities Act Consortium, a consortium
of Safe and Drug Free School representatives from public and private schools
and agencies in Livingston and Washtenaw Counties, Michigan, that provides
staff development, program activities, consultation and technical assistance to
school districts in order to meet the requirements of the Principles of
Effectiveness for Safe and Drug-Free Schools; and the Saint Joseph Mercy Health System
Mission Services, a department of the Saint Joseph Mercy Health System.
(Please see "sponsor"
section on the "About Us" page for further
information about the sponsors.)
Why Have A Program On "Teens Using Drugs?"
In the 1970's, when
concern about the escalating prevalence and consequences of substance abuse led
to a nationwide effort to produce effective prevention and treatment programs,
an estimated ten percent of our population was chemically dependent. Since
then, research and experience have provided new information about effective
substance abuse prevention and treatment. Many communities have implemented programs
that have demonstrated success in preventing and treating alcohol and drug
problems. The overall incidence and prevalence of adolescent substance abuse
has dropped in recent years. Yet still, today - an estimated ten percent of our
population is chemically dependent.
No
adolescent is immune from alcohol and other drug problems; regardless
of his or her experiences with alcohol and other drug education; regardless of
how involved his or her family may be; regardless of socioeconomic status; and regardless
of religious participation, school achievement, extracurricular involvement or
other assets and protective factors. Even the most effective prevention
programs do not eliminate all substance use by all teens. Some young people
will "experiment" with alcohol and drugs despite our best prevention
efforts. Some of these will continue to use, and some who use will become
addicted. An estimated 10% of our overall population will become addicted if
they use alcohol/other drugs. Those who begin regular use of substances before
age fifteen have about a 40% incidence of chemical dependency.
Substance abuse is a
primary or contributing factor to most of the serious problems faced by
adolescents, and is the leading cause of adolescent mortality. Too many substance-involved young people
suffer serious, sometimes irreversible consequences. Early intervention with substance-involved teens offers hope for
preventing irreparable damage and helping using teens recover their lives and
their futures. These young people urgently need help, and helpers need the
right knowledge and tools.
Although the initial
decision to "try" alcohol, marijuana, or other drugs is a choice, no
one chooses to become addicted to these substances. Addiction is a disease.
There is no known absolute way to prevent addiction in a person susceptible to
addiction unless alcohol/drug use is entirely avoided. It is not an
addict/alcoholic’s ”fault” that he/she became addicted. It is not the fault of the parents, or the
school system, or society, or other external factors. Addiction does not happen
solely because of the type of drugs used, the amount of drugs used, the manner
in which drugs are used, or the personality or social circumstances of the
user. Bad parenting doesn’t cause it and good parenting often can’t prevent
it. Substance abuse and addiction can
happen to teens from "good" families, to teens from
"troubled" families, and to teens with no families; to teens who
excel in school and teens who struggle with school; to teens with high self
esteem and teens with low self esteem; to teens who are happy and well-adjusted
and teens troubled by depression, ADHD or other problems. Addiction can happen
regardless of prior determination about how drugs will and will not be used or
the conviction that "it won't happen to me." Addiction happens to a
susceptible individual who uses alcohol/drugs. Addiction is not a moral failing
or a lack of willpower or a lack of better things to do. It is a disease, and
it is not anyone's fault. We do not know for certain what causes addiction, but
we do know how to treat it once it has been identified.
Adolescent alcohol/drug
problems can be difficult to identify and differentiate from other adolescent
problems or even from "normal" adolescent behavior, even for loving,
attentive, involved parents and caring, experienced professionals. When a young person experiences alcohol or
drug problems, usually the LAST thing that parents and other concerned adults
see is the alcohol/drug use. A teen won't usually tell us that he was truant
from school to smoke weed, or that she performed poorly on her SAT's because
she was hung over, or that he dropped sports and music to have more time for
getting high, or that the money she saved for college was consumed by her
escalating need for heroin, or that he is in love with “ecstasy” to the
exclusion of all other interests. Teens hide their alcohol/drug use from
parents and others in authority, and teens with alcohol/other drug problems
employ hostility, diversion, manipulation, and other defenses to effectively
protect their substance use by diverting attention away from it. Future use is
protected when the teen confuses parents and other caring people and pushes
them away. Parents and others concerned
about a young person are often uncertain of what the primary problem is and of
what can be done about it.
However, there are
signs and patterns of behaviors that can alert us to the possibility that a
teen we care about may have an alcohol/other drug problem. We do not have to
see a teen using to see a "using" teen. Once
diagnosed, teen alcohol and other drug problems are absolutely treatable!
The "Teens Using
Drugs: What To Know and What To Do" workshop series was developed in
response to the need in our community for an ongoing, easily accessible, free
education resource for people struggling with teen substance abuse issues. It
can be difficult and painful for family members to explore the possibility that
a young person they love may be using alcohol/drugs or may have an alcohol/drug
problem. Dealing with adolescent substance abuse is often isolating, confusing,
polarizing, frightening, and extremely stressful for all involved. This program
is designed to help people learn more about this issue. The workshops are
informal, free, and open to all. There is no registration, commitment or
interactive participation required. People can attend to listen, to learn, and
to ask questions if they wish to.
This series provides an
access point for information to help family members struggling with teen
substance abuse issues; for professionals, students and others seeking to
better understand teen substance abuse issues in order to assist affected
adolescents and their families; and for teens who would like to learn about
adolescent alcohol/drug problems and solutions to alcohol/drug problems.
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"TEENS USING DRUGS: WHAT TO KNOW and WHAT TO
DO" Disclaimer PLEASE NOTE: this site is
not a counseling or treatment service. We welcome comments and requests for
information about the "Teens Using Drugs: What To Know and What To
Do" program and/or about this Web site, but the people who maintain the
Web site are not substance abuse professionals and cannot provide advice
about substance abuse problems.
Parents, family members, teens, professionals, and concerned community
members are all welcome to attend the free "Teens Using Drugs: What To
Know and What To Do" program to learn more about adolescent substance
abuse problems and what can be done to help adolescents with alcohol/drug
problems. If you are not able to attend this program, you can click on the
"referrals" section
to find suggestions for other options, and check the "information/links" section
for sources of help and information. |