RHS PTSA presents: Promoting Healthy Internet Use

Roosevelt High School PTSA invites parents to:

Sex, Drugs 'n Facebook: A Parent's Toolkit for Promoting Healthy Internet Use

Wednesday, February 26 at 7:00 p.m.  

Roosevelt High School

Guest Speaker: Megan Moreno, MD, MPH

Dr. Moreno is an adolescent medicine physician, researcher, and educator at Seattle Children's Hospital and the University of Washington.  She is the Principal Investigator if the Social Media and Adolescent Health Research Team (SMAHRT) which is working to increase understanding of the relationship between social media and adolescent health.  

Dr. Volkow talks about marijuana

Hear a fascinating presentation by Dr. Nora Volkow, Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, about the effects of marijuana use on the brain, body and behavior. Dr. Volkow's remarks were given earlier this month.



Toward the end of her talk, Dr. Volkow states that the "single most powerful" way to minimize harm related to youth marijuana use is prevention.  She notes, "Prevention in young people works!"

Macklemore talks about addiction

In Seattle, Macklemore needs no introduction.  In this video, he talks about his struggle with addiction to raise awareness among young people about the dangers of prescription drug abuse.

Get More: 

www.mtvu.com

Macklemore starts the video with a story about how he started drinking when he was 14.  On average, NE Seattle high school students who drink started between ages 13 and 14.  As his story goes on, it is evident that he, like most teenagers who use drugs, used a variety of drugs.

In the end, he talks about his addiction to prescription drugs.  His message is especially relevant in NE Seattle where prescription drug abuse has steadily increased among teens since 2008.

Prevention is part of the solution

Graphic from CASA Columbia

Along with another celebrity's apparent drug-related death comes media stories with suggestions about how to stop fatal overdoses.  While many of the suggestions are important and greatly needed, I have yet to read a story about stopping drug-related harms by preventing drug use in the first place.  More than 90% of people with addiction began smoking, drinking, or using other drugs as teenagers.  To address adult drug abuse we should not forget about preventing teen drug use.

Substance use prevention has changed substantially over the last 20 years.  We now know that "just say no" and programs like DARE don't work.  Not only do we now know what programs work, we know which ones are likely to give the most bang for the buck.  We also know what kinds of public policies work to create healthy environments that support positive youth development.  Substance abuse, like most public health problems, needs a comprehensive solution that includes prevention.

Youth Drug Summit February 26

Youth Drug Summit: Keeping Kids Safe in Changing Times
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
7:30 - 9:00 p.m.
Town Hall Seattle

The legalization of marijuana in Washington State has real implications for parents and kids. What are current teen attitudes about drug use and accessibility? How will things change when legal marijuana shops are open for business and marijuana is increasingly available in homes? What about the growing prevalence of heroin and toxic mixtures, such as “molly?”

During this panel discussion featuring experts on adolescent psychology, drug addiction and law enforcement, parents will be armed with the knowledge and tools they need to help kids navigate the risks and dangers in this changing environment.  Dr. Leslie Walker from Seattle Children's Hospital is among the panelists. 

Central Seattle survey shows shift in student attitudes toward pot, alcohol

KOMO recently reported on findings from a survey conducted by the Central Seattle Drug Free Communities Coalition about student's changing attitudes about marijuana.  Communities throughout Seattle and the state are reporting similar changes in student attitudes.

A teaching moment for parents

Justin Bieber's DUI arrest was the topic of discussion over at the Seattle Mama Doc blog yesterday.

Justin Bieber was arrested early this morning in Florida for a DUI. The smirk on his face is a bit misplaced. While it’s no longer a surprise when we hear about a celebrity’s challenge with drugs and alcohol, Bieber serves up a perfect moment for education. I mean this kid (he’s 19 years old) really could have killed himself last night. Thank goodness he’s only in jail. You got Bieber Fever in your house? Now’s the moment to step in. The number one thing parents must remember is that data and research consistently show that a parent’s opinion and guidance on avoiding alcohol remains the most powerful influence over a teen’s decision to drink alcohol underage.

Check out this powerful infographic on girls and alcohol. One in five high school girls binge-drink. 1 in 5!

Alcohol-related injuries kill over 5,000 teens every year. Bieber’s decision-making presents a huge opportunity to protect our own children. I’m reposting this data because we just can’t forget how powerful we are, as parents, when protecting our children as they grow. Our job today is simply to remember our super power–that we have influence. Don’t brush this story off as “Bieber’s a mess and an outlier.” Lamborghini or not, every teen is at risk for making this kind of choice.

Read the entire post here.  

More about marijuana legalization and teens

Earlier today, Dr. Leslie Walker from Seattle Children's Division of Adolescent Medicine appeared on New Day Northwest and discussed marijuana legalization and youth. 

Movie Night to feature short documentaries by local teens

Adolescent Medicine Movie Night

Thursday, January 23, 2013 6:00pm – 8:30pm 

Seattle Children’s Hospital, Wright Auditorium

This Adolescent Medicine Movie Night will feature two local documentaries focusing on teen substance abuse.

A CLEAN UA

A Clean UA is a documentary short by the Southeast Asian Young Men's Group. The film follows Peter Phan, a 17-year-old Vietnamese American, as he decides to quit marijuana. Using a hand held camera, Peter journals the difficulties and challenges of his path to recovery while exploring the benefits of being sober.

Peter begins his film just after he's suspended from school for smoking marijuana during lunch break. He's determined to quit marijuana "cold turkey," but he's not expecting the difficulties that arise from quitting: pressure from friends, loneliness, and symptoms of withdrawal. Peter filmed his documentary over a six-month period, and with his film, he aims to promote more open dialogue about this issue with his peers and other youth in his community.

RECOVERY

Recovery is a documentary about three suburban adolescent drug addicts, Frank, Cami, and Ryan. Specifically, it dives deep into the intimate and romanticized mindset of each individual as they share their personal accounts of growing up, using, living life as an addict, quitting, facing the pain of withdrawals, progression, and finally, sobriety. 

After the films …Join in the Discussion with Lisa Chinn, LMHC, CDP, youth featured in the films, and members of Adolescent Medicine Division.

Food and drinks will be provided!  Please RSVP by January 16^th. 

Alcohol, holiday celebrations & teens

Over at the Seattle Mama Doc blog, Dr. Swanson writes about alcohol and the holidays.  She starts with:

Our children are growing up with mixed messages about alcohol and drugs, at least that’s how it feels to me here in Washington. It seems to me we’re grappling with using pot and what to do with alcohol as a community. As our state legalized marijuana use this past year, we sent a big flare into the sky. It’s possible we really do one thing and then say another in front of our children and teens, particularly at times of celebration. No question they are watching. Can you seriously imagine a pro football game without beer ads or a holiday party without booze? I can’t. The great luck is that we have profound influence over our children (tah dah!); we have a huge opportunity to help them survive.

Click here to read the entire post.