Newport Academy Teen Treatment Blog

How Drug Abuse Starts Among Teens

February 3rd, 2012 Posted in Teen Drug Use | No Comments »

The teen years are a prime time for drug and alcohol abuse to start. According to the National Drug Intelligence Center, the earlier a person abuses illicit substances, the more likely they are to develop a lifelong issue with addiction, so it’s crucial that parents and teachers recognize the signs of early drug abuse in teenagers – and the signs that it may be about to begin – so they can address it immediately and nip it in the bud.

How Teen Drug Abuse Starts

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) says that some teens are active drug abusers by the age of 12 or 13, which means that they are starting to abuse drugs at an even earlier age. “Starter drugs” may include alcohol, inhalants, marijuana, prescription drugs found in the medicine cabinets of family members, and cigarettes. As they get older, teens may move on to “harder” drugs like cocaine or heroin – the earlier they get started, the heavier they will abuse these harder drugs later on and the more likely they will be to develop a psychological and physical dependence.

Why do some teens experiment with drugs or alcohol with few repercussions and others can’t walk away? There is no known cause that applies across the board, but experts theorize a number of possible explanations, including:

Genetic predisposition
Environmental acceptance of heavy drug use
Peer pressure

Those who are exposed to drugs on a regular basis and have friends who abuse drugs are more likely to continue early drug use until a dependence develops.

Fighting Early Teen Drug Abuse

Early prevention is the best way to help teens from developing a lifelong drug habit. Recognizing risk factors like environment, peer issues and genetic factors can put teachers and parents on high alert. When kids hit the age of 9 or 10, paying attention to where they are, what they’re doing and who they’re doing it with can help those who are concerned to recognize small changes and risks.

Talking to your child is one of the best ways to help them understand the dangers of drugs and your expectations as well as the consequences of breaking rules associated with substance abuse. By the time the teen years start, you should have a good idea whether or not drug abuse is a problem for your teen and be prepared to implement more serious consequences if grounding and other punishments have failed to make a difference in your child’s behavior.

If you would like to speak with a counselor about the drug abuse treatment programs available for teens here at Newport Academy, contact us today. We can help you decide which of our programs is a good fit for your teen and help you help them get their life back on track now.

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Disney Pop Star Admits to Self-Medicating With Drugs and Alcohol

January 30th, 2012 Posted in Celebrity | No Comments »

Demi Lovato has been up front about her trip to rehab last year because of the behaviors she engaged in as a result of her bipolar disorder. By the time she entered treatment, the 19-year-old singer and star of the Disney Channel’s Sonny with a Chance was unsuccessfully trying to deal with an eating disorder and the need to cut herself to deal with uncomfortable emotions.

Lovato checked into a three-month treatment program a year ago after reps told the public she was canceling a leg of her tour to deal with emotional and physical issues that needed attention. Reports around this same period were surfacing, although never confirmed at the time, of Lovato doing drugs such as cocaine. While she didn’t name the particular drugs she used, Lovato did come forward this month in a Seventeen magazine interview admitting to using both drugs and alcohol during that time period. She stated she was drinking and using drugs, “like a lot of teens do to numb their pain.”

Lovato Understands the Importance of a Supportive Social Network for Sobriety

In the Seventeen magazine article, Lovato credited two of her closest friends with helping her achieve sobriety – Selena Gomez and Miley Cyrus. Hopefully, this knowledge can help other teens in need of treatment understand that the friends you lean on for support can help make or break your recovery.

Some of the most important factors in achieving a lasting sobriety include:

Attending a high-quality, evidence-based treatment program
Finding effective aftercare services that you can utilize daily and in times of extra stress
Building a supportive sober social network

Often in teen drug abuse, friends are the people you end up using with out of curiosity or boredom. So, in order to maintain long-term sobriety, finding a new group of friends who embrace your recovery is of the utmost importance.

Lovato Happy to Be on the Clean and Sober Path and Encouraging Others

Lovato made the statement to her fans: “sober is sexy.” She understands now that sobriety is a daily choice, but one worth all the hard work and effort she has made over the last 12 months. After a very dark period, she is now in a great place and has just released her third album. She declared in no uncertain terms she is embracing her recovery by stating, “I don’t drink, I don’t do drugs, I don’t throw up after my meals, I don’t starve myself. There’s nothing that I do that I feel ashamed of.”

Do you think Demi Lovato’s candor will help other teens come forward with mental health and addiction issues? All opinions are welcome below.

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Man Charged With Manslaughter for Teen Girl’s Heroin Overdose Death

January 27th, 2012 Posted in Crime, Kids and Drugs | No Comments »

Last month, a 14-year-old girl overdosed on heroin and died a few days later. It was her first time using the drug, according to the Alaska Native News, and now one 26-year-old man named Sean Warner who may have played a part in helping the young girl may be facing charges.

Currently, Warner has been charged with evidence tampering, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and giving a controlled substance to a minor for the young girl’s heroin overdose and may also be charged with manslaughter as well. He is also facing charges for theft from an earlier, unrelated case.

According to witnesses, Warner picked up the 14-year-old girl and brought her to his house with the intention that they all get high on heroin. One of the witnesses said that he tried to talk the teen out of trying the drug, explaining to her how dangerous it could be and how devastating addiction is.

Witnesses also described how Warner tried to inject the teen in his bathroom multiple times without success and ultimately took her into his bedroom where he had her lay on the bed. He used a tourniquet but because her arm was so small, he still had a hard time and it took many attempts to get the heroin into her arm.

Unfortunately, the teen was found unconscious and laying in her own vomit the following morning. Evidence suggests that a text was sent to one of the girl’s friends asking him to come and get the girl, but that friend was unable to do so because he was at work and unable to leave. That friend advised that calling 911 was the best plan, but Warner and the other witnesses did not do this. Instead, Warner allegedly gave her a tab of Suboxone, a drug designed to help people avoid withdrawal symptoms during heroin detox. This didn’t help and the teen ended up going into convulsions – it wasn’t until later that day, in the afternoon, that Warner called 911 for emergency medical assistance for the girl.

At the hospital, it was found that the girl had more than just heroin in her system – she also had methamphetamine, marijuana and cocaine in her bloodstream as well. The heroin overdose, however, likely caused the brain and heart damage she experienced, and she was placed on a respirator as a result where she spent six days without regaining consciousness.

If you would like information about how to help your teen avoid a drug overdose or stop abusing drugs and alcohol, contact us at Newport Academy today.

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