Reasons for drinking versus outcome expectancies in the prediction of college student drinking
This study developed a Reasons for Drinking Scale (RFD) with three factorially derived subscales, Social Camaraderie, Mood Enhancement, and Tension Reduction, among a university student sample. These scales were then compared to a measure of alcohol expectancies, the Alcohol Expectancy […]
Read MoreInternational Trends in Drug Abuse
Trends in drug use in various countries are reported in a number of sources; some current examples are given in this item:
In Australia marijuana is the most popular illicit drug, followed by amphetamines. While cocaine is not readily available in […]
Back to School Teen Survey – USA
In middle school 36% of students and 33% of teachers say the drug problem is getting worse compared to 10% of principals; in high school. 51% of students and 41% of teachers say it is getting worse compared with 15% […]
Read MoreMore than 321,000 U.S. children lost a parent to drug overdose from 2011 to 2021
Federal study shows lives lost from overdose crisis are felt across generations, emphasizing need to include children and families in support
May 8, 2024
An estimated 321,566 children in the United States lost a parent to drug overdose from 2011 to 2021, […]
Parents: talk to your kids about drugs and alcohol
It seems as if every community, big or small, has been impacted by the problems associated with substance use and drug overdose. Within communities, these problems can extend into the family unit, with people often becoming addicted and dying because […]
Mothers of Fentanyl victims campaign for awareness
Mothers of children who died via fentanyl poisoning champion NC’s new death-by-distribution law and continue to advocate for awareness
BY GALE MELCHER The CityBeat
JULY 20TH, 2024
On a billboard off of Battleground Avenue in Greensboro, 20 smiling faces flash grins through the […]
In Oregon, parents and teachers catalyze drug prevention in schools
Armed with knowledge and tools, parents are making a big difference in local school districts
by Emily Green February 1, 2024
Mila Priest, 8, focuses on computer playing the PAX Good Behavior Game during class at Fern Hill Elementary School in […]
Read MorePreventing bullying can prevent substance abuse
Posted Saturday, October 12, 2024
By MARIE GARCEAU
October is National Bullying Prevention Month. Bullying prevention programs begin locally, with communities and the individuals within them creating safe and supportive schools, organizations, neighborhoods and family units.
While this campaign is not as recognized as much […]
Red Ribbon Week
RED RIBBON WEEK is Celebrated Annually October 23-31.
Red Ribbon Week highlights the importance of living a drug-free life. It presents an opportunity for parents, educators, and communities to reinforce the drug-free messages they share with their children throughout the year. […]
Why We Need to Modernize Substance Use Education
These TC experts emphasize the critical need for a more proactive approach to substance use education
More than 40,000 youth used nicotine pouches last year alone, a staggering increase from 2021. The relatively new and less detectable product’s increasing prevalence among youth underscores […]
Read MoreTexas mom who lost son ‘not backing down’ in fight for fentanyl education
Newsmaker Interviews by: Gracie Kirschner, John Thomas – Sep 29, 2024
AUSTIN (Nexstar) – Fentanyl poisonings continue to kill thousands of people across Texas. But the latest statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show an encouraging sign. The numbers show […]
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Marijuana ads are enticing kids to try weed, study says
by CNN Health (selected text) – February 12, 2025
A legal loophole is allowing children who access social media to see enticing advertisements for marijuana with potentially dangerous consequences, according to experts.
Under the Controlled Substances Act, it’s illegal to advertise the […]
Five Common False Beliefs About Drug Use, Users, and Addiction
Dangerous but common misconceptions can prevent crucial early addiction treatment.
Key points:
Misconceptions and the ignoring of research-based evidence prevent crucial early treatment of addiction.
Drugs of abuse cause health, life, and relationship problems with many long-lasting effects.
Teen and young adult drug prevention […]
The Impact of Substance Use on Parenting
How do I know if a child is being abused/neglected? In 2023, there were over 546,000 reported cases of child abuse and neglect across the U.S. That same year, approximately 2,000 children died from abuse and neglect – a 9.6% […]
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If smug middle-class users of drugs knew this, they’d be horrified
1 in 4 Kids Lives With a Parent Battling Addiction, Alarming Study Finds
Updated estimates indicate a greater need for treatment.
A new study reveals that a large number of American children are growing up in homes where at least one parent struggles with alcohol or drug use. This troubling environment may increase the […]
The Top Seven of Teen Substance Use Trends Parents Need to Know in 2025
by Pat Aussem, L.P.C., M.A.C., Vice President, Consumer Clinical Content Development – June 2025
Personalized support for addressing your child’s substance use or addiction
Fentanyl poisoning & counterfeit pills
According to the CDC, deaths from fentanyl poisoning are fastest growing among 14- […]
No amount of marijuana is safe for teens
by Ken Winters and Naomi Schaefer Riley, opinion contributors, THE HILL news – 06/14/25 8:00 AM ET
“Since the failed war on drugs began more than 50 years ago, the prohibition of marijuana has ruined lives, families and communities, particularly communities […]
A Brief History of Drug Prevention
OPENING REMARK BY NDPA:
Dianova presents itself as a “Swiss NGO recognized as a Public Utility organization, committed to social progress”. Examination of their publications places them as an organisation which is less committed to primary prevention than to reactive approaches, such […]
Huffing & Dusting: Signs of Inhalant Misuse Parents Should Know
by Pat Aussem, L.P.C., M.A.C. – Vice President, Consumer Clinical Content Development – July 2025
Inhalants
Inhalants are ordinary household products that are inhaled or sniffed to get high. Hundreds of products can be misused as inhalants.
“There’s no ID required. It’s odorless. […]
Read More4 proven ways parents can protect teens from drugs
From open communication to community involvement, strategies help families tackle teenage substance abuse head-on
By David Kesiena – Oct 13, 2025
Teenage drug use remains one of the most pressing concerns for parents across America, with recent studies showing that experimentation often begins […]
Read More6 ways to handle a child with substance abuse
By Babatunde Titilola – 7th September 2024
Substance abuse among children is a significant concern, with various studies indicating that it often begins from adolescence.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, which is part of the United States National Institutes […]
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BTMPS in Fentanyl: What Parents Need to Know About This Emerging Chemical
by Maurizio Guerrero, Educational Content Editor; Pat Aussem, L.P.C., M.A.C., Vice President, Consumer Clinical Content Development
Published November 2025
This article was developed in partnership with the Opioid Response Network (ORN). ORN provides education and training, known as technical assistance, via local, experienced […]
New drug initiative in Lee County
A new drug prevention initiative has been initiated in Lee County, Va. that will provide youth with another way to resist the peer pressures of experimenting with drugs.
“This new program, ‘Give Me A Reason’, was designed to establish a way […]
The Medical Minute: Nicotine Poisoning Can Prove Fatal in Children
The Food and Drug Administration recently announced it intends to require warning labels and child-resistant packaging on liquid nicotine products such as those used in e-cigarettes.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the popularity of e-cigarettes has resulted in […]
So called ‘medical marijuana’, Charlotte’s Web and Epileptic Seizures
There is, naturally, a hope amongst parents whose child is desperately ill with seizures that a new treatment will help. Many parents in the USA have been convinced that medical marijuana may be the answer – and some have even […]
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Advocacy Group: Commercialization Of Legal Pot Has Led To ‘Epidemic’ For Colorado Kids
DENVER (CBS4) – The results of a new study about the impact of Colorado’s marijuana legalization is raising troubling questions for parents. The study cites a significant increase in marijuana-related traffic deaths, hospital visits and school suspensions. The parents CBS4’s Melissa […]
Read MoreExamining the relationship between marijuana use, medical marijuana dispensaries, and abusive and neglectful parenting.
Freisthler B1, Gruenewald PJ2, Wolf JP2.
Abstract
The current study extends previous research by examining whether and how current marijuana use and the physical availability of marijuana are related to child physical abuse, supervisory neglect, or physical neglect by parents while controlling for child, […]
A randomized pilot study of the Engaging Moms Program for family drug court.
Dakof G.A., Cohen J.B., Henderson C.E. et al.
Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment: 2010, 38, p. 263–274..
US researchers may have found a better way to support mothers at risk of losing custody of their children so they engage in and benefit […]
Being an addict’s mom: ‘It’s just a very, very sad place’
Seven years ago, Barbara Theodosiou, then a successful entrepreneur building a women’s business mentoring group, stopped going to meetings, leaving the house and taking care of herself. She grew increasingly distraught.
“You almost wake up and get this haunting feeling, this […]
Read MoreCoalitions in Action: Thinking Outside the Box in Rural Indiana
In the spring of 2013, Neighborhoods Against Substance Abuse, Inc. (NASA) in Greenfield, Indiana, knew that it had an escalating problem on its hands. Alcohol, tobacco, prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, and marijuana use were all on the rise among […]
Read MoreParents should be wary of marijuana legalization
As a parent and grandparent, I believe legalizing recreational marijuana would result in serious harm to public health and safety, and urge my fellow Californians to vote “No” on Proposition 64 on Nov. 8.
Marijuana is a complicated issue. I support […]
Best Parenting Strategies for Kids with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
A new study by researchers at the University of Rochester sheds light on how parents and caregivers of children with foetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) can best help their kids achieve to the best of their abilities, and at the […]
Read MoreParent and peer pathways linking childhood experiences of abuse with marijuana use in adolescence and adulthood.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION:
The social developmental processes by which child maltreatment increases risk for marijuana use are understudied. This study examined hypothesized parent and peer pathways linking preschool abuse and sexual abuse with adolescent and adult marijuana use.
METHODS:
Analyses used data from the Lehigh […]
Non-authoritative parents and impact on drug use: the perception of adolescent children.
ABSTRACT
Objective:
To evaluate the association between drug use and parenting styles perceived by Brazilian adolescent children.
Methods:
This cross-sectional study enrolled adolescents aged 14 to 19 years that used the Serviço Nacional de Orientações e Informações sobre a Prevenção do Uso Indevido de […]
I Was Biting Glass and Biting My Way Out of Delirium
I am not a long-time user. I used casually for about six months, but then suddenly had a terrible experience with marijuana-induced psychosis. I had moved from a state where is was illegal, to Washington. A dispensary sold me something […]
Read MoreMarijuana: What Parents Need to Know Today
Today’s Reality
Even if you smoked pot 20+ years ago without harm, today’s situation is different. We want our children to avoid marijuana because they care about the risks in marijuana itself.
Here’s the facts for raising your children today:
* Marijuana has […]
I’ve Tried Everything to Help My Child’s Addiction. Now What?
Sometimes when your son or daughter is struggling with substance use, it feels like you’ve tried absolutely everything to help. What if you’ve nearly given up hope?
In this short video, Master Addictions Counselor Mary Ann Badenoch, LPC, offers some new […]
Nurturing Healthy Choices in Young Minds
Nowadays, teaching your child to make healthy choices is crucial for their development and well-being. Understanding the importance of nutritious eating and an active lifestyle can set the foundation for a lifetime of health and happiness. This article, which has […]
Stress Main Factor Driving Teens to Abuse Drugs, Alcohol
By HealthDay Feb. 9, 2024, at 7:50 a.m.
By Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter
American teenagers cite stress as the leading reason they might get drunk or high, a new report reveals.
That only underscores the need for better adolescent mental health […]
Read MoreEvery father should speak to their kids about drugs and alcohol
Posted Thursday, June 13, 2024 2:42 pm
Nickolaus Hayes – Author and Parent
Being a father is not easy; it takes sacrifice, which means playing an essential role in a child’s life by being there for them and loving them unconditionally.
Every father knows they need […]
Good parenting as catalyst for drug free society
The battle against substance abuse is one that spans generations and transcends borders. The prevalence of drug abuse is staggering, with far-reaching consequences that ripple through communities and societies.
According to the World Health Organisation, substance abuse claims the lives of […]
Read MoreUnlocking the Truth: The Hidden Risks of Melatonin Gummies for Children
A Research Letter published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) raises alarms about administering melatonin gummies to children. Between 2012 and 2021, reports to U.S. poison control centers regarding pediatric melatonin ingestions surged 530% and were linked with 27,795 […]
Read MoreNIDA Releases New Guide on Treating Teen Substance Abuse
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is releasing new resources to help parents, health care providers and substance abuse treatment specialists treat teens who are struggling with drug abuse. The resources also provide advice on identifying and interacting with […]
Read MoreThe perils of legalized pot
Marijuana legalization may be the same-sex marriage of 2014 — a trend that reveals itself in the course of the year as obvious and inexorable. At the risk of exposing myself as the fuddy-duddy I seem to have become, I […]
Read MoreDon’t let Colorado’s pot experiment draw in teens
Colorado has legalized marijuana, and I’m glad. We need to try some new approaches to drug policy in this country, and if Colorado is willing to be the guinea pig, we should be grateful.
But here at home, we need to […]