The Teenage brain

1. The Teenage brain Why do teens get addicted?

2. Have you spoken to your kids? • How many of you have spoken to your kids/students about illegal drugs?

3. 2500 teens will abuse one of these TODAY Partnership for a Drug-Free America

4. # of deaths (Florida, 2007)Sample=168,900 autopsies) Both 3071 Florida Medical Examiners Commissions

5. ER 153% rise of ER visits in last 12 years. Drug Abuse Warning Network

6. Generation Rx

7. Meet Generation Rx • Highest rates of abuse • Ages 12- 25 • 12-17 (females) • 17-25 (males)

8. Generation Rx: How’s this for shock factor? 20% 20% 10% 40% 55% 15% • Abused a prescription (Rx) pain medication (4.5 million) • Reported abuse of Rx stimulants and tranquilizers • Have abused cough medication(2.4 million) • Believe that Rx drugs are much safer than illegal drugs (9.4 million) • Don’t believe using cough medicine to get high is risky (13 million) • took a drug in the last year for nonmedical purposes Partnership for a Drug Free America, 2006 Partnership Attitude Tracking Survey (PATS)

9. Generation Rx: How’s this for shock factor? • 2 million teens abuse prescription drugs yearly • Arkansas is 1st in the nation for teen drug abuse • 80% increase in the last 6 years

10. Pharm Parties • Pharm party: • a party where you bring medications rather than presents • Pharming: • searching medicine cabinets for pills • Trail mix: • bowls and baggies of random pills

11. A dose of trouble:OTC Drugs of concern

12. What do these items have in common?

13. DXM(Dextromethorphan):cough syrup • Similar to morphine • Street names: • Robo • Skittles • Triple C’s • Dex • Vitamin D • Tussin • Cheap, easy to get • Internet=how much to get high • Nyquil • Robitussin • Vicks Formula 44 • Coricidin HPB • (Cough and cold)

14. Prescription for danger • Of the ER visits in 2004 from DXM alone, 36% alcohol was also implicated in 18-20 year olds, and 13% in 12-17 year olds. • 48% of ER visits due to nonmedical reasons for DXM were in ages 12-20

15. Popularized in rap songs • And it’s fun!

16. A simple “google” will bring up concoctions on how to get high with DXM fast.

17. Other culprits Common culprits • Sleep aids • Tylenol PM • Excedrin PM • Sominex • Motion sickness pills • Dramamine Large doses and effects on the body • Can cause hallucinations

18. Rx drugs of concern A prescription for trouble

19. Most common Rx abused • Benzodiazepines (for anxiety) • Diazepam • Clonazepam • Opioid Pain Relievers (pain & post-surgery) • Morphine • Oxycodone • Hydrocodone • Stimulants (for ADHD) • Adderrall • Ritalin

20. Not just vitamins anymore

21. The teen brain Who is this creature?

22. What is the emotion here? • Adults respond correctly: • FEAR • Teens response: • Shocked • Surprised • Angry • Teens also used different parts of the brain to come up with this answer!

23. Different parts of brain activated by age Teens used amygdala Adults used frontal cortex

24. The turbulent teen brain: develops from back to front Reasoning and impulses Develops fully age 25 Emotion & Motivation Overreactive passionate Difficult to control impulses Physical coordination ACTIVE! Video: http://www.drugfree.org/TEENBRAIN/science/index.html

25. Use it or lose it • Pruning process: • Connections in brain that aren’t used get pruned back • Strengthening process: • Connections get stronger that are used • http://www.drugfree.org/TEENBRAIN/science/growth.html

26. Why are teens abusing? • It starts with • Sleep problems • Concentration lapses • Wanting to get high • It’s FUN!*** • Stress • Boredom • Peer influence • False sense of security Remember: that teens are driven by high impact low effort activities due to that overdeveloped emotional brain; addiction risk is high at this time

27. Other driving factors • Less stigma - legal • Parents don’t know • Easy access • Need help to manage lives • Invincibility • Rx drugs are “safer” • We are a pill taking society • 7/10 visits patients leave Dr’s office with a prescription • Advertising Even when parents are aware of the problem, they don’t know how to deal with it

28. Where do they find them? You are your child’s best drug dealer • Around the home • Friends • Grandparents The Anti Drug website has an interactive tour of where Rx can be found in the home: http://www.theantidrug.com/drug_info/prescription_dangerZones.asp

29. Where Do Teens Get These Drugs? Source: SAMHSA, 2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health

30. Warning Signs • Flushed skin, excessive, sweating, urination or thirst • Mood swings • Irritability • Excessive energy • Spastic shaking • Diarrhea • Nausea/vomiting • Lying • Borrowing money/extra cash • Losing interest in activities • Excessive energy • Poor school performance • Extreme change in friends

31. Warning Signs Around the House • Missing pills • Unfamiliar pills • Empty bottles • Losing pills • Constant refills

32. Effect on the Body • Addiction • Stroke • Seizures • Comas • Death

33. What a parent can do

34. Communicating • Empathize • Talk to your teen • Don’t yell • Don’t condescend • Your teen will be 50% less likely to abuse Be a teen influencer www.talkaboutrx.org Parents still have the biggest influence over their teens

35. Prevention • Communication • Awareness • Talk with your family and friends, ministers, counselors, teachers, coaches…teen influencers • Safe storage and disposal of medicines Lock up the medicines

36. In a nutshell, grandma was right • “The best thing you can do for your child is spend loving, quality time with them” Dr. Jay Giedd, neuroscientist at National Institute of Mental Health thinks that the 1st 3 years of life are important but so are the 1st 16. What teens do during adolescence shapes how their brains develop.

37. Resources for parents/teens • www.Talkaboutrx.org • www.theantidrug.com • www.drugfree.org/teenbrain • www.nida.nih.gov • www.fda/gov • http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/teenbrain/view/ (view movie on teen brain) • http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/teenbrain/work/ (interviews with experts)