High schoolers in the United States are increasingly using synthetic cannabinoids (SCs), which are two to 100 times more potent than natural marijuana. The SCs sold under pseudonyms like “Spice” and “K2” have hazardous health effects. Now, a new study by researchers at the New York University suggests that about 3 percent of high school […]

According to the latest figures released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Center for Health Statistics, the rate of overdose deaths involving teens aged 15 to 19 in the United States rose by 19 percent from 2014 to 2015. In 2014, there were around 3.1 deaths per 100,000 teens, however, the […]

Snortable chocolate, which is slowly becoming a trend has gained attention for all the wrong reasons lately. New York Senator Charles Schumer on July 9, 2017, called for a federal ban on Coco Loko, a snortable chocolate powder. He called the new product made of chocolate “cocaine on training wheels” and warned against its use, […]

Teens live in a world that is quite different from the world of adults. Even their psychological and physiological yearnings are different from those of adults. Therefore, when it comes to treatment for a drug problem, adolescents and young adults have different needs that cannot be fulfilled by adult-centric programs. The biggest challenge faced by […]

When people take cocaine, they feel energized, invigorated and perhaps a little jittery. Scientists at the Université de Bordeaux and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique in France examined the brain circuits associated with cocaine to determine what produces the hyperactivity and high energy associated with the drug. Senior author François Georges and his research […]

Increased drug use is becoming more associated with juvenile punishment. New studies show that incorporating rehabilitative and evidence-based methods can make a big difference in rates of recovery for teens. Arrest and abuse Back in the late 1980s, Richard Dembo, Ph.D., of the University of South Florida led multiple investigations on the link between detained […]

Many variables can influence a teenager to start using drugs. Although some factors are innate, a fair share of research has helped uncover the substantial role peer relationships play in this behavioral process. If one starts looking into the pressures of social acceptance as a teen, a trail of evidence leads to the reasoning behind […]

The addictive potential of different drugs and the risk-taking tendencies of teenagers have given rise to a history of substance-related issues for many adolescents. Although research shows that rehabilitative programs and services are indeed effective, a troubling statistic is the small amount of teens that actually access or are given the care they require. Starting […]

Through a sense of personal identity and a goal-oriented structure, teens who have classified themselves as “straight edge” have also found a healthy lifestyle practice that extends beyond its musical roots. In the 2012 article, “‘We Sing For Change’: Straight Edge Punk & Social Change,” Francis Stewart, Ph.D., from the University of Stirling defined straight […]

Similar to how parenting styles can determine how a growing child behaves during his or her developing years, siblings can similarly affect actions as well. Related research supports that adolescence may be a vulnerable period for siblings to negatively influence each other’s behavior, as teens have shown to be more biologically susceptible to risky and […]