Parents can help shatter the myths teens hear about drugs and alcohol

By Lauren Barnes with the Northeast Texas Coalition Against Substance Abuse The days of D.A.R.E. and “just say no” are behind us, and experts say teens need scientific facts about drugs and alcohol to be better prepared to make the right decisions. However, teens are receiving incorrect messages about drugs and alcohol from their friends, television and social media. The Northeast Texas Coalition Against Substance Abuse is working to ensure youth in Daingerfield receive the correct facts, but we can’t do it alone. We need parents to talk to their teens about common drug and alcohol myths and empower them with the facts so they can make healthy decisions. Myth: Drinking is a rite of passage and everyone is doing it. Only one in five East Texas 7th-12th graders are current users of alcohol, according to the 2014 Texas School Survey. Since we work in prevention, we won’t be happy until that number is one, but the silver lining is that 79 percent of those teens aren’t frequently drinking. So not everyone is doing it. Myth: Underage drinking is okay as long as no one is driving. While drinking and driving is a very serious issue, it’s not the only reason underage drinking is dangerous. Research shows that the brain doesn’t finish developing until the mid-twenties and exposing the developing brain to alcohol has serious effects on memory, learning and personality development. In addition, children who begin drinking at age 13 have a 45 percent chance of becoming alcohol- dependent. A person who starts drinking at the legal age of 21 only has a 7 percent chance of becoming addicted, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Other consequences include engaging in risky sexual behavior, an increased risk for physical and sexual assault and poor academic performance. Myth: Marijuana isn’t harmful since it’s legal in some states. Scientific evidence shows that regular marijuana use during teenage years can affect the developing brain, and lower a person’s IQ well into adulthood. Science tells us regular recreational marijuana use interferes with other aspects of functioning and wellbeing. Even in the states that marijuana use is legal, marijuana use is illegal in all states for those under 21 because of the harmful effects on teens. Myth: Marijuana isn’t addictive. The chances of becoming addicted to marijuana, or any drug, is different for each person. However, for marijuana, one in 11 people who use it become addicted, according to National Institute on Drug Abuse. Myth: Synthetic marijuana is natural and harmless. Synthetic drugs, such synthetic marijuana (K2 and Spice), are far from natural. The drugs contain dried, shredded plant materials and chemical additives that are responsible for psychoactive affects. Each bag of synthetic drugs can have a completely different, and dangerous, chemical makeup. The unknown chemical compositions can cause a variety of dangerous health consequences, including heart trouble, vomiting, agitation, confusion, hallucinations, violence, suicidal thoughts and even death. Myth: Prescription drugs are safer than illicit drugs because they are prescribed by a health professional When prescription drugs are abused, they can be just as addictive and dangerous as illicit drugs. For example, teens think they can take a friend’s prescribed ADHD medication to focus when studying for a big test, even if they themselves don’t have ADHD. However, teens who abuse these drugs for their stimulatory properties are at risk for serious effects, including, dangerously high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, difficulty breathing, seizures and tremors, stroke, hallucinations and mood disorders. In addition, experts say the increase in heroin use is linked to prescription opioid abuse. Young people often become addicted to pain pills and progress to heroin, which provides the same euphoric high, when pills are hard to come by. I want to encourage parents to talk to their teens about the commons myths and equip them with the facts so they can make the best decisions. Don’t forget, you are the no. 1 influence on whether your kids do drugs or alcohol. About: Northeast Texas Coalition Against Substance Abuse is a program of Next Step Community Solutions, a Tyler-based nonprofit. The coalition is made up of concerned community members and works to prevent adolescent drinking, marijuana use, synthetic marijuana use and prescription drug abuse in Cass, Bowie, Franklin, Morris and Titus counties.