About Alcohol and Drugs:

Q: How can I tell if my teenager is doing alcohol or drugs?

A: The "Warning Signs of Teen Substance Abuse" include just about every aspect of conduct: physical, emotional, family, school and social behavior.

Physically, a teen may have

• fatigue 
• repeated gripes about health
• red, glazed eyes
• a lasting cough 

Emotionally, look for 

• a personality change
• sudden mood changes
• irritability 
• irresponsible behavior 
•  low self-esteem
• poor judgment 
• depression
• general lack of interest 

Family behaviors include

• starting arguments
• negative attitudes
• breaking rules 
• withdrawing from family
• secretiveness 

School symptoms may be

• decreased interest
• negative attitude
• drop in grades
• many absences
• truancy
• discipline problems

 Social problems

• new friends who make poor decisions and are not interested in school or family activities
• problems with the law
• changes to less conventional styles in dress and music

Some of the warning signs listed above can also be signs of other problems. Parents may recognize signs of trouble but they're not expected to diagnose. Consulting a physician to rule out physical causes of the warning signs is a good first step. Follow this with an appointment with a psychiatrist or a mental health professional to rule out mental illness. Call on a licensed chemical dependency counselor for a complete assessment for substance abuse or addictive illness. 

Q: Why do Males and Females Respond Differently to Alcohol?

A: Females process alcohol differently than males. Smaller amounts of alcohol are more intoxicating for females regardless of their size. Physiological differences may explain this.

 Females have less body water than males.  Females have (as a whole) more body fat than males.  When people drink, alcohol spreads into the water in their bodies. Because females have smaller amounts of body water to dilute the alcohol, they have higher concentrations of alcohol in their blood than males have after drinking identical amounts of alcohol. 
An enzyme that "breaks down" or metabolizes alcohol works in a different way in females than in males.  In males, the enzyme from the liver -alcohol dehydrogenase - breaks down much of the alcohol in the stomach and the small intestine, so that less of it enters the circulatory system. In females, the enzyme is less lively. 
Changing hormone levels during the menstrual cycle may influence the speed of alcohol metabolism in females. See the following link for more info: http://ncadi.samhsa.gov

Q: What can a parent do to help their teenager?

A: 

1. Make a plan. Before you sit your teen down for a conversation, prepare yourself. Relax! Go for a walk, sit where you can't be disturbed, and think. Reflect on the facts of the situation. Try to avoid negative feelings of anger and betrayal-your child will tune you out. Organize your thoughts. Decide what you want to say to your teen. Think about what resources you might need: a counselor, your faith leader, the coach, a school counselor, etc. Keep a diary or journal of your feelings, talks, and progress so that you can begin to see a pattern of behavior. 
2. Present the facts. Set the tone wisely. Open the discussion with a statement of your love and concern for your teen. You could begin with a statement of the facts as you know them: you found drug paraphernalia in their room; they violated family curfews; their grades have slipped; they've changed from being a "good kid" to someone who is getting into trouble at home, or school, or in the community; or simply, you have noticed your teen has become quiet, secretive and has changed from the kid you used to know. 
3. Do your research.  Don't call marijuana or "weed" dope.  To teenagers, dope is speed or meth or cocaine or heroin.  Show you know something, please!
4. LISTEN.  After presenting the facts as you see them, ask your teen for his/her response to the information you've presented.  Listen to your teen.  Hear what he or she is saying.  Decide if the problem is beyond your ability to help and if you need to bring in a professional. 
5. Discuss.  Don't accept flimsy excuses.  Be steady and consistent in your approach.  Don't get seduced into "looking the other way" because it's easier.  Know that you are doing the right thing. 
6. Set boundaries.  Firmly and warmly make it very clear that you will not tolerate drug or alcohol use by your teen. Identify the consequences if they do use.  It can be hard to set down clear rules.  But a parent can say, "I know it's difficult that I have to make these rules.  But I wouldn't be a good parent to you if I didn't take care of your safety and make them."  And finally set clear consequences. Reward good behaviors and hold him/her accountable for his/her actions.  Offer incentive rewards for progress.

Q: Are there free resources, meetings I can go to for help?

A: Telephone directory.  Both Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous list local numbers in the white pages of the local telephone directory.  Also, NA has a toll-free number, 1-800-922-6587.  When you call AA or NA, you will either be answered by a 12 Step volunteer who will talk with you and give you the information you need, or hear a recording that gives day, times and locations of area meetings plus the first name and telephone numbers of members you may call for more information.  For relatives or significant others of alcoholics or drug addicts, there is Alanon and Naranon.  There are open, informational meetings. Free.
        The world wide web.  Try http://www.google.com to search for help.

Q: What are AA or NA meetings like?

A: Freedom from drugs. Fellowship. Fun.  Go to enough meetings and you will come to care about the members of your group, and they about you.  Relationships are an important part of wellness and contentment.  Through this fellowship, you will experience acceptance, being valued, and not blamed. When the recovering person begin to try rationalizing a way to drink alcohol or use drugs again, someone will recognize what's going on and care enough to give a warning.  One can learn a great deal about recovery from both the advice and the mistakes of the members of the group in your hometown.
Hope.  By hearing the stories people tell at the meetings and looking at the lives of those who are recovering, one comes to know and believe that recovery is truly possible.  One gains hope and energy to support recovery.
A standard meeting is based on the "12 Steps and the 12 Traditions. " It lasts for about an hour.  Early on, they say the Serenity Prayer.  Each member of the group introduces himself or herself (example: "I'm Fred and I'm an alcoholic.")  A speaker shares his/her recovery story if it is a speaker meeting, or if it is a discussion meeting, there will be a suggested topic for discussion.  The meeting closes with the Lord's Prayer, and they usually say, "forgive us our trespasses," instead of "forgive us our debts."  There is no charge to attend AA or NA meetings -they pass around a basket or a bucket, and most people put in a dollar, but it's fine to not put in anything if you don't have it to spare.

Q: What's the association between alcohol and crime?

A: Common knowledge on alcohol-related crime and other social ills has been crowded out by opinions in the news about social costs and consequences of drug abuse. But, put frankly, alcohol use is associated with assault and sex-related crimes, serious youth crime, family violence toward both spouses and children, being both a homicide victim and a perpetrator, and persistent aggression as an adult.  Alcohol problems happen excessively among both juveniles and adults who have violent behaviors.

Most crime, of course, is not related to drinking, and most drinking never results in crime. But some people get into more crime and violence when they are drinking or drunk than when they are clean and sober. Writers are careful to cover their act by saying "conceptions of how drinking affects social behavior are shaped more by powerful cultural, economic, and political forces than by scientific evidence regarding the direct effects of alcohol." 

But exactly the same sorts of cautions apply to the links between drug abuse and crime. The evidence that "drug abuse causes crime" is of the same kind and quality as the evidence that "alcohol abuse causes crime." It's there, but it's guesswork and generally persuasive but not scientifically precise

Q: How Long Does Marijuana Stay in the User's Body?

A: See National Institute on Drug Abuse  to get the whole marijuana picture. THC in marijuana is strongly absorbed by fatty tissues in various organs, like the brain and the gonads. Generally, traces called metabolites of THC can be detected by standard urine testing (UAs) for several days after smoking, blazing, toking, seeing Mary Jane, etc.  However, in heavy chronic users, traces can sometimes show up in a UA for weeks after they have stopped using marijuana. Home and family test kits are also available on the Internet.

Q: Why don't they legalize weed? Isn't it a natural herb and approved of in the Good Book?

A. 

1."Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; that which cometh out of the mouth defileth a man." (Mat. 15:11)  So, Biblically, you shouldn't exhale. 
2. "I will raise up for them a plant of renown, and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any more." (Ezekiel 34:29) That could mean cannabis or genetically enhanced corn. Until legalized, pot users have to bear the shame of the heathen, which means jails, institutions and death, I guess.
3. "Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed which is upon the face of all the earth.…To you it will be for meat." … And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. (Genesis 1:29-31) Right, God don't make any junk, but I don't want to smoke no poison ivy either. 

Someday, medical science may discover powerful and vastly beneficial drugs from cannabis sativa (the scientific name for "weed.") That's because marijuana is A POWERFUL DRUG. (DUH!) Society regulates powerful drugs by law.

Q: What is there to do besides drink and take drugs?

A: A ton of things that don't involve sex or violence either. The trouble is that people are addicted to trouble, chaos and excitement. So, if you don't want to help Mommie clean, go cheer on the team. The performing arts can enrich your heart. Try bowling and snacks or karaoke tracks. The museum has an educational mission, or you can try to catch a fish while fishin'.  Read a little kid a book, then go outside and have a look. Sunsets are a visual glow, go plant a tree or see a show. Go find yourself a coffee bar, or learn to play a bass guitar. Wash your clothes and use the dryer; go to church and join the choir. Of all the things you haven't done, the nicest things could be really fun.

Q: What can I do if a person needs to quit, but doesn't want to?

A: Don't be surprised. Denying that drinking or drug use is the cause of problems (such as drinking too much, yelling at the kids, spending all the money, tickets) is one of the unlucky symptoms of alcoholism and drug addiction. So, if you're having a tough time making your point and you're not getting through, it's not your fault. 
So, don't take it personally. Time to back off and let your friend know that when he or she is ready, you'll be there to help. Find pamphlets or books and leave them around. Learn to say, if asked why, "Someone I know has a serious illness, and I'm learning what I can do about it." Go to Alanon. You could also give your friend the phone number of a local A.A. group. 
But don't be gloomy. Maybe you planted the seed of healing that grows when you least expect it. 
When your friend visits don't offer alcohol. Don't continue to lend money. Don't accept late-night calls when your friend is drunk or high. They just want a drinking buddy at that time of night.

Q: Why don't they legalize marijuana? Alcohol and tobacco are already legal.
A: Around here, alcohol is illegal in lots of places and for people under 21. Tobacco is illegal for people under 18. If weed were legalized, it would be illegal for the underage population. And it would be taxed, controlled, sterilized and homogenized. Plus, nobody who can do anything about it is saying, "Hey, let's let the kids drink and smoke legally!" Laws are passed to keep kids from hurting themselves in cars, with guns, and with powerful drugs. Potent drugs affect brains and minds and keep kids from growing up with good sense. That's what's wrong with a lot of adults now. If this hurts, you're probably recognizing yourself.