Informationforprogram Practitionersonsubstanceuse Andonassessingsubstanceuse

Publication#2007-08

…informationforprogram practitionersonsubstanceuse andonassessingsubstanceuse outcomesamongadolescents.

March2007

ASSESSINGSUBSTANCEUSEANDABUSEAMONGADOLESCENTS: AGUIDEFOROUT-OF-SCHOOLTIMEPROGRAM PRACTITIONERS

LaurieMartin,Sc.D., M.P.H.and Alyssa Milot, B.A.

BACKGROUND

Thisbriefdiscusses thesigns andsymptomsof alcoholanddrug use andprovidesrecommendationsto assess substanceuse amongyouthinyour program.Itisnotuncommonfor adolescentstoexperiment withdifferentsubstancessuch as alcoholor cigarettes,butthiscanleadtoheavyandcontinueduse, whichisdangerousandmayputtheirhealthatrisk.Additionally,individualswho drinkandsmokeare morelikelytoparticipateinotherrisky behaviors,includingusingotherdrugs or drivingafterdrinking. Adolescentsmayturntosubstanceuse when theyareunderstress athomeor atschool,or when their friendsaresmokingor drinking.

TOBACCO USE

Tobaccocanbeused intheformof cigarettes,cigars,pipes,or smokelesstobacco.Using tobaccoata young ageincreasestherisk of addictionandlaterhealthproblems.

ƒAbout one-quarterof highschoolstudentsreportedhavingsmokedacigarettebeforetheageof

13, andmorethanone-thirdof highschoolstudentsreportedsmokingcigarettesinthepast30 days.1

ƒTobaccouse has beenassociatedwithmanyhealthproblems,includingheartdiseaseand

cancer,2andistheleadingpreventablecauseof deathintheUnitedStates.3

ALCOHOL USE

Alcoholimpairsbothmentalandmotorfunctionsincludinghand-eyecoordination.4Itisparticularly harmfulsinceyouthcanconsumelargeamountsof alcoholquickly.

ƒFiftypercentof highschoolstudentssurveyedreportedtheyhadatleastonedrinkinthelast30

days, and31 percentreportedhavingup tofivedrinks on atleastoneoccasioninthepast30 days.1

ƒAlcoholpoisoningcanresultwhen largeamountsofalcoholareconsumedinashort periodof

time,leadingtoextremesleepiness,unconsciousness,difficultybreathing,dangerouslylow bloodsugar, seizures,anddeath.5

ƒConsequencesof heavyalcoholuse includememoryproblems,liverdisorders (such as hepatitis),

andcancer.6

ƒAbout one-thirdof highschoolstudentsand39 percentof collegestudentsreportedridingat

leastonceinthepastmonthwithadriverwho hadbeendrinkingalcohol.1

ƒThirteenpercentof highschoolstudentsand28 percentof collegestudentsreportedthat,oneor

moretimesduringthepastmonth,theythemselveshaddrivenavehicleafterdrinking.1

ILLICITDRUGUSE

Illicitdrugs aredrugs thatareillegaltopossess, sell,anduse. Morethan54 percentof highschool seniors reportevertryingsometypeofillicitdrug, such as marijuana,cocaine,heroin,Ecstasy, methamphetamine,hallucinogens,psychedelics,OxyContin,or steroids.7Thetwo mostcommonillicit drugs aremarijuanaandinhalants.

ƒMarijuanaisthemostcommonillicitdrug used by teens.

ƒRoughly6,000 peopleeachdayuse marijuanaforthefirsttime,and64 percentof first-

timeusers areundertheageof 18.7

ƒShort-termeffectsof marijuanaincludeproblemswithmemoryandlearning,distorted

perception,difficultyinthinkingandproblemsolving,loss ofcoordination,andincreased heartrate.

ƒInhalantsarethesecondmostcommondrug used by teens.8

ƒOne infiveeighth-gradershas everused inhalants,such as spray paints,cleaningfluids,

gasoline,andhairspray.

ƒTheimmediateeffectsofinhalantsincludeextremegiddiness,excitement,and

hallucinations.hesesubstancesmayalsocausebraindamage,memoryloss, anddeath.

RECOGNIZINGSUBSTANCEUSEAMONGADOLESCENTS INYOURPROGRAM

ƒThekeytorecognizingsigns of tobacco,drug, or alcoholuse istobeawareof changewithinthe

adolescent– whetheritisphysical,social,or emotional.

ƒTheAmericanCouncilfor Drug Educationhas identifiedsymptomstypicallyassociatedwith

varioussubstances,as seenbelow:8

ƒTobacco/Nicotine:Smellof tobacco;stainedfingersor teeth.

ƒInhalants:Wateryeyes;impairedvision,memory,andthought;headachesandnausea;

appearanceof intoxication;drowsiness.

ƒMarijuana:Glassy, redeyes;loudtalkingandinappropriatelaughterfollowedby

sleepiness;loss ofinterestandmotivation;weightgainor loss.

ƒAlcohol:Clumsiness;difficultywalking;slurredspeech;sleepiness;poor judgment;

dilatedpupils;possession of afalseID card.

ASSESSINGSUBSTANCEUSEBEHAVIORSAMONGADOLESCENTS INYOUROUT-OF-SCHOOLTIME

PROGRAM

Belowwe listseveralquestionsyou maywish touseinanevaluationor outcomesstudytoassess substanceuse amongadolescentsinyour program.Itisagood ideatoinvolvea researcheror research organizationtohelpyou learnhow besttoask sensitivequestionslikethese,whichmayupsetsome youth inyour program.Theseorganizationscanalsohelpyou work withyour localInstitutionalReview Board(oftencalledanIRB) whichwilllookoverthequestionsyou wanttoask andtheway you are goingtogettheinformation(e.g.,paperandpencilsurvey,or in-personinterviews).Theywillalso

makesure thechildrenand/oradolescentsinyour programshavepermissionandhaveagreedto participate.

Cigarettes

1. During thepast30 days, on how manydays didyou smokecigarettes?9

A. 0 days

B. 1 or 2 days C. 3 to5 days D. 6 to9 days

E. 10 to19 days F. 20 to29 days G. All30 days

2. During thepast30 days, on thedaysyou smoked,how manycigarettesdidyou smokeperday?9

A. I didnotsmokecigarettesinthepast30 days

B. Less than1 cigaretteperday

C. 1 cigaretteperday

D. 2 to5 cigarettesperdayE. 6 to10 cigarettesperdayF. 11 to20 cigarettesperday

G. More than20 cigarettesperday

Alcohol

3. During thepast30 days, haveyou hadatleastonedrinkof anyalcoholic beverage,such as beer,wine,or liquor?9

A. Yes

B. No

4. During thepast30 days, how manydays didyouhaveatleastonedrinkof any alcoholicbeverage?9

Days

5. During thepast30 days, on how manydays didyou havefiveor moredrinks of alcoholinarow,thatis,withinacoupleof hours?9

A. 0 days B. 1 day C. 2 days

D. 3 to5 days

E. 6 to9 days

F. 10 to19 days

G. 20 or moredays

Marijuana

6. During thepast30 days, how manytimes(ifany)haveyou used marijuana?10

Times

OtherIllicitDrugs

7. During thepast30 days, how manytimes(ifany)haveyou usedotherillicitdrugs, likecocaineor crackor heroin,or anyothersubstancenotprescribedby adoctor,in ordertogethighor toachieveanalteredstate?Do notincludemarijuanaor alcohol.

Times

8.During your life,how manytimeshaveyou sniffedglue,breathedthecontentsof aerosolspray cans,orinhaledanypaintsor spraystogethigh?9

Times

NEXTSTEPS:ADDITIONALRESOURCES FORYOURPROGRAM

ƒAmerican CouncilforDrugEducation(ACDE)

Findadditionaltipson talkingtoyour studentsaboutdrugs, as wellas informational lectureson drug use for use inyour program.Call1-800-488-DRUG or go to

ƒNationalInstituteonAlcoholAbuseandAlcoholism(NIAAA)

Findeducationalresourceson alcoholuse for programsat

ƒTheNationalDrugandAlcoholTreatmentReferralRoutingService

ThisHelpLineprovidesinformationon localtreatmentoptionsfor studentswho are abusingdrugs andalcohol.Call1-800-662-HELP (4357).

1CentersforDisease Controland Prevention. (1997).Youth risk behavior surveillance:National college health riskbehavior survey - UnitedStates.(1995).CDC SurveillanceSummaries,MorbidityandMortalityWeekly Report,46(SS-6):1-56.

2Centersfor Disease Controland Prevention. (1994).Guidelines for school health programs to prevent tobacco useandaddiction. MorbidityandMortality WeeklyReport.43(RR-2):1-19.

3Mokdad,A.H., Marks,J.S.,Stroup,D.F.,Gerberding,J.L.(2004). Actualcausesofdeath intheUnited

States, 2000. Journalofthe AmericanMedical Association,291:1238-1245.

4NationalInstitute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.(1994). Alcohol-RelatedImpairment.AlcoholAlert,25

(PH 351).

5Shatz, E.(2004). TeensHealth: Alcohol.Nemours Foundation.

6Dorsey J,Larson H,SegalJ.(2006).AlcoholAbuseandAlcoholism:Signs,Symptoms,Effectsand

Testing.

7DrugPolicy Alliance.(2006). Adolescentdrug use.

8American Councilfor Drug Education. (1999). Signs and symptoms ofdrug use.

9National Center for ChronicDiseasePrevention and HealthPromotion. (2007).State and LocalYouthRisk

BehaviorSurvey.

10Monitoringthe Future:AContinuing Study of American Youth (8th,10th,and 12th-Grade Surveys).(1976-

2004).AnnArbor, MI: Inter-University ConsortiumforPolitical andSocial Research.

SPONSOREDBY:The AtlanticPhilanthropies

4301Connecticut Ave, NW,Suite 350,Washington,DC20008,