Lisa Sharp from the intervention and prevention department of Seattle Public Schools spoke first about data from the recent survey of 6th, 8th and 10th grade students. The survey was taken by 10,000 kids total on subjects such as healthy eating, exercise, sexuality, safety, violence, etc. The survey is anonymous and voluntary. 90% of Salmon Bay middle schoolers participated.
The purpose of the survey is to get more support and services in place where students need them.
Results of the survey can be found at www.askhys.net. Questions on the survey can be directed to Lisa at lmsharp@seattleschools.org.
Cigarette use has dropped. Kids perceive pot, alcohol and cigarettes as cool, available and not risky. At Ballard HS, lots of kids are high in class. The availability of pot and alcohol is increasing.
Some of the survey results:
suffered from depression
21% of SB 8th graders
26% of 8th graders in State
cigarette use in the past 30 days
1% of Salmon Bay 6th graders, 6% of SB 8th graders, 9% 8th graders in the state
% of students who report having drunk a glass, can or bottle of alcohol in the last 30 days
2% of SB 6th graders, 3% in the state
11% of SB 8th graders, 12% in the state
34% of Ballard High School 10th graders, 23% in the state
49% of Ballard High school 12th graders, 36% in the state
The number one influence is family -whether the family has clear rules about alcohol and drug use, whether parents know who their kids are with and where they are.
Talk to kids about binge drinking and getting in the car with someone who has smoked pot or drank. Pot decreases response times for driving just as alcohol does. Develop a code word that your kid can use to call or text and get out of a situation with friends or get a ride home from parents.
video from Children's hospital about the importance of families in prevention: http://www.preventionworksinseattle.org/
From Dr. Caleb Banta-Greene, researcher at UW.
- We are a very anxious society and many of us are quick to medicate. He challenged the parents to be mindful for a week about what we put into our bodies - vitamins, pain relievers, prescription medications, pot, alcohol, tobacco, etc. Society believes that stress and anger and other big emotions are bad and we can fix them by reaching for a bottle. Taking medicines is normal for us. Our kids are watching what we do.
- Talk to your kids and be an example about taking care of your body with exercise, eating healthy foods and practicing some form of stress relief that does not involve drugs or alcohol or over -eating or over anything. Help them develop tools to deal with stress. Model that.
- Treat medicine with respect. If you suffer a sprain or an injury, demonstrate the ways that you take care of yourself - applying ice or heat, elevating, ibuprofen
- Don't take things that aren't prescribed for you.
- Don't keep medications that you are not using. Ask your doctor to give you less medicine - i.e. 2 percoset for a sprain versus 60.
- Parents are in charge of giving out medication. Parents keep medication and make sure dosages are correct. Keep medications out of sight and lock up ADD meds, antidepressants and pain meds (percoset, vicodin, oxycontin). Pain medications are opiates and are particularly addictive.
- Pot is not measured the way alcohol is in bloodstream. Difficult to assess what a serving is. Also can be laced with other things, i.e. THC. Not safe to drive with someone who has smoked pot. Depth perception is effected. Pot is a hallucinogen. Its use has been linked to higher rates of depression.
- Never mix drugs and alcohol.
- Kids or anyone should call 911 if a friend has overdosed. They will not get in legal trouble for having drugs.
- For adolescents, their brains are growing. Marijuana and alcohol impact brain development.
- Packaged snacks available with pot in them, i.e. gold fish, fruit loops, brownies, lollipops. Talk to your kids about not taking anything when they don't know where the item is from or what is in it.
- Talking to your kids about addiction in your own family - could be used as a teaching tool, showing how addiction has impacted the family (depending on age of kids)
- Top medicines for teen abuse: Ritalin, asthma medications, antidepressants
LearnAboutMarijuanaWA.org
- is marijuana harmful?
- are there special risks for teens?
- what do I need to know about the law?
- what if I am concerned about my use?
24 hour help for substance abuse, problem gambling and mental health
free and confidential support - linkage to local treatment providers
866.789.1511
www.waRecoveryHelpLine.org
Help for teens: 866.TEENLINK (866.833.6546)
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