Drug Use & Teens, It's Not What it Used to Be

 by Katherine O'Brien, ThD candidate & Certified College Planning Specialist

Over 11% of the 7.7M drug related ER visits were made by 18-25 year olds. This age group also has the highest rate of cannibus related ER visits. (per a 2023 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration report)

A recent article by Dr. Jill Grimes, a college health specialist, pointed out a number of blind spots many of us have about drugs, particularly with regard to our teens and drugs.

1. "Good" kids won't use drugs - especially my child, who is smart, responsible, successful, and has a "good head" on his or her shoulders. Unfortunately, you might still get a call about your young adult child OD'ing, hallucinating, becoming paranoid, depressed, or having a substance-related car accident.

 

2. My kid would never get near a drug dealer - a seedy person in a dark alley somewhere. Life has changed. Lots of undergrads are dealing drugs, even though they don't realize they are drug dealers. Here's what it looks like today: a dorm friend passing along some pills to an overtired classmate, someone sharing prescription ADHD meds to help a friend focus.... this is often what drug dealers look like today. Maybe they are just sharing a THC laced gummy candy or brownie with a friend with social anxiety.

Eating a brownie, or other edible, isn't lighting up a cigarette or joint, right? Even our good, rule abiding kids are getting tripped up by the innocent looking ways drugs are offered and used all around their campus.

3. Lots of parents and/or our friends smoked a little weed in college, and we turned out ok. So, we think a little experimentation won't hurt our kids, since it didn't hurt us.

With the legalization of marijuana (yes, I'm dating myself by even using that term) or cannabis, use has become very very common. One 2023 study Dr. Grimes mentioned was a couple of recent studies of 14,000+ students on more than a dozen Texas college campuses, where recreational cannabis is illegal) that found that almost 40% of them had used it - a whopping 26% had used it on their Texas college campus!! 

Today's weed is stronger than what was available in the '80s and '90s. The concentration of THS was less than 1.5% in 1980 to almost 4% in 1994, to an average of OVER 16% in 2022, per the National Institute of Drug Abuse. A Colorado report stated that the marijuana flowers produced there now have an average of 19.2% THC per gram and the hash and oils, concentrated products, average over 65% per gram  - vaping cartridges average nearly 80% per gram. Today's weed is FAR more addictive.

4. Self-medicating has become pretty common. Our young adults are more stressed and less resilient than previous generations has been. Many kids have Xanax or Adderall prescriptions. That familiarity makes others think it's safe to buy a prescription med from a friend. And that friend may not realize that he or she is actually a drug dealer. Since they are seeing such free use of prescribed pills, some conclude that all pills are safe, but they aren't.

Our kids are facing more subtle and complex challenges than we did in this arena. It's not just happening at parties. It's not limited to the fringe kids. It's happening all over campus and in the dorms, in ways and forms that seem harmless or safe. Add the increased potency to that mix and it's no wonder so many are becoming addicted and/or finding themselves in the ER or having a related crisis.

5. Parents CAN prepare their kids for the reality of drugs on campus.

Add Narcan to their first aid kit and teach them how and when to administer it. Narcan is helpful for stopping the ill effects of an opioid or fentanyl overdose. You can buy it without a prescription but will likely need to ask the pharmacist for it since most keep it behind the counter rather than on the shelves.

Teach your student/teen about the various ways drugs are showing up on campus these days and encourage them to visit the health clinic or other medical facility on campus with they experience a serious inability to focus or concentration, insomnia, or test or social anxiety. Proper care and treatment can help significantly.

Encourage them to seek help BEFORE things become a crisis. Nipping a problem in the bud is so much better than having to deal with the mess afterwards. Careful and proper handling of small problems with stress, injury, anxiety, or depression will often stop them from becoming a crisis.

Providing expert knowledge for the journey to college is what I do in my college consulting practice. Helping young people become successful adults includes helping them remove obstacles as well as identify and utilize opportunities. For more information, please visit my website CelticCollegeConsultants.com. To schedule a consultation to discuss your situation and explore the ways I can help make your teens dreams come true, please email me at: KOB@CelticCollegeConsultants.com

 Dr. Grimes' full article:

Top Study Tips: The Secrets of Straight A students!

 by Katherine O'Brien, ThD Candidate

The school year is about to begin again (or has begun, for year round schools). Another year, another opportunity to learn and grow and become more fully alive.... or to get discouraged, fall behind, and grow in self-loathing. That might seem harsh but, it's the reality for many of our kids. Here are a few tips that will help the year be one of growth and joy, rather than stagnation and sadness.

1. Be honest with yourself.

If a certain isn't your strength, you probably dread having to take another class in it. This is particularly true for those who struggle with math or with reading. (Spoiler alert - I know successful, happy adults who share your struggles - one lovely friend in her 80s has always struggled with reading - what a blessing audio books and podcasts are to her!)

In order to do well in a subject that's hard for you, do what all the professionals do (whether they are Olympic athletes, your parents, or anyone else...) - GET HELP! Nowhere is it written that each of us must be wonderful at everything. We need to develop our natural skills and abilities, absolutely. So, in whatever area you are lacking strength, get help - tutors, homework groups, peer mentors, accountability partners, a strict study schedule (to force yourself to put in the time, even when it's not pleasant), etc. Do whatever it takes. This is what everyone does. I am not good at car maintenance. So, I have a tire place and a mechanic, and an oil change place... I'm also only able to handle very, very basic plumbing issues. I have an expert I call for that, too. 

Use your strengths to offset your weaknesses. One young man I know was not very good at book work/typical high school subjects. He has phenomenal people skills. He has gotten himself into a career and built a network of colleagues and friends with those people skills. He is a wonderful networker. He is someone to know - if you need any kind of help, he knows someone... and can tell which personality you'll mesh with the best. In high school, this might look like partnering with someone with opposite strengths. Here are a couple of examples: I'll help you with your French and you'll help me with my math. I'll drive you to school and you'll help me improve my reading or writing.

2. Be prepared

This is the Boy Scout motto but this wisdom is not reserved to them! Be prepared. Do the reading ahead of time. Take good notes. Prepare your own study guides (then compare them with the ones your teachers provide... and use those comparisons, along with your test experiences and results, to hone your study guide preparation skills. Some classes have chapter tests. Some have pop quizzes. Some have comprehensive exams (typically called AP tests!) covering the entire year's material. 

The syllabus is your friend. Most students don't bother to read them. That's a MISTAKE! A syllabus is a treasure map.... here's the path to learning a lot and getting a great grade in this class. The syllabus lets you know what the teacher's goals are for your learning. It provides a week by week outline of the flow of the course. It describes the testing plan (tests/papers/projects, etc.) and the grading scheme. Knowing when these will happen or are due, along with how they will be graded is invaluable information.

3. Control your Thoughts

All sorts of things happen every day that we have no control over. Wonderful surprises and tragic accidents happen. Sunny days and stormy days. Finding a new friend and losing a special person in your life. We can't do anything about these things, can we? Or can we?

Certainly, we can't control everything that happens in life. We do, however, have the freedom to choose how we will respond. THIS IS IMPORTANT! Choosing to find the good, the joy in life IS possible. Learn to take time to consider how you respond. Watch those who are cheerful and friendly and joyful.... listen to them respond to things. If possible, ask them to break down their thoughts as they handle challenges and difficulties. Then copy them. 

When you respond positively, your mood will be better and you'll have more energy for living your life, for your studies, for building strong relationships.

Katherine works with high school students, developing their leadership, sense of self, study skills, life and college goals, and the rest of the journey to college. To explore her services, please visit her website: Celtic College Consultants or email her: kob@CelticCollegeConsultants.com