EPS 558 Individual Exploration: Adolescents and Addiction, Exploring the Issue

2. What is Addiction?
Substance use disorder defined by meeting
clinical criteria for abuse or dependence as
outlined in the DSM-IV (Diagnostic & Statistical
Manual of Mental Disorders).

3. Our current crisis
90 % of Americans meeting clinical criteria for
addiction started using substances before age
18.

4. The earlier substance use begins, the greater the
risk for use becoming abuse or dependence=
addiction.

5. The Adolescent Brain
(ages 12-18 years old)
More inclined to engage in risk-taking behaviors
such as trying drugs or alcohol.
Increased vulnerability to brain damage and
addiction.
Adolescence is a critical period for developing
an addiction.

6. Who is really at fault?
Reframe this issue as A Public Health crisis; not
solely the fault of teens.
Youth development is largely influenced by the
community:
American Culture
The Media
Family
School

7. American Culture & The
Media
77% of popular teen TV
shows contain or mention
drinking.
American culture
normalizes self-regulating
and medicating through
substances.
Media, tobacco, & alcohol
industries glamorize
substance use- increasing
chances of teens using.

8. Family: Mixed Messages
Significant developmental
factors:
Risk: Families often
normalize & enable
substance use for stress
relief & coping.
Parents have the most
influence & control over
teen substance use
through messages taught
and behaviors exhibited in
homes.

9. School: Failure to support
New cultural climate:
Pervasive belief that teen
substance use is a
norm/expectation.
Inappropriate
interventions:
Punitive measures place
significantly more teens in
the juvenile justice system
than in substance-related
treatment programs.

10. Community: Failure to
understand
Some Treatment Barriers
Misunderstanding the
problem:
Government spends more
money on consequences of
substance use than
prevention/intervention
measures.
Ex: Crime, academic, & health
problems.
No insurance coverage &
limited health care education

11. What can we do?
Prevention Intervention
Involve youth in organizing Fund training of more
effective and relevant specialized addiction
preventive measures. healthcare professionals
Youth-Adult partnerships: Create more adolescent-
Promote open focused treatment facilities
communication between
youth and adults about Earlier intervention with
substances, health issues, comprehensive, age-
and media influence appropriate services

12. As Parents
Set a good example- Promote positive self-identity
Restrict access to substances
Monitor your child’s activities and mental health
Give clear, consistent messages about substance use
Communicate frequently and openly with your child
Know the facts and share the dangers of adolescent
addiction.

13. As Educators
Raise awareness of this issue reframed as a
public health problem
Recognize warning signs of substance use
Avoid punitive policies and adopt a health-based
approach (access to healthcare services)
Make appropriate treatment referrals

14. As Policymakers
Reduce teen exposure to substance-related
advertising
Increase prevention & treatment options and
funding (including research)
Raise taxes on tobacco and alcohol products
Fund and create public health campaigns to
educate population on this issue

15. As the Advertising
Industry/Media
Stop marketing addictive substances as
attractive to adolescents audiences
Create messages discouraging teens from using
substances
Use technology (social media, texting, apps, etc)
to counteract problematic (pro-substance)
adolescent marketing

16. An Alternate Approach
Resolving this issue is a community effort!
Promote systemic change
Youth are not the problem! Educate others and
increase awareness
Re-evaluate American cultural norms and advertising
Redistribute government funding to support
prevention/intervention

17. Community Youth
Development
Empower youth through valuing their voice and
engaging them to organize relevant programs
Comprehensive, age-appropriate interventions
Foster youth-adult partnerships (parents, teachers,
community organizers)
Create more opportunities for youth to lead in
combating this issue

18. References
The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University.
(2011). Adolescent substance use: America’s #1 public health problem. New
York: The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia
University.
http://www.casacolumbia.org/upload/2011/20110629adolescentsubstanceuse.
pdf
Images
School image. http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQNrQENMPPR51kjJzEmyg8iiCGjkADnpgs28XbhYxpU__B17ImvVQ
Media image: http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQSbfuNq_fXoV_jrcew4QYsgNumMubJnnM-gmeYHLSeSqmPN_Tg &
http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSSTRJpYCz08G4T_1Wpmrms6wVkB0XtlEmRgQpA_ybXuc0VzHqAoA
Pills image: http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcShvk9Lntb0ugvxlNWOWHet5_2pFcx3fgZhXxdgu82BkHY9gMMn
Crisis image: http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRSjvTzIf06Z3gN3ix1UhNFUcF5X5x0a-VmjdRgFSE-zc1-f3pz
Family image: http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS9JvND2_swAM68KXsbYI9pgbA_VDVSYjfnd74R8m-ZeIOKGrduLQ
Comm image: http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRZcaTblL1LN1N3N1gixc6V_bwquJj44xJ35EGT9JDgp4xPavKLow