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It’s a New Year and most of us have set up some new years resolution.  Hopefully these new goals are still securely in place.  The folks at parents.com say that kids ages 7 to 12 are at the right age to learn to make resolutions and set goals for a new semester.

To get started, parents are encouraged to take the lead to set goals for the family and when appropriate share with your children the things you are working on and set the example by following through on your priorities.  It’s important to not set the goal for the child but let them personalize what they would like to achieve in such important areas as school, friends, church family etc.  A parent can help guide the child to decide on goals that are a balance of reachable and challenging.  Set some goals so that the child can feel like a winner in making changes and achieving goals.  Making resolutions can be a great way to bring families together to work as a team and create some new traditions.

So what are the 10 most common new years resolutions for kids: Reported by about.com.

1. Get healthy
2. Be happier
3. Be a Better person
4. Date someone
5. Show more love to the family
6. Do better in school
7. Learn something new
8. Be a better friend
9. Be a role model
10. Make some money

Prevention Resources and Bible Studies are available for churches at the CLC website.

Check out the Addiction Ministry Education Network page on Facebook.  Become a fan and you will receive updates about events and links to important news articles.

CLC Substance Abuse Ministry Podcasts

Pathways to Prevention:  A Substance Abuse Resource

Hazelden

With the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays coming up, parents have a special opportunity to impact their adolescents with a commitment to Christ-like priorities.

Many times our adolescents get stuck in the materialism that is so often encouraged in the media.  They begin to focus on what they are going to receive and do instead of what they can give back to others.

One idea for families is to start a gratitude list.  As a family, you can focus on all of the things you corporately and individually have to be thankful for.  When adolescents are able to understand the depth of all of the things in their world that they have to be thankful for then they are more likely to be willing to give back to others.  As they turn their eyes outward instead of focusing on the inside, they become more compassionate to the needs of others.

During the holiday season there are many ways to volunteer.  As a family consider giving back by volunteering in a soup kitchen, a food or toy drive or a Habitat for Humanity project.  As adolescents actively give back, they change the way they view their world at school and peers.  Traditions are so important during the holiday season.  What an important investment in your kids to help them to learn to invest their time, energy and money in others.

We all aspire to show others our faith, the holidays are a great way to act out our faith to others.

Prevention Resources and Bible Studies are available for churches at the CLC website.

Check out the Addiction Ministry Education Network page on Facebook.  Become a fan and you will receive updates about events and links to important news articles.

CLC Substance Abuse Ministry Podcasts

Pathways to Prevention:  A Substance Abuse Resource

www.hazelden.org

Adolescents experience stress and anxiety as their world changes.  Many times stress and anxiety can occur as responses to societal events like tornados, earthquakes or other news events.  However, in the world of the adolescent, stress and anxiety can become more personal as they deal with final exams, getting a job, friendships, changes at home etc.

Anxiety is a normal reaction to stress.  All adolescents feel anxiety from time to time in dealing with their lives and responsibilities.  However, there is a point of concern when anxiety goes beyond the norm and becomes problematic.  Parents, teachers and youth ministers need to be aware and concerned when the following characteristics are observed in adolescents:

1. The stressor occupies the majority of the adolescents thought process creating obsessive thoughts.
2. The adolescent avoids and make decisions not to be involved in an activity that once was important to them.
3. Physical characteristics like excessive sweating, racing heart rates, frequent urination, problems with breathing or feeling light-headed.
4. The adolescent obsessively counts or holds to a routine.
5. The adolescent avoids locations or activities that involve groups of people.  If you see your adolescent being unwilling to go to the mall, sport events or movies there is cause for concern.

If any of these behaviors become concerning then the adolescent needs to be evaluated by a physician for possible medication needs and talk with a therapist to work on some coping skills to deal with the anxiety.  Approximately 13 % of adolescents need to have some medication to deal with anxiety issues.  An adolescent, can overcome the anxiety through a team approach of support from parents, positive peer interaction, supportive church environment, possible medication and therapy if needed to learn some tools for stress and anxiety reduction.

Prevention Resources and Bible Studies are available for churches at the CLC website.

Dates To Remember
October 23:  Recovery Sunday
October 24-28:  Red Ribbon Week

Check out the Addiction Ministry Education Network page on Facebook.  Become a fan and you will receive updates about events and links to important news articles.

CLC Substance Abuse Ministry Podcasts

Pathways to Prevention:  A Substance Abuse Resource

www.hazelden.org

The beginning of school is filled with many new beginnings.  New teachers, friends and the first football games of the season capture the minds and calendars of many students.  However, along with all of the good memories are the temptations that our students face with drugs and alcohol.  September and October are the two highest months of first time drug and alcohol use for students.  Columbia University has done a study of adolescents and peer support.  The study has found that if an adolescent has at least two other friends who will commit to not using that they are 90% more likely to be able to make the right choice and abstain.  I encourage churches, youth ministers and parents to help their young people understand that they are not alone and that there are others around them that have are making the commitment to say “no”.  The beginning of a new school year can also be a time where students have the greatest chance to share their faith by their words and their actions.  Let’s pray for our students during this important time of the year.

Prevention resources  and Bible Studies are available for churches at the CLC website.

The Office of National Drug Policy recently announced that the abuse of prescription drugs now ranks second only behind marijuana as the Nation’s most prevalent illegal drug problem.

Teens are abusing prescription drugs because they believe the myth that the drugs provide a medically safe high.  The majority of the adolescents get the drugs from friends or relatives.  Many teens unfortunately believe that they can self medicate in an effort to reduce pain or anxiety, to sleep better or to help their concentration or alertness.

Pain relievers such as OxyContin and Vicodin are the most commonly abused prescription drugs by teens.

It is important for family members to dispose of their unused prescription drugs when they are no longer used.  Additionally, many communities host drug take back programs at hospitals where excess medicine can be disposed of safely.  If none of these options exist then the Office of National Drug Policy suggests the following(pdf ):

1. Take your prescription drugs out of their original containers.

2. Mix drugs with an undesirable substance, such as cat litter or used coffee grounds.

3. Put the mixture into a disposable container with a lid, such as an empty margarine tub, or into a sealable bag.

4. Conceal or remove any personal information, including Rx number, on the empty containers by covering it with black permanent marker or duct tape, or by scratching it off.

5. Place the sealed container with the mixture, and the empty drug containers, in the trash.

With some thought and planning, teens can be safer in their own homes from the temptation of experimenting with prescription drugs.

Dates To Remember

October 23:  Recovery Sunday

October 24-28:  Red Ribbon Week

Check out the Addiction Ministry Education Network page on Facebook.  Become a fan and you will receive updates about events and links to important news articles.

CLC Substance Abuse Ministry Podcasts

Pathways to Prevention:  A Substance Abuse Resource

hazelden.org

The end of school brings about many fun events for high school students and produces many happy memories.  Unfortunately, with prom, graduation and end of the year parties many students and families face pain and even tragedy when a fun event has an unwanted ending.  There are things that parents, youth ministers and caring adults can do to help the students make good choices and in turn life long memories.

It is important that parents and youth leaders clearly communicate to students the expectations, values and Christian principles that need to shape their decision making and actions.  In reality, peer pressure can be both positive and negative.  The end of school is a great time for students to make a stand for their values and faith by having a Christ-like response to their peers.  If a student has at least two other friends, who will stand with him or her then it is much easier to make a choice not to drink or do drugs.

The big events at the end of school also provide opportunities for churches to provide after party events where a safe environment and sponsors can be provided.

Equally important is that parents help their student make plans for the events with a structure that provides a fun but safe atmosphere and accountability with peers, leaders and parents.  Plans for events need to be agreed to and followed through with.  These plans need to include a budget that is realistic and where the student helps with the costs of the date and event.  With proper planning hopefully parents can ensure that the memories will produce smiles and laughter for years to come.

During the spring, the Substance Abuse Ministry will be one of the sponsors partnering with Texans Standing Tall to sponsor regional college forums to address the issue of underage drinking.  Among Texas college students, alcohol is the primary drug of choice.  Alcohol use is linked to poor class attendance, low academic performance, unwanted sexual activity, depression, suicide and alcohol poisoning.  This issues effects parents, students, college professionals and communities.

The regional forums will provide opportunities for campuses and communities to equip themselves with information and tools to effectively collaborate for change at the local, regional and state levels.  Experienced professionals will equip participants tools and strategies to help prevent and reduce underage alcohol use among college students.

Dates:
February 16:  Lubbock
March 25:  San Antonio
April 8:  Baytown
April 14:  Arlington
TBD:  Nacogdoches

Check out the Addiction Ministry Education Network page on Facebook.
Become a fan and you will receive updates about events and links to important news articles.
CLC Substance Abuse Ministry Podcasts
Pathways to Prevention: A Substance Abuse Resource
www.hazelden.org

We value your input and suggestions.
Your comments and recommended resources are welcome in the comments box below.

An interesting article came out this past week …One in Four High School Students and Young Adults Report Binge Drinking.

Sixty percent of high school students who drink, binge drink. When high school students are combined with adults between the ages of 18 and 34, more than one in four engaged in binge drinking during the past month, according to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Binge drinking is defined as having four or more drinks for women and five or more drinks for men over a short period of time, usually a couple of hours. The report states that levels of binge drinking have not declined during the past 15 years.
CDC scientists analyzed data on self-reports of binge drinking within the past 30 days for about 412,000 U.S. adults aged 18 years and older from the 2009 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System and for approximately 16,000 U.S. high school students from the 2009 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey.

We need to continue our efforts to change the way young people and college students view alcohol and encourage changes in behavior that are reflective of their faith.

WHAT is Binge Drinking

Binge drinking is a common pattern of excessive alcohol use in the United States. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defines binge drinking as a pattern of drinking that brings a person’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08 grams percent or above. This typically happens when men consume 5 or more drinks, and when women consume 4 or more drinks, in about 2 hours.

Most people who binge drink are not alcohol dependent.

According to national surveys…

• Approximately 92% of U.S. adults who drink excessively report binge drinking in the past 30 days.
• Although college students commonly binge drink, 70% of binge drinking episodes involve adults age 26 years and older.
• The prevalence of binge drinking among men is higher than the prevalence among women.
• Binge drinkers are 14 times more likely to report alcohol-impaired driving than non-binge drinkers.
• About 90% of the alcohol consumed by youth under the age of 21 in the United States is in the form of binge drinks.
• About 75% of the alcohol consumed by adults in the United States is in the form of binge drinks.
• The proportion of current drinkers that binge is highest in the 18- to 20-year-old group (51%).

Binge drinking is associated with many health problems, including—

• Unintentional injuries (e.g., car crashes, falls, burns, drowning).
• Intentional injuries (e.g., firearm injuries, sexual assault, domestic violence).
• Alcohol poisoning.
• Sexually transmitted diseases.
• Unintended pregnancy.
• Children born with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders.
• High blood pressure, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases.
• Liver disease.
• Neurological damage.
• Sexual dysfunction.
• Poor control of diabetes.

Evidence-based interventions to prevent binge drinking and related harms include

• Increasing alcoholic beverage costs and excise taxes.
• Limiting the number of retail alcohol outlets that sell alcoholic beverages in a given area.
• Consistent enforcement of laws against underage drinking and alcohol-impaired driving.
• Screening and counseling for alcohol misuse.

Check out the Addiction Ministry Education Network page on Facebook.
Become a fan and you will receive updates about events and links to important news articles.
CLC Substance Abuse Ministry Podcasts
Pathways to Prevention:  A Substance Abuse Resource
www.hazelden.org

We value your input and suggestions.
Your comments and recommended resources are welcome in the comments box below.

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