Adolescent Drug Trends

1. By Angie C. Anders
Southern University of Shreveport Louisiana
Human Services Department
IN MAMA’S CABINET….
GETTING HIGH WITHOUT LEAVING THE
HOUSE

2. EARLY TIMES OF ADOLESCENT SUBSTANCE ABUSE:
Drunkard Children (1780-1900)
• Regularly consumed diluted alcohol
• No widespread misuse until early 1800s
• Particularly orphaned children
• Alcoholics between ages 15-20 counted as 10%
admissions into inebriated homes
• 12 year olds were being admitted for detoxification by 1890s

3. TODAY’S TRENDS IN ADOLESCENT SUBSTANCE
ABUSE:
• Common Cold Medications
• Nasal Decongestion Aids
• Household Cleaners
• Products sold for other uses and manipulated in
order to achieve inebriation.

4. PURPLE DRANK…..SIZZUR
―Purple Drank‖ or Sizzur is a
combination of
Promethazine/Codeine
mixed with Sprite and a few Jolly
Ranchers or any other hard candy.
With increased tolerance and/or
subsequent addiction, as users
chase the high from
sizzurp, overdosing on these
potentially lethal substances
becomes more likely.

5. INHALANTS - HOUSEHOLD
PRODUCTS
The products are called inhalants and include
glue, gasoline, nail polish remover, cleaning
fluid, paint, lighter fluid, the air from whipped cream
cans and hairspray.
Because they are easy to find, inhalants are more
popular among younger children. Six percent of
eighth-graders have admitted to using inhalants,
according to a recent survey of young people.
can cause problems with attention, memory and
problem-solving; muscle weakness; tremors; and
mood changes. They also can change a person’s
heart rate or oxygen in the body and lead to serious
health problems and death. Children who abuse household products also are more likely to
abuse or try other drugs.

6. TRIPLE C
Triple C is a slang term for the over-the-counter medication Coricidin
HBP Cough & Cold, which contains dextromethorphan, or DXM. Triple C ( Coricidin HBP
Cough & Cold) is available as red tablets containing
30 milligrams of DXM. Law enforcement sources indicate that teenagers and young adults
are the principal
abusers of Triple C.
While under the influence of
the drug, which can last for as
long as 6 hours, abusers risk
injuring themselves and others
Because of the drug’s effects on
visual perception and
cognitive processes.

7. ENERGY DRINKS & FOUR LOKO
Energy drinks (such as Red Bull, Monster, and Reload) are sold
legally and advertised to boost energy. They contain stimulants,
usually caffeine, and sometimes other stimulants, as well as sugar. In
2011 in answer to the question, "About how many [energy drinks] do
you drink per day on average?" The proportions indicating any recent
use were 35% of 8th graders and 29% of both 10th and 12th graders.
FOUR LOKO: In its original form, the drink is the equivalent of four beers and
one cup of Starbucks coffee - a dangerous combination that can fool
partygoers into thinking they're not that drunk - while packing a potent punch
of alcohol.

8. HUFFING FREON
• It destroys cells, lining in the nose and esophagus. It’s very toxic and not easy to control
the dose,‖ says Lynn Pimentel a Director at West Care in Fresno. Her facility has treated
teens who have abused the drug. She says they’re turning to Freon because it’s easy to
access.
• ―It’s free at times because it’s in the garage it’s at home and it’s under the sink. It’s
abundant and it’s legal.‖

9. HAND SANITIZER
Teens have ended up in emergency rooms after drinking
alcohol that had been extracted from
hand sanitizer. Through
a distillation process, the
kids were able to create a
moonshine with a whopping
60 percent alcohol content.

10. BENZEDREX (PROPYLHEXEDRINE)
The Benzedrex inhaler is typically used for nasal congestion
and gives the stimulating effect of amphetamines. The cotton
inside the inhaler can be ingested or the substance inside
combined with soda pop. Intravenous abuse of Propylhexedrine
(Benzedrex) presents a high risk of brainstem dysfunction in
young adults. This agent is called "stove-top speed". In a study
reported by Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences, 7 patients
had transient diplopia (double vision) , within seconds after
injection.

11. BATH SALTS
Bath Salts are products containing designer drugs—synthetic cathinones, which are stimulants
that have effects something like amphetamines. Questions on the use of these powerful and
dangerous drugs were included in the survey for the first time in 2012.
Fortunately, a relatively
small proportion of teens
indicate having used bath
salts in the prior 12 months.
The annual prevalence
rates were 0.8%, 0.6%, and
1.3% for grades 8, 10,
and 12, respectively.

12. PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE
Benzodiazepines & Opiates
The survey continues to
show that most teens obtain
prescription drugs like
amphetamines, tranquilizers,
or narcotics other than heroin,
for free from friends
and family; roughly 68%
of 12th graders, for example,
report getting prescription Adderall
pain relievers this way.

13. FAINTING GAME
When teens apply pressure around a friend’s neck to make them faint, they’re
constricting the windpipe and cutting off the brain’s supply of oxygen. After the
fainting, the pressure around the neck is released, and oxygen rushes back to
the brain, resulting in a brief, euphoric high. They may think it’s fun, but it’s
deadly.

14. JENKEM
Human excreta is scooped up from the
edges of the sewer ponds in old cans and
containers which are covered with a
polyethylene bag and left to stew or
ferment for a week.

15. TODAYS DRUG TRENDS

16. ADOLESCENT TREATMENT IN THE PAST
1950-1990 Community-based adolescent Treatment
• 1950s –Hospitals and churches recognized adolescent drug use behaviors
did not mimic adults and needed a different approach
• 1952- Riverside Hospital in NY City opened first Tx Center for adolescents.
The birth of Adolescent based treatment.
• (detox, psychiatric, medical, psychological testing,
therapy, education, vocational, recreational)
• Closed in 1961 due to return of heroin users

17. ADOLESCENT TREATMENT
1950s-1980s
A) Treatment included Minnesota Model (abstinence
based)
B) Young Peoples Meetings
C) Aggressive and confrontational
D) Attempts to break down defense mechanisms
E) Supervision that lacks direct observation.
Key to delivering evidence based material appropriately

18. YESTERDAY’S TX APPROACHES (CONT’D)
F) Use of ―in-house‖ questionnaires for screening instead of standardized
instruments .
G) Non-use or lack of Evidence Based Treatment (EBT)
E) Lack of Family Involvement

19. MONITORING THE FUTURE (MTF)
Monitoring the Future (MTF) is an ongoing study of the behaviors, attitudes, and
values of American secondary school students, college students, and young adults.
Each year, a total of approximately 50,000 8th, 10th and 12th grade students are
surveyed. It has been conducted annually by the University of Michigan’s Institute for
Social Research since its inception in 1975.
-Annual follow-up questionnaires are mailed for a number of years after their initial
participation.

20. TODAY’S TX BARRIERS
• Family
• Lack of support/involvement
• Drug use in the home
• Poor Influence on youth’s decisions
Poor Treatment Matching
Not always placed in appropriate level of care
ASAM (American Society of Addiction Medicine)
I) Acute Intoxication
II) Biomedical
III) Psychiatric, Emotional, Cognitive
IV) Stage of Change
VI) Recovery Environment

21. LEVELS OF CARE:
 Early Intervention
 Outpatient
 Intensive Outpatient
 Residential/Inpatient
 Medically managed intensive inpatient

22. OTHER BARRIERS OF TODAY’S TX
• Treating Co-existing Conditions
• Lack of Communication with all professions working with case
(doctor, P.O., counselors)
• Funding Sources
• Time allotted to treat
• Ongoing trainings and education for adolescent care

23. TODAY’S TX APPROACHES
• Youth oriented, multi-dimensional assessment instruments
• Youth focused family groups developed
• Using younger and more educated staff at agencies and
hospitals
• More flexible with rule violations
• Shifting from confrontation to motivation/engagement
• Coordinating care with schools and juvenile justice systems
• Cultural Competency knowledge utilized

24. No one approach is superior. A multifaceted approach can be used.
• Individual and group therapy
CBT
B.T.
B.I
M.I. of MET
• Family-Based Therapy
• Recommend Recovery Support (AA, 12 step, Celebrate Recovery)

25. TOMORROW’S TX APPROACHES
• Harm Reduction
• Brief Intervention (B.I.)
• Individual Sessions
• Medically Assisted Therapies
• Parental contracts

26. REFERENCES
• www.erowid.com
• www.cps.ca/documents/position/harm-reduction-risky-health-behaviours
• www.nih.gov/news/health/dec2011/nida-14.htp
• www.drugfreeworld.org
• www.monitoringthefuture.org
• http://teens.drugabuse.gov/drug-facts/inhalants

27. QUESTIONS???