Posts tagged substance abuse prevention

The Wisconsin state legislature, which already this year has done everything possible to eliminate alcohol and other drug abuse prevention efforts, is now considering allowing booze sales to start at 6 a.m. daily. Vendors currently have to wait until 8 a.m., and cannot sell after 9 p.m. in the state.

In working with teens, by far the biggest challenge comes in dealing with behavioral problems, particularly those that prevent a kid from functioning well in the classroom or relating to others in social situations. In many cases, this stems from  a form of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which makes it very difficult for a person to concentrate in many situations where it is required they do so.

Unfortunately, even though the effects of ADHD on a person are well-documented, there are many who dismiss these kids as “dumb,” “lazy” or quite simply not worth dealing with. There are still others who refuse to acknowledge ADHD as a real disorder, choosing to instead take the easy route and label them “bad kids.”

Now, however, a study at Massachusetts General Hospital has found a possible link between ADHD and substance abuse issues. In fact, the study indicated that kids who suffer from the disorder are up to 1.5 times more likely to abuse drugs or alcohol, and twice as likely to smoke cigarettes.

We’ve known for years that behavioral disorders have been correlated with substance abuse. This study could be a major step forward in showing a direct cause-and-effect relationship.