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Lake Geauga Recovery Centers, Inc. and Ravenwood
Mental Health Center offer programs for clients to work with addiction
professionals to develop individualized treatment plans.
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Underage Drinking - A Serious
Risk
Nationally, 500,000 incidents of serious assaults
each year are related to underage drinking.
Youth who take their first drink before age
15 are five times more likely to become alcohol dependent
or abuse alcohol than those who begin at 21 or older.
Geauga County Juvenile Court reports that
in 2005 drug and liquor law violations against minors reached
a nine-year high.
Our Geauga teens report that more than one
out of four 9th graders has used alcohol in the last 30 days.
By 12th grade that number climbs to one out of two.
What Parents Can Do:
- Understand the risks and share them with your teen.
- Exert your influence. Parents are the #1 reason kids give
for NOT drinking.
- Know that teenagers whose parents talk to them about alcohol
are 42% less likely to use than those whose parents don't.
"Of great concern to me is that much of the serious
crime committed by children in our community is by those under
the influence of alcohol or some other drug", said
The Honorable Judge Charles Henry, Geauga County Juvenile
Court
'21' is the legal drinking
age.
Postcard campaign sponsored by the Geauga Family First Council,
The Cleveland Foundation, Chardon Community Action Team, University
Hospitals Geauga Medical Center with funding from the Geauga
County Board of Mental Health and Recovery Services.
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Click
here for Alcoholics Anonymous Meetings in Geauga County
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Substance Use
and Academic Achievement Go Hand in Hand
Data from the Pride Surveys National
Summary reveals that monthly marijuana use by students who
rarely make good grades stands at 38%. Conversely, monthly
marijuana use by students who frequently make good grades
registers just 7 percent. A similar disparity is found in
monthly alcohol use - 49% for poorly performing students compared
with 18% for academically achieving students.
Students who fare poorly in the
classroom are also disproportionately represented in the subgroups
of students reporting other negative behaviors, such as truancy,
disciplinary problems, gang membership and bullying - activities
that can disrupt the learning environment of others.
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SOME HELPFUL LINKS
* National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information store.health.org/catalog/results.aspx?h=publications&topic=97
* TeenGetGoing www.teengetgoing.com/index.asp
* Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth
camy.org
* Alcoholics Anonymous www.aa.org
* Al-Anon www.al-anon.alateen.org
* National Association for Children of Alcoholics www.nacoa.org
* Facts On Tap www.factsontap.org
Ohio Youth Who
Abuse Substances
Research indicates that kids often
begin to use alcohol and other drugs at about age 12 or 13. Most
children and adolescents who experiment with drugs and/or alcohol
do not become addicted. Generally, they begin with occasional experimentation
with tobacco and alcohol, progressing to more frequent use of these
drugs whenever and wherever they are accessible and socially acceptable.
Youth who progress toward abuse and addiction do not stop with occasional
use. They begin to use tobacco, alcohol and marijuana on a regular
basis and eventually begin to seek these substances even when they
are not readily available. Youth who abuse and become addicted will
seek out other, more potent drugs, even though they begin to suffer
negative consequences.
According to the Ohio Department of
Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services, about 9% or 68,000 youth between
12 and 17 years of age have an alcohol or other drug problem and,
about 1/3 of these youth receive the treatment services they need.
Of the group, approximately 35,000
are alcohol or other drug dependent.
The average cost of outpatient substance
abuse treatment is $1,200.
Research has shown that youth are more
likely to begin experimenting, using and abusing during transition
periods in their life. Chaotic neighborhoods, community and home
environments; being raised by parents or care givers who also abuse
substances; ineffective parental support; and, failure in school
increase the likelihood of experimental followed by abuse, dependence
and addiction. The natural tendency of many teens is to gravitate
toward risk-taking behaviors. Perceptions that tobacco, alcohol,
and drug using are "socially acceptable," contribute significantly
to the cycle that leads to abuse, addiction, and death.
What Can Policy Makers, Local Officials
and Voters Do to Support Services to Ohio's Youth?
- Support adequate funding, including local levies
for substance abuse and mental health services for children, adolescents,
and their families.
- Encourage coordinated efforts with education
systems to improve and implement school-based education, awareness,
and prevention programs about mental health and substance abuse.
- Support legislation that guarantees access to
mental health and addiction treatment insurance coverage equal
to medical benefits.
- Promote and participate in community suicide
prevention coalitions.
Ohio Association of County Behavioral
Health Authorities
Supported by an Educational Grant from
Lilly and Company and Cosponsored by the Coalition for Healthy Communities.
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