Teen Suicide Talk

When I was in high school I used to steal whiskey from my parents gallon jugs of Kentucky Gentlemen. I’d fill up a jar, put the lid on and drink it on the way to the bus stop and in the bathrooms in between classes. I did this for my whole 10th grade year. My parents were clueless. I also used to sneak out the window at midnight and stay out until 4 or 5 in the morning so I could hang out with my boyfriend who I wasn’t allowed to see (my parents found out we were having sex and told me to pretend he was on a 6 month deployment (Navy dad)) I took speed most of my junior and senior year in high school (I loved it because I lost weight), smoked pot and tried cocaine. Every time I’d get caught doing something I’d be put on restriction for a month and then I’d go right back to what I was doing before. I wonder if my mom and dad every tried to stop and figure out why I needed to be trashed in order to feel good about myself. I was a miserable teen. I hung out with the popular kids but I was so shy that I had to get high in order to have fun, talk - I couldn’t do hardly anything without getting a buzz first. Looking back I think it was obvious how miserable I was but there were 6 kids in my family so it was probably overlooked. I think these days there is a lot more material for parents, to help them help their kids. I am going to try my hardest to keep up with everything my kids are doing so I can help them through the rough spots and maybe they won’t feel the need to get high or practice unsafe behaviors. Here are a list of some of the risky teen trends today.

Pharmaceutical products

Usage of prescription medicines as a means to getting high is the fastest growing form of drug use in the USA, Mr. Krieger explained. Unfortunately the so called “pharming parties” have become popular among American youth. In these parties, participants bring with them whatever pills they can find in the medicine cabinets of their homes. Kids will place the pills in a big bowl and each person ingests an assortment of the pill mix and waits for the unknown effect to set in. Inadvertently parents and grandparents have become “a great source of drugs” with often serious consequences. Mr. Krieger urges parents to discard all unused and unneeded medicine and keep those medicines that they have to use in a secure place out of reach of their adolescent children.

The other common medicine cabinet item that is abused is cough syrup such as Robitussin DM. DM stands for Dextromethorphan which is an opioid agent used as a cough suppressant. Other cold medicines that can produce the effect of a high are those that contain the narcotic codeine or hydrocodone. In large quantities, these substances can cause hallucinations, seizures and neurological damage.

Sometimes teens mix Robitussin and alcohol. A half a bottle of Robitussin and a bottle of beer can produce the same effect as drinking an entire six pack, Mr. Krieger said.

Inhalants

According to the 1996 report by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, one in five American teens have used inhalants to get high. Inhalant abuse starts often in grade school. Most households have a large variety of potential sniffing material, such as solvents (paint thinners, gasoline, glue, correction fluid and markers) and gases (butane lighters, propane tanks, spray paints, whipping cream aerosols, deodorants etc.)

Sniffing can cause brain, liver, heart and kidney damage. More seriously inhalant abuse can cause a “Sudden Sniffing Death” (SSD.)

Mr. Krieger provided examples of common inhalant using methods, such as painting sleeves with markers and holding the sleeve near the face. Parents should pay attention to chemical odors on clothing and paint marks on faces.

Stimulants

Another growing trend among adolescents and college students is the consumption of energy drinks such as Red Bull or Rockstar. These drinks contain high dosages of caffeine as well as multiple other chemicals and botanical extracts that can cause a toxic cocktail especially if consumed in high quantities or with other caffeine and alcoholic drinks.

There are even energy drinks that are packaged to attract younger children. Some energy drinks are also advertised with open references to other more serious stimulants such as cocaine or ecstasy.

Mr. Krieger said that he is concerned with young people consuming large quantities of these drinks. The other reason for his concern is that energy drinks are often used before sporting events. High dosages of caffeine have been linked to abnormal heart rhythms and nausea.

According to a 2003 John Hopkins University study, the average daily intake of caffeine is 280 milligrams among the general population. Daily usage as low as 100 can lead to physical dependence, Mr. Krieger said.

One of the most dangerous stimulants, heroin, can be obtained easily. According to Mr. Krieger, New Jersey is the leading state in the United States for heroin availability. The purity rate of heroin sold today ranges from 40 to 95% while in the 50’s and 60’s the purity rate was approximately 5%.

Red flag behavior

Mr. Krieger explained that a male brain does not reach full maturity until a person reaches his late 20’s, while the female brain matures a couple of years earlier. Therefore, substances used at a young age such as alcohol and drugs affect the brain while it is still developing. The ‘not yet mature’ brain may also reduce the full understanding of risky behavior and its consequences.

Besides drugs and alcohol there are numerous other ways adolescents make bad decisions.

One example of risky behavior among teens is “the choking game” in which kids are seeking to alter their consciousness by choking themselves, thus cutting off the oxygen flow to the brain. This high is achieved by releasing the choke hold just before passing out.

Mr. Krieger said that many hanging deaths among youths have been classified as suicides although they may have been a result of the choking game. Other behaviors that should alert parents are cutting and various types of “body art.” Parents should also monitor their children’s Internet use as well as the content of the video games.

Although teen years are a step to more independence, adolescents need their parents’ presence to guide them to make the right choices, Mr. Krieger said. He urged parents to engage their children in social interaction and conversation as well as to keep vigilant for any signs of risky behavior.