DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE AMONG TEENS IN MAINE

Maine Teen Drug and Alcohol Abuse Facts
Teen Alcohol Use and Abuse Resource Guide for Parents in Maine

MAINE - TEEN ALCOHOL USE AND ALCOHOL ABUSE

"Underage drinking is a problem in homes from Kittery to Houlton, from Calais to Norway, from Portland to Farmington. All Maine teens are at risk of underage drinking, and all Maine parents need to help keep their teens from underage drinking."**

According to a Press Release in March 2009, the Maine Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Substance Abuse (OSA) conducted a survey in 2008, which reports that alcohol use among Maine's 6-12th graders has been declining, Between the years 2006 -2008, Maine has seen a continuous decline in alcohol use and abuse among Maine’s adolescents. “The percent of teens that used alcohol in the past month decreased from 38 percent in 1995 to 25 percent in 2008, and binge drinking in the prior two weeks decreased from 20 percent to 13 percent. Binge drinking is defined as having five or more drinks in a row.” http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/osa/about/news/2009/mydaus08.htm

According to Maine’s OSA, this recent decline in teen alcohol abuse is the largest decrease in student use in the last 10 years. Maine attributes the successful statistics to Maine’s OSA coordination of statewide alcohol prevention plan. The plan encourages schools, parents, employers, law enforcement, the media, and students to work together to change the perceptions of around youth/teen drinking.

The Maine Youth Drug and Alcohol Use Survey (MYDAUS) is the tool used to track alcohol and other substance use among 6th through 12th graders. It not only provides data regarding adolescent drug use and abuse, it also identifies the influences in an adolescent or students' community, school, home and circle of friends and s.

The 2008 data on alcohol use was collected 75,000 Maine students in 340 schools statewide. According to the 2008 results, factors such as parental expectations and community norms greatly influence student decisions to use alcohol.”

Although the statistics on the decline of adolescent drinking, still one out of four teenagers in Maine continue to use alcohol. Adolescents or teens who use or abuse alcohol have an increased risk of damage to their brains and neurotransmitters. Brain damage due to alcohol or drug use or abuse, can lead to addiction, academic failure, life-threatening drug use, physical changes, dui charges or death from alcohol poisoning and dui accidents.

For those adolescents and students unable to refrain from alcohol use and abuse, it is recommended that the parents and residents of the state of Maine, seek the help of teen addiction treatment centers, preferably outside the state of Maine (for increased chance of successful treatment for the teen and family).

Source:** OSA Office of Substance Abuse. Maine.gov, Maine Parents, Department of Health and Human Servces

Written by: Karen Corcoran-Walsh

04/14/2010

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