The Blog of P.U.R.E. and Sue Scheff

One of the most common concerns from parents of teens, behind drug use, is Internet addiction.   It would be difficult, if not impossible, to find a college campus or schools that don’t have Internet. College students and teens use the Internet for research, communication, and other educational activities. Of course, students also use the Internet for social media, news, and even online gambling, activities that can be fun and even enriching, but when overused, become a real problem. Some college students suffer from Internet addiction, unable to step away from the computer or put down mobile devices even for a day. Eighty-four percent of college counselors agree that Internet Addiction Disorder is legitimate, but at the same time, 93% of them have not been fully trained to diagnose Internet addiction, and 94% have insufficient training for Internet addiction treatment. The result? Falling grades, physical problems, and even clinical addiction. Internet addictio...

NIDA (National Institute on Drug Abuse) has created an extremely informative and educational website to keep parents, teachers, teens and kids informed on substances and all forms or mind altering drugs that are being used today. Here is a snapshot to learn about the effects of drug abuse on the body and the brain. Anabolic Steroids – Anabolic steroids are artificial versions of a hormone that’s in all of us — testosterone. Some people take anabolic steroid pills or injections to try to build muscle faster. Cocaine – Cocaine is made from the leaf of the coca plant. It often comes in the form of a white powder that some people inhale through their nose. Another form of cocaine, known as crack, can be smoked. Hallucinogens – Hallucinogens cause people to experience – you guessed it – hallucinations, imagined experiences that seem real. Inhalants – Hair spray, gasoline, spray paint — they are all inhalants, and so are lots of other everyday products. Some people i...

Do you suspect your teen is using drugs? Or it isn't your teen, it is their friends? Don't be a parent in denial, you aren't helping your child. Does it start with marijuana? Advance to pills? On to needles? There can be so many different paths your teen can take to the road to addiction, but the one path they need to realize is they don’t need to start to begin with.  Understanding the risks and dangers is the beginning of teaching prevention. October 31st through November 6th is National Drug Facts Week . This is an opportunity to shatter the myths about drug and substance abuse as well as become an educated parent and build a stronger drug-free community. What is ecstasy? “Ecstasy ” is a slang term for MDMA , short for 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, a name that’s nearly as long as the all-night parties where MDMA is often used. That’s why MDMA has been called a “club drug.” It has effects similar to those of other stimulants, and it often makes t...

It’s not just pot anymore! It’s not the pot some parents smoked in college! It’s not just pills that gave you a quick high or a downer! Today’s teen drug use is worse than generations prior.  Why?  The access, the technology, the peer pressure, society, many reasons that all lead to one result:  Parents need to take the time to not only educate their teens on they dangers of substance abuse, but also themselves. What is Oxycontin? OxyContin is a drug that is administered in pill form.  The actual drug name is oxycodone and OxyContin is a brand name for the pills that are produced by Purdue Pharma. OxyContin is considered a narcotic painkiller and is in a class of drugs called opiates because it contains chemicals called opioids which bind with particular opioid receptors in our brain. Other drugs that are opiates include: Heroin Codeine Vicodin (brand name for a drug with active ingredieant hydrocodone) Morphine Percodan (also contains ...

Be an educated parent. Nine out of 10 Americans who meet the medical criteria for addiction¹ started smoking, drinking, or using other drugs before age 18, according to a national study released today by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University.   Adolescent Substance Use: America’s #1 Public Health Problem reveals that adolescence is the critical period for the initiation of substance use and its consequences. The CASA report finds 1 in 4 Americans who began using any addictive substance before age 18 are addicted, compared to 1 in 25 Americans who started using at age 21 or older.   The CASA report reveals that: 75 percent (10 million) of all high school students have used addictive substances including tobacco, alcohol, marijuana or cocaine; 1 in 5 of them meets the medical criteria for addiction. 46 percent (6.1 million) of all high school students currently use addictive substances; 1 in 3 of them meets the medi...

Parents in denial.   Teens and heroin, a deadly combination. Dealers making it easier to smoke, cheaper to purchase, and more potent to be an addict faster.  Heroin is dangerous and deadly and it is a growing concern and trend today. 20/20 ABC News featured an excellent report on this topic.  The New Face of a Heroin Addict, which followed the lives of three average all-American families and their addict. ( Watch segment on sidebar ). Since 2007, the number of heroin users in the U.S. has nearly doubled, and half of all first-time users are younger than 26 years old, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration . This 20/20 ABC News segment should be an episode that every parent with a young teen should stop and watch.  It clearly shows that no one is immune to becoming an addict - especially a heroin addict. Parents that belive their teen is " only smoking pot ," listen to these stories - most start out ...