According to a recent report released by the drug recovery group Narconon, teenagers who engage in alcohol abuse are more likely to become addicted to alcohol or drugs as adults than their peers who do not drink.

The report shines a light on the perception of alcohol consumption among teens as a “rite of passage” or even as “harmless fun” in some social circles.

The fact remains that underage alcohol consumption is against the law and the report from Narconon only serves to reinforce the seriousness of the teen alcohol abuse problem.

If you want to keep your children away from alcohol, there are some simple things you can do to make a difference in their lives, including:

• Lead by example - don’t drink large quantities of alcohol around your children.   Don’t get interbreated in their presence.
• Don’t have alcohol around the house - or at the very least, place it in a locked cabinet that the children cannot access.
• Talk to your kids about the dangers of alcohol - this is the absolute best way to make sure that your kids make good decisions about drinking for the rest of their lives.

If your teenage has an alcohol addiction, it is crucial to get them the help they need to turn their situation around.  Find an alcohol treatment center that understands the special needs of teenagers and adolescents and get them enrolled today.

A recent report in the British newspaper The Daily Mail has found that drug deaths related to cocaine and ecstasy are up a whopping 1200% since 1993.

The study detailed several interesting pieces of information that shed light into the demographic trends of drug abuse in England - many of which can be extrapolated to drug addiction in the United States.

• Cocaine and ecstasy use is up among individuals in the 40’s or older.   The health of these individuals puts them in a higher-risk group for overdose.
• Mixing cocaine with alcohol use has become more popular in the United Kingdom.  This can create a deadly mixture called cocaine-ethynyl which has claimed the life of hundreds of individuals over the past several years.
• 293 people died in England from cocaine use last year, a shocking figure when you consider that only 23 people died from those drugs just a few short years ago.
• Heroin and morphine-related deaths are also up in England, rising to 829 in 2007 from 713 in 2006.
• Drug addiction and drug-related deaths among young people, while not decreasing has leveled off over the past few years.   The real rise in drug use is among older men and women.

As in America, celebrities in England have had their struggles with drugs and alcohol.  The tabloid industry in the United Kingdom is in many ways, even more intrusive than it is in the United States, allowing the public to see these lifestyles first-hand.  

Whether or not this is impacting drug use among older Brits remains to be seen, but one thing is for certain, you can expect demand at quality drug rehab facilities to rise in the coming years across the pond.

The criminal activity of prescription drug addicts

Those who are addicted to prescription drugs such as Vicodin, OxyContin, Darvocet or other medications will do desperate things when their supply runs out. People who never experienced even the slightest brush with the law will find themselves acting in ways that run afoul of law.

Here’s a look at some of the things that individuals addicted to prescription drugs will do to obtain the medication:

• Stealing medication from friends and family - A common way for addicts to get their drugs is by simply snatching them out of the medicine cabinets of people’s homes.  Besides being a major violation of trust, this is dangerous behavior, as the individual may be taking medication from someone who genuinely needs it to treat an illness or cope with pain.
• Doctor shopping and faking illnesses - One of the most unethical methods of obtaining drugs, individuals (especially those addicted to painkillers) will visit several different doctors at a fake an illness or injury at each of them in the hopes obtaining a prescription for pain medication.
• Stealing prescription pads and forging doctor signatures - When visiting a doctors office, addicts have been known to steal blank prescription pads, then illegally forge the doctor’s signature to obtain medication at a pharmacy.
• Stealing money from friends and family- If the individual needs money to buy prescription drugs illegally, they may resort to stealing the money right out of the purses and wallets of the individuals closest to them.

Michael’s House is a residential drug treatment program in Palm Springs, California that helps get those individuals addicted to prescription medication clean, and then teaches them the behaviors required to stay that way.  Visit Michael’s House for more information.