September 26, 200612:58 pm
posted by Aric Thorpe, MHR

Parents: Possibly Unaware of Substance Abuse Problems with Adolescent Children

Would you know if your son or daughter was an alchoholic? What about if they smoked pot regularly? Chain smoker?

The National Institute on Alchohol Abuse and Alcoholism surveyed around 600 parents recently, around half knew that their teens smoked, or used alchohol or marijuana. However, only a handful knew when that use had became abuse or turned into dependence.

View Original Article

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September 22, 20069:12 am
posted by Aric Thorpe, MHR

Family Day - Sept 25th

The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse tells us:

• Kids whose parents dine with them four times a week or more are likely to perform better in school

• The more often children eat dinner with their families, the less likely they are to smoke, drink, or use drugs.
• Children and teens who have frequent family dinners are less likely to have friends or classmates who use illicit drugs or abuse prescription drugs.

Watch the Family Day Commercial
http://www.casacolumbia.org/

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September 19, 200611:44 am
posted by Aric Thorpe, MHR

Pregnant Drinking Increases Child’s Risk of Alcohol Disorder

Rosa Alati, Ph.D, and associates of the University of Queensland, recently published a study on the relatedness of drinking and child risks for Alcohol Disorder. The study found that woman who drink during the first two trimesters of pregnancy increased their chance of giving birth to children that have a greater risk of alcohol disorder. According to the study, three drinks per sitting consumed several times a month elevates the risk of early on set drinking in their children by 50%. Here is an excerpt of the article:

Children of mothers who drink during pregnancy have a greater risk of developing alcohol problems as they grow up, according to Australian researchers.

This is particularly so for mothers who drink during the first two trimesters, reported Rosa Alati, Ph.D., of the University of Queensland here, and colleagues, in the September issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.

There have been many studies on the relatedness of drinking during pregnancy and the genetic predisposition of children to alcohol disorder. This study verifies previous findings from other studies. The importance of this is that the question of “if” drinking during pregnancy will cause developmental problems really doesn’t exist now. Now the issue is publishing the news in layman’s terms to those in need of education. Who better to take on this task than the church?

Click here to read “Pregnant Drinking Increases Child’s Risk of Alcohol Disorder”

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September 12, 20063:37 pm
posted by Aric Thorpe, MHR

Methamphetamine Stunts Fetal Growth

A recent study done by Lynne M. Smith, M.D., of the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, and colleagues, revealed that meth-exposed infants are 3.5 times more likely to be born pre-term and be small for their gestational age. The study found a similar finding with infants whose mothers used tobacco during pregnancy; mothers using tobacco during pregnancy were twice as likely to give birth to infants “small for their gestational age.” The study was conducted at four pregnancy centers in cities where meth use is common, Tulsa, Honolulu, Des Moines and Los Angeles. The following is an except of the article:

The investigators identified 84 newborns who were exposed to methamphetamine in utero, and 1,534 who were not exposed. Drug exposure was ruled in or out by a combination of self-reports by the mothers and by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry confirmation of amphetamine and metabolites in the infants’ meconium.

In both groups some mothers had used alcohol, tobacco, or marijuana during pregnancy, but any who had used opiates, LSD, PCP (phencyclidine), or cocaine were excluded.

Studies such as these are useful in raising awareness of the dangers of substance use and abuse during pregnancy. My personal feeling is that often woman do not realize, or underestimate, the dangers involved in substance use during pregnancy.

I found it amazing that Tulsa ranks so high in methamphetamine use nationally. This should certainly cause a call to arms among Pastors and social workers in Tulsa and surrounding areas. Specifically, we need to inform meth users of resources available to them to facilitate recovery.

Click here to read “Methamphetamine Stunts Fetal Growth”

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September 8, 20068:44 am
posted by Aric Thorpe, MHR

Ample Food Portions Beguile College Students’ Eyes

According to Carol Byrd-Bredbenner, Ph.D., R.D., of Rutgers University and colleagues in the September issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, overeating in college students may very well be linked to the portion sizes they are served in buffet style food courts at universities. The research found that students are eating much larger portions of food than college students did in 1984. Researches of the study theorize that this is true of the average American as well. With portion sizes being 3 to 4 times larger than an appropriate meal serving at most restaurants, Americans may perceive that these size portions are average. This misperception could be causing college students and Americans in general to be cooking meals at home for their families that are well beyond a one unit serving. Below is an excerpt of the article:

The study involved 177 college students (75% women). In 2003, participants were asked to serve themselves typical portions of eight foods at breakfast, including cereal, toast, and orange juice, or six foods at lunch or dinner, including tuna salad, tossed salad, and soda. The portions selected were weighed and compared with results of the 1984 study.

Click here to read “Overly Ample Food Portions Beguile College Students’ Eyes”

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8:26 am
posted by Aric Thorpe, MHR

Depression Ramps Up Inflammatory Response to Stress

A recent study found a link between depression and stress. According to the study, men with major depression had an “exaggerated inflammatory” response to stress. Researchers believe that this may be why men with cancer, heart disease and diabetes often have major depression. “When medically healthy, depressed and non-depressed volunteers were subjected to stressful situations, the men with depression had elevated levels of inflammatory markers in peripheral blood,” researchers reported. Here is an excerpt of the article:

Men with major depression have an exaggerated inflammatory response to stress, a finding that could partly explain some of the somatic diseases associated with the condition, according to researchers here. They believe that the finding may shed some light on why conditions such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes often go hand in hand with depression.

Click here to read “Depression Ramps Up Inflammatory Response to Stress”

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