3/23/12: Alcohol Acts Like a Computer Virus in a Teen Brain

 Alcohol Acts Like a Computer Virus in a Teen Brain

Discussing brain science can sometimes put even seasoned professionals to sleep, but understanding this material is crucial in making the case for youth delaying drinking. This week I was looking for ways to explain the effects of alcohol on the developing brain.

I found a great resource at www.parentsempowered.org, a site is sponsored by the state of Utah. While the site is designed primarily for parents, I recommend it to educators, human services providers and all those interested in alcohol prevention.

Among the wealth of materials on this site, I found a wonderful series of brain science lessons entitled How Alcohol Can Damage a Teen’s Developing Brain Causing Brain Impairment and Early Addiction at http://parentsempowered.org/files/resources/teaching_tools.pdf. This lesson packet contains posters, lesson plans, worksheets and a fact sheet from the AMA. The lessons are grounded in research and a bibliography is provided.

One of the lessons used an analogy that I think is brilliant in discussing this topic with teens: Alcohol acts like a computer virus in a teen brain!

The lesson explains the role of the prefrontal cortex in governing good judgment, planning ahead, decision-making and impulse control, helping youth to avoid antisocial behavior and become thoughtful, responsible adults. The majority of prefrontal cortex brain wiring takes place during the ages of 12 to 16, and continues to develop until about age 24.  The hippocampus is responsible for learning and memory, and goes through a developmental “spurt” during the ages of 12 to 24.

The lesson goes on to explain that alcohol is a chemical which, if consumed before our brains are fully developed, interferes with chemical neurotransmitters and damages our brain neuron wiring. Alcohol acts like a computer virus in our brain. It slows or shuts down brain activity, thus keeping a teen brain from making connections and properly wiring. Drinking alcohol as a teen is like turning off the power when you are trying to download new software.

What would happen if you had a power-outage right when you were trying to load new software on your computer? It wouldn’t be there when the power came on.

Alcohol acts the same way on a still-developing brain. Important neural connections that we need to be a responsible, thoughtful adult may not be wired into our brains, making life more difficult for us, and those who will depend on us. We may be harmed in ways we cannot predict, becoming less than we could be.

Alcohol damage can cause young people to:

- develop social problems.

- have poor judgment.

- get into trouble.

- struggle in school.

- experience failure in achieving life-long goals.

Most alcohol brain damage doesn’t show up right away, until your brain is needed to handle complex jobs or relationships, and then it may be too late. Why is it important for teens to understand brain development and wiring? So they can protect their brain while it is developing.

Alcohol use not only harms a teen’s brain wiring, it also hijacks the brain’s pleasure-reward system, causing the brain to crave alcohol pleasure and leading to a great increase in the risk of alcohol addiction. 40% of kids who begin drinking at age 15 will become alcohol dependant as adults.

I hope that you find this analogy, and the rest of the materials at www.parentsempowered.org, as helpful as I did!

Regards,

Cheryl

Ulster Prevention Council Blog: 2011 Monitoring the Future Study Results on Synthetic Marijuana

2011 Monitoring the Future Study Results on Synthetic Marijuana

For the next several weeks I’ll be addressing the release of the 2011 Monitoring the Future Survey results. The Monitoring the Future (MTF) study is a long-term epidemiological study that surveys trends in legal and illicit use among American adolescents in 8^th, 10^th and 12^th grades.

The survey is conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research, funded by research grants from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.  MTF results are important to us in Ulster County as it gives us national comparison data as we review the results of our biannual Ulster County Youth Development Survey. from the

The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) has issued a Call for Action based on what it called one of the most noteworthy findings of the latest MTF survey.  The 2011 survey included for the first time a question on past-year use of synthetic marijuana among high school seniors. Synthetic marijuana (specifically “Spice” and “K2”) consists of leaves of ordinary plants sprayed with chemicals that mimic the mind-altering effects of marijuana. Clemson University organic chemist John W. Huffman created the K2 compound in the mid-1990s to mimic the effects of cannabis on the brain.

The MTF results indicate that the prevalence of use in the past year among 12^th graders was estimated at 11.4%. Synthetic marijuana ranked as the second most frequently used illicit substance, after marijuana, among high school seniors.

The 2010 Ulster County YDS did not survey synthetic marijuana use. However, a local scan found that such substances are readily available in gas stations and convenience stores, and local school districts report incidences of students bringing these substances to school.

In 2011, the DEA used emergency scheduling authority to ban the sale of the chemicals used to manufacture K2 and Spice. Many states, including New York, have taken action to ban the chemicals as well. However, manufacturers “tweak” the formulations used to produce these products. An internet search today readily turns up dozens of sites selling “K2 Incense Spice” marketed as “Spicester” and declared to be legal in New York.

Given the latest data, ONDCP states that it will be reaching out to a nationwide network of state and local public health and safety organizations to provide them with the latest information on this public health threat and spur action at the local level.  The Ulster Prevention Council welcomes your observations and comments regarding synthetic marijuana in Ulster County.

National Survey Shows a Rise in Illicit Drug Use From 2008 to 2010 The use of illicit drugs among Americans increased between 2008 and 2010, according to a national survey conducted by SAMHSA. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) shows that 22.6 million Americans age 12 or older (8.9 percent of the population) were current illicit drug users. The rate of use in 2010 was similar to the rate in 2009 (8.7 percent), but remained above the 2008 rate (8.0 percent). Another disturbing trend is the continuing rise in the rate of current illicit drug use among young adults age 18 to 25—from 19.6 percent in 2008 to 21.2 percent in 2009 and 21.5 percent in 2010. This increase was also driven in large part by a rise in the rate of current marijuana use among this population. “We stand at a crossroads in our Nation’s efforts to prevent substance abuse and addiction,” said SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde, J.D. “These statistics represent real lives that are at risk from the harmful and sometimes devastating effects of illicit drug use. This Nation cannot afford to risk losing more individuals, families, and communities to illicit drugs or from other types of substance abuse—instead, we must do everything we can to effectively promote prevention, treatment, and recovery programs across our country.” The annual NSDUH survey, released by SAMHSA at the kickoff of the 22nd annual National Recovery Month observance, is a scientifically conducted annual survey of approximately 67,500 people throughout the country, age 12 and older. Because of its statistical power, NSDUH is the Nation’s premier source of statistical information on the scope and nature of many behavioral health issues.

A Great Time at the Ulster County Fair!

Thank you so much to everyone who visited our booth at the Ulster County Fair.  We had many visitors come and fill out our surveys and were entered in the drawing to wim the 22 inch Philips Flatscreen TV. 

Congratulations to our lucky winner, Bernadette Pikul from Highland.