What is binge drinking? Is it bad for you?
Binge-drinking is having five or more alcoholic drinks in a row or on one occasion. Some teenagers think of binge-drinking and getting drunk as a ‘rite of passage’. They might do it on special occasions such as 16th and 18th birthdays, school graduations or at homecoming week. Some teenagers binge-drink more often than that. Learn more.
Homecoming is an annual celebration. But each year on Homecoming, teens can be exposed to drinking, pre-gaming, parties and pep rallies – and the pressure to fit in.
Learn how to talk to your teen about growing up safely by visiting Power to the Parent for more information.
Over the summer, seven students from Irvington High School attended a Youth 2 Youth Leadership Conference in New England. One of our students, Natalie K., wanted to share her experience.
I loved my experience at Youth 2 Youth (Y2Y) and am already looking forward to hopefully attending again next year! Y2Y was a brand new experience for me and at first it was overwhelming seeing how many people had already been coming to the conference for so many years. But the setup of the day and the activities immediately allowed for me to make amazing friends who truly helped make my experience even better. From having family group sessions where we got to know about 13 other kids well, to energizers that helped get the energy flowing in the room for the day. Everything was well planned, fun and happy.
The conference was a great combination of fun and learning without sometimes even realizing it. I had no idea what to expect at first and getting there I immediately felt such a positive feeling. People would just come up and start talking to me or introducing themselves which is something I wasn’t so used to but it gave me such a happy feeling throughout the whole conference. Everyone was there for almost all the same reasons and having that made the experience and environment very positive.
Besides meeting people and having fun, we all sat through some very emotional family group sessions and listened to incredibly powerful and moving speakers throughout the conference. One speaker, Cara Filler, left many in the room in tears and I constantly think about what she had told us relating to the effects of distracted driving and decision making. Her speech was incredibly emotional but also very informative as it made most people realize how much you can learn from others experiences I would love for her to come to Irvington as she was incredibly impactful and an excellent speaker. The other speakers at the conference were also great but I left the conference with different thinking and feelings after Cara and I still think about what she shares with us everyday.
Family group allowed for me to have 13 people that I knew and could always rely on while at the conference and from that I ended up making a good friend who then introduced me to more people. I liked that they had teenagers who were either the same age as some of us or older as youth staff because that gave a more welcoming and understanding feeling for some people when talking in family groups.
We had chosen workshops in the beginning of our arrival and I was so shocked to see how many options there were. All 4 of my workshops (2 each day) were different from each other and I came out of each having a different understanding about the topic. Whether it was talking about the effects of drugs on a person and their options, talking about stress, peer pressure, and being a team leader each had a well thought out plan, activity and/or discussion.
We met up twice with people from Westchester who were also at the conference and all contributed our ideas and listened to what others were hoping to bring back to their school. We came up with some great ideas for the Rivertown’s and also specifically for Irvington.
Everyone there was super nice and friendly and it was truly an awesome experience that I have already shared with some of my friends and family. It was a very busy 4 days and I am so glad I was able to attend and learn so much in that time frame. Thank you so much for all your support and for making it possible for us to go to this amazing conference.
I only use alcohol once in a while. Why is that so bad?
Using alcohol and other drugs in the teenage years is bad for your child’s brain development. It can also be bad for your child’s long-term physical and mental health. If you suspect your child is using alcohol or other drugs, you need to act. Learn more.
It’s that time of year again and we can hear the school bells ringing! It can be hard to adjust from the dog days of summer to the busy and fast pace of the school year. Here are nine tips to get back into the school mode and start this year off right!
Tip #1: Have the Proper School Supplies that you need for your classes!
During the first day of class most teachers will tell you everything they require for their courses. Make sure that you get the specified supplies so that you are able to keep up with the class work and stay organized.
Tip #2: Get an Agenda!
Between taking test, doing home work, attending activities, and school events it can be really hard to keep track of everything. By keeping an updated agenda you can better manage your time and know what you have to accomplish.
Tip #3: Know your Course Syllabus
Knowing your class schedule is so important for being successful in the course your taking. Teachers will typical hand out your syllabus in class or post it online. Knowing when you have papers and projects due is so important for passing the course and keeping up your grades.
Tip #4: Do Not Procrastinate
This is something that we have all been guilty of in the past and have learned the stressful repercussions. A habit is created in three weeks so if you study for every course your taking daily in 21 days that will be a new habit for you. Dedicating a little bit of time everyday to the courses you are taking is definitely going to positively impact your grades and make you a better student!
Tip #5: Know What is Expected of You
Pay attention to what the teacher is saying about the workload of the class and what they are hoping for you to get out of it. Teacher want you to succeed and will provide you with what you need to do to thrive. Always remember that communicating with your teachers is key for understanding their expectations.
Tip #6: Get Involved
Getting involved with your school community is great because you can pursue your interest and meet peers who have the same and similar interest as you. Many studies have shown that students who are involved in sports and school activities are able to achieve higher GPA’s.
Tip #7: Learn What Type of Leaner You Are
There are three main types of learning styles which are auditory, visual, and kinesthetic. Knowing what type of leaner you are is going to help you be a better student and have better studying habits.When you are able to determine the type of learning style that is best for you, you will find better results when you are studying and it will result in higher test scores!
Tip #8: List of academic goals
Write out a list of goals that you want to achieve for the upcoming school year! Do you want to make the lead role in the play, get that varsity spot on the basket ball team, improve your grades? When you write down every goal you are able to plan and realize what you need to do to prepare for them. Having that list can be a driving and motivating force to help you work to achieve those goals.
Tip #9: Refusal Skills
You need ready-made comebacks to have in your pocket when friends and peers start putting on the pressure about trying drugs and/or alcohol. Power to the Parent shares these four ways to say “no”:
Every new school year is a opportunity for a fresh start, new friends, and to make it count. You have the potential to make this year one of the best ones yet!
Source: Gabrielle Flank, Huffington Post
How to Talk About Marijuana: There isn’t one script for talking about marijuana, but here’s what you’re likely to hear — and a few suggestions for how to respond.
Spotting Drug Use: A few simple tips and guidelines can go a long way toward spotting issues with drug use earlier rather than later.
Prepare to Take Action if You Suspect Teen or Adult Drug Use: Is your child using drugs? Use these tips to prepare for the conversation ahead, and lay the foundation for more positive outcomes.
As a parent, it is important to understand your role in protecting children from the problems associated with underage drinking, and the laws related to this issue. Underage alcohol use is a serious issue impacting communities across New York State, including the Village of Irvington. Adults play a role when they sell of serve alcohol to youth under the age of 21, when they host parties where young people are drinking, and when they condone underage alcohol use.
Every community member should be concerned about alcohol use by youth under 21 because it is associated with the three most common causes of teenage deaths: accidental deaths, homicides and suicides. In addition, high levels of alcohol use are associated with unplanned or unprotected sexual activity among adolescents, posting increased risk for teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Alcohol use and higher levels of use among adolescents is associated with poor grades, absenteeism and higher school drop-out rates. In addition, children who start drinking before the age of 15 are four times more likely to develop alcohol dependence than those who begin drinking at age 21.
The enforcement of the underage drinking laws requires an awareness and commitment from parents, schools, communities, clergy, healthcare and law enforcement professionals. The health and safety of our children, families and communities can not be compromised due to the devastating, and often fatal consequences of underage drinking. Everyone can play a role in reducing the use of alcohol in youth under 21.
Learn more about how you can make a difference as well as laws addressing underage drinking.
Why is heroin so addictive?
Heroin use impacts the brain more severely than other substances and can create brain changes that lead to addiction. After an injection of heroin, the user reports feeling a surge of euphoria or “rush.” With regular heroin use, tolerance develops. This means the person must use more heroin to achieve the same intensity or effect. Learn more.
During the past year, many concerns have been expressed with the use of marijuana and the vulnerability of the teen brain. One of the concerns that substance abuse prevention professionals have about marijuana is that among students the perception of harm is declining in regards to this drug. “Perception of harm” is the benchmark for drug use and a decline predicts the probability of future drug use.
Professionals feel that the approval of marijuana for medical conditions in New York State and the legalization of marijuana in some states have been contributing factors to the decline of the perception of harm by teens.
However, the ongoing research into this drug shows a very different picture regarding marijuana’s harmful effects. As was previously reported, there is an association between marijuana and psychosis and depression. Researchers are learning more about the negative impact of marijuana on the cognitive skills of memory and attention. Marijuana also decreases motivation and there are short and longer term effects of marijuana on the ability to learn.
One can go to the website www.powertotheparent.org to read more about the negative impact that marijuana can have on the teen brain.
Source: Patricia Murphy Warble, LMSW, CPP, Parenting for Prevention June 2017
