Decoding the Mysteries of the Teen Domain1

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Marijuana

The main active ingredient in cannabis is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)

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Oral- Baked goods/food products

- Beverages

- Capsules, synthetics/pharmaceuticals

Ways to Use Marijuana

Vaporized- Heated plant material

- Heated oil or wax/dab

Smoked- Cigarette/Joint/Spliff

- Pipe/water pipe/hookah

- Hallowed out cigar/blunt

Other- Topical

- Pessaries8

Marijuana: Dabbing

Highly concentrated

Smoked or Inhaled

Provides intense high

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Marijuana: Dabbing

DabShatter

WaxCrumble

HoneycombBudder/ButterPull-and-Snap

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Signs of Marijuana Intoxication

Physical• Glass red eyes• Sweet burnt scent• Weight gain or weight

loss• Increased heart rate• Lack of coordination• Increased cravings for

snacks• Sleepiness/lethargy

Behavioral• Loud talking and

inappropriate laughter• Loss of interest• Loss of motivation• Confusion• Lack of focus• Dropping studies or

usual activities/hobbies• Misjudging time or

speed• Secretiveness

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Prescription Drugs

• Valium (diazepam)• Xanax (alprozalam)• Halcion (triazolam)• Prosom (estazolan)• Ambien (zolpidem)• Lunesta (eszopiclone)

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Prescription Drugs

• Valium (diazepam)• Xanax (alprozalam)• Halcion (triazolam)• Prosom (estazolan)• Ambien (zolpidem)• Lunesta (eszopiclone)• Adderall (amphetamine)• Dexedrine (dextroamphetamine)• Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine)

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Opioids

• Codeine • Hydrocodone

(Vicodin)• Oxycodone

(OxyContin, Percocet)• Morphine

(Kadian, Avinza)• Fentanyl• Methadone

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Opioids OxyHillbilly Heroin

KickersVikeRid

PercsCaptain Cody

Pancakes & Syrup China White Miss Emma

SmackHorse Skunk

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Opioid Crisis

According to the U.S. Surgeon General…

yet we consume

the U.S. makes up 5% of the world’s population

80% of the world’s supply of oxycodone

and 99% of its hydrocodone.

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Roughly 21% to 29% of patients prescribed opioids for chronic pain misuse them.

In 2016 64,000 Americans died of an overdose. 75% of those deaths were due to opioids.

About 80% of people who use heroin first misused prescription opioids.

National Institute of Health18

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Signs of Opiate Use

Physical• Needle marks• Sleeping at unusual

times• Sweating• Vomiting• Coughing and sniffling• Twitching and itching• Loss of appetite• Contracted pupils• No response of pupils to

light

Behavioral• Drowsiness and nodding

off• Sedation• Euphoria• Lack of hygiene• Changes in energy or

exercise• Reappearance of old

habits• Loss of relationships• Theft or overspending

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Robo-trippingRobotard

Poor Man’s PCP/XDex/Dexing/Drex

TussinOrange CrushSyrup Head

Red Devils/ Red HotsSkittleingTriple C’sVitamin D

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Electronic Cigarettes & Vaping

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Signs of Eating Disorders

• Isolating from friends, family, or events

• Dieting an/or skipping meals

• Anxiety or depression

• More prominent or obsessive exercising

• Becoming secretive/irritable about foods and meals

• When college student comes home for first break, notice a change in weight

• Abrasion on knuckles – a result of self-induced vomiting

• Use of laxatives, diet pills/diuretics, self induced vomiting, enemas

• Trips to the bathroom during or immediately following meals

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Signs of Eating Disorders

• Increased criticism of their body or the body of others

• Increased talk about food, weight, calories, fat, etc.

• Complaining about being cold – especially fingers and toes

• Increased consumption of diet soda or water

• Discomfort in fitted clothes, wears loose clothing

• Increased need for perfectionism

• Rules and rituals around food

• Avoiding eating favorite foods

• Wears unseasonably warm clothing to:• Conceal weight loss or gain

• Help lose weight

• Help keep them warm

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Self-Harm – Cutting

TRENDSAs many as 1 in 10 teenagers

deliberately self-harm and the number of cases is on the rise,

doubling in the last 3 years.

Of the teenagers who self-harm, 75% of them are

females and 25% are males.

Monitoring the Future

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Signs of Self Harm

• Unexplained frequent cuts or burns

• Wearing long sleeves or pants in warm weather

• Avoiding swimming pools or the beach

• Wearing thick bracelets to cover wrists

• Having sharp objects on purse, book bag, or bedroom

• Difficulty expressing feelings

• Withdrawal from close relationships

• Sensitive or irritable if you ask them about something you see on their skin/why they are wearing long sleeves/etc.

• Scars30

MOST KIDS DON’Tengage in dangerous behavior that

can lead to serious harm

2016 Minnesota Student Survey

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IT EXISTS

We can’t do anything about a concern

KNOWunless we

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the

SAFETY of our kids trumps their

PRIVACY

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“Years after the tragedy, I picked up a parenting magazine in a waiting room featuring an ‘ethical parenting’ quiz. I got all ten questions ‘right’ except for ‘Would you read your child’s private journal?’ The correct answer, according to the parenting magazine was ‘no.’ I know it would have been my answer too, when Dylan was alive, but it would not be my answer now.”

“When we search our children’s rooms or read their journals, we risk that they will feel betrayed. However, they may be hiding problems they cannot manage themselves.”

Sue Klebold, A Mother’s Reckoning 34

DON’T APOLOGIZE

stay calm

USE I-STATEMENTS

choose a next step

follow through

BREATHE

be a PARENT not a friend35

Initiate good conversations

CREATE AN OPEN

ENVIRONMENT

Be honest

SHARE YOUR OWN VALUES

LISTEN to your child36

What can you do?1. Investigate2. Model healthy behavior3. Talk about boundaries and set clear

expectations4. Educate yourself on issues 5. Invest in the relationship6. Eliminate or reduce access7. Continue to investigate

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Boundaries &

Clear Expectations

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Set a curfew & stay awake

Talk directly to other parents

Make constant communication the norm

Don’t accept ‘it was fine’

Disallow overnight phone use

Get to know and understand all things social media

Outline reasonable consequences and follow through

Listen to your instincts

Make it easy to leave a party

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7 Things to Help Our Kids Thrive

• Eat Dinner as a family. According to a Harvard non-profit, kids who eat dinner with their family about 5 days a week exhibit lower levels of substance abuse, teen pregnancy, obesity, and depression.

• Enforce no-screen time. Developing brains can be permanently altered when they spend too much time using tablets and smartphones. This includes parts of the brain responsible for focus and attention, vocabulary, social skills, and impulse control.

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• Make them work. According to a Harvard study, individuals that achieved the greatest professional success also did chores as a child and had hoseholdresponsibilities.

• Delay gratification. Children who are able to resist temptation grow up to be people with better social skills, higher test scores, and lower incidence of substance abuse. Train them to have tasks to do each day that need to be completed, even if they don’t feel like doing them.

7 Things to Help Our Kids Thrive

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• Read to them. From NY School of Medicine, research suggests babies whose parents began reading to them in infancy have better language, literacy and early reading skills

• Encourage them to travel. This can lead to increased tolerance of other cultures, increased willingness to learn, increased independence and self-confidence, better adaptability and sensitivity, and better self-expression.

• Let them fail. This helps your child learn to cope, and provides them with real life experience they need to relate to peers in a genuine way. Being challenge leads to the need for hard work and sustained efforts – and demonstrates that these traits are valuable even without the blue ribbon, the trophy, or the highest score. This allows children to build resilience and they will be more willing to attempt difficult tasks because they are not afraid of failure.

7 Things to Help Our Kids Thrive

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MOST TEENSFEEL GOOD

about their future

2016 Minnesota Student Survey43

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www.topsecretproject.org45

Cigna Behavioral Health Awareness

If you are a Cigna customer and have questions about Substance Use treatment or about your benefits and how to use them, please contact:

Chantelle Hoogland – 888.244.6293 x 329159

Lisa Osborne – 770.779.2023

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