A new Duke University study, recently highlighted in The Wall Street Journal, shows that even when adolescents drink in moderation, intermittently, the impact on the brain is potentially long-term. Researchers examined the role of moderate and regular alcohol use on brain circuitry and found that such exposure led to a decrease in functioning of the hippocampus, leading to poorer memory and slower learning. Read the article now.

An analysis of Instagram posts in March shed light on anticipated drug use at this year's Summer Music Festivals. DrugAbuse.com reviewed over 3.6 million Instagram posts mentioning 14 different Music Festivals to determine the percentage of posts that contain language about alcohol and drugs, including 61 popular terms associated with those substances.

The study shows that alcohol is  the most prevalence drug at concerts and festivals, followed by "Molly," Marijuana and Cocaine. 

Related: How To Tell If Someone You Know Is Hooked On Prescription Drugs

 

"What sculpture is to a block of marble, education is to a human soul." - Joseph Addison

Planning great teaching lessons does not come naturally or easily to everyone. It takes hard work, lots of effort and practice to create amazing lessons that your students will both enjoy AND learn from. In this post we share our secrets to the Ultimate Teacher Lesson Plan to help you keep your lessons exciting and engaging so your students can learn the most from your time with them.

A recent article in The Miami Herald acknowledged Miami-Dade County for being among the lowest counties in the State of Florida for underage drinking, according to a recent study from the University of Washington. Despite it's reputation as a party destination, Ali Mokdad, the study's lead author told the Miami Herald that "nationwide, counties with a network of support tend to rank lower, despite an active nightlife scene." Informed Families, Mothers Against Drunk Driving and the Miami Coalition For A Drug Free Community were highlighted as organizations that support Miami-Dade's success in curbing underage drinking. Read the article now.

A respected colleague makes the case for allowing kids to play video games. Not only do games enhance hand-eye coordination, but gaming is also the new form of reading, he suggests. Decrying video games because some are a waste of time is equivalent to throwing out all novels because Sweet Valley High is badly written. Good games are interactive and endlessly fascinating. Good games are eating the lunch of novels and other forms of fiction. The alternative to a good graphic game isn't The Scarlett Letter or Moby Dick.

Kids read graphic novels on-line rather than reading books. Hours spent gaming may not be hours spent studying or developing a plan to end homelessness in your community, but time spent on programming is not hours spent taking drugs or mugging old ladies either. Gaming allows hard-working, productive students to relax.

Thinking about giving your child alcohol in moderation to take away the "allure" of underage drinking in the teenage years? According to the latest Brown University study published in the  Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, you may want to think again.

A study on early use of alcohol found that early sipping of alcohol by young students is associated with risky alcohol behaviors when they enter high school. In addition, offering young people just a sip of alcohol may undermine prevention messages about alcohol for youth.

The newest synthetic drug on the scene, Flakka, is creating quite a stir throughout the State of Florida, as users’ bizarre and often violent behavior attracts police and media attention.

Flakka, or alpha-PVP, is a foul-smelling crystal that can be eaten, snorted, injected or vaporized in an e-cigarette or similar device, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Users who utilize a vaporizer are more likely to overdose due to the speed in which the drug is delivered to the bloodstream. The drug can cause what NIDA refers to as “excited delirium,” which includes hyperstimulation, paranoia and hallucinations that can cause violence and self-injury.  

NBC reports that Flakka, which also sold under the name “gravel,” is stronger and more addictive than other drugs synthetic drugs. Affordable at just five dollars a dose, Flakka has been linked to kidney damage and failure, suicide and death by heart attack. The drug, which is produced in China, is frequently purchased online and resold by low-level drug dealers.

Spend two minutes with Sonia Ambrose and you will instantly sense her unlimited passion for helping students thrive in school and in life.

“I find my job to be very rewarding,” said Ambrose. “I love being a school counselor and helping children succeed.”

As a counselor at Irving & Beatrice Peskoe K-8 Center in Homestead, Sonia offers students support, helps them build skills and works to resolve issues, all with the goal of helping them blossom to reach their full potential. Among the tools she uses to accomplish this goal are the materials given to her by Informed Families as part of the Ambassador Program.

“I was delighted to learn about the Ambassador Program last year at a county-wide training session with other school counselors,” said Ambrose. “I am always looking for great programs to help our students and families, so I immediately signed up.”