"Just say no" is no longer enough

I read an interesting piece in Forbes recently that looks at the link between heroin and prescription opioid use —- especially among high school students. Referenced in the article is a study published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence, which concluded that more than 75% of high school heroin users began experimenting further with opiates after first being introduced to prescription painkillers. Nearly 25% of students who reported using prescription opioids more than 40 times reported lifetime heroin use.

The statistics are alarming, to say the least. But the author raises a very important point: Just teaching kids to “say no” is not longer enough. To pull in the reigns on this growing epidemic we need to change the conversation we’re having with kids about drugs.

As Dr. Joseph J. Palamar, an affiliate of the Center for Drug Use and HIV Research (CDUHR) and an assistant professor of Population Health at NYU Langone Medical Center said in an interview, many teens are hesitant to trust drug education in schools and data provided by their government.

“Teens are commonly taught that marijuana is as dangerous as heroin and then when they’re exposed to marijuana they may develop a distrust regarding all other drug information,” he said. “Teens are generally only taught how drugs are bad and there is little focus on why some people use.”

The legalization of marijuana is, in many ways, changing the face of drug prevention. While it’s still vitally important to teach kids to “say no to drugs,” the discussion needs to expand to teach kids why people often turn to drugs in the first place —- that many people are attracted to drugs and alcohol because they seem like relief when life is stressful and painful. And research is showing that teens are the most stressed out generation. American teenagers are now the most stressed-out age group in the U.S. According to APA’s 2013 Stress In America survey, while adults rate their stress at a 5.1 on a 10-point scale, teens rate their stress levels at 5.8.

Our youth needs to understand that while initially it may seem like drugs and alcohol provide relief to their stress, in the long run they provide nothing but more pain, exponentially. So, we need to need to talk about where kids and teens can turn instead when life seems impossibly hard. What are healthy ways to deal with stress?

Here are a few tips for teens on how to manage stress without using drugs and alcohol:

Be mindful of what you’re feeling. Using drugs and alcohol won’t help you work through the stress or negativity you’re feeling. Rather than running from your emotions, acknowledge these negative feelings for what they are, try to assess what’s causing them, and understand that they will pass.

Don’t talk negatively about yourself. According to the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, a stressed teen might believe “My life will never get better.” The AACAP recommends turning that line of thinking around by saying, “I may feel hopeless now, but my life will probably get better if I work at it and get some help.”

Talk it out with someone. Talk with a parent, friend, teacher or other person you trust to get a fresh perspective on the problem. Since they’re detached from the issue you’re having, they’re be able to offer alternative ways of approaching the problem that you likely hadn’t considered.

Hit the gym. One of the best ways to work through stress is to be physically active. Being active can boost your feel-good endorphins and distract you from daily worries.

Bottom line: Teens need to understand that bringing drugs and alcohol into the equation will only make things worse. Instead of turning to these substances when feeling down or stress, choose a more positive, productive path.