By Christine Gedye (Gigi '14)

February 2 - In January, the SAAS counseling department hosted two evening presentations by Kevin Haggerty, MSW from the University of Washington’s Social Development Research Group. The first, on January 11, was for parents of high school students, and the second, on January 25, was for middle school parents. Haggerty presented compelling research showing how substance use among teens is now known to have dramatic effects on their brains, learning, and memory, and that parents are still the strongest influence on a teen’s choices.

Some striking facts and statistics:

• 30% of Seattle twelfth-graders have had five or more drinks in a row in the past two weeks.
• Higher-income teens are more likely to use alcohol and drugs, largely because of availability/accessibility and resources.
• The percentage of teens that use alcohol is nearly the same between boys and girls although it is slightly HIGHER for girls (until age 19, when boys come out on top).
• 47% of kids who start using marijuana at age 13 become dependent as adults; 45% of 14-year-olds, and 38% of 15-year-olds, and it continues to drop from there. The longer onset is delayed, the less likely the teen is to become dependent.
• 60% of teens who use weed before age 15 go on to try/use cocaine.
• After marijuana, the second most popular “starter” drug is non-medical use of prescriptions.

Recent research also shows that alcohol affects teens differently than it does adults in these ways:

• Teens have reduced sensitivity to the negative effecets of alcohol, including hangovers.
• Teens suffer greater adverse effects to cognitive functioning after consuming alcohol.
• Teens show higher social disinhibition while intoxicated; in other words, they are less able to “check” their actions when drunk than adults are.
• Teens who are highly excitable (such as ADD, ADHD) are likely to be rewarded with a calming effect similar to that from medication.

Follow these links for more information:

Parents Are Primary in Prevention
Coaching Refusal Skills
Online Resources
Handout from Kevin Haggerty's Presentation
Slide Show from Kevin Haggerty's Presentation