CONTENTS:
PREVENTION SPOTLIGHT
Children and Family
Services, Corporation
Knox/Sullivan
Communities
That Care (CTC)
Issue 9
December 2015/January 2016
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” - Benjamin Franklin
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Presa Resources
Drugs and the Brain
Binge Drinking Defined
Talk, They Hear You: Answering
Your Child’s Tough Questions
About Alcohol
Resource Corner
Sources
Presa Resources
For latest information on prevention of substance abuse, “like” us on Facebook at “Presa Resources of Knox County”. Connect with
us on Twitter: @Presa_CFS
Drugs and the Brain
According to National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) for Teens:
 Drugs are chemicals. When someone puts these chemicals into their body, either by smoking, injecting, inhaling, or eating them,
they tap into the brain’s communication system and tamper with the way nerve cells normally send, receive, and process information.
 Most drugs of abuse—nicotine, cocaine, marijuana, and others—affect the brain’s “reward” circuit, which is part of the limbic sys-
tem. Normally, the reward circuit responds to feelings of pleasure by releasing the neurotransmitter dopamine. Dopamine creates
feelings of pleasure. Drugs take control of this system, causing large amounts of dopamine to flood the system. This flood of dopamine is what causes the “high” or intense excitement and happiness (sometimes called euphoria) linked with drug use.
 After repeated drug use, the brain starts to adjust to the surges of dopamine. Neurons may begin to reduce the number of dopamine receptors or simply make less dopamine. As a result, the ability to feel any pleasure is reduced. The person feels flat, lifeless, and depressed, and is unable to enjoy things that once brought pleasure. Now the person needs drugs just to bring dopamine levels up to normal, and more of the drug is needed to create a dopamine flood, or “high”—an effect known as “tolerance.”
Binge Drinking Defined
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) defines binge drinking as a pattern of drinking that brings blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels to 0.08 g/dL. This typically occurs after 4 drinks for women and 5 drinks for men—in about 2 hours.
Binge drinking puts individuals at higher risk for an Alcohol Use Disorder, compromises the immune system, and, with heavier episodes, can lead to alcohol poisoning.
According to NIAAA, even though they come in different sizes, the drinks below are each examples of one standard drink:
For more information, visit: http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/overview-alcohol-consumption/moderate-binge-drinking
Talk, They Hear You: Answering Your Child’s Tough Questions About Alcohol
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA):
“I got invited to a party. Can I go?”
Ask your child if an adult will be present at the party or if he or she thinks children will be drinking. Remind your child that even being at a party where there is underage drinking can get him or her into trouble. Use this time to establish or reinforce your rules
about alcohol and outline the behavior you expect.
“What if my friends ask me to drink?”
Helping your child say “no” to peer pressure is one of the most important things you can do to keep him or her alcohol-free. Work
with your child to think of a way to handle this situation, whether it is simply saying, “No, I don’t drink,” or saying, “I promised my
mom (or dad) that I wouldn’t drink.”
“Why is alcohol bad for me?”
Don’t try to scare your child about drinking or tell him or her, “You can’t handle it.” Instead, tell your child that alcohol can be bad for
his or her growing brain, interferes with judgment, and can make him or her sick. Once children hear the facts and your opinions
about them, it is easier for you to make rules and enforce them.
“You drink alcohol, so why can’t I?”
Remind your child that underage drinking is against the law, and for good reason. Point out that adults are fully developed mentally
and physically so they can handle drinking. Children’s minds and bodies, however, are still growing, so alcohol can have a greater
effect on their judgment and health.
Get the “Talk, They Hear You” app and practice talking with your youth. For more information, visit:
http://www.samhsa.gov/underage-drinking/mobile-application
For more tips on talking to your kids, visit: http://www.samhsa.gov/underage-drinking/parent-resources
Resource Corner
Corner—
—Support in Our Community
Alcoholics Anonymous
Find help, hope, and acceptance.
24 hour answering service: 812
812--882
882--2800
Knox County:
Southwestern Indiana Central Office: 812
812--464
464--2219
http://www.southwesternindianaaa.org
Sullivan County:
Wabash Valley Intergroup: 812
812--234
234--0827
http://terrehauteaa.com/
Additional Resource:
Samaritan Center:
Phone: 812-886-6800 or 800-824-7907 (toll free)
Additional Resource:
Hamilton Center:
Phone: 812-268-6376
After Hours Emergencies: 800-742-0787
For more information on the Knox/Sullivan CTC, you may contact Director Tina Hidde at [email protected] or Prevention Specialist
Miranda Martin at [email protected]. Telephone inquiries: 812-886-4470.
Sources:
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Drugs and the Brain
Drug Facts: Brain and Addiction: How Do Drugs Affect Your Brain? Retrieved November 3, 2015, from
https://teens.drugabuse.gov/drug-facts/brain-and-addiction National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) for Teens.
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Talk, They Hear You: Answering Your Child’s Tough Questions About Alcohol
Answering Your Child’s Tough Questions About Alcohol June 4, 2015, from http://www.samhsa.gov/underage-drinking/parentresources/answering-your-childs-tough-questions-about Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
(SAMHSA)
Binge Drinking
Overview of Alcohol Consumption Retrieved November 3, 2015, from
http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/overview-alcohol-consumption/moderate-binge-drinking National Institute on Alcohol
Abuse and Alcoholism.
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