A recent survey by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy found that the majority of parents have difficulty engaging in meaningful conversations about drug use with their teens.

"'This poll reinforces a disconcerting trend we're seeing with parents today. Too many parents are avoiding tough conversations - or tough stances - because they're afraid of jeopardizing their

The Baltimore Sun reported on a new study in Pediatrics that shows teenagers who drink often do so solely to get drunk. Of the 15,000 teens surveyed, 64% admitted to regular binging.

"Those rates are 'unacceptably high,' said Susan Foster, director of policy at the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University. 'We're seeing an increase in rates of drinking to get drunk,

A West Vancouver (Canada) teenager who left her home after telling her mother that she was going to the movies was found dead later that night at the Edmonds SkyTrain station. The cause of death appeared to be a drug overdose.

"Jenni was the second teenager to die suddenly within the past month in circumstances that suggest illegal drugs might have been involved."

Though autopsy reports haven't

Tammy East has a son in junior high, and she thinks the random drug testing that he and other students will be subjected to throughout the year is good. She only has one objection:

"I think they should have drug testing for everyone, not just those in sports or other extracurricular activities..."

The drug testing policy, which has been in place at the high school level since the 1997-98 school

Salvia is an herb that can produce short, intense, hallucinogenic trips when it's smoked. For years, the substance went relatively unnoticed by law enforcement personnel - but it has recently garnered the attention of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, as well as several local governments that are trying to ban it.

"A dozen states have outlawed or begun regulating salvia since 2005, including

Talk about teen substance abuse typically centers on extreme behavior - getting drunk at parties, habitual drug use, and so on. But even occasional use can create a dangerous habit.

"Most teenagers will tell you gulping down an occasional glass of beer along with a cigarette at a bar is fun, not substance abuse. That's where they are wrong. One glass of beer may not be addictive, but can lead to

The state Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) of New York has created tool it hopes will help parents spot drug abuse problems in the home.

"The state Office... created the tool to help New Yorkers track prescription and over-the-counter medicines in their home. It's intended to be filled out weekly."

The PDF tool is downloadable off the OASAS website and is a grid-like

Police and substance abuse officials in western states are beginning to report the appearance of candy-flavored methamphetamine. Strawberry, chocolate, and cola are among the flavors being marketed to younger people.

"They [meth dealers] are having a tough time selling this product, especially to younger people. What do people in marketing do when they have a tough time selling a product? They

Judge and lawyer Belinda Loveland has created a program called ROCK - Reaching Our Community's Kids. The goal is to give every student in the community the necessary resources to complete their education, provide mentors, and advocate clean living.

"'I chose to step outside the traditional dictates of a judge and an attorney in order to become more involved with the social issues facing our

With alcohol being everywhere, it is so easy to find that you are drinking too much; the help is out there for you, that is the good news. I had to have help to quit; what I did was to find a long term facility that addressed all my issues and I am so grateful that today I have now ben clean for 7 years! It is so easy to say that we will quit on our own, but the reality is that that is not true.