U.S. Teen Smoking Drops, Pot Use Climbs [Research]
American teenagers are smoking cigarettes less–a dramatic drop of up to 64% in recent years, according to a study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The recently-released report found that just over 7% of teens smoked cigarettes…
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Adderall: A Performance-Enhancing Drug? Facts for Parents
Think performance-enhancing drugs are just a problem for the likes of cycling giants or baseball superstars? Not so fast. The Electronic Sports League (ESL), which oversees competitive video gaming, recently announced that players would be banned from using medications like…
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K2 Concerns? A Guide for Parents Worried About Synthetic Pot
Synthetic pot. Spice. K2. No matter what you call it, synthetic marijuana is bad news. During a recent two-week period, 48 people in Dauphin County and several in York County were hospitalized with overdoses, according to LancasterOnline. Synthetic marijuana-related hospital…
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Healthy Choices: Tips to Help a Child/Teen Stay Out of Trouble This Summer
There’s 104 days in summer vacation / and school comes along just to end it. / So the annual problem for our generation / is finding a good way to spend it. As the popular kids’ series Phineas and Ferb…
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Binge Drinking- Signs Someone's Tipping Back Too Many
Do you know the signs of binge drinking? People who drink enough to be considered “binge drinkers” may catch flak from loved ones, fight too many hangovers, or use alcohol to cope with stress. But what exactly is binge drinking?…
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Does Frequent Video Game Play Prime Teens' Brains For Gambling Addiction? [Research]
More than a few adults have complained about the potential impact of video games since Pong first bounced into living rooms in the 1970s. Now one study suggests that teen video gamers who play frequently show brain changes similar to…
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Lancaster County's Growing Heroin Problem- How to Help Kids Make Healthy Choices
More people died of heroin-only overdoses in Lancaster than in Philadelphia in 2013, according to a Lancaster Online special report. As we wrap up National Drug Facts Week, an annual initiative that uses science to help teens debunk common myths…
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The "Choking Game" Is On the Rise and Results in Deadly Consequences; Columbia Borough School District Takes a Proactive Approach in Responding to This Issue
The “Choking Game,” has become a rising issue effecting youth mainly from ages 9-16. The Choking “Game,” however, is not a game at all, in fact it’s a way that kids can seriously injure themselves or die in an attempt…
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Compass Mark Helps Students Embrace Change and Empowers Them to "Make History"
The Columbia Borough School District decided to take a proactive approach to possible challenges that may come out of the consolidation of Park and Taylor Elementary Schools in the Columbia Borough School District. In November, Bevan Allen, Compass Mark’s Lead…
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Peer Factor: Teen Risk-Taking May Be Sparked by Peer Influence [Research]
If your friends jumped off a bridge would you do it too? Whether you heard that phrase as a kid or you find yourself saying it to your own children, the concept is all too familiar to most of us.…
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