Archive: Around Town

A nationally known expert in drug prevention and health education told those participating in an Ithaca workshop today that abuse by youth of prescription drugs and alcohol can produce long-term effects, and that the parents’ attitudes and actions affect the likelihood that youth will engage in these behaviors.

Isabel Burk, Director of The Health Network, addressed the day-long workshop, “Pharmaceutical Drug Abuse in Youth and the Effects of Alcohol on the Adolescent Brain,” sponsored by the Community Coalition for Healthy Youth, collaborating with Tompkins-Seneca-Tioga BOCES,  the Seven Valleys Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, and Cayuga Addiction and Recovery Services.

Regarding abuse of prescription drugs, Burk noted research shows that 25% of those who reported a first non-medical use of prescription drugs at age 13 or younger had a diagnosis of prescription drug dependence sometime later in life, compared to only 7% for those who first used those drugs non-medically at age 21 or older.  In another recent study, nearly half of teens who used prescription drugs non-medically said they received them from a friend or relative for free. And more than 70% of parents said they don’t take special precautions to protect prescription drugs in their own homes.  Burk advised that parental monitoring, consistency in rules and values, and providing positive reinforcement all decrease the likelihood that youth will abuse prescription drugs.

Those who begin drinking alcohol early, the presenter noted, are likely to become problem drinkers when they are older, and alcohol can have a devastating impact on the developing brain, interfering with brain connections, affecting memory, and slowing brain growth.  Effects of alcohol, she said, can decrease self-control, impair thinking, and lead to greater risk-taking behavior.  Burk cited a study which showed that the extent to which fathers consume alcohol clearly affected teens’ likelihood to drink.

Burk's professional achievements have been honored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Northeast Center for Safe and Drug-Free Schools, and the New York State Department of Health. Isabel has written two books and more than 100 articles and has appeared on television programs including 20/20, CBS This Morning, The View, and Fox News.

The workshop was supported, in part, by a Drug Free Communities grant from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, awarded to the Tompkins County Youth Services Department.

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