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Alcohol and Substance Abuse Deaths of Younger Persons

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Old 11-03-2015, 09:39 PM
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Alcohol and Substance Abuse Deaths of Younger Persons

There was an article in the N.Y.Times Tuesday Nov. 3, showing a rapid rise of deaths due to alcoholism and substance abuse. I don't recall statistics showing how much there has been a rise in these areas if we look only at persons age 15-25 or maybe 15-30. I suspect that the increase in deaths during the past five years in these adolescent to early life ages is quite a bit more dramatic. My impression is that alcoholism and drug abuse has hit these younger folk very hard, much harder than older persons. Can this be empirically confirmed?

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Old 11-03-2015, 10:54 PM
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I don't have the numbers but I wouldn't be surprised. The economy is still pretty soft and there are less opportunities today than 20 years ago. That often leads to more drug and alcohol abuse.
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Old 11-03-2015, 10:57 PM
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I had serious health problems at 32 directly from alcohol. Diagnosed. I had to stop or die. I was always befuddled by the people who can drink hard and fast for 20 years without any concrete health problems. I burned out my candle in about nine. What I mean is I probably would've died within about a year if I continued drinking.
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Old 11-04-2015, 03:43 AM
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I totally agree with this post teenagers don't understand internet ad blocking and the adverts are constantly aimed at them whether directly or indirectly. there is alcohol concern uk which monitors this they also do a lot for teenagers

https://www.alcoholconcern.org.uk/wh...g-people/yaac/

& Here is an example of the type of advertising I'm talking about

Alcohol ad outside a school | It's The Drink Talking


I've known about this since I got sober a lot of ppl said your thinking is wrong & I said each to thier own but I know what I see
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Old 11-04-2015, 04:20 AM
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Could it be that our society has taken a dramatic change from even the eighties?
With the advent of the internet, two parents working and the internet becoming the 'new parents', kids are pretty much left to their own devices. Social activities for adolescents and young adults - organized interactive social groups - is becoming a thing of the past. Our society is bombarded with advertisements for the latest and greatest of everything and if kids don't have it they feel left out.
Facebook/social media and youtube heavily influence today's youth, and adults.

Alcohol becomes the quick 'fix' for fun. And drug abuse which I believe may have declined shortly after the seventies is surging along with synthetic drug use that some thought were a safe alternative to "real drugs". This leads youth straight to heroin and speed and those things. Heroin use is becoming out of control.
When I was in rehab a couple years ago, half the clients were there for heroin or similar drugs. They made up over 95% of the under 25 crowd.

There are not a lot of "cool" things for kids to do anymore. They are brainwashed. And seeing their parents rushing through life to get ahead with little 'family time' these days, kids will search out for something else.

Maybe?
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Old 11-04-2015, 05:32 AM
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60 minutes did a special on the huge rise in Heroin use and over dose over the past 5 years. I'm sure its on their website. This is not surprising due to extremely irresponsible prescription writing of opiates. Norco and Oxy are hugely expensive so the addicted kids (and adults) turn to the much cheaper and stronger street heroin.
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Old 11-04-2015, 07:56 AM
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Originally Posted by Frickaflip233 View Post
60 minutes did a special on the huge rise in Heroin use and over dose over the past 5 years. I'm sure its on their website. This is not surprising due to extremely irresponsible prescription writing of opiates. Norco and Oxy are hugely expensive so the addicted kids (and adults) turn to the much cheaper and stronger street heroin.
Yes, the internet indicates that heroin deaths tripled in the five year period for this age group.

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Old 11-04-2015, 08:49 AM
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I agree it has a lot to do with the internet and the clever advertisements designed to catch young people's eyes.. Alcohol is subtly dropped in many films also, think James Bond martinis must be cool to drink right!!!
I also think social media has made a lot of young people feel extremely disconnected and discontent with life as it seems everybody is doing better, has a better life etc.!
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Old 11-04-2015, 09:17 AM
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Its frightening. I personally think that one of our biggest challenges, in the US anyway, is the rampant prescription drug abuse. High school kids get a sprained ankle and they are prescribed norco. What? Prescription drug abuse has quadrupled in the last 8 years. Now its something like 44-60 people dying a day...... A DAY. That's from legal prescriptions. 2 million Americans abuse prescription drugs in 2013. 7,000 people are treated every DAY in the ER for misuse of these drugs. These drugs being opiates and benzos. Its totally acceptable for people to say things like 'GAWD I needed a Xanax just to get through that kids birthday party'. And then they mix with alcohol. Oh and don't forget 'diet' pills....Methamphetamine. Suburban housewife crystal. And our 'normies' think that hey, if its prescribed by a dr., I'm not an addict. Right? I'm not like those alcoholics Ok big generalization there but there is huge denial. Addiction is rampant in our society. Food, Technology, Drugs, booze, sex, gambling....you name it.
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Old 11-04-2015, 09:29 AM
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I got sober at the age of 17 back in 1977. In my small city there were over a dozen of others within a few year of my age in recovery. The issues today is the crackdown on prescribed narcotics and the shift to heroin.

The scary part is when there is a spike in overdoses because of purity, demand for that drug goes up. I know far to many who've died from opiate overdose than from alcohol.
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Old 11-04-2015, 09:33 AM
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And consumerism is forcing children to grow up so fast...they are consumers...target them...even to the point of endangering them!

I remember when the "thong song" was shocking!

Now I've seen Nicki Minaj's bare bottom probably more frequently than I've seen my own and I look around at twenty-somethings dressed like they're going to the club standing in the mall - I see girls on social media in their underwear because their generation has been taught the only thing they have to offer is their looks and their skin through advertisements, media, music, everything.

Look at Kim Kardashian...did she not "break the internet" for posing nude?

Music is get high, get high, get drunk, get money, get *******, party, party, party.

The millenials are the generation that grew up with the computer in every home and a smart phone in their hands in middle school. They didn't transition into the world of hyper-technology like many of us did where there was a learning curve with each new object. I was at a pizza joint, I saw on a screen my order with the pound sign in front of it, I asked what it meant (the pound sign) the girl behind the counter said "oh that's a hashtag". I wasn't too concerned with what the pound sign meant on my order anymore lol - and I'm still trying to figure out how my under 10 years old son accessed the neighbors password locked wifi to play Netflix on his tablet when I shut the wifi off as discipline.

I guess I'm just rambling...but there is a problem, a huge problem, I see a generation of teenagers crying out for help and attention, doing what they're constantly exposed to because that's "normal" and a ton of adults complaining about them or complaining that there's a problem and no one willing to step up and try and definitively find it and fix it.
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Old 11-04-2015, 11:38 AM
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The thoughts of so many beautiful young people poisoning their healthy bodies bring shivers down my spine.
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Old 11-04-2015, 11:46 AM
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Very sad to read, addiction is a very serious business!!
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Old 11-05-2015, 04:45 AM
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Originally Posted by wpainterw View Post
There was an article in the N.Y.Times Tuesday Nov. 3, showing a rapid rise of deaths due to alcoholism and substance abuse. I don't recall statistics showing how much there has been a rise in these areas if we look only at persons age 15-25 or maybe 15-30. I suspect that the increase in deaths during the past five years in these adolescent to early life ages is quite a bit more dramatic. My impression is that alcoholism and drug abuse has hit these younger folk very hard, much harder than older persons. Can this be empirically confirmed?

W.
While I cannot confirm it, I can confirm that the adolescent culture has changed dramatically from when I was a kid. I employed them so I got to know what their lifestyles are like. Most are sedentary, feel entitled, and drugs and alcohol are way too easy to obtain. All these new synthetic drugs they can buy on the internet are contributing to fatalities. Here in Minnesota I read stories fairly regularly about teenagers buying the latest drug on the internet from china or something, not knowing how they will react and end up dead or disabled. Its tragic.
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Old 11-05-2015, 07:12 AM
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Overdose deaths in 2001 were about 8000 a year in the US. 2013, there were nearly 25,000. 3x the rate. Heroin was 2000-3000 a year from 2001- 2010. It has skyrocketed since 2010 to nearly 9000 a year in 2013.
Prescription drug abuse is much higher than it was 15 years ago and heroin abuse in particular has gone through the roof in recent years.
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Old 11-05-2015, 01:57 PM
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Originally Posted by KidsEverywhere View Post
Overdose deaths in 2001 were about 8000 a year in the US. 2013, there were nearly 25,000. 3x the rate. Heroin was 2000-3000 a year from 2001- 2010. It has skyrocketed since 2010 to nearly 9000 a year in 2013.
Prescription drug abuse is much higher than it was 15 years ago and heroin abuse in particular has gone through the roof in recent years.
I just got done reading an article that 46,471 deaths from prescription drug overdose's and heroin last year. My question would be how many of the OD's are intentional. Its a comfortable way to die, and let's be honest, here in the US, we are in decline. Things are bad, I look around and I see so many people out of work, prescription drug problems, alcoholism, we are headed towards what Russia is like. Millions of unemployed chemically addicted hooligans. And some people probably just want to bow out. 2 cents.
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Old 11-05-2015, 02:18 PM
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Coursening of the culture and technology play a part, but my money is on the absence of men from parenting (and work). I think it's now like 40% of children are now raised with no dad in the picture. Being a single mom can take superhuman efforts, but let's face it, without two parents who are fully engaged, the kid's chances go way down in life. It has become socially acceptable for men to be lazy and irresponsible. Yes, the economy sucks, but if you can scrounge up enough money for dope and pills, you could be helping around the house. But that would take work and self-sacrifice instead of giving instant gratification.
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Old 11-05-2015, 02:53 PM
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Originally Posted by Fluffer View Post
Coursening of the culture and technology play a part, but my money is on the absence of men from parenting (and work). I think it's now like 40% of children are now raised with no dad in the picture. Being a single mom can take superhuman efforts, but let's face it, without two parents who are fully engaged, the kid's chances go way down in life. It has become socially acceptable for men to be lazy and irresponsible. Yes, the economy sucks, but if you can scrounge up enough money for dope and pills, you could be helping around the house. But that would take work and self-sacrifice instead of giving instant gratification.
Er.

I'm a single mother and my son's father is quite absent due to extreme domestic violence and his own alcoholism and drug abuse and my kid is doing just fine lol - straight A's, extra curriculars, rarely in trouble at home, school, or in martial arts...so I am going to politely disagree with you on some of these points. Others I'm in complete agreement, especially that parents are absent for the wrong reasons. It seems more that there's a large number of parents that weren't ready to grow up when they brought children into this world and now their children are growing up without them because their parents are still running around like irresponsible kids. Or it may not be the case and they're just the ones that get the most attention.

Also on that note about prescription abuse and suicide...yeah...if I were going to go that would be my chosen method (and in the past I did think about it). It's an interesting question...would be even more interesting to see actual statistics on it but it's scary to say that families would rather admit drug addiction and claim overdose over suicide.
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Old 11-06-2015, 03:33 AM
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Originally Posted by thomas11 View Post
I just got done reading an article that 46,471 deaths from prescription drug overdose's and heroin last year. My question would be how many of the OD's are intentional. Its a comfortable way to die, and let's be honest, here in the US, we are in decline. Things are bad, I look around and I see so many people out of work, prescription drug problems, alcoholism, we are headed towards what Russia is like. Millions of unemployed chemically addicted hooligans. And some people probably just want to bow out. 2 cents.
I have seen statistics indicating that the suicide rate of adolescents on Native American reservations is about 18-20 percent. About one fifth of the adolescents killing themselves! Shocking! Historically unprecedented I would think. These kids need to be given an opportunity to get off the reservation and get back on track. A matter of life or death for them.
On a broader perspective, I venture to say that the whole culture has turned to a "me" oriented one: "career", money, prestige, power, possessions, "selfies", etc. May it not be that wisdom and happiness may best be found in helping others, not thinking about oneself or emphasizing "recreation", "partying".

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Old 11-06-2015, 06:11 AM
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The first thing that comes to mind for me is young people growing up much faster than they used to...before their brains are even fully developed.

@ Kallisistia....I don't intend to minimize what you're saying in any way, but I have to caution against thinking that the "perfectly adapted" seeming child is free and clear of issues...I learned from my own experience that the effects of abandonment, alcoholism, violence, abuse, etc. sometimes don't come out until later, in unexpected ways. a child could become perfectionistic and/or become master of burying his or her feelings, hiding personal problems and subverting his or her emotional needs and those things can carry into adulthood until they reach a kind of boiling point, if they do. Personally when I reached my boiling point and came out of the closet about many of these things, my family reacted by rejecting me instead of hearing what I was saying. They wanted me to continue being the "easy" one, the "good" one who does what they're supposed to do and makes things look good and doesn't "complain" about the past. Due to their own beliefs about who they think I should be and whatever else they project onto me, I've embarked on my own healing journey without their blessing. So this gigantic gap in understanding was created that drew us even further apart, and I doubt that my family is unique on this point.
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