Teens get twice the visit to the ER over 4th of July Weekend!

The U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) released a report on Emergency Room visits and it found that on July 3rd and 4th teen boys who end up in emergency rooms for drinking-related injuries doubles over the July 4th weekend.

According to the report, drinking on July 3 and 4th results in a daily average of 1,000 youth under the age of 21 two thirds of them male - to the Emergency Room for problems related to alcohol use the report stated.

Drinking related injuries include actions such as fights, car accidents and other types of incidents. Drinking teens and young adults, are at a high rate of risk for all those activities. The report for SAMSHA released a statistics from July 4th, 2009, that showed 622 boys and 304 girls ended up in the emergency room. It also revealed that emergency room visits for girls held steady throughout the month of July, but that the number for boys doubled over the holiday weekend.

 

Delany said drinking-related injuries are from fights, car accidents and other mishaps. When kids drink, "they are at greater risk for all those activities that can get you hurt," he explained.

The information was gathered from the 2009 Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) report, conducted by SAMSHA, which reports drug related hospital emergency department visits around the country.

When it's a holiday weekend, what we are finding now is that kids, especially young men, are ending up at the emergency room because of alcohol-related problems at almost double as what they would on any other day during July," said Peter Delany, director of SAMHSA's Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality.

Parents take the time to monitor your children, but also take the time to have that conversation with your young adult children as well. We as adults believe our 18, 19 and 20 year olds can take care of themselves. The reality and that statistics show that they are at a higher risk. Have that conversation with them. Here are some quick tips to help you have those conversations.

• We are here to make it clear that we will not tolerate any drug or alcohol use by you.
• We have rules in the family. The rules do not permit teen drug and alcohol use.
• Even though you think everyone is using drugs or alcohol, it is illegal and not allowable.
• You can endanger your life and the lives of others. We don’t want anything bad to happen to you. I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you.
• We count on you as a family member. Your brothers and sisters look up to you and care about you. What would they do if you were gone?
• Drug and alcohol use can ruin your future and chances to…graduate, go to college, get a job, and keep your driver’s license.
• We are here to support you. What can I do to help you not use?
• Sometimes kids use drugs and alcohol because there are other issues going on like stress, unhappiness and social issues. Have you thought about this? Are there other problems you want to talk about?
• Are your friends using? How are you handling that? Is it hard to not use in that environment?
• We won’t give up on you because we love you. We’re going to be on your case until you stop completely. If you need professional help, we will be there to support you and help make it happen.