Katherine Ketcham - Teens Under the Influence: The Truth About Kids, Alcohol, and Other Drugs- How to Recognize the Problem and What to Do About It

Year after year the Gallup Polls show how devastating alcohol and other drug addictions are to individuals and our society as a whole. The new big threat is adolescent drug use and addiction, a problem that affects our society at all levels. Teens Under the Influence will be welcomed and applauded by parents, educators, judges, probation officers, and adolescents themselves. It will be a wonderful teaching tool, helping us to educate our children and ourselves about the facts, eliminating the many myths that cloud our thinking, and helping to eradicate the stigma of alcohol and other drug addictions.

G EORGE G ALLUP , Chairman
The George H. Gallup International Institute
Princeton, New Jersey

It is difficult to overestimate the importance and severity of adolescent alcohol and drug addiction, which is growing continually and also contributing to an increased rate of adolescent suicide. Strong parental leadership can make an enormous difference, but many parents do not know how to assert that kind of positive influence. Teens Under the Influence will save lives.

R OBERT C ANCRO , M.D.
Lucius N. Littauer Professor of Psychiatry and Department Chair, NYU School of Medicine

What we lack in the addiction field is a comprehensive guidebook written for parents and kids in a language they can understand. This book will fill that need.

S COTT M UNSON , Executive Director
Sundown M. Ranch Treatment Center
Past Chairperson, National Association of
Addiction Treatment Providers

Underage drinking, which includes most college binge drinking, is one of the greatest problems we are facing in this country. The tragic resultscarnage on the highways, college date rapes, deaths, homicides, suicide, teenage pregnancy, and the spread of AIDScould be prevented with education, and Teens Under the Influence is just what the doctor ordered.

A DELE C. S MITHERS- F ORNACI , President
The Christopher D. Smithers Foundations, Inc.

There is a critical need for a book addressing guidelines for parents dealing with drug problems in their adolescents. Teens Under the Influence is a current valuable contribution to parents and to the field of addiction and medicine.

G. D OUGLAS T ALBOTT , M.D.
Founder and Medical Director
The Talbott Recovery Campus

A Ballantine Book
Published by The Random House Publishing Group

Copyright 2003 by Katherine Ketcham and Nicholas Pace

All rights reserved.

Published in the United States by Ballantine Books, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York, and simultaneously in Canada by Random House of Canada Limited, Toronto.

From The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran, copyright 1923 by Kahlil Gibran and renewed 1951 by Administrators C.T.A. of Kahlil Gibran Estate and Mary G. Gibran. Used by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc. and the Estate of Kahlil Gibran.

Ballantine and colophon are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc.

www.ballantinebooks.com

Library of Congress Control Number: 2003109360

eISBN: 978-0-307-49171-8

v3.1

Acknowledgments

O ur debt of gratitude is deep and wide. This book could not have been written without the following people, who told us their stories, offered their wisdom and experience, and inspired us at every loop and twist along the way.

To the kids, especially Aaron, AJ, Allen, Alicia, Amanda, Anastasia, Andrew, Anthony, April, Autumn, Ben G., Ben S., Benny, Bethany, BJ, Blythe, Brad, Brenda, Brittany, Camille, Carl, Carlos, Carol, Caroline, Chad, Chance, Charra, Chelsie, Chris, Christina, Christy, Cody, Colin, Colleen, Curtis, Daniel, Debra, Derek, Derrick, Domingo, Doug, Ed, Elmer, Emily, Evian, Foster, Francisco, Frank, Gary, Geneva, Gilbert, Hannah, James, Jason G., Jason C-H., Javi, JD, Jeffrey, Jenna, Jennifer, Jeremy C., Jeremy M., Jerry, Jessica, Joanna, Joe, John, Johnny, Jolan, Joleen, Jordan, Jos, Joseph, Josh, Juan, Kate, Katie, Kim, Kirby, Kristina, Kristle, Latasha, Laura, Lisa, Leo, Lori, Lucy, Luis, Luke, Marc B., Marc L., Marcus, Margarita, Mario, Mark, Marquelle, Matt, Melissa, Michael, Michelle, Molly, Monica, Natalie, Nicole, Noshka, Paul, Peter, Robert, Ron, Ross, Sabrina, Samantha, Seth, Sharon, Shawn, Shalynn, Stacy, Stepfanie, Stephanie, Steven, Tania, Thaddeus, Tiffany, Tim, Todd, Tony, Tyler, Vanessa L., Vanessa R., Vincent, Wade, Will, and so many others.

To the parents, especially Lenna Buissink, Kathleen McCaw and Mark Grandstuff, former senator George and his wife Eleanor McGovern, Diana and Randy Pierce, and Sandra Reavis.

To the staff at the Walla Walla Juvenile Justice Center: Michael Bates, Norris Gregoire, George Wiese; and Avril Atkinson, Brian Bieren, Steve Boese, Bill Boggs, Jon Cassetto, Donna Coffeen, Dondi Cortinas, Julie Elmenhurst, Jamila Gordon, Ralph Harris, Craig Isitt, Joette Jones, Debra Kelley, Gina Laib, Anne Lierley, Kevin Magnaghi, Frank Martinez, Jan McCaw, Cindy Mercado, Tiffany Michaels, Vance Norsworthy, Becky Renwick, Angela Reyna, Judy Roy, Julio Tapia, Kim Throw, and Christy Young.

To the staff and students at Summit High School in Spokane, Washington; and special thanks to Andy Finch, director of the Association of Recovery Schools.

To the physicians and researchers who are changing the world for children and their families: Daniel Amen, M.D.; Henri Begleiter, Ph.D.; Joseph A. Califano, Jr.; Robert Cancro, M.D.; Marc Fishman, M.D.; Stanley Gitlow, M.D.; Fred Goodwin, M.D.; Enoch Gordis, M.D.; Steven Jaffe, M.D.; Ting-Kai Li, M.D.; Herbert D. Kleber, M.D.; Alan I. Leshner, Ph.D.; David Lewis, M.D.; Charles Lieber, M.D.; Howard A. Liddle, Ed.D.; Howard Marquelle, M.D.; Kenneth Minkoff, M.D.; Ernest Noble, M.D., Ph.D.; Bert Pepper, M.D.; Richard Ries, M.D.; Steven Schroeder, M.D.; Marc Schuckit, M.D.; David E. Smith, M.D.; G. Douglas Talbott, M.D.; Nora Volkow, M.D.; James W. West, M.D.; Aaron White, Ph.D.; Ken Winters, Ph.D.

To the treatment specialists who offered their advice and experience: Judy Bixby; Mike Early; Jeannette Friedman; Terence Gorski; Diane Hall; Jeff and Debra Jay; Vernon Johnson; Jerry Moe; Ed Mosshart; Ira Mothner; Scott Munson; Michael Osbourne; Rick Risberg; David Rosenker; Mitchell S. Rosenthal, M.D.; John Schwarzlose; Marvin Seppala, M.D.; Adele C. Smithers-Fornaci; James Steinhagen; Bill Teuteberg; Joseph Ward; Randall Webber; Harvey Weiss; Sis Wenger; and Stephen Wyatt.

To those who led the way: John B. Alfieri; Sidney Cohen; M.D.; Luther Cloud, M.D.; Charles A. Dana; Ruth Fox, M.D.; Louis Fugazy; Senator Harold Hughes; George Meany; Thomas H. Meikle, Jr., M.D.; R. Brinkley Smithers.

To our friends and mentors: William Asbury, Teri Barila, Doug Barram, Dave Beebe, Laurie Becker, Melinda Burgess, Kathy Covey, Jack Delaney, Marilyn Dickinson, George H. Gallup, Jr., John Glase, Peggy Gutierrez, Jeff and Debra Jay, Elizabeth R. Kabler, Sharon and Timothy Kaufman-Osborn, Jane Kelly, Charles Kester, Ernest Kurtz, Mary Ann LaFazia, Alan Luks, James R. Milam, Richard Morgan, Ann Mueller, Kathy Lowe Petersen, Richard Nagle, Nancy Reagan, Jason and Lois Robards, James Roche, Charles Rosenberry, Neil Scott, Mel Schulstad, Kenneth D. Stark, Susan Stewart-Rickelman, Doug Thorburn, Joseph Ward, Robert Warren, William S. White, Cynthia Witman, Jason Zelus.