Families across the United States struggle with teen alcohol and drug abuse. If you have a child in your household that is showing the signs of use, you are not alone. In 2010, research from the National Institute on Drug Abuse reported that by the 8^th grade about 36% of teens had tried alcohol and by 12^th grade it’s 71%. In terms of illegal drugs, about 21% reported using something by the 8^th grade and 48% by the 12 ^th.

In a large survey of adolescent health, Colorado ranked in the top 10 for rates of illegal drug use in the past month among 12 year olds and 18 – 25 year olds. With the legalization of marijuana for adults in this state, many are anticipating these numbers to go up. Teens will have easier access to this drug through older friends, siblings and possibly even parents.

Parents in Colorado and across the country often wonder why their teen is exhibiting risk-taking behavior. The answer is found in recent scientific research that shows the brain doesn’t fully develop until the mid-twenties. In fact, the last part of the brain to develop in the pre-frontal cortex which controls one’s judgment and decision making abilities. Furthermore, the research also shows that teens start using illegal substances to improve their mood, reduce stress and due to peer pressure to gain popularity and acceptance among their age group.

So, if your child has been caught for a Minor In Possession offense, these are most likely the reasons why. Young adults in this predicament will be punished by the law with fines, community service work and the requirement to take an alcohol and drug awareness class. Legal systems across the nation have come to the realization that the additional educational portion of this mandate, forces kids to learn how and why the behavior is dangerous and unacceptable. For your own sanity, have your teen take an online MIP class to fulfill this requirement. They will be able to learn all about the short and long term effects of these substances to their mental and physical capabilities from the quiet, convenient and relaxed atmosphere of your own home. Classes are available in 8, 12, 16, 20 & 24 lengths.

The way it works is to first pick a high quality course that is designed by a currently practicing and licensed psychotherapist. Then get court approval that they will accept a distance learning or online class. Once you receive approval, simply go online and register with a credit card. The class becomes instantly available on the screen in front of you. Nothing needs to be downloaded or printed out so you can take it from any computer device in any WI-FI hotspot. Classes are divided by chapters. At the end of each chapter a short multiple-choice quiz is taken. Your child has complete freedom to go at her own pace and login and out as many times as it takes to get through the entire course. If she wants to complete it quickly, she can sit down and spend the entire weekend on it, or take it more slowly with a little each night. The program holds your last spot, but you can also go back to review information already covered. At the end of the class, the minor takes a multiple-choice final exam that needs to be passed with a 70% or better. This test can be re-taken if necessary. Upon successful completion, an official Certificate is sent out. This is the documentation that needs to be presented to the court to prove the requirement was fulfilled. Taking an online Minor In Possession class will be a highly educational experience for your adolescent and will make the parents life easier because of the convenience and ease.

During this holiday season you will most likely find yourself out at a work, family or friend related party. It’s the time of year when people celebrate the successful year the company has had, or family gets together to observe Christmas, or friends get together to toast in the New Year. The exposure to alcohol can be endless and be a very difficult time for an individual who is trying to stay sober. If you are truly concerned about the risks of drinking and driving or maintaining your sobriety, then don’t tell yourself you can have just one. One usually leads to two, and so forth. Instead, surround yourself with supportive people who will help you not drink, go for the non-alcoholic drinks and leave if the temptation gets too great.

There are some serious myths about drinking alcohol that everyone should be aware of before trying to utilize the theories during a night of drinking.

1) I won’t get drunk if I eat a big meal first.

The fact is that eating before you drink alcohol won’t prevent you from getting drunk. It will only delay the absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream.

2) Alcohol makes me happy and adds to the fun.

Many people think that alcohol is a stimulant, but it’s actually a depressant. It sedates the central nervous system therefore ultimately making you feel more tired, physically unbalanced, and even emotional.

3) I’ll start with hard alcohol and slow down with a beer.

It doesn’t matter which you drink first. Drinking any combination of alcohol will contribute to an increase in your blood alcohol level. This increased alcohol content in your body, no matter in what order, is what determines how drunk you will become.

4) I’m not an alcoholic because I don’t drink everyday.

The measure of alcoholism is not how often you drink, but whether you can control the amount of drinking once it starts. Some alcoholics stay sober during the week, but then binge-drink on the weekends.

5) I can sober up quickly.

Depending on your size, it takes about 3 hours for your body to metabolize 2 drinks. Drinking caffeine, taking a cold shower, or jumping in the snow only help you wake up, not sober up!

If you are at a point in your life where you are ready to acknowledge that your alcoholic behavior is controlling or destroying your life, one option is to start your road to sobriety with an online alcohol awareness class. Online alcohol classes are educational programs designed to help you gain skills in better understanding and overcoming alcohol dependency. Classes are available in the privacy and anonymity of your own home, from any web-based computer device like an Ipad, PC or laptop. The client simply registers and makes payment online. Then the course is available on your screen whenever you feel like logging in. Classes are completely self-paced and offer the most current skills and techniques in psychology today. These classes are ideal for those who are busy, or who travel on the road a lot. Online alcohol awareness classes can be accessed from any of the 50 states and are also available to fulfill court mandates.

Take the time to give yourself the gift of an online alcohol class to begin a healthier, happier New Year. An online program will provide you with the tools you need to be successful in your sobriety.

Each year the number of accidents and deaths caused by alcohol and drugs continues to increase. Many times these tragedies could have been prevented with the proper help and support. If you have a loved one in your life that abuses alcohol or drugs, you can help yourself and the individual by offering to enroll them in online alcohol and drug awareness classes. These programs are readily available from any web-based computer and have been increasingly popular because of their educational value, convenience and low-cost. Some of the benefits of enrolling in an online alcohol class are as follows:

- Students learn the physical and mental effects of these dangerous addictions.

- Families learn how to understand the addictions and how best to relate to the addict.

- Topics include how to identify the warning signs, how to better manage stress, and how to communicate effectively.

- Long-term health repercussions as well as the everyday risks of getting a DUI or causing an accident are discussed.

- Lowering and eliminating your alcohol intake will help to feel more energetic and lose weight for the New Year.

- Adolescents will learn how and why to overcome the peer pressure they are bound to face at some point in their high school or college careers.

- The education provides the rational support necessary to begin the path to sobriety.

There really is no excuse to not try a class for self-improvement purposes. They are low-cost and you don’t need to take the extra time or spend the extra gas money to drive anywhere. The opportunity to access the classes online gives the client the ability to travel to any of the 50 states and still complete the course. So, people who travel for business or will be going somewhere away from home for the holidays can utilize this type of distance learning. Once you register, they are available online at any time of the day or night providing complete flexibility for busy people. You can login and out of the class whenever you would like and the computer program holds your last spot. Nothing needs to be printed out or downloaded; the entire program is available on the screen in front of you.

Giving the gift of a 12 hour online alcohol and drug class to your adolescent or loved one will reinforce the dangers of these substances. Don’t let your child learn misinformation on the playground or from friends. Accurate education is the key to prevention and teaching the negative effects to children will give them the knowledge and support they need to confidently say no.

If you're struggling with drug and alcohol abuse and need a little motivation to get your life back on the track, this is a private and relaxed way to start. Online classes provide complete anonymity, so no one else needs to find out you are seeking this support. A good online class will also offer the ability to speak directly with a licensed therapist if any questions or concerns arise while taking the class. Enroll in an online alcohol and drug awareness class this holiday season to start 2013 off on the right foot!

It is commonly believed among teenagers that trying a drug is no big deal if they do it just once. One time shouldn’t or couldn’t be harmful and they are intrigued to find out what all the talk is about. They might be exposed to illegal drugs in the home by older siblings, at high school parties or even by seeing their own parents indulge. They think they’ll do it just one time and then they’ll know what it is and never do it again. Or, they are too nervous to say no to a friend who is pressuring them and figure once will be fine. However, what many don’t realize is that trying something “just once” is the gateway to bigger problems.

Research has not discovered one single factor that can predict whether a person will become addicted to drugs, or have the strength to easily pass them up at the next opportunity. Instead, the risk for addiction is affected by individual biology, social environment and the age of development. The genes that people are born with, along with the amount of peer pressure and quality of life, the amount of stress they are under, and the presence of any mental disorders all combine to influence risk level. Also, the earlier that a person starts using drugs, the more likely it will continue on to more serious use.

Both the short term and long term ramifications of drug use are alarming. For adolescents, areas in the brain that control their decision making, self-control and judgment are still developing and drug use can make them prone to more risk-taking behavior. This translates to driving too fast, or walking to close to a cliff or busy street and the overall feeling of being superhuman.

Drug use and addiction is definitely a preventable situation. Research shows that quality parenting and support in your child’s life can influence whether or not the adolescent will get involved in drugs. When teenagers perceive drug use as harmful and scary rather than a fun time, they reduce the amount or avoid drugs altogether.

Education is the key to prevention. The topic is touched upon in health sciences in our public school system, but probably not enough. An additional tool that every parent should give their young adult in middle or high school is access to alcohol and drug awareness classes. Online classes are becoming increasingly popular because they enable the students to take the courses from the convenience of their own web-based device at home. This means you simply enroll in a level 1 8-hour drug class online and the entire course is available to you immediately on your computer screen. The class can be taken whenever the client has time 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

A drug education class provides the essential tools that teens need to know and understand in order to be able to confidently walk away. Courses teach how drugs effect physical and mental development, what addiction means and how drug use affects everyone around them. Most importantly, they learn the necessary coping skills for staying clean and drug free.

Give your child the gift of a high quality drug education program this holiday season. Taking this proactive measure will show him how important the subject is to you and how much you care about his well-being. Classes are designed to be interesting to adolescents and he will walk away with a wealth of knowledge to keep him on the right course.

Whether it’s red wine with Thanksgiving turkey, eggnog on Christmas, or champagne on New Year’s, winter holiday gatherings seem to come packaged with a signature alcoholic beverage. For many of us, it is a time to celebrate the good times and having an alcoholic beverage helps us to relax and enjoy, however for some it becomes the main event of the evening and is a sign of a deeper problem.

An unfortunate reality of the holiday season is the increase in alcohol related driving arrests and accidents. The consequences of this impaired driving not only affect the driver but passengers and other motorists that are in harms way. In fact, the California Highway Patrol reported that 50 DUI arrests were made on Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving this year. Across the state there were 262 DUI arrests.  If you are hosting a holiday party this year and are concerned about your guests getting home safely, consider the following tips:

1) Never pressure anyone to drink.

2) Offer guests a wide selection of tasty non-alcoholic drinks.

3) Stop serving alcohol an hour before the party is expected to end.

4) Encourage guests to appoint a designated driver.

5) Call a taxi or arrange for a ride for any guest that is inebriated.

If you are generally the person who ends up dead drunk at the end of a party and know you have an alcohol problem, this is a good time to take the first step to deal with it head-on. People who struggle with drinking issues often feel ashamed and embarrassed, but admitting to the problem and looking for support from loved ones, education and therapy is the only way you will get your life back. The reality is that if you are an alcoholic, everyone around you already knows it. However, if you’d like to keep your recovery process quiet, a good way to start is by taking an alcohol awareness class online.

Taking an online alcohol awareness class has many benefits. Quality educational classes are available online that are designed by a licensed and practicing specialists in the field of alcohol and drugs. All the client needs to do is register for a course length of her choice (8, 10, 12, 16, 20 or 24 hours), and the class is available immediately on the computer screen in front of you. The class is divided by chapters according to topic. The client can start and stop the class as many times as necessary in their busy schedules. Furthermore, taking the class online offers the ability to stay in the comfort of your own home with complete privacy, so no one else needs to know that you have decided to embark on this path. If you do feel the need for support, be sure to choose a class that also gives you the opportunity to speak with a psychotherapist during the workweek.

Taking an alcohol awareness class during this time of year when alcohol is highly prevalent at many functions will give you the additional support and guidance you need to stay sober. Make this the year that you don’t have to regret your behavior at workplace parties or friend and family social gatherings. Give yourself the gift of education to help you overcome alcoholic behavior.