Teens Under the Influence

August 25, 2003
Ketcham (Under the Influence) and Pace, founding director of the American Council on Drug Education, present an honest and factual look at the problem of teenage substance abuse in this valuable parenting resource. Their compassionate approach should be highly valuable both to parents of children who are already abusing drugs and alcohol, and to those who want to prevent their kids from ever using. The book is painstaking and thorough, with a detailed chapter on each drug and how it works. The authors even explain what each drug's high is like (e.g.,"cocaine increases brain levels of the feel-good chemical dopamine" and usually makes a user hyperactive, impulsive and talkative). The book's final section gives detailed instructions on how parents can intervene and walk their children through the rehabilitation process, including relapses.

Starred review from September 15, 2003
These three titles update conventional knowledge about teens and drugs. In Teens Under the Influence, Ketcham, coauthor of Under the Influence, a best seller that exploded myths about alcoholism, and Pace, former chair of the New York State Governor's Advisory Committee on Alcoholism, define the magnitude of the teenage drug problem-which is huge-and offer a wealth of information. After showing us that so many kids are users (with anecdotes from them), the authors dedicate ten chapters to ten drugs, from alcohol and Ecstasy to cocaine and Ritalin, describing who's using them and why, short- and long-term effects, symptoms of use, dependence, and more. The final pages let parents see the problem and get help. As the most current and comprehensive resource on the teen drug problem, this will find an audience with teens, parents, and professionals. Highly recommended. Alcohol and Marijuana, the first two entries in a new series, come from the Hazelden Foundation, a leader in chemical dependency education and treatment. Both bring new findings to traditional ways of understanding these drugs. In Marijuana, Cermak (director, California Soc. of Addiction Medicine Task Force) describes the world of difference between experimenting with marijuana at age 12 and age 20. Rejecting the "just say no" approach, as well as the legalization model, he urges schools to adopt programs that will teach kids social and emotional competence, not just drug education (in most cases, they already know a lot about drugs, yet they're willing to try them). Pot, Cermak says, wreaks havoc on adolescents and their families. Incarceration is not the answer; marijuana dependence is a disease like alcoholism, not a crime like murder. In Alcohol, Biddulph, an adolescent therapist and addiction counselor, rejects the idea that underage drinking is so common that parents should overlook it. There is no such thing as responsible teenage drinking, he states; it is against the law and can lead to alcohol dependence. Like Marijuana, Alcohol provides 21st-century research to help parents define what's permissible and what's not. Though marred by dimestore cover art, the Hazelden titles will make excellent additions to public and school libraries that need brief profiles of certain drugs and their teen users. They are more current and thorough than Enslow's "Drug and Library" series and less sensational than that publisher's "Hot Issues" series.-Linda Beck, Indian Valley P.L., Telford, PA

Copyright 2003 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2003
Parents will find this hard to read, especially if they have a teen who is already abusing drugs. Ketcham, who worked on " Under the Influence" , about alcoholism in adults (2002), teams with Pace, a drug-education advocate, to tell it like it is. Combining scientific findings (some as recent as 2002), statements from professional counselors and researchers, and remarks from teens as young as 12, the text presents a stark picture of kids in trouble, addressing three questions parents frequently ask: Why has my teen turned to drugs? What are the most common substances he or she may be using? How do they affect still-growing bodies and brains? Fortunately, the authors don't just leave it at that; without false encouragement, they also examine what parents need to do to help their kids. This isn't a casual read; the clinical style is a little off-putting. But it is an honest, informative evaluation of a serious problem; despite the depressing facts, the authors still hold out hope for family and personal recovery--over time. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2003, American Library Association.)