ABUSE MAGAZINE
New Teen Trends
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Vodka eyeballing
Afraid to be caught with the smell of alcohol on their breath, many kids have taken up the
vodka eyeballing trend. Instead of throwing back a shot, teens hold the bottle to their eye
and pour the liquid directly into the eye, which is laden with blood vessels. Here, the alcohol
is quickly absorbed through the mucous membrane and enters the bloodstream immediately
through the veins at the back of the eye. Eyeballing may yield a quick buzz without the bad
breath but there can be extreme consequences: Because most vodkas are between 40 and 50
percent alcohol, it can scar and burn the cornea, and even cause blindness.
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Overdosing on supplements
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Studies indicate that as many as 40 percent of all young athletes take
protein enhancements, which are available in forms ranging from bars
to shakes to powders. While teens may take the supplement in order to
improve muscle growth, muscle recovery, and overall athletic performance, there is no evidence that supplements are any more “enhancing”
than a nutritious diet. In fact, such supplements can have harmful
effects, such as weight gain, muscle cramping, high blood pressure, and
heart problems. Creatine, which is found in many products, can actually
interfere with a growing adolescent’s own natural production of creatine, making the body reliant on supplements. Overuse can actually
cause blood acidity, which then draws calcium from the bones to counteract the higher acidity of pH in the blood, leading to declining bone strength
and kidney stones formed by excess calcium. Advertisements for protein enhancements are ubiquitous in sports magazines, and the substances will likely
continue to be popular because of the high protein to low carbohydrate and fat ratio, but parents and athletic coaches should monitor their use and
encourage a healthy diet for teen athletes.
The choking game
This potentially lethal “game” involves the use
of restraints or the assistance of a friend to choke
the player in order to cut off the flow of blood
to the brain. The purpose is to obtain the high
that comes when the restraint is released and the
blood rushes back into the brain. In actuality, the
“high” feeling comes from thousands of brain cells
dying because of lack of oxygen, causing long term
brain damage, comas, strokes, and bleeding in the
brain (also known as “silent stroke”). Because
there is never a way to know the exact time to
let go, many participants pass out and some have actually hanged themselves. Most players are
teens who want to get high with using drugs or alcohol. Although it is estimated that as many
as 250 to 1,000 teens die from playing the choking game each year, most are ruled suicides.
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abusemagazine.org | Illinois Spring/Summer 2014 |
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