ABUSE MAGAZINE
New Teen Trends
Photo Source: www.redorbit.com
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 Winter 2014 |
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