Entries by Chris Whitaker
Frequently Asked Questions About Drug Testing in Schools
How do some schools conduct drug testing? Following models established in the workplace, some schools conduct random drug testing and/or reasonable suspicion/cause testing. This usually involves collecting urine samples to test for drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines, phencyclidine (PCP), and opioids (both heroin and prescription pain relievers). In random testing, students are selected regardless […]
Surge of teen vaping levels off, but remains high as of early 2020
Findings released today from the most recent Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey of substance use behaviors and related attitudes among teens in the United States indicate that levels of nicotine and marijuana vaping did not increase from 2019 to early 2020, although they remain high. The annual MTF survey is conducted by the University of […]
What Is Lean?
We’ve described the risks of misusing cough and cold medicines to get high. Prescription cough medicines that contain promethazine (an antihistamine) or codeine are sometimes combined with soda and candy in a drink called “lean” or “sizzurp.” Lean is sometimes used at electronic dance music (EDM) parties, and a recent study found that half of […]
Vaping (E-Cigarettes), Nicotine and Tobacco
Despite some promising signs that traditional tobacco cigarette use is decreasing among teenagers, unacceptably high numbers of youth are vaping nicotine. NIDA’s 2019 Monitoring the Future Survey of eighth, 10th, and 12th graders show alarmingly high rates of e-cigarette use compared to just a year ago. Reported past month nicotine vaping among teens in 2019: […]
