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Weed Plus Cigarettes Takes Toll on High Schoolers' Grades

High school students who use tobacco and cannabis products miss more school and have lower grades than classmates who use them individually or not at all.

That's the conclusion of a study by researchers at UC Davis Health.

"Substance use is a main predictor of educational outcomes, including absenteeism," said first study author

  • Carole Tanzer Miller HealthDay Reporter
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  • March 18, 2024
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  • Use of Legal 'Delta-8-THC' Is Rising Among Teens - Is it Safe?

    They're cheap, easy to buy and now new research shows they have become the buzz of choice for American teens.

    Delta-8-THC products, which include gummies and vapes, are legal in 22 states and Washington, D.C. There is no federal minimum age requirement for buying them, and they are sold in gas stations, chain drug stores and online. 

    That has made the products a marketing magne...

    Medical Costs for Kids' Mental Health Jumped 31% in 5 Years

    The cost to American families of caring for a child with a mental health condition rose by almost a third between 2017 and 2021, a new report finds, to an average $4,361 per year. 

    Overall, American families spent an estimated $31 billion in 2021 on child mental health services, which now make up nearly half (about 47%) of all child medical spending, the report found.

    The findi...

    How After-School Programs Can Harm Teens' Mental Health

    Days clogged with numerous after-school activities are detrimental to the mental health of over-scheduled high school students, a new study finds.

    Researchers also found that these "enrichment' activities -- tutoring, sports, school clubs and even homework -- are unlikely to benefit students academically.

    Many folks think extra study time or tutoring will lead to better grades, but ...

    Vaping, Skipping Breakfast Ups Headache Risk for Teens

    Vaping and skipped meals appear to be the main causes of frequent headaches among teens, a new study says.

    Teens who ate breakfast and dinner with their family had a lower risk of frequent headaches than those who regularly missed meals, researchers report Feb. 28 in the journal Neurology.

    Meanwhile, vaping also was associated with frequent headaches for those 12 to 17, res...

    Firsthand Experience of Climate Change Disasters Is Stressing Teens

    Weather disasters driven by climate change are stressing out U.S. teenagers, a new study warns.

    Teens with the most firsthand experience of events like hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, droughts and wildfires were more likely to show signs of mental distress than peers who hadn't been confronted with the effects of climate change, researchers report.

    “We know that climate change has ...

    More Kids, Teens May Be Taking Multiple Psychiatric Meds

    A study of mental health care in Maryland finds an increasing number of children and teens covered by Medicaid are taking multiple psychiatric meds.

    This trend towards "polypharmacy" might be happening elsewhere, prior research suggests.

    In the new study, Maryland kids ages 17 or younger experienced "a 4% increased odds of psychotropic polypharmacy per year from 2015 to 2020," repor...

    Being Bullied in Childhood More Than Triples Risk of Mental Health Struggles Later

    When bullies destroy a young victim's trust, mental health problems are likely to follow them into adulthood, a new study warns.

    "There are few public health topics more important than youth mental health right now," said senior study author George Slavich, director of UCLA Health's Laboratory for Stress Assessment ...

    Could Bullying Raise a Teen's Odds for Psychosis?

    The Pearl Jam song “Jeremy” tells the story of a boy driven mad by bullies who commits suicide in front of his classroom.

    The song might reflect a real and ongoing threat to teens' mental health, new research suggests.

    Teens being bullied face a greater risk of early-stage psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations or paranoia, according to findings published recently in the jou...

    High School Kids Who Use Weed, Alcohol Face Higher Risks for Suicidal Thoughts

    High school students who smoke, drink or use weed are more likely to be emotionally troubled and have suicidal thoughts, a new study finds.

    Teens who turn to nicotine, alcohol or marijuana are more likely to think about suicide, feel depressed or anxious, have psychotic episodes and exhibit inattention or hyperactivity, researchers report Jan. 29 in the journal JAMA Pediatrics.

    Social Withdrawal in Kids, Teens May Signal Higher Suicide Risk Later: Study

    If your preteen or teen skips school activities and social events, it may be more than the typically moody behavior of adolescence, new research warns.

    Being socially withdrawn and having physical discomforts such as headaches, nausea or stomachaches as a preteen may boost the risk of having suicidal thoughts by age 16, researchers report.

  • Robin Foster HealthDay Reporter
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  • January 26, 2024
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  • These Traits Help Keep College Kids Happy

    College freshmen who are more outgoing and agreeable -- and less moody -- are more likely to feel a sense of belonging at their new school, new research has found.

    Those personality traits could result in better academic performance and better mental health during college, the study authors concluded.

    However, two other important personality traits -- conscientiousness and openness ...

    Stressed Teens at Risk of Heart Trouble Years Later

    Stressed-out teens are likely to have more heart health risk factors in adulthood, a new study says.

    Teens with elevated stress levels tended to have high blood pressure, obesity and other heart risk factors as they aged, compared to those teens with less stress, researchers found.

    “Our findings suggest that perceived stress patterns over time have a far-reaching effect on various...

    Loud Video Games Put Users at Risk for Hearing Loss, Tinnitus

    For the more than 3 billion gamers around the world, the loud noises they experience while playing video games could threaten their hearing, a new review suggests.

    Whether on the couch, parked at a computer desk or in an arcade, studies have shown the noise from video games often exceeds levels deemed safe for a person's hearing, according to the report published Jan. 16 in the journal

    Addiction Treatment for Teens in Crisis Is Often Hard to Find

    A 'secret shopper' study finds that for many American families, accessing inpatient treatment for a teen battling addiction can be next to impossible.

    “If you are a family in crisis and you have a kid for whom outpatient treatment is not an option, you hope to be able to call the closest residential facility to you and have access to timely, safe, affordable care for your child,” said...

    Teen Sports Pay Dividends for Bone Health Decades Later

    Teens who are active are doing their bones a lasting favor, Japanese researchers report.

    "Physical exercise in adolescence affects BMD [bone mineral density] more than 50 years later in older adults," said lead researcher Dr. Yoshifumi Tamura, a faculty member at Juntendo University in Tokyo. "Our findings can...

    Latest Data Show 22 U.S. Teens Die of Overdoses Each Week

    An average of 22 U.S. teens die each week from drug overdoses, a death toll driven by the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl, a new study reports.

    Researchers also have identified 19 “hotspot” counties where fatal ODs are occurring as much as double the national average.

    The overdose death rate for 14- to 18-year-olds now stands at 5.2 deaths per 100,000, researchers report in t...

    Black Teens Gain Mental Health Boost From 'Connectedness' at School

    "School spirit" appears to provide long-lasting mental health benefits for Black teens, new research finds.

    School connectedness -- the degree to which students feel like part of to their school community -- is a protective factor against depression and aggressive behavior later in life among Black students, researchers report in the Journal of Youth and Adolescence.

    “Our...

    Getting Hospital-Level Care at Home Is Safe, Effective: Study

    It's an approach that's becoming more widespread: Receiving hospital-level care in the home.

    A new study finds that folks "hospitalized" at home tend to do at least as well as if they'd been checked into a hospital for medical care.

    Patients getting hospital-level care at home have low death rates and are not likely to suffer a setback that requires a quick return to the ER, accordi...

    Many Young People at Risk for Psychosis Are Torn About Using Marijuana

    Even after they've experienced episodes of psychosis, many young people who use marijuana are unsure they want to quit the drug, new research shows.

    Cannabis has long been linked to a heightened risk for psychosis -- a dangerous psychiatric state in which people lose their connection with reality.

    However, "most people with psychosis don't worry about substance use until it detrimen...

    America's School Counselors Say Vaping, Gaming Are Tough Issues for Kids

    Online gaming and vaping to the point of addiction have become widespread enough that most high school counselors regularly confront these behaviors in today's teens, a new survey shows.

    Four out of five counselors say they've worked with at least one student during the past year who had struggled with problematic use of video games or e-cigarettes. However, few said they had the training...

    Why Teens Use Marijuana: Study Finds It's Not Just About Getting High

    Teens who avidly use weed typically use it either for enjoyment or to cope, but both uses have a dark side to them, new research finds.

    Teenagers who use marijuana for enjoyment or to forget their problems have more demand for it, meaning that they are willing to both consume more weed when it's free and spend more money to obtain it, researchers said.

    These same teens also tend to ...

    Opioid Crisis May Be Driving Surge in Youth Suicides

    Suicide rates for Americans under the age of 18 are rising at unprecedented rates, and a new report points to a likely culprit: The ongoing epidemic of opioid abuse.

    It's not that more kids and teens became abusers of opioids, it's that conditions in their environments worsened due to the crisis, say a team led by David Powel...

    Teens With Epilepsy Face Higher Odds for Eating Disorders

    Teenagers with epilepsy are more likely to have an eating disorder than those not suffering from the brain disease, a new study shows.

    About 8.4% of children ages 10 to 19 treated at a Boston epilepsy clinic had eating disorders, three times the national average of 2.7% of teens with an eating disorder, researchers found.

    “Adolescents with epilepsy may feel a loss of control becau...

    Teens With Multiple Concussions Face Higher Risk of Suicidal Thoughts

    A year after suffering a concussion, teens, especially boys, are more likely than their peers to think about, plan and even attempt suicide, new research finds.

    With more concussions, the risk grows.

    Teen boys who reported two or more concussions in the past year were two times more likely to report a suicide attempt than those who had one concussion. Girls' odds for suicidal behavi...

    Melatonin Use Skyrockets Among U.S. Kids, Study Finds

    Record numbers of children and tweens now take melatonin for sleep, potentially doing harm to their development, a new study warns.

    Nearly one in five school-aged kids are popping melatonin to help them rest, often with the help of their parents, researchers reported in the Nov. 13 issue of the journal JAMA ...

    Is Your 18-Year-Old Really 'Mature'? New Brain Study Has Answers

    An adolescent starts thinking like an adult right around the age of 18, according to new research.

    That provides some of the first definitive evidence that executive function matures by that time.

    Executive function is a set of mental skills that include the ability to plan, switch between tasks, resist tempting distractions and focus.

    For

  • Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
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  • November 6, 2023
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  • U.S. Teens Are Driving Drowsy at High Rates

    Drowsy driving causes thousands of car crashes a year and teen drivers say they are often sleepy behind the wheel.

    In a new survey, teens reported high rates of drowsy driving. School and job commitments were the top factors keeping them up at nigh...

    Vaping's Popularity Falls Among U.S. High School Students

    Warnings about the dangers of vaping may be reaching American teens: A new U.S. government report shows e-cigarette use is down among high school students.

    In fact, use of any tobacco product over the past 30 days declined among this age group during the 2022-2023 school year, from 16.5% to 12.6%.

    This was driven largely by a decline in e-cigarette use, which dropped from 14.1% to 1...

    Biden Administration Urges Schools to Carry Naloxone, the Opioid Overdose Treatment

    The Biden administration is encouraging schools throughout the United States to carry naloxone to help prevent fatal drug overdoses in students.

    The medication (Narcan) was approved earlier this year as an over-the-counter (OTC) nasal spray.

    Faculty and students sho...

    1 in 5 U.S. Parents Worry Their Teen Is Addicted to the Internet

    American parents fear their teens' internet use could expose them to cyberbullying, harmful content and set them up for addiction, a new study shows.

    A survey of about 1,000 moms and dads found more than 22% were concerned their children might be dependent on the internet. Twice as many were worried about internet addiction as were concerned about addiction to substances like drugs or alc...

    CDC Advisors Say High-Risk Men Should Still Get MPox Vaccine

    High-risk men should still get their mpox vaccinations even after the ongoing outbreak ends, advisors to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended Wednesday.

    That vulnerable group includes men who have sex with men; people who have more than one sexual partner; those who have recently had a sexually transmitted disease; and people who are at higher risk for infection...

    Steroid Use Could Raise Teen Athletes' Odds for Concussion

    Use of steroids among high school athletes is a continuing problem, and now new research finds these youths are also more likely to suffer a concussion while they play.

    The study was published Oct. 20 in the Journal of Osteopathic ...

    Drug-Linked Disciplinary Actions by Schools Spiked After Oregon Legalized Marijuana

    New research suggests a link between middle school students being disciplined for marijuana use and legalization of recreational weed, particularly when schools are close to dispensaries that sell the drug.

    Researchers studied this in Oregon, where recreational marijuana became legal for adults back in 2015.

    They found that middle school students received office discipline referrals...

    Sour Notes: Girls in Marching Bands at High Risk for Injury

    Not all high school injuries happen on the football field or the basketball court.

    Marching band is also a physically demanding activity and participants can suffer injuries, as seen in a new study that looked at emergency room visits.

    Injuries ranged from issues with the knees or ankles to mild head trauma.

    Girls were the most commonly injured. About 70% of marching band-rela...

    Teens Are Quitting Sports as Social Media Ups Body Image Concerns

    Kids who get discouraged by idealized athletic bodies on social media may end up dropping out of sports, a small study suggests.

    In a preliminary study of 70 kids who played -- or used to play -- sports, researchers found that some had quit because they thought they didn't have the "right" body for the activity. And most got that idea from media images, including TikTok and Instagram post...

    New Technology Could Predict Your Teen Driver's Risk for a Crash

    When your teen gets a driver's license, you'll likely have mixed emotions. While you're off the hook for carpools, it's scary to think about your baby behind the wheel.

    Now, a new video game technology that exposes drivers to the most common serious crash scenarios and sees how they react may help predict what type of driver your teen will be. It can also highlight any potential prob...

    California Governor Rejects Bill to Provide Free Condoms to High Schoolers

    A California bill would have made free condoms available for high schoolers, but it was vetoed Sunday by Gov. Gavin Newsom because of cost.

    California has a budget deficit of $30 billion, Newsom noted in his veto of Senate Bill 541....

    1 in 4 Teens With Autism May Be Undiagnosed

    As many as 1 in 4 teens with autism may be undiagnosed, new research suggests.

    “Autism is much more prevalent than people assume,” said lead researcher Walter Zahorodny, an associate professor at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School in Newark.

    The

  • Sarah D. Collins HealthDay Reporter
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  • October 6, 2023
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  • Kids' ER Visits for Mental Health Crises Rise When School Term Begins

    While the start of the school year can give kids and teens the chance to reconnect with friends and enjoy school sports and activities, it can also trigger stressors that send many to the emergency room for mental health woes, a new report shows.

    Among children aged 5 to 17, emergency department visits for depression, suicidal thoughts, stress and substance abuse increased significantly i...

    Vaping Raises a Teen's Odds of Developing Asthma

    New research underscores the harms of e-cigarettes, showing that vaping increases the risk of asthma in teens who have never smoked cigarettes.

    Although e-cigarettes have fewer toxins than regular cigarettes, they still contain a mixture of harmful chemicals and raise the risk of respiratory diseases, researchers say.

    “Increasing knowledge about the harmful effects of e-cigarette ...

    FDA Must Crack Down on Retailers Selling Tobacco to Teens: Report

    A new government report finds that federal regulators need to do more to help in the battle to keep kids and teens off tobacco.

    Among the report's findings were that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration needs to get tough on retailers selling tobacco to youth and should improve its oversight of online retailers.

    The FDA should also work with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearm...

    Should Kids Take Ozempic, Wegovy? The Idea Has Some Experts Worried

    Weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy are surging in popularity, but that doesn't mean they're good for everyone.

    Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) may be dangerous for children, warned researchers at University of California, Irvine.

    Treating childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes with these injected medications may have unintended and adverse consequences in p...

    As Parents Drop Kids Off for Their Freshman Year at College, An Expert Offers Tips

    Tears may flow when parents drop their teen off at college. Watching kids leave the nest can tug at the heart and make parents a little anxious about what's to come.

    That makes sense, but it's natural that young adults will become more independent and develop autonomy from their parents and grandparents. So, how can parents rise to the occasion?

    An expert from Virginia Tech offers s...

    U.S. Kids' HPV Vaccination Rate Has Stalled

    For the first time in a decade, the rate at which American adolescents received the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine has not increased, new data show.

    Current guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that both girls and boys receive t...

    Climate Change Is Stressing Out the Young, But Inspiring Some to Action

    Young people have high levels of distress about climate change, and a new study argues that their anguish could be key to fighting it.

    “People of all ages are being affected by the climate crisis. Young people in particular, though, will live through more of the unfolding hazards of the climate crisis than older generations,” said researcher

  • Sarah D. Collins HealthDay Reporter
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  • August 23, 2023
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  • Social Media Is Parents' Top Concern as Kids Head Back to School: Poll

    When U.S. parents express their concerns about their school-aged children, social media use and the internet are at the top of the list.

    Mental health issues are another top worry, according to the University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health.

    “Parents still view problems di...

    The #1 Enemy of Good Sleep for School Kids: Screens

    Video games and social media are keeping school kids up at night, according to a new survey from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM).

    But so, too, are more constructive pursuits, including homework and extracurricular activities, which can be a problem when it comes to setting a good sleep routine early in the school year.

    “Getting enough sleep is just as crucial as nutr...

    Does Smoking Change the Teenage Brain?

    Teens' desire to start smoking, and later to keep smoking, may be linked to differences in gray matter in their brains, a new study reveals.

    Researchers found that reduced gray matter in the left frontal lobe was found in kids who started smoking by age 14. This area is involved in decision-making and rule-breaking.

    Once they started smoking, they also had reduced gray matter in th...

    CBD Vapes Rising in Popularity Among Teens

    Vaping CBD (cannabidiol) is on the rise among middle and high school students, according to a national U.S. survey, and health experts warn there can be serious risks involved.

    More than 1 in 5 students who use electronic cigarettes said they had vaped CBD, a component of marijuana that does not get people high the way THC does, according to results of the 2022 National Youth Tobacco...

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