Los Angeles Times Op-Ed
In ?We need to start child-proofing pot,? featured in the LA Times Op-Ed section, Dr. Sackÿdiscusses the dangers that the legalization of marijuana will have on children and that risks that children will grow up to believe that ?pot is no big deal,? when in reality, it?s the complete opposite.ÿRead the article online here or the PDF here.
Heroin: Easier for your teen to score than beer
In this article about teen heroin use on SheKnows.com, Dr. Sack explains to parents thatÿthe ease and ability to get heroin is much higher than it has ever been before making it one of today?s ?mainstream? drugs. Dr. Sack says this growing epidemic is something parents need to be aware of and education themselves about. ÿWhen asked to talk about the ways teens end up using heroin, Dr. Sack ÿsays,?many people are getting their first exposure to opiates through prescription narcotic medications. They develop a sense of safety around these medications even though they are highly lethal and account for most of the increase in overdose deaths. Adding that of the steady increase in heroin addicts he has seen, in most cases the heroin addiction follows prescription drug addiction or abuse.?
Read the entire article on SheKnows.com.
Sugar Is a ?Drug? and Here?s How We?re Hooked
In an article titled, ?Sugar Is a ?Drug? and Here?s How We?re Hooked? on Healthline.com Dr. Sackÿ discusses how sugar works like many addictive drugs and that the ?prevalence and promotion of sugary foods and beverages, coupled with how it affects our brains, make addiction an issue.?ÿ Dr. Sack also talks about how not enough parents are educating their children about healthy nutrition, and that the parents may be reinforcing bad eating habits.ÿÿ Dr. Sack also states that ?the biggest problem we?ve seen is that parents who are overweight or obese themselves feed these food to their kids and don?t see it as abnormal.?ÿ Read the full article here.
Parenting Magazine ? School Years
Dr. Sack is featured in the May 2013 issue of Parenting Magazine ? School Years in the STICKY SITUATION column. Parents want to know how they should respond if, or when, their child asks if they have ever used drugs. Dr. Sack is quoted saying, ?Give an honest answer or don?t answer at all. However, you do not have to share every grim detail. A general response will suffice: You grew up during a time when drugs were more accepted and people didn?t take them as seriously and understand their dangers as well. You can even make this part of the conversation. Have you ever felt pressured to make a bad decision or done something you later regretted? The important point is not whether you used drugs, but that you don?t want your child to use drugs, and the reasons why.?
5 Things Parents Do That May Encourage Teen Substance Abuse
In his latest HuffPost Parents blog, Dr. Sack writes, ?Well-meaning parents sometimes do things that unwittingly encourage their teens to experiment with drugs and alcohol. Is there room for improvement in your parenting practices??ÿ Read more in ?5 Things Parents Do That May Encourage Teen Substance Abuse.?
Dr. Sack Featured in Parenting Magazine
Dr. Sack is featured in ?Sticky Situation: Does Your Kid Always Have a Plus One? Read On? in the February issue of Parenting Magazine. The article is about why your child constantly asks his or her parent(s) if they can bring a friend along on almost every ?family? outing they go on. Dr. Sack?s suggestions include saying yes to kids who ask as it is part of the shift from being focused on Mom and Dad to identifying more with their peers and that is OK for the parent to be honest and explain that the outing (or the specific situation) is family time.
