A Blinding Dose of Alcohol
Most people have heard of the cinnamon challenge, which is harmful in and of itself, but a new fad that our teens have been crazed about is drinking hand sanitizer to get a buzz from the alcohol. Hand sanitizer generally has a 60% alcohol content, which means that it is around 120 proof. This is quite ridiculous considering that certain 
vodkas contain this much alcohol.
An instant repercussion includes a trip to the ER and possible alcohol poisoning. The part in hand sanitizer that kills germs is ethyl alcohol, which is denatured just like rubbing alcohol and can even cause blindness! This isn’t something to mess around with. As a result, hand sanitizer companies may cut down the amount of alcohol present just like cough syrup and mouthwash companies had to back in the day due to the high consumption rates from teens.
Try to help stop this harmful behavior by talking with your teens, your friends, and your school counselors. This is no laughing matter that should just be blown off because this is very harmful to your body.
Kick Your Smoking Habit in the Butt…Literally!
I 
recently found an article that reviewed a recent study on exercising and smoking. Interestingly enough, there is a link between the two which shows that if you are a smoker and exercise at least 15 minutes a day, six days a week, it will be easier for you to quit smoking…55% more likely to quit in fact!
Not only will it be easier to quit smoking, but it will increase your life expectancy, which we know decreases when you are a smoker. For those who are ex-smokers, exercising only 30 minutes a day will add a little over 5 years to their life and decrease their risk of death by 43%! Essentially the way t
his works is that exercising distracts you from smoking, creating a diversion to your bad habit and eventually will help you quit entirely!
As you can see, this is another good reason to kick the bad habit in the butt (pun intended!) and the numbers don’t lie, especially in this situation. Need some exercise ideas? Click here!
Small Choices Lead to Bigger Outcomes
Ev
en though you are young now doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t take care of yourself until you are older. More often than not you will find an older adult say that if they hadn’t done such and such at a young age they would be much better now. This is actually very true and should be thought about. Taking care of yourself isn’t just a fad, it is a lifelong decision and even though you may not be able to see the reasons right now, you will later in life.
For instance, eating healthy now and regularly exercising will help you not need hip replacem
ents when you are in your 60s. Just look at that old lady who bleaches her hair, tans constantly, and smokes…what does she look like now? She has thinning hair, leathery skin, and has smoker’s lung. Do you want to look like that someday, too? If something seems harmless now can give you cancer eventually, then even small, positive changes can have a drastic effect.
Youth Outreach does not promote anything that is illegal, but, before you light up, pay for that tanning pass, take that shot of alcohol, or snort crack, think about what you are doing to the future you. If you still don’t believe me, start making those small decisions in your life, for the positive of course, and see the big results you get.
Are You Addicted?
There are so many things that you can get addicted to these days. Some you have to worry about more than others, such as using prescription drugs whether they are over the counter or prescribed by your healthcare provider. Prescription drugs are very helpful for pain or certain bodily dysfunctio
ns, but can easily be abused. If you are concerned that someone you know or you are addicted to prescription drugs, then follow the steps below or check out this link to get more information.
If you feel you are addicted:
1) Call 800.662.HELP (4357) to find a treatment center
2) Talk to your doctor right away
3) Talk to a friend or family member who will help support you that you trust
4) Find a support group
If you are a parent and you think your child is abusing prescription drugs:
1) Talk to your child and ask them point-blank
2) Look for signs and symptoms of drug use
3) Look for risk factors, such as family addiction or friends that use
4) If they are using drugs, get them in a support group or a treatment center
Also know that addiction isn’t about your willpower or a moral failure. It is actually a disease and some people are more vulnerable to it, meaning that they have a genetic disposition that makes them more likely to become addicted to something than som
eone who doesn’t have that genetic makeup.
Don’t ever take a tablet of anything unless you know what it is and if it is prescribed to you. There are many side effects to different drugs and if you take something offered to you it may counteract other prescriptions or vitamins you are on and negatively affect you. In addition, don’t ever combine prescription drugs and alcohol because it decreases your heart rate and breathing and could cause death.
School Violence
It happens everywhere, and often times it goes unnoticed. Bullying. Most, if not everyone, at one time or another has dea
lt with bullying either having directed it at someone or have been the target of it. You may not think that it happens at your school, but look for it and you will find it does indeed exist. Bullying can come in the form of rumors, jokes, pushing or shoving, name calling, among many others. The intent is to harm someone who has something different about them, and this isn’t right or ever okay to be apart of.
Often times the victims won’t share because they are embarrassed or afraid of the reaction by their peers or other adults. If you are the victim of bullying go to a counselor, teacher, or trusted adult for more help. Or, if you have not been directly affected, but still want to help stop bullying in your community, start a club at your school, talk to administrators and teachers about what you can do, or even start an after-school group. It takes an entire community to effectively combat bullying, so get your friends, family members, and other organizations to partner with you in standing up against this social issue. Test your knowledge of bullying by clicking here, you may be surprised at some of the myths of bullying that I know I have even fallen for!
You may believe th
at it is just a teen issue where kids are only initiating their peers and this isn’t a big deal. However, often times, bullying doesn’t always go away as you become an adult. Adults can be bullies too and even take it out on their own children, peers, and colleagues. Did you know that 60% of bullies have at least one criminal conviction because their behavior carries on into adulthood? Check out these websites for more information about what steps you can take to help get rid of bullying.
