Report: Big Tobacco Targeting Teen Girls

A report that was issued by a coalition of public health organizations claims that the tobacco industry has launched "its most aggressive marketing campaigns aimed at women and girls in over a decade."

According to a Feb. 9, 2009, news release by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the industry's marketing efforts are designed to lure young smokers with evocative names and attractive packaging:

In the last two years, the nation’s two largest tobacco companies -- Philip Morris USA and R.J. Reynolds -- have launched new marketing campaigns that depict cigarette smoking as feminine and fashionable, rather than the harmful and deadly addiction it really is.

In October 2008, Philip Morris USA announced a makeover of its Virginia Slims brand into "purse packs" -- small, rectangular cigarette packs that contain "superslim" cigarettes. Available in mauve and teal and half the size of regular cigarette packs, the sleek "purse packs" resemble packages of cosmetics and fit easily in small purses. ...

In January 2007, R.J. Reynolds launched a new version of its Camel cigarettes, called Camel No. 9, packaged in shiny black boxes with hot pink and teal borders. The name evoked famous Chanel perfumes, and magazine advertising featured flowery imagery and vintage fashion.

Exposure to tobacco and secondhand smoke has been associated with a wide range of risks for young girls, including an increased likelihood of developing breast cancer later in life.

Suicide Risk Rises Among African-American Teen Girls

A study that appeared in the March 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry indicates that the suicide risk is rising among Africa-American teenagers -- especially African-American teen girls.

According to The Mental Health Social Worker, an online news aggregator that is maintained by Chris Hartwell, MSW, the increased suicide risk was noted after an analysis of data that had been collected on adolescents who participated in the National Survey of American Life:

Suicide is the third leading cause of death in all teens in the United States, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Historically, black teens and young adults have lower suicide rates than white teens, but in recent decades, the suicide rate for black youth has increased dramatically.

According to the study, in a given year, African American teen girls are most likely to attempt suicide, followed by Caribbean teen girls, African American teen boys, and Caribbean teen boys.

Overall, the researchers estimated that at some point before they reach 17 years of age, four percent of black teens, and more than seven percent of black teen females, will attempt suicide.

Earlier studies have noted that higher rates of teen suicide have been associated with family problems, behavior disorders, academic failures, and mental health conditions.

More Schools Teaching Empathy in Effort to End Bullying

More schools are teaching empathy in an effort to counteract bullying, fighting, gossip and other forms of social humiliation and harassment.

Though the term "bully" is often associated with physically abusive boys, studies have shown that many school-aged girls are involved in bullying, either as the perpetrator or the victim. In fact, aggression in young girls is a behavioral warning sign that experts advise parents never to ignore.

According to a front-page article in the April 5, 2009, edition of The New York Times, empathy classes may take the form of a literature teacher leading a discussion about whether Friar Lawrence was kind to Romeo and Juliet, or a health class participating in an empathy workshop. Some schools are rewarding students' kind acts with prizes.

Spokespeople for the Character Education Partnership said that 18 states, including New York, California and Illinois, are requiring programs that teach values such as empathy, respect, and responsibility. Los Angeles schools recently spent almost $1 million on "Second Step," a program focusing on anger management, problem solving, and impulse control.

The emphasis on empathy seems to be working, as many of the participating schools report that they are receiving fewer complaints about fighting, harassment, and bullying.

Sexting: A Parent’s Guide to Keeping Kids Safe

"Sexting" is a play on the word "texting" that refers to the practice of distributing sexually provocative images via cell phones. It's a trend that appears to be growing in popularity -- and worrying parents across the nation. But there are steps parents can take to protect their kids.

[Few] kids have the maturity to intuitively know or think through the consequences of distributing digital photos electronically. This is a key area in which parents can influence their kids, by educating them of the dangers associated with sexting. (Source: WTLN-AM, Florida)

Not only can the pictures themselves be devastating, but so can the legal consequences. Anyone (whether it's a friend, boyfriend, sibling, or the photographed teens themselves) who distributes sexually provocative images of a minor can be charged with distributing child pornography.

Sexting can have real and negative results in the lives of everyone involved. And the best way parents can protect their children is by being honest about those possibilities.

Most Teens Familiar with 'Morning After' Pills

Plan B, the emergency contraception medication that is commonly referred to as the "morning after" pill, prevents pregnancy if taken within 72 hours of intercourse. Most teenage girls apparently understand that.

A study of 1,000 girls between the ages of 12 and 17 found that the girls' level of understanding of Plan B was equal to that of adults.

Dr. Miriam Cramer and her associates at New York University School of Medicine found that 92 percent of the girls in the survey knew about the product, and 83 percent understood the necessity of taking the pill within three days.

Plan B is available as an over-the-counter drug whose sale is currently limited to people over the age of 17. However, the U.S. Federal Drug Administration is considering removing the age restrictions on the sale of this product.

This study appeared in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology.

Adult Mentors Improve Teens' Skills, Confidence

A study of a Big Sister program in Boston found that an adult mentor can improve an adolescent's psychosocial functioning through shared activities, emotional support, and companionship.

Researchers from Boston University School of Social Work interviewed 12 girls and their 12 adult "big sisters" who had been working with them for two to eleven years.

"We found that these girls' relationships with their mentors offered both emotional support and opportunities to develop skills and confidence through collaborations with their mentors in shared activities, such as doing homework together or learning to sing," said Dr. Renee Spencer, author of the study.

This study appeared in the Journal of Primary Prevention.

Arizona Teachers Use Science to Combat Drug Use

Educators from Tucson, Arizona are planning to take a seven-week course at the University of Arizona to learn how to use science to combat teen drug use. The educators will learn how to engage students in drug prevention efforts by providing them with more scientific evidence about why they should abstain from drug use. For example, students will be asked to examine MRI images of a normal brain and a drug user's brain, to see for themselves how drug use impairs and damages brain function. Experts hope that giving youth tangible evidence of the harmful effects of drug use will be more persuasive than just telling them to "say no." (Sources: www.kwst.com)