Being the parent of an adolescent means that you must be in the know with all of the latest lingo if you want to keep tabs on what your kid is doing especially where drugs and alcohol are concerned. Although the term “crossfade” is not completely new, the use of the word has started to be used more commonly with adolescents due to social influences. Crossfade is code for drinking alcohol and using marijuana simultaneously to get a more intense high. What starts out as a mixture of two of their favorite drugs since, more is better, could turn into a dangerous decision that does not turn out as enjoyable as they once thought. Drinking and using marijuana separately is already considered to be unsafe amongst teens but using them together can be disastrous. Both alcohol and marijuana as individual components can affect a still developing teen brain and can cause brain impairment for the short-term, and in some cases for the long-term. Substance abuse of either one on their own can be harmful to anyone of any age when exhibiting risky behaviors, experiencing memory loss, blacking out, and diminishing their brain size to name a few. Once marijuana and alcohol are combined, the risks double with the potential of combined drug intoxication (CDI). Although it is almost impossible to overdose on marijuana alone, using marijuana in abundance could make someone want to drink more and cause alcohol poisoning – which, by the way, can lead to death. According to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, their research shows that people under the age of 20 are more likely to binge drink 5 drinks at one time. Drinking large quantities can overwhelm the body making it difficult to break down alcohol in the bloodstream quick enough. Add marijuana to the equation and anybody could be in jeopardy of an overdose. When a teen smokes marijuana and then drinks alcohol, THC levels in the blood seemed to double the amount than those who only smoked pot and did not drink alcohol. Harvard Medical School concluded that THC in blood plasma doubled because drinking alcohol increased the ability of the blood to absorb the THC much easier. Greater absorption inevitably made them more intoxicated than if they had not added alcohol to the mix in the first place. Your teen may think that crossfading is okay to do since they know alcohol is legal at a certain age. The general perception of teens is also that marijuana is harmless. Staying up to date on the trends that lead up to drug and alcohol abuse can help you to inform your teen on making better decisions.
Stonewater Adolescent Recovery Center leads the way with progressive, evidence-based programming to most effectively treat each individual adolescent while focusing on the uniqueness of each client. Healing the mind, the body, and the spirit as one in the same can make the biggest difference in staying sober.
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