Teenage Follies

With the widespread influence of the internet and media events like “Jackass,”
skateboarding from a bumper has been replaced by “the choking game”, chemical
branding and a mind numbing array of other risk taking behaviors found among
today’s teenagers. These actions are promoted by a readily available supply of new
chemical stimulants as well as familiar agents making a resurgence like PCP and
heroine. With these new creative feats comes a range of medical and trauma related
issues that the pre-hospital provider of a decade ago could never imagine. This
lecture will discuss some of these trends and focus on the medical challenges
encountered.