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Aug. 25th, 2008

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August is National Medicine Abuse Awareness Month

August Named National Medicine Abuse Awareness Month
July 29, 2008


From:
Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA)
625 Slaters Lane, Suite 300
Alexandria, VA 22314
Tel: 1-800-54-CADCA
www.cadca.org


Washington, D.C. - Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) and the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA) are pleased to lend their support to S.Res. 614, a U.S. Senate resolution designating August as National Medicine Abuse Awareness Month. Sponsored by Senator Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (D-Del.) and Senator Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa), this initiative calls for community involvement and participation in efforts to educate parents about the dangers of medicine abuse among teens.

Recent studies have spotlighted medicine abuse, including the abuse of over-the-counter cough medicines, as an alarming trend among young people. Where OTC cough medicines are concerned, some teens are intentionally taking excessive amounts -- sometimes up to 50 times the recommended dose -- to get "high" from the active ingredient dextromethorphan. When used correctly, dextromethorphan-containing medicines have a 50-year history of being safe and effective. But when abused in extreme excess, dextromethorphan can produce dangerous side effects, especially when combined with alcohol, illicit drugs, or certain prescription drugs.

"Consumers have trusted the makers of over-the-counter medications with the health of their families for many years. National Medicine Abuse Awareness Month presents a timely opportunity to build community awareness and alert parents and teens that abusing medicine to get 'high' is very dangerous," said Linda A. Suydam, D.P.A., president of the Consumer Healthcare Products Association.

In recognition of this designation, CHPA and CADCA will be hosting town hall meetings nationwide with local anti-drug abuse advocates, substance abuse treatment experts, healthcare professionals, and policy makers. The town hall format offers opportunities for community residents to join the discussion and ask questions of the panelists.

"While surveys show that overall illicit drug use among youth is on a downward trend, unfortunately the rates of over-the-counter and prescription drug abuse are holding steady," said Gen. Arthur T. Dean, CADCA Chairman and CEO. "Designating August as National Medicine Abuse Awareness Month will help bring this issue to the radar screen, and I hope community organizations take advantage of this opportunity to raise awareness about this dangerous trend."

Town hall meetings scheduled during August include Seattle, Washington; San Antonio, Texas; and Miami, Florida. This designation, if passed into law, would mark the second annual National Medicine Abuse Awareness Month. In all, CADCA and CHPA have hosted a total of 13 town hall meetings nationwide since August 2007 as part of our campaign to prevent over-the-counter medicine abuse. Localities interested in hosting their own town hall meetings have access to all materials via DoseofPrevention.org. For more information on efforts to help curb cough medicine abuse, visit StopMedicineAbuse.org

Aug. 6th, 2008

butterfly

Getting High with Cheese

Getting High With Cheese
A 14-year-old boy accused of dealing heroin was arrested in Texas when police raided his home and found heroin — as well as several handguns, a rifle and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.

Police say the boy sold heroin from his home while an 8-year-old relative acted as his lookout. The teenager also instructed an undercover officer on how to mix the drug with an over-the-counter sleep aid to make "cheese."

One of the many disturbing facets of the case, police say, is that the 14-year-old instructed the undercover officer on how to make cheese with an ingredient he claimed was safer than Tylenol PM, which has often been mixed with heroin to make cheese.

This 14-year-old is telling people that if you mix it with Nytol, you're not going to die," Chief Bernal said. "We find that particularly disturbing, because the message is lost that it's the heroin that's killing the children."


One Thing In Common

Increasing numbers of teens are getting hooked on heroin because it's cheap -- as little as $10 a bag -- highly addictive and easy to use. Heroin used to be about 10 percent pure, requiring users to inject it. Because the heroin on the streets today has a purity as high as 90 percent, users can snort or smoke it.

They are as young as 14. A few are in the eighth grade; some are getting ready to graduate. Among them are class presidents, cheerleaders, athletes. Others are average students from good families. They have one thing in common. They're junkies.


Growing Problem
In Pittsburg, Hempfield High School Principal, Kathy Charlton said heroin is a growing problem in her school. After student Jeremy Radziwon's overdose death, when he returned from a heroin-buying trip, Charlton quickly reached out to other students she suspected of using heroin.

"I talked to a number of his friends, and most denied they used," Charlton said. "I was pretty frank with them about what happened. I hoped it was an opportunity to make an impact, and I tried to impress upon them that this can happen to you."

Kean worries about how little fear teen users show, especially after one of their peers dies from an overdose.

"The fear level of is these kids is so different than from kids 20 to 30 years ago," she said. "They don't have that fear. You go to these funerals and see these young people, and it doesn't even faze them. They know exactly what happened."


Death Toll on The Rise

At least 26 teens died in Texas from heroin overdose since 2005. There are many other deaths related to this drug in other states but the statistics are hard to track for teenager deaths. Bottom line is this problem is not going away quickly, and one of the main reasons is that kids do not think taking these drugs are as risky as they should.

This all comes about from lack of proper education on the subject of drugs. That is why Friends of Narconon provides up-to-date truth about drugs that kids and parents alike can relate to. It is for this reason we are still running our two for one special on our Family Drug Education Kit.

This Family kit includes over 2 hours of vital education on drugs. Share it with your kids, neighbors, friends and family. We are doing what we can to help you reach your kids and their friends too. Its a great learning tool for parents too! Call now and order your Family Drug Education kit and we'll send you a second one FREE! 800-882-6862

Or CLICK HERE to order online now (or copy and paste this link into your browser):
http://www.friendsofnarconon.org/drug_education/videos_%26_books/dvds_for_home_use/

Help us help change minds and save lives today! Call Now: 800-882-6262



Sincerely,

Robert Hernandez, CCDC*
President, Friends of Narconon, Intl.
*Certified Chemical Dependency Counselor

P.S. To Sponsor a school. Click here (or copy and paste into your browser):
        http://www.friendsofnarconon.org/drug_education/school_sponsorship_program/
        Make a donation right now. Click here (or copy and paste into your browser):
        http://friendsofnarconon.org/


© 2008 Friends of Narconon, Intl. All Rights Reserved. Narconon, the Narconon logo, and the Narconon "Jumping Man" logo are trademarks and service marks owned by Association for Better Living and Education International and are used with its permission.

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