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Find us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterVolume 94: April 9, 2012   

Excise police to collect unwanted medicine

Apr. 4, 2012 

 

Indiana excise police will be collecting consumers' leftover, expired or unwanted prescription drugs to prevent theft and abuse.

 

The agency's district office in Indianapolis will take free and anonymous collection of the medications on April 28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m..

 

A list of participating disposal sites is available at the Drug Enforcement Administration's website, www.dea.gov.

 

Americans returned more than 188 tons of prescription pills in the last nationwide collection drive in October.

 

The 2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows that more Americans abuse prescription drugs than those using cocaine, hallucinogens and heroin combined. The majority of those who abuse the drugs get them from family and friends

 

Source: Indianapolis Star

Link: http://www.indystar.com/article/20120404/NEWS02/204040338/-1/NLETTER07?source=nletter-news

 

What makes teens drink?

March 27, 2012

 

In the state of Nebraska, it is estimated that minors consume 26 percent of all alcohol sold, according to Project Extra Mile, a government-sponsored program designed to decrease underage drinking.

 

Teens' reasons for drinking vary, but one reason just might be the fact that it's illegal.

 

"Alcohol kind of has the 'forbidden fruit' attraction for minors," Sarpy County Deputy Attorney Gary Brollier said. "But the 'everybody is doing it' excuse is a lie, because the majority of teens are not."

Boredom is another factor often cited.

 

"I always thought the response of 'there's nothing else to do in Nebraska' was just silly," Brollier said. "There's plenty of other things for teens to do instead of consuming alcohol."

 

Peer pressure plays a role, Brollier acknowledged. "But individuals are responsible for their own choices and actions," the deputy county attorney said, "and the [resulting] consequences."

 

Nebraska law allows alcohol consumption at a person's permanent place of residency, so teens cannot be charged with MIPs in their own homes. A teen who invites friends over to drink, however, can be charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor, a charge with consequences similar to those associated with an MIP.

 

Officer Tony Foster of the Papillion Police Department, a D.A.R.E instructor, says it's important for parents to establish boundaries.

 

"Parents need to set the standard and set the rules very clear," he said. "They need to say: 'This is the rule. You don't drink alcohol. You don't go to parties with alcohol. If you go to a party and there's alcohol, you call me and I'll come pick you up.'"

When those boundaries don't exist, parents themselves could get into trouble.

 

To view the full story, click this link: http://my.hsj.org/Schools/Newspaper/tabid/100/view/frontpage/articleid/513637/newspaperid/4439/What_makes_teens_drink.aspx

Source: My High School Journalism 

 Advice on drinking alcohol to be reviewed

March 28, 2012

 

Quoted by BBC News: "The UK's chief medical officer has been asked to review current guidelines on how much alcohol is safe to drink.

 

The move forms part of the government's new alcohol strategy aimed at cutting the number of people drinking to excess.

The current recommendations, which are over 15 years old, say women should drink no more than 2-3 units of alcohol a day and men no more than 3-4.

 

Critics say they fail to emphasise the importance of having drink-free days.

 

Scottish guidelines advise people to abstain for at least two days a week.

 

The Department of Health says it has heard "sufficient concerns" from experts to suggest that a thorough review of the evidence on alcohol and health risks is now due.

 

"Clear and easily understood information is central to ensuring that everyone is aware of the risks of excessive alcohol consumption and can make informed choices about responsible drinking," it said.

 

The chief medical officer, Dame Sally Davies, will lead the review in consultation with government officials in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland for a UK-wide perspective.

 

To view the full story, click this link:http://www.yourwellness.com/Health-Concerns/other-health-concerns/Advice-on-drinking-alcohol-to-be-reviewed.aspx

Source: BBC News

Are Your Kids Watching Movies Where Alcohol Plays a Role? They Could Be More Likely to Drink. 

Movies such as The Hangover could affect more than your teen's urge to laugh, according to a new study published in the journal BMJ Open.

 

Watching movies that feature alcohol consumption doubles the likelihood that teens will start drinking alcohol. The two-year study of more than 6,500 U.S. kids ages 10 to 14 also found that teens who are exposed to alcohol-fueled movies are more likely to progress to binge drinking. Among kids who were exposed to movies that feature alcohol, 28 percent drank alcohol, and of those teens, 20 percent moved on to binge drinking.

 

The association was not only seen with movie characters who drink on-screen, but also with alcohol product placement throughout the movies.

 

James Sargent of Norris Cotton Cancer Center of Dartmouth Medical School wrote in the report, "Product placement in movies is forbidden for cigarettes in the U.S.A. but is legal and commonplace for the alcohol industry, with half of Hollywood films containing at least one alcohol-brand appearance, regardless of film rating."

 

So don't rely on the ratings system to determine which movies your teens watch. Know what they are viewing and talk with them about the difference between Hollywood fiction and reality when it comes to alcohol and drug use. Also make them aware of how alcohol manufacturers use product placement to promote their brands.

 

Source: Drug Free Marion County

Link: http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?llr=nhww5cdab&v=001AOTdCtwnZM9-VWrR9taEa_X_XqghAFlt9pIJIMntxvUf3GASIOnu17fHMclqyVV0y1ASOJ4aHLD4WOTdwrOrVyYBTI6aKYtbbT4cJhyrq2E%3D

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