Prevent Teen Alcohol/Drug Abuse
  
Greetings!

Ask any teacher or teen-the level of excitement in high school hallways and classrooms is palpable. The end of the school year is fast approaching, and local teens are preparing to celebrate at proms and graduation parties around the state.

 

These students have a lot to celebrate and are looking forward to sharing memorable experiences with friends and family. Whether those memories evoke happiness or pain, however, may depend upon crucial decisions about the use of alcohol and drugs.

 

At proms, graduations, and throughout the year, underage drinking and drug-use is risky business.  Given that teens may be invited to a party where alcohol and drugs will be present, what can parents do to assure their son or daughter's evening will be substance-free and safe?

 

  • Before the party, talk to the parents hosting the party and get all the details. Where is it? What time does it start and end? Who's invited? What activities are planned? Will there be adult supervision for teenage guests? What is the ratio of adult supervisors to teenage guests? What can I do to help? Remember that many "low-risk" kids become casualties of "high-risk" situations, so don't hesitate to gather the necessary information to make an informed decision.
  • Ask the parents hosting the party if alcohol will be served at the event. If it's a party with guests over and under age 21 and alcohol will be present, ask about their plans to prevent minors from drinking alcohol. If all of the guests will be under 21, ask about their plans to make sure that no one brings alcohol to the party.
  • Talk to your child about what to do if he finds himself at a party where alcohol or drugs are present. Let him know that even if other teens are drinking or doing drugs, you expect him not to. Tell him you'll come pick him up-no matter how late it is. Because your child may be calling you surrounded by friends, you may want to create a "code word" that your child can use if he wants you to come get him.
  • Teach your child about the 911 Lifeline Law passed by the Texas Legislature in 2011. That law says a person under 21 won't be charged by the police for possessing or consuming alcohol if the person calls 911 because someone might have alcohol poisoning. This limited immunity applies only to the first person to call for medical assistance, only if the caller remains on the scene until medical assistance arrives and cooperates with EMS and law enforcement.This law was intended to encourage young people to do the right thing and save a life.To learn more, visit www.awareawakealive.org.

 

During the busy prom and graduation season, parents have to make difficult choices about what parties their kids attend. It can be hard to tell a child "no" when she wants to go to the party that "everyone" is going to. Parents may wonder if their rules are too strict.

But, with the health, well-being, and safety of local teens and their loved ones on the line, the stakes couldn't be higher. So, go ahead, help your teens and their friends plan for substance-free celebrations they want to remember for a lifetime.

Teen OTC Meds Abuse
 

Abuse of Over-the-Counter medicines is most common among teens age 13-16. They know they might find a cheap high right in their family's medicine cabinet, often without being caught. Check out the top 10 medicines currently abused by teens and adults:

 

  1. Dextromethorphan: This is the active ingredient in more than 100 OTC cough and cold medicines such as Robitussin and NyQuil. One teen in every 10 has reported abuse of cough medicine to get high. Large doses can cause euphoria, distortions of color and sound, and "out of body" hallucinations that last up to 6 hours. Other dangerous side effects including impaired judgment, vomiting, loss of muscle movement, seizures, blurred vision, drowsiness, shallow breathing, and a fast heart rate. When combined with alcohol or other drugs, a large dose can lead to death.
  2. Pain relievers: Adults and teens have taken pain relievers like acetaminophen and ibuprofen in doses higher then recommended because they want the medicine to work faster. However, liver failure can happen with large doses of acetaminophen, and stomach bleeding, kidney failure, and cardiac risks are heightened when taking large doses of ibuprofen.
  3. Caffeine medicines and energy drinks: OTC caffeine pills like NoDoz or energy drinks like "5 Hour Energy," or pain relievers with caffeine have all been abused for the buzz or "jolt of energy" they seem to impart. Large doses of caffeine can cause serious dehydration, gastric reflux, panic attacks, and heart irregularities that have occasionally been linked to accidental deaths, particularly in those with an underlying heart condition.
  4. Diet pills: In large doses, diet pills can create a mild buzz.  Abuse of diet pills often starts with trying just a few in order to lose weight. But these OTC medicines can be highly addictive. Although the FDA has banned several of the most dangerous stimulants commonly found in OTC diet pills-phenylpropanolamine, ephedrine, and ephedra-other ingredients in these OTC products can be dangerous. Furthermore, even the most "natural" diet preparations can have serious side effects when misused, particularly those containing ma huang (ephedra). An earlier FDA ban on ephedra pertained only to diet pills considered dietary supplements, not herbal remedies such as teas and Chinese preparations. 
  5. Laxatives and herbal diuretics: Like diet pills, some teens and young adults also abuse OTC laxatives and herbal diuretics (water pills), including uva-ursa, golden seal, dandelion root, rose hips, and others, to lose weight. Laxatives and herbal diuretics can cause serious dehydration and life-threatening loss of important minerals and salts that regulate the amount of water in the body, acidity of the blood and muscle function. 
  6. Motion sickness pills: Motion sickness pills that contain dimenhydrinate (Dramamine) or diphenhydramine (Benadryl) taken in large doses can cause one to feel high and have hallucinations similar to street drugs. Some teens may take as many as 40 pills of Dramamine to experience the desired high. Extremely high doses of Dramamine have caused dangerous irregular heartbeats, coma, heart attacks and death. Long-term abuse can cause depression, liver and kidney damage, memory loss, eye pain, itchy skin, urine retention and abdominal pain.
  7. Sexual performance medicines: OTC sexual performance medicines are sometimes abused by teens and adults who are drinking to counteract the negative effects of alcohol on sexual performance. These medicines can cause heart problems, especially when combined with alcohol or when taken in large doses.
  8. Pseudoephedrine: This nasal decongestant and stimulant is found in many cold medicines. Its similarity to amphetamines has made it sought out to make the illegal drug methamphetamine. The medicine has also been taken as a stimulant to cause an excitable, hyperactive feeling. Abuse may be less common with pseudoephedrine than with other OTC medicines due to a federal law requiring it to be kept behind the pharmacy counter, limiting the purchase quantity, and requiring photo identification prior to purchase. However, people have taken pseudoephedrine to lose weight, and athletes have misused the medicine to increase their state of awareness and to get them "pumped up" before a competition. Dangerous side effects include heart palpitations, irregular heartbeats, and heart attacks. When combined with other drugs, such as narcotics, pseudoephedrine may trigger episodes of paranoid psychosis.
  9. Herbal ecstasy: This is a combination of inexpensive herbs that are legally sold in pill form and swallowed, snorted, or smoked to produce euphoria and increased awareness. Marketed as a "natural" high, the main ingredient is ma huang (ephedra), an herb banned in the US but only in dietary supplements. The adverse effects can be severe, including muscle spasms, increased blood pressure, seizures, heart attacks, strokes and death.
  10. Other herbals: Other herbal products are increasingly being abused for their stimulant, hallucinogenic and euphoric effects. Besides being legal, another draw is that many herbals are not detected during routine urine drug screens. One example is salvia, which is ingested or smoked to experience a short-lived distortion of reality and profound hallucinations. Users can experience severe anxiety, loss of body control, extreme psychosis, and violent behavior. They are also at risk for accidents and injuries that may result from an altered mental state. Another example is nutmeg, which is eaten as a paste to experience giddiness, euphoria, and hallucinations.  Nausea and vomiting set in within an hour and hallucinations begin within 3 hours and can last for 24 hours or more. Effects such as blurred vision, dizziness, numbness, palpitations, low blood pressure, and rapid heartbeat may occur.

 

One of the greatest difficulties with preventing OTC drug use is that few teens and adults realize the danger. Unlike the risks associated with illegal street drugs like cocaine and heroin, the risks associated with OTC drug abuse are given little thought and attention. Teens and young adults who learn about the risks of drugs at home are up to 50 % less likely to abuse drugs.

  
Cinnamon Challenge
  
Experts at America's 57 poison centers are warning parents and teens about the health risks associated with the intentional misuse or abuse of the spice cinnamon in the "cinnamon challenge."

 

The cinnamon challenge begins with a teen being dared to swallow a spoonful of powdered or ground cinnamon without drinking water. This results in the cinnamon coating and drying the mouth and throat, causing gagging, vomiting, coughing, choking and throat irritation. Teens with asthma or other respiratory conditions are at greater risk of respiratory distress, including shortness of breath and trouble breathing.

 

Teens who engage in this activity often choke and vomit, injuring their mouths, throats and lungs. Teens who unintentionally breathe the cinnamon into their lungs also risk getting pneumonia.

 

The number of calls to poison centers concerning exposures of teens ages 13 to 19 to cinnamon spice has increased dramatically. Unfortunately, videos on the Internet are helping to spread this risky activity among teens. We urge parents and caregivers to talk to their teens about the cinnamon challenge, explaining that what may seem like a silly game can have serious health consequences.   

  

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Caffeine has slowly been creeping its way into potato chips, chocolate, jelly beans, and more-but the launch of a new chewing gum supplemented with the stimulant has grabbed the attention of the FDA and prompted an investigation into the effects of caffeinated products on children and teenagers.

This week, Wrigley's introduced its Alert Energy Caffeine Gum to the U.S. market.
 

One strip of the gum contains 40 milligrams of caffeine-about as much as half a cup of coffee. When chewed, the caffeine is absorbed directly into the bloodstream through the cheeks and under the tongue.

 

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, caffeine can pose health risks to children and teenagers because it increases the heart rate, boosts anxiety, interferes with sleep and dehydrates the body.   

 
  

 

Know the signs of alcohol poisoning:  

  • Mental confusion
  • Unresponsive
  • Seizures / Stupor
  • Throwing up
  • Hypothermia - low body temp, cold / clammy skin
  • Erratic or slow breathing
  • Loss of consciousness
  • Pale or bluish skin color

We all have a responsibility:

  • Know the danger signals.
  • Do not wait for all symptoms.
  • Be aware that a person who has passed out may die.
  • Call 911 and stay with the person.

Just remember, the Texas Poison Center Network is always available to answer  questions you might have about any poisoning. The national hotline number, 1-800-222-1222, is available 24 hours a day.