Thursday, September 27, 2012
Critics of State Marijuana Legalization Measures Focus on Mothers
By Join Together Staff | September 26, 2012 | Leave a comment | Filed in Community Related, Drugs, Legislation & Parenting
Critics of ballot initiatives to legalize recreational marijuana in Oregon, California and Colorado are focusing on mothers, according to Reuters.
Opponents are using grassroots meetings to try to convince parents to vote against the measures. “If people tell you it’s not a gateway drug – it’s baloney,” Colorado state Representative Kathleen Conti said at a recent gathering of parents and other residents.
“Talking about the impact to kids is critical and crucial to our success,” says Roger Sherman, who is leading Colorado’s anti-legalization campaign. “Suburban women are one of our strongest core constituencies for our campaign.”
Anti-legalization groups are talking about the risk to youths, although the measures would not allow marijuana sales to teenagers. The article notes there is conflicting data on whether making marijuana legal for adults would lead to increased use by teens.
Colorado’s teachers union came out against the measure, saying it would hurt students. The main group backing the measure in Colorado, called the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, says that when marijuana is sold underground, it is entirely uncontrolled. Mason Tvert, the group’s co-director, called it the “worst possible policy” for protecting teenagers.
Polls suggest there is substantial voter support for initiatives in Colorado and Washington that would allow recreational use of marijuana. Voters in Oregon are split.
All of the measures would legalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana for anyone over age 21, and would allow taxable retail sales of the drug. The measures would conflict with federal law, which outlaws marijuana. The governors of all three states are opposed to the measures.
Meet the parents Hour
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Dear JosephWednesday, September 26, 2012
Newest Synthetic Drug to Cause Concern is Called “Smiles”
By Join Together Staff | September 25, 2012 | Leave a comment | Filed inCommunity Related & Drugs
The latest synthetic drug to cause concern among law enforcement officials is called “Smiles,” or 2C-I, Fox News reports. The drug has been linked to the deaths of two North Dakota teens.
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), 2C-I is abused for its hallucinogenic effects. It is taken orally in tablet or capsule form, or snorted in its powder form. “2C-I is used by the same population as those using Ecstasy and other club drugs, high school and college students, and other young adults in dance and nightlife settings,” the DEA reports.
The drug is chemically similar to the drug 2C-B, which is a Schedule I hallucinogen. This means it is illegal to manufacture, buy, sell or possess the drug. The DEA states 2C-I can be treated on a case-by-case basis as if it were a Schedule I controlled substance, if it is distributed with the intention for human consumption.
A 17-year-old North Dakota teen took 2C-I mixed with melted chocolate, according to the news report. He began hyperventilating, and hit his head on the ground. Several hours later, he stopped breathing and died. The previous evening, an 18-year-old was found dead in the same town, from a similar overdose.
The drug can cause nausea and vomiting, as well as terrifying hallucinations and feelings of panic and fear, the article notes.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Drug Tests Become More Common in Middle School
By Join Together Staff | September 24, 2012 | 2 Comments | Filed in Drugs,Prevention & Youth
A growing number of middle schools are requiring that students submit to drug testing, The New York Times reports. Students are being asked to provide a urine sample to participate in sports, or even in extracurricular activities such as choir and drama.
Some parents and civil liberties advocates are objecting to the tests, the article notes.
Middle schools that conduct drug tests are located in states including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Texas and West Virginia. Some school administrators, coaches and teachers said drug testing deters young students from substances of all kinds, including alcohol, marijuana and steroids.
There are no known cases of middle school students testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs, and only a few positive results have been found for marijuana, the article notes.
“Drug testing is a multibillion-dollar industry,” Dr. Linn Goldberg, head of the Division of Health Promotion and Sports Medicine at the Oregon Health and Science University, told the newspaper. “They go to these schools and say it’s great. But do the schools actually look at the data? Schools don’t know what to do.” He added, “There’s little evidence these programs work. Drug testing has never been shown to have a deterrent effect.”
A 1995 United States Supreme Court ruling states that drug testing for high school athletes is constitutional.
In most cases, outside drug testing companies conduct the tests. Students are given little or no notice about them. Specimens are sent to a lab, and families are notified if the result is positive. In some cases, schools require a second test to confirm the finding. Law enforcement generally is not notified if a test is positive.
School punishments can range from a warning, to removal from a team or activity.
If you are participating in the
16th Annual Hendricks House & Hansen House
Charity Golf Tournament Tomorrow
(Tuesday, September 25, 2012)
at Hidden Creek Golf Club in Egg Harbor Township, NJ
Don't forget this year's NEW schedule:
8:30am - Breakfast & Registration
10:00am - Shotgun Start
3:30pm (after golf) - Dinner, Silent Auction & Awards
We're looking forward to beautiful weather
and a fantastic tournament.
See you in the morning, and THANK YOU for your support!
www.hansenfoundationnj.org
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Prescription Drug Abuse and the Future of America
By R. Gil Kerlikowske | September 21, 2012 | Leave a comment | Filed inAddiction, Community Related, Prescription Drugs & Young Adults
Last month, I visited a fellow Medicine Abuse Project partner—Project Lazarus—an organization on the forefront of combating the prescription drug abuse problem. Project Lazarus is located in Wilkes County, North Carolina, an area of the country that has borne a disproportionately large part of the burden caused by medicine abuse. While there, I met a group of dedicated people working hard to reduce medicine abuse in the area and across the country—doctors, leaders and law enforcement officers. I have great admiration and respect for all of the people I met at Project Lazarus, but one individual in particular stood out for me.
Donna Reeves is a mother from North Carolina who tragically lost her daughter to a drug overdose in 2006. She spoke of the importance of involving a diverse range of people in the conversation about prescription drug abuse—emphasizing that this problem doesn’t just affect one demographic, but all age groups across the geographic and socio-economic spectrum. Perhaps most importantly, Donna highlighted the urgent need to educate parents on the signs of drug abuse, the tools available to help young people seek treatment and the existence of a life-saving overdose reversal drug, Naloxone. Donna’s message was heartbreaking, but it’s one we must hear: education is one of the most powerful ways to prevent drug abuse.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention classify prescription drug abuse as an epidemic. While there has been a marked decrease in the use of some illegal drugs like cocaine, data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) show that approximately one-fourth of people aged 12 and over who used drugs for the first time in 2010 began by using a prescription drug non-medically.
Alarmingly, the majority of new or occasional nonmedical users of pain relievers obtained the drug from family or friends for free or took them without asking. Chronic users were more likely to obtain the drugs from doctors or by buying them. What can we learn from this? We know that securing medicine in the home—and disposing of unneeded pills—can help prevent medicine abuse from ever beginning.
Securing medicines in the home and disposing of medicine properly is an important part of the solution, but it must be accompanied by prescription drug monitoring programs in every state, law enforcement efforts to thwart improper prescribing practices and, of course, education for parents, prescribers and patients.
If you have unneeded medicine in the home, please take advantage of National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on September 29th, when the Drug Enforcement Administration will open sites across the country to receive unused prescription drugs—no questions asked. If you’re a parent, please take the time to talk to your children about the harm caused by medicine abuse, and educate yourself on the signs of abuse. Working together, we can build a better future for our country’s young people—free of the pain caused by medicine abuse.
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