All the cool kids are doing it.

What’s your stance on drugs and alcohol? Know it. Live it.

Alcohol and drug abuse don’t always have to start at a young age, though they sometimes do. Address your personal stance on drugs and alcohol. Weigh the pros and cons. Weigh the cons again, and again, and again, then ask if you’d be willing to live by those cons.

It is very easy to let drugs and alcohol define us as individuals, but it is just as easy to let the alternate route define us even more so. Knowing your cause early means early implementation.

5 Easy tips to be cool and live drug free:

1. Decide now and be alright with your decision.
2. It’s alright to be put in the position to say no. Say no.
3. Don’t let judgement get you down. Know that this is bigger than a here-and-now type of deal.
4. If you’re older, it may be cool to drink, but it’s even cooler to keep your mind sharp at all times.
5. Remember that illegal use of drugs and alcohol is illegal for a reason. Go with it.

Understanding your teen and their influence

One of the best ways of identifying what’s going on outside of your home is to observe your teen’s major influences.

Take the time to recognize your teens behavior when they are with certain friends of theirs.  Being their parent, you know them best.  If they are acting abnormal around a group of friends, look into it.

Teens desperately feel the need to fit in with their peers, making peer pressure almost less of an issue.  It is similar to when you have your mind already made up and though you are provided options, you are set on what you want to do.  This is the same case with adolescents.

If your teen is acting different when it comes to sharing information with you, wanting to stay home, or the desire to always be away from home,target where they are changing and act.

One way to increase your teens chances from falling into alcohol and drugs is to help raise their self esteem.  Push them in school, compliment their style, exercise with them–any number of positive acts will work.  Also, just as most parents have the birds and the bees talk, it is important to have the alcohol and drug talk too.

For drug tips and information, text DPRI to 30364.  You can also gain information from www.DPRI.com

As parents, you are your kids first point of reference for information, so let’s share it!

September-Let’s quit smoking and lower our bad cholesterol (LDL) levels

September is National Cholesterol Education month. Now, you may wonder why a blog corresponding to a youth drug prevention non-profit is mentioning this. But as we all may figure, everything that is inserted into the body affects particles and systems already established, thus linking us to chat about cholesterol.

Our focus today: smoking and the correspoindence to lower good cholesterol (HDL levels), and higher bad cholesterol (LDL levels).

Small studies have shown the direct effects of smoking and cholesterol levels. Smoking lowers HDL levels and raises LDL levels.  A chain effect to getting those HDL levels back up is also increase the health of your heart.  A non-smoker has lower heart risks, depending upon their hereditary history, of course.

So now you drop the habit and gain a little weight, which in fact, is common.  You may be thinking that weight gain can be linked to bad cholesterol.  It is in many cases, so it is very important to integrate healthy eating habits and regular exercise into your current lifestyle to reduce the slight quitters weight gain.

Let’s kick September to a close by kicking the habit!

It is advised to see a doctor about quitting smoking to ensure your health stays at the highest level possible while going through the process.

Out of School, Out of Luck? by guest contributor Erin Lipinsky

Are the youth of America more likely to use and abuse drugs and alcohol now that they are out of school?

According to a study done by the YMCA of the U.S.A. in 2001, teens who do not participate in after school programs are nearly three times more likely to skip classes or use marijuana or other drugs; they are also more likely to drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes and engage in sexual activity. With a troubled economy and parents seeking the help they need to complete tasks on behalf of their families, more and more children are being left unsupervised after school and during summer vacations. The question is: Is YOUR child at risk to be influenced by drugs and alcohol while not being occupied by school or extra curricular activities?

The summer is nearing its end and it is time to get back in the swing of things for this upcoming school year. According to the After School All-Star program, featured in 15 different areas throughout the U.S. with the inclusion of Dallas, children are most likely to experiment with drugs and alcohol between the hours of 3 and 6 p.m. These three hours are referred to as the “danger zone.” After-school programs such as the YMCA and Heart House Dallas provide stimulating after-school programs for little to no cost to guardians. After-school alternatives are also shown to get children more interested in their school work and contributing facts show that a child that is more stimulated by school activities is less likely to experiment with drugs and alcohol.

There are other precautions that can be taken to improve the sobriety future of our young America. There are qualities such as leadership, integrity and pride that we can instill in every young life we encounter. One child, though very small, can influence two other children that influence two other children, so on and so forth. This chain reaction will keep our youth’s future at the forefront of their minds, thus keeping drugs and alcohol out.

So, is your child more likely to use drugs or drink alcohol while out of school? The answer is yes, but there are things we can do as parents, as teachers, as the youth of America to decrease these chances. Be proactive with your child and start your community’s chain reaction.

For more information on issues related to decreasing drug and alcohol use amongst teens, visit www.DPRI.com.
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How can we ever find “innocence” in helping kids celebrate the wrong way?

On May 20, 2011 three adults were charged in the death of a Texas Teen at an after-prom party. These individuals made a thoughtless decision to supply teens with alcohol….a decision that resulted in death. As we continue to hear these stories year after year about the senseless loss of life which results from alcohol poisoning we have to stop and ask ourselves a simple question: do our own actions really encourage teens to make the RIGHT choice? As Rod Venner, Assistant Chief of Enforcement with TABC said, “there is ZERO innocence in adults providing teens with alcohol.” How would we ever justify purchasing beer or liquor for a group of kids? What would we say to the parent who lost their child to such a senseless act? One of the adults mentioned above sold 2 cases of beer to an underage youth. Another adult purchased two bottles of liquor for his underage brother.

From time to time we need to be reminded as adults that young people watch our ever move, note our ever decision, and will adopt many of our attitudes and choices. If young people are doing their part to stay drug and alcohol-free shouldn’t we also do our part to help them with those healthy choices? So many of our messages today are directed at kids but it never hurts to take pause and remind ourselves as uncles, cousins, aunts, parents, even bosses – there is no innocence in providing alcohol or drugs to underage teens. It’s the truth – and it’s the law!

When will tragedies such as this become a distant memory? More and more teens ARE making positive choices with a simple acknowledgement: THEY ARE TOO GOOD FOR DRUGS AND ALCOHOL! They are realizing that drugs and alcohol do not enhance their experience and in many times it will only lead to tragedy. Making appropriate choices and creating appropriate attitudes about drugs and alcohol is the REAL cause for celebration. More and more youth are making those decisions based upon what they learn in school through programs such as DPRI’s “Too Good For Drugs”. A group of ninth graders in Grand Prairie have participated in 14 sessions where they discuss healthy choices about enjoying their lives drug and alcohol-free! These kids are also following the healthy choices made by adults in their lives – healthy attitudes result in healthy decisions.

This summer make the right choices – choices that can save lives!

for more information about this post visit www.dpri.com

Valentine’s Day 2011…LOVE YOUR HEART-

February is filled with heart-clad images celebrating Valentine’s Day. Although the history and evolution of Valentine’s Day are attributed to a number of different legends, what is certain is that February 14 is associated with love, care, and the heart. Further cementing the ever-present symbol of the heart in February was the establishment of American Heart Month nearly 50 years ago, the intent of which was to raise awareness about the nationwide problem of heart disease and the importance of supporting research to solve the problem.

Given that February is recognized as a time to celebrate love, caring, and heart health, what better time to improve your own heart health or help loved ones improve theirs by quitting smoking? As indicated in the 2010 Surgeon General’s Report, How Tobacco Smoke Causes Disease: The Biology and Behavioral Basis for Smoking-Attributable Disease, cigarette smoking greatly increases one’s risk for heart disease. Being smoke-free and eliminating exposure to secondhand smoke are important to heart health.

Smoking and Heart Health

If you smoke, cells that line your body’s blood vessels react to the poisons in tobacco smoke almost immediately. Your heart rate and blood pressure go up. Your blood vessels grow narrower. Chemical changes caused by smoking also make blood more likely to clot. Clots can form and block blood flow to your heart.

Smoking is one cause of dangerous plaque buildup inside your arteries. Plaque clogs and narrows your arteries. This can trigger chest pain, weakness, heart attack, or stroke. Plaque can rupture and cause clots that block arteries. Completely blocked arteries can cause sudden death. Smoking is not the only cause of these problems, but it makes them much worse.

Secondhand Smoke and Heart Health

Tobacco smoke hurts anyone who breathes it. When you breathe secondhand smoke, platelets in your blood get sticky and may form clots, just like in a person who smokes. Research shows that even spending time in a smoky room could trigger a heart attack. There is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke. Even brief exposures can be harmful to your health, especially if you are at risk for heart disease.

Quitting Saves Lives

You have years of life to gain by quitting smoking. Your risk for heart attack drops sharply just 1 year after you quit smoking. In fact, even if you’ve already had a heart attack, you cut your risk of having another one by a third to a half if you quit smoking. And because secondhand smoke also affects others and can increase their risk for heart attack and death, quitting smoking can help protect your loved ones. Make an effort during this heartfelt holiday to stop smoking and/or to encourage your loved ones to stop smoking.

Support to Quit

For support to quit, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669; TTY 1-800-332-8615). This service provides free support and advice from experienced counselors, a personalized quit plan, self-help materials, the latest information about cessation medications, and more.

Online cessation services and resources are also available online at www.smokefree.gov. This Web site provides free, accurate, evidence-based information and professional assistance to help support the immediate and long-term needs of people trying to quit smoking.

Bath Salts Cause Concern in Some Communities

Jan 27, 2011

Officials in 25 states are growing concerned about alarming numbers of adolescents and others ending up in emergency rooms and mental hospitals after intentionally snorting, injecting or smoking “fake cocaine,” a powder legally sold as “bath salts,” and are proposing bans.

Sold under such names as Ivory Wave, Red Dove, Bliss and Vanilla Sky, law enforcement officials and poison control center staff say the effects of the stimulants the powders often contain (mephedrone and methylenedioxypyrovalerone, also known as MDPV) are a central nervous system stimulant that is not approved for medical purposes in the United States, and provide for users a cocaine-like high.

The chemicals in these bath salts can cause hallucinations, paranoia, rapid and irregular heartbeats and suicidal thoughts, authorities say. The chemicals are in products sold legally at convenience stores and on the internet as bath salts and even plant foods. A small packet of the chemicals typically costs around $20.
Mississippi lawmakers this week began considering a proposal to ban the sale of the powders, and a similar step is being sought in Kentucky. In Louisiana, the bath salts were outlawed this month by an emergency order after the state’s poison center received more than 125 calls in the last three months of 2010 involving exposure to the chemicals. Dr. Mark Ryan, director of Louisiana’s poison control center, told The Huffington Post that calls about the chemicals have dropped sharply since Louisiana’s ban.

Two other states have also taken steps. North Dakota’s Board of Pharmacy banned MPDV and related chemicals, and legislation has already been put forward in Kentucky to outlaw MPDV. Abroad, the Great Britain banned these so-called bath salts last April when several people died after ingesting it.
The stimulants aren’t regulated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, but they are studying it as a “drug of concern.”

Drug Enforcement Agent Gary Boggs will give us the latest information on bath salts on the next CADCA TV show Feb. 24.  Viewing is available via satellite downlink or by webcast.

http://www.cadca.org/resources/detail/bath-salts-cause-concern-some-communities

Drug Prevention Resources, Inc. is awarded a Service to Science Grant to enhance evaluation techniques of the IMPACT Community Coalitions Programs

Drug Prevention Resources, Inc IMPACT Community Coalitions have been award a Service to Science grant to enhance the evaluation techniques of the IMPACT Community Coalitions Programs. We are excited about this opportunity to truly see the impact our community coalitions are having on community attitudes, norms, and policies relating to underage substance abuse. Detailed information about the grant is below.

Service to Science (STS) is a national initiative to enhance the evaluation capacity of innovative programs and practices that address critical substance abuse prevention or mental health needs. STS consists of a combination of training events and customized technical assistance aimed at providing participants with the education, tools and follow-up technical assistance programs needed to evaluate their efforts with increasing levels of methodological rigor.
 
Programs participating in STS have operated in such diverse settings as community-based organizations, schools, and health clinics. Although the primary target population of these programs has been children and adolescents, we encourage the participation of programs devoted to improving the well-being of populations across the lifespan.

http://captus.samhsa.gov/national/about/clients.cfm

National Recovery Month 2011

The National Recovery Month (Recovery Month) campaign offers help and hope not only for individuals receiving recovery services, and in recovery, but for families, loved ones, and friends. The benefits of treatment and recovery ripple out across entire communities throughout our Nation, proving there are effective treatments and people do recover. As the Road to Recovery series kicks off its 11th season, this episode will highlight the many accomplishments of the 2010 Recovery Month campaign and look forward to a successful September 2011 Recovery Month.

http://www.recoverymonth.gov/Multimedia/Road-to-Recovery-Television-Series.aspx