Substance use among adolescents is unquestionably one of our region’s most important areas of concern.

On September 16, The Talbot Partnership for Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Prevention and the Talbot Family Network will offer two free sessions. “Signs and Symptoms of Substance Abuse Among Adolescents.”

The sessions will be held at 1:00 PM and 6:00 PM at the Avalon Theatre, in Easton.

This seminar will provide information not only on the behavioral signs of substance use but also on the trends and physical appearance of current substances of choice among youth. Presenters will include both behavioral health experts as well as representatives of local law enforcement. Topics to be covered during both sessions will include:

• How to identify the behavioral signs of substance use

• The impact of substance abuse on mental health

• Identification official drug use

• Intervention for addiction

Two sessions will be held to accommodate professionals, familes, yoruht, and interested community members.

 

SESSION I – 1:00-4:15 PM

Seminar for Social Service and Health Care Professionals (Social Work CEUs available)*

REGISTRATION REQUIRED FOR THIS SESSION!

Three (3) Continuing Education Units will be offered through The Institute for Innovation and Implementation at the University of Maryland’s School of Social Work. Participants MUST register online by going here

SESSION II – 6:00 – 8:00 PM

Seminar for Parents, Caregivers, Youth, and all Interested Community Members*
OPEN SESSION – NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED FOR THIS SESSION!

*While both seminars are open to all, Social Work Continuing Education Units will be offered to professionals who
register for and attend Session I ONLY. The evening session is designed for working parents and caregivers, interested
community members, and youth. Both sessions will cover the same topics.

Presenters are:
Sharon Dundon, CAC-AD
Program Specialist for Addictive Disorders
and
Bruce Singley, ANCC
Psychiatric Nurse Educator
Shore Regional Health Systems

George L. Paugh
Detective
Easton Police Department

Brighton Laznovsky, MA, CHT, LGSW, LCADC
Balance Point

This community education event is sponsored by The Talbot Partnership for Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Prevention and The Talbot Family Network with the support of The Mental Health Association in Talbot County, and Rural CARES, a regional System of Care Collaborative and part of The Institute for Innovation and Implementation, University of Maryland School of Social Work. Rural CARES is funded under federal grant #SM059052 issued by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Talbot Family Network is funded through the Governor’s Office for Children. Please contact Danielle Murphy with questions about this training at [email protected] or call 410-822-0444.

According to Talbot Partnership for Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Prevention, elderly patients, who tend to take many medications prescribed by more than one doctor, are increasingly at risk for prescription drug abuse.

According to an examination of Medicare data by USA Today, the newspaper estimates that one in five of the nation’s 43 million senior citizens receive Medicare prescriptions for opioid painkillers, many of them for long periods. The number of patients 65 and older who received Medicare prescriptions for opioids increased more than 30 percent between 2007 and 2012, the newspaper found. An estimated 8.5 million elderly patients received opioid prescriptions in 2012. Use of some of the most commonly abused opioids, including oxycodone and hydrocodone, increased more than 50 percent. The amount of each opioid given to patients increased an average of 15 percent, to about three months worth of medication.

The number of senior citizens addicted to painkillers and anxiety medications in 2012 reached 336,000, nearly triple to the 132,000 of them a decade ago, according to a separate study on the impact of prescription drug problem among older Americans conducted by USA Today.

About one-third of Medicare patients get prescriptions for powerful narcotic painkillers from multiple doctors, which raises their risk for hospitalization.  People 55 and older were found to build tolerance from the drugs and get addicted to them leading to rising overdose deaths, emergency room visits and admissions to addiction treatment programs. According to Michael Von Korff of the Group Health Research Institute in Seattle, elderly patients who take opioids or anti-anxiety medications are at increased risk of injuries from falls, cognitive problems and impaired breathing. He noted the risks are increased when the drugs are used in combination. “Misuse and abuse of these medicines is not uncommon among the elderly. They do get into trouble with these drugs,” he said.

According to Talbot Partnership, we often assume that prescription drug problems are only an issue with our youth. Alcohol and prescription drug problems among adults 60 and older, however, is one of the fastest growing health problems facing the country.  Yet, the situation remains underestimated, underidentified, underdiagnosed, and undertreated.

The main sign that a person may be addicted to a medication is if he or she is constantly thinking about it and fears not being able to function without it. Another warning sign is when a person starts taking medication at different times and in different doses from what their physician has prescribed.

If you are concerned about your own use of alcohol or drugs, or that of a family member or friend, contact you physician or the Talbot County Health Department.  For additional information on the dangers of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, contact Talbot Partnership at 410-819-8067. Please also visit our website at www.talbotpartnership.org or find us on Facebook.

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According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), youth between the ages of 12 and 17 are far more likely to start using most substances during the summer than during other parts of the year.

On an average day in June and July, more than 11,000 adolescents aged 12 to 17 use alcohol for the first time – December is the only other month with comparable levels. Throughout the rest of the year the daily average for first-time alcohol use ranges from 5,000 to 8,000 adolescents. In terms of first-time use of marijuana, more than 4,500 youth start using it on an average day in June and July, as opposed to about 3,000 to 4,000 youths during the other months.

“More free time and less adult supervision can make the summertime an exciting time for many young people, but it can also increase the likelihood of exposure to the dangers of substance abuse,” said SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde.  “That is why it is critically important to take every opportunity we can throughout the year to talk to our young people about the real risks of substance abuse and effective measures for avoiding it, so they will be informed and capable of making the right decisions on their own.”

The tips below can assist parents to set the community-wide tone that underage drinking and drug use  are unsafe, unhealthy, and unacceptable.

• Set Summertime Rules: Make clear your rules regarding unsupervised time spent with friends, as well as your expectations surrounding drinking, smoking and other risky behaviors.
• Supervise: This can be challenging for parents of high school students; however, be physically present when you can. And when you can’t, try asking a neighbor to randomly check in.
• Monitor: Know with whom and where your child is at all times. Randomly call and text your teen to check in, and don’t be afraid to check up on your child by calling another parent.
• Engage: Provide some structure to your teen’s summer by helping him/her find a summer job or engaging him/her in a supervised activity (sports, camps, classes, etc.).
• Team Up: Get to know the parents of your teen’s friends. Speak with them to ensure you have a unified and consistent no-use stance.
• Stay Involved: Show your teen you care by taking time out of your busy schedule to do something fun and interactive together this summer (head to the movies, volunteer together, take a bike ride, etc.).
• Communicate: Regardless of season, it is always a good time to talk to your teen about the dangers of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. Open (or maintain) the lines of communication and be your child’s trusted source of information.

Talbot Partnership advises that it is important to discourage children and teens from  alcohol and other drugs because it damages brains, increases their risk of addiction and can cause accidents that lead to an early death.

 

The younger people are when they start drinking, the more likely they are to have significant alcohol problems in their lifetime, including abuse and addiction, according to pediatrician Janet Williams, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio.

 

For further information on the dangers of alcohol and other drugs, contact Talbot Partnership at410-819-8067. Please also visit our website at www.talbotpartnership.org or find us on Facebook.

A recent report from the Drug Free Action Alliance advises that when it comes to problem drinking, many people assume it mostly involves males. That assumption however, is false. In fact, when it comes to young females, girls have not only caught up to boys when it comes to drinking, but in many cases have surpassed them.

According to results from the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, among youth aged 12 to 17, the percentage of females who were current drinkers (13.2 percent) was higher than their male counterparts (12.6 percent). When it comes to women and alcohol, 60% of U.S. women report having used alcohol over the past year. Among those women, 13 percent said they had more than seven drinks per week (which goes beyond the recommended limits published in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.)

Females are more vulnerable to alcohol’s effects than males, and here’s why:

• Females have less water in their bodies to help dilute the alcohol in the bloodstream;
• Females absorb alcohol at a slower rate;
• Females naturally produce less “alcohol dehydrogenase” (a gastric enzyme that breaks down ethanol in the stomach – that otherwise is toxic).
• What this means is that a female and male of the same size and weight can drink the same amount of alcohol and yet the female will have a higher concentration of alcohol in her blood. It also means that females who go “drink-for-drink” with males are likely to become intoxicated more quickly and are more susceptible to alcohol poisoning.

According to Talbot Partnership for Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Prevention, women and girls are the fastest growing segment of the population impacted by the dangers of alcohol, tobacco and other drug abuse, representing a generally unrecognized serious issue for the women and girls of Talbot County and our country.

Underage drinking is damaging and dangerous. Parents are encouraged to talk early and often, sharing clear anti-use messages with daughters and sons alike; including in your talks, especially with our daughters, the fact that that drinking impacts females more intensely.

For further information on the dangers of alcohol and other drugs, contact Talbot Partnership at 410-819-8067. Please also visit our website at www.talbotpartnership.org or find us on Facebook.

This Saturday, April 26th will be the Drug Enforcement Administration’s eighth National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, an opportunity for people all over the country to safely and properly dispose of their prescription drugs. Through previous DEA Take-Back Day events, over 3.4 million pounds of medication have been removed from circulation and kept out of kids’ hands.

According to Gary Pearce, Executive Director of Talbot Partnership for Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Prevention, “Misuse of prescription medications are often the first step toward use of other illicit drugs. Parents fear drugs like cocaine or heroin and want to protect their kids. But the truth is that when misused and abused, medicines – especially stimulants and opioids – can be every bit as dangerous and harmful and often lead to abuse of those illicit street drugs.”

One way parents, grandparents and other caretakers can take immediate action is by using the Talbot County Drug Drop Box for the collection and disposal of unused prescription and over-the-counter medications as well as vitamins and pet medicines. This secured box is located in the lobby of the Talbot County Public Safety Center at 115 West Dover Street in Easton and is available daily from 5:00am until 9:00pm for residents to dispose of unwanted, unused or outdated medications to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands and being abused.

In addition to the take-back program offered by the Talbot County Public Safety Center and local police, Hill’s Drug Store offers a “drug take back” program to safely dispose of most unused medications.

Parents need to communicate the dangers of Rx medicine misuse and abuse to their kids, safeguard their medications at home, and dispose of unused medications properly. Parents say they don’t have much influence over their teenage children, but, surprisingly, teenagers admit that parents do have an influence.

For additional information on what parents can do to help their children avoid the dangers of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, contact Talbot Partnership at 410-819-8067. Please also visit our website at www.talbotpartnership.org or find us on Facebook.