Prescription Drug Use

A study of national data suggests that teens in rural areas abuse prescription drugs at significantly higher rates than their urban and suburban counterparts. Teens in rural areas were 26 percent more likely than urban teens to have abused prescription drugs in their lifetime: 10.3 percent of urban teens reported lifetime misuse of prescription drugs, compared with 11.5 percent in suburban or small metropolitan-area counties, and 13.0 percent of rural teens. Rural youth who used prescription drugs non-medically were more likely to have dropped out of school, have a history of depression, or live in a single-parent household.

Indiana Prevention Resource Center Findings

The Indiana Prevention Resource Center recently released its findings of the "Alcohol, Tobacco, and other Drug Use by Indiana Children and Adolescents" survey: Significant findings for the Northeast Region include:

Prevalence rates that are significantly higher than state rates:

• Monthly meth and hallucinogen use by 10th graders


• Lifetime cigarettes, alcohol, and steroid use by 11th graders

Prevalence rates that are significantly lower than state rates:

• Lifetime marijuana use by 7th graders


• Lifetime use of alcohol, marijuana, and inhalants by 8th graders


• Monthly use of cigars, alcohol, and marijuana by 8th graders


• Lifetime inhalant, amphetamines, tranquilizers, prescription drugs, and over-the-counter drug use by 9th graders


• Monthly use of prescription drugs by 9th graders


• Lifetime pipe and cigar use by 10th graders


• Lifetime pipe, amphetamines, and prescription drug use by 11th graders


• Monthly smokeless tobacco use and binge drinking by 11th graders


• Monthly amphetamines and prescription drug use by 11th graders


• Lifetime use of pipe, inhalants, amphetamines, tranquilizers, and prescription drugs by 12th graders


• Monthly pipe use by 12th graders

Quiz Bowl

We had 14 participants in the Regional Quiz Bowl that was held Saturday May 14th at Ivy Technical Community College in Fort Wayne. The winners were Aurora Follis (5th grade) from Grant County and Karissa Meyers (6th grade) from Kosciusko County. The runner-ups were Sarah Meade (5th grade) from Kosciusko County and Lucas Graden (6th grade) from Noble County.

Congratulations to all of the participants!!

"Time To Get Help"

Nine million young people between the ages of 12 and 25 need treatment for substance abuse or addiction. Of those nine million, two million are 12-17. Of the two million, ninety percent are not getting the help they need. By listening to parents and working with experts in the field of teen substance abuse and treatment, The Partnership at Drugfree.org has developed Time To Get Help (drugfree.org/timetogethelp). Time to Get Help is a new online resource and community to help parents of teens and young adults gain a better understanding of adolescent alcohol and drug abuse, dependence and addiction; get support from experts and other parents who have been there; and find the right treatment for their child and family.

Synthetic Cocaine

A product labeled as synthetic meth and/or synthetic cocaine is available. The product is sold as a bath salt or plant food but is really Mephedrone. The DEA says it is popular with those ages 18-24. Mephedrone is best characterized as a central nervous system stimulant. It is the chemical net result of manipulation of methcathinone. It is unregulated and does not fall under the auspices of the Controlled Substances Act. The drug can be inhaled or snorted in its base powder form, and has also been sold in capsule form. Mephedrone is usually found as a white to off-white powder that has little to no odor. Mephedrone suppliers tout the fact that the drug is the means toward getting legally "high" and that most modern drug testing systems are incapable of detecting its use. Adverse effects include increased heart rate, chest pain, agitation, irritability, dizziness, delusions, nose bleeds, nausea, and vomiting. Like K2, the makers of the bath salts or plant food say it is not for human consumption. It is sold by the gram for about $30. Some of the names of the bath salt include Blow, Iced Blow, Charge+ Flake, Cat Wild Cat, and Vanilla Sky, among others. The plant food is sold under the name of Magic. Rumor has it that there is a store in Fort Wayne that sells it.

Increase in illicit drug use

The use of illicit drugs among Americans increased between 2008 and 2009 according to a national survey conducted by SAMHSA. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows that the overall rate of current illicit drug use in the United States rose from 8.0 percent of the population age 12 and older in 2008 to 8.7 percent in 2009. This rise in overall drug use was driven in large part by increases in marijuana use. The survey also shows that the non medical use of prescription drugs rose from 2.5 percent of the population in 2008 to 2.8 percent in 2009. Additionally, the estimated number of past-month Ecstasy users rose from 555,000 in 2008 to 760,000 in 2009, and the number of methamphetamine users rose from 314,000 to 502,000 during that period. "These results are a wake up call to the Nation," said SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde, J.D. "Our strategies of the past appear to have stalled out with 'Generation Next.' Parents and caregivers, teachers, coaches, faith and community leaders, must find credible new ways to communicate with our youth about the dangers of substance abuse."

"A Parent's Guide to the Teen Brain"

The Partnership for a Drug Free America has released "A Parent's Guide to the Teen Brain," a digital, science-based resource that explains adolescent brain processes and offers tips for communicating and helping teens make good decisions. Using video, humorous interactive segments, role-playing, and advice from experts, parents learn that ongoing brain development contributes to vexing teen behaviors-impulsiveness, rebellion, high emotions, questionable judgment and risk-taking. Chick it out:http://www.drugfree.org/teenbrain.