A Drug Dealer in your own medicine cabinet? You?

This week we have been working on a 4 part series of blog posts for The Mommies Network for education on the upcoming DEA "Take Back Day" April 28th, 2012. As parents and health providers we are the gatekeepers of many dangerous substances and do not even realize it. Today's society of kids and teens are so much smarter that we were ever at that age, so they are very aware of what lurks in the medicine cabinet at home. Are you are a drug dealer and don't even know it?

AWARxE is an awesome resource website. AWARERX.ORG is an information source providing authoritative resources about medication safety, prescription drug abuse, medication disposal, and safely buying medications on the Internet. 

Inspiration for AWARxE: The Story of Justin Pearson

Justin Pearson’s story was the inspiration for the AWARxE consumer protection program. Justin Pearson, a resident of St Cloud, MN, died tragically at age 24 because of a prescription drug overdose. Justin died on December 25, 2006, after taking a mix of prescription drugs, which he ordered from an illegal Web site. Web sites like these are illegal and sell prescription drugs without requiring prescriptions from the doctor. In Justin’s case, he was able to easily order drugs from an illegal Web site and the drugs were mailed to him. Taking the drugs without a doctor’s prescription, and mixing a high dose of different prescription drugs led to Justin’s death.
For more information about Justin’s story, please visit Justin’s Web page at jvp1.com.
AWARERX.ORG aims to prevent more tragic stories like Justin’s by providing information that will raise AWARxEness among consumers.

Become AWARxE!

“Prescription” Does Not Mean the Drugs are Safe For Everyone!
Many teens believe that taking prescription drugs to get high is safer than using street drugs. Be AWARxE! Prescription drugs are dangerous when they are not used correctly as directed by a doctor.

• One in five teens have taken a prescription drug that was not theirs to get high or to deal with problems.
• Teens are abusing pain pills (Vicodin^®, OxyContin^®), stimulants (Ritalin^®, Adderall^®), and tranquilizers (Xanax^®, Valium^®).
• Teens take these drugs right out of the medicine cabinet – at home, at a friend’s house, or when visiting family.
• 5.2 million people, including kids ages 12 and older, said they had abused prescription pain relievers, as reported in a 2007 survey.
• More people are visiting the emergency room because they misused prescription pain medication. From 2004 to 2009, emergency room visits due to misusing narcotic pain pills increased by almost 100%.

Be AWARxE! Prescription medications should only be used when your doctor prescribes them for you. Follow your doctor’s directions when taking prescription medications – make sure to take the correct amount of medication each day. Ask your doctor or pharmacist when you have questions taking drugs that are prescribed for you.

Learn How to Protect Yourself, Family, and Friends.

How can misusing the drug products in your medicine cabinet harm you, your family, or your friends? Medications can provide great health benefits when used as the doctor ordered, but there are big risks when they are abused or not taken as directed. Click on Get Informed to find facts about the dangers of misusing or abusing prescription and over-the-counter drugs.

Illegal Prescription Drugs Were Deadly for Justin Pearson – Read Justin’s Story

Justin Pearson, a resident of St Cloud, MN, died tragically at age 24 because of a prescription drug overdose. Justin died on December 25, 2006, after taking a mix of prescription drugs which he ordered from an illegal Web site. Web sites like these are illegal and sell prescription drugs without requiring prescriptions from the doctor. In Justin’s case, he was able to easily order drugs from an illegal Web site and the drugs were mailed to him. Taking the drugs without a doctor’s prescription, and mixing a high dose of different prescription drugs led to Justin’s death.
Justin Pearson’s story was the inspiration for the AWARxE campaign. For more information, please visit Justin’s Web page at jvp1.com.
Get informed and learn how to prevent more stories like Justin’s. Read more about Not Recommended Web Sites and VIPPS Recommended Internet Pharmacies from NABP.


What's in your medicine cabinet? you might need to start looking and reevaluate how you keep meds and store them away from small children and teens.

Sniff me, Snort me, Suck me up

 

What Types of Products Are Abused as Inhalants?

 Inhalants are commonly known as Glue, Kick, Bang, Sniff, Huff, Poppers, Whippets, and Texas Shoeshine.

Chance are most of these substances are right there in your kitchen,garage or pantry. If I try it just one time to see what if might do to my body, it won't hurt..............or will it? 

Magic question~ do you want to find out?  

Inhalants generally fall into the following categories:
Volatile solvents—liquids that vaporize at room temperature

• Industrial or household products, including paint thinners or removers, degreasers, dry-cleaning fluids, gasoline, and lighter fluid
• Art or office supply solvents, including correction fluids, felt-tip marker fluid, electronic contact cleaners, and glue

Aerosols—sprays that contain propellants and solvents

• Household aerosol propellants in items such as spray paints, hair or deodorant sprays, fabric protector sprays, aerosol computer cleaning products, and vegetable oil sprays

Gases—found in household or commercial products and used as medical anesthetics

• Household or commercial products, including butane lighters and propane tanks, whipped cream aerosols or dispensers (whippets), and refrigerant gases
• Medical anesthetics, such as ether, chloroform, halothane, and nitrous oxide (“laughing gas”)

Nitrites—a special class of inhalants that are used primarily as sexual enhancers

• Organic nitrites are volatiles that include cyclohexyl, butyl, and amyl nitrites, commonly known as “poppers.” Amyl nitrite is still used in certain diagnostic medical procedures. When marketed for illicit use, organic nitrites are often sold in small brown bottles labeled as “video head cleaner,” “room odorizer,” “leather cleaner,” or “liquid aroma.”

These various products contain a wide range of chemicals such as—

• toluene (spray paints, rubber cement, gasoline), 
• chlorinated hydrocarbons (dry-cleaning chemicals, correction fluids),
• hexane (glues, gasoline),
• benzene (gasoline),
• methylene chloride (varnish removers, paint thinners),
• butane (cigarette lighter refills, air fresheners), and
• nitrous oxide (whipped cream dispensers, gas cylinders).

How Do Inhalants Affect the Brain?

The effects of inhalants are similar to those of alcohol, including slurred speech, lack of coordination, euphoria, and dizziness. Inhalant abusers may also experience lightheadedness, hallucinations, and delusions. With repeated inhalations, many users feel less inhibited and less in control. Some may feel drowsy for several hours and experience a lingering headache. Chemicals found in different types of inhaled products may produce a variety of additional effects, such as confusion, nausea, or vomiting.
By displacing air in the lungs, inhalants deprive the body of oxygen, a condition known as hypoxia. Hypoxia can damage cells throughout the body, but the cells of the brain are especially sensitive to it. The symptoms of brain hypoxia vary according to which regions of the brain are affected: for example, the hippocampus helps control memory, so someone who repeatedly uses inhalants may lose the ability to learn new things or may have a hard time carrying on simple conversations.
Long-term inhalant abuse can also break down myelin, a fatty tissue that surrounds and protects some nerve fibers. Myelin helps nerve fibers carry their messages quickly and efficiently, and when damaged, can lead to muscle spasms and tremors or even permanent difficulty with basic actions such as walking, bending, and talking.

Lethal = Dead -- one way road to your coffin

Sniffing highly concentrated amounts of the chemicals in solvents or aerosol sprays can directly induce heart failure and death within minutes of a session of repeated inhalation. This syndrome, known as “sudden sniffing death,” can result from a single session of inhalant use by an otherwise healthy young person. Sudden sniffing death is particularly associated with the abuse of butane, propane, and chemicals in aerosols.

Sudden Death can occur the first time you try inhalants! or the 100th time you try them, it's not choosy. All your luck it will be your first time!

Sniff Me, Snort Me, Suck me Up and Die!! Stupid is as Stupid Does!! Don't Be Stupid!!

Choose Life!! 

Support Autism Awareness month

Educate yourself about others who might be different, but they deserve all the love we have. Be Aware!

Bully ~ Take this!!

What an awesome video! Bully from "Shinedown" Nobody should ever have to suffer from a bully!
You don't have to take it! Bully ~~ take this!!

This video with the lyric is just as powerful! My 12 year daughter showed it to me and asked me to share it also! Here it is for all those kids out there that live in loneliness everyday!

Way to go Shinedown for such a great message that has already impacted many.

More Games we play...........that astound us!

Some of the things that people do for attention just astound me, the newest craze called the "Cinnamon challenge" has hit the air waves and social media sites like You Tube. What is so special about cinnamon? it is yummy on my toast with some sugar in moderation, in my cinnamon latte sprinkled on top it is good too. Why on this green earth would you want to take a huge heaping spoon full of the stuff and cram it in your mouth? Subsequently coughing, spewing and spattering the powder all over yourself (how attractive) making a huge mess, and oh yeah not to mention inhaling it into your lungs. I guess you like to be a brown powdered, coughing, vomiting, wheezing , pneumonia-prone mess and then video tape the entire thing to make yourself look like an absolute fool in front of all your friends and many non-friends who just think you are stupid.
Now we have not even talked about the health hazards of the intake of to much cinnamon.  Cinnamon powder can cause allergic reactions and breathing problems, and if it is ingested it can lead to serious burns. Some of these side effects can lead to life-threatening medical emergencies. Cinnamon powder can lead to a bronchial constriction, which can be life threatening. If you suffer from an underlying medical condition that may cause problems with breathing, you should be very careful when handling cinnamon powder.
Allergic reactions---can you say Anaphylaxis which can = DEAD if not treated fast!!
According to the University of Michigan, an allergic reaction can occur if you have not previously used cinnamon powder. This is especially true for young babies or children that are being introduced to cinnamon for the first time. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, cinnamon can cause an allergic reaction that can even lead to anaphylactic shock, which is a life threatening medical condition. An allergic reaction can also occur on your skin. Sometimes when cinnamon powder gets on the skin it can cause reddening or even a rash.
Burns!
Cinnamon powder can be very dangerous if you accidentally ingest it by mouth. For example, small children who like to play in the cabinets can easily get into the spice cabinet and ingest the cinnamon powder. This can cause severe burning of the mouth and throat and require immediate medical attention. The burning may be so severe that the child can suffer from swelling of the mouth or throat, which can be life threatening.


This article is from CBS News New York:
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – A common spice is creating an uncommon problem among teens. It’s called the “cinnamon challenge” and doctors are warning it could be dangerous.

The cinnamon challenge is an old stunt that is making the rounds with a new generation of teens and is popping up all over YouTube and Facebook.

The challenge works like this: A person swallows an entire tablespoon of ground cinnamon without  water, but the results usually end in coughing, choking, gagging, sometimes vomiting and always burning pain.

“It’s dangerous and I never want to have that feeling again,” said one 9th grader, who didn’t want to be identified. She said she was dared to do the challenge last month.

And it’s not just teens who are getting into trouble. New Haven’s Clinton Avenue School principal is on leave, accused of letting  kids in the lunchroom down doses of the spice.

There are no accounts of death by cinnamon, but doctors at Winthrop University Hospital say it’s a dangerous dare. It can raise  blood sugar levels, burn the throat and get into the lungs.
If it gets into your lungs, it can cause asthma or pneumonia,” explained Dr. Joseph Greensher.

Several schools nationwide have formally warned their students about the cinnamon challenge. Doctors say parents should also tell their kids it’s really no joke.

A school in Pennsylvania has actually banned some boots because students were smuggling cinnamon into schools that way.


The video below was on Good Morning America and shows just how crazy ingesting spoonful of cinnamon powder is.
Doctors say the challenge is impossible because the cinnamon cannot be digested without water and warn that by inhaling the cinnamon dust teens run the risk of inflaming or scarring their lungs.

“If you have some fine particles, like cinnamon in your lungs, it may be hard to clear out,” said Dr. Robert Zaid of Providence Hospital in Mobile, Ala.  ”Your lungs can kind of collapse on you. There have been several cases reported where kids needed ventilator support because they weren’t able to maintain their airway.”
Dejah Reed, a freshman at Huron High School in Ann Arbor, Mich., spent four days in the hospital with an infection and a collapsed right lung after she ingested cinnamon two week ago.

“She was going in and out of consciousness. She couldn’t breathe. She was turning pale,” her father, Fred Reed, told local affiliate WXYZ. “I hope parents and kids learn that it’s not fun and games. She could have died.”

Even a site devoted to the challenge, Cinnamonchallenge.com, has this disclaimer prominently displayed on its homepage, “DO NOT ATTEMPT THE CINNAMON CHALLENGE WITHOUT TALKING WITH A DOCTOR.  OBVIOUSLY THEY ARE GOING TO TELL YOU NOT TO DO IT. THE CINNAMON CHALLENGE CAN BE DANGEROUS AND SHOULDN’T BE TAKEN LIGHTLY. YOU NEVER WANT TO PURPOSELY OR MISTAKINGLY INHALE ANY SUBSTANCES SUCH AS CINNAMON. IT’S GOING TO BURN, YOU ARE GOING TO COUGH, AND REGRET YOU TRIED…SO WATCH MOVIES OF PEOPLE ALREADY FEELING THE PAIN.”

Despite the serious health risks the game has been popularized by athletes and even a politician.

In November, during the NBA lockout, basketball stars Nick Young and JaVale McGee attempted the cinnamon challenge in a YouTube video that has been viewed more than 100,000 times and posted on ESPN.com.  In February Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn took the challenge while appearing on a talk radio show, though he drank water to get it down.

Boo to you guys, basketball stars and a Governor acting so stupid, thank you for letting down my children and showing them that people in the public eye that are supposed to be responsible and show some kind of smarts at least are just as stupid as the rest of the dummies out there.

Please be smart and don't do something just because its viral on the internet and "everybody else is doing is momma" well if you fall for that old trick, you are just as stupid as they are and you will suffer the consequences also.
Be safe and be smart, show the world that you are #1 , you have a brain, use it!

Skittles: not just another trip over the rainbow

DXM or Dextromethorphan 

Street names
CCC, Dex, DXM, Poor Man's PCP, Robo, Rojo, Skittles, Triple C, Velvet

Not Skittles

Looks like
DXM can come in the form of: cough syrup, tablets, capsules, or powder.

DXM is a cough suppressor found in more than 120 overthecounter
(OTC) cold medications, either alone or in
combination with other drugs such as analgesics (e.g.,
acetaminophen), antihistamines (e.g., chlorpheniramine),
decongestants (e.g., pseudoephedrine), and/or expectorants
(e.g., guaifenesin). The typical adult dose for cough is 15 or 30
mg taken three to four times daily. The cough-suppressing effects
of DXM persist for 5 to 6 hours after ingestion. When taken as
directed, side-effects are rarely observed.
Street

Methods of abuse
DXM is abused in high doses to experience euphoria and visual and auditory hallucinations. Abusers take various
amounts depending on their body weight and the effect they are attempting to achieve. Some abusers ingest 250 to
1,500 milligrams in a single dosage, far more than the recommended therapeutic dosages described above. Illicit use of
DXM is referred to on the street as “Robotripping,” “skittling,” or “dexing.” The first two terms are derived from the
products that are most commonly abused, Robitussin and Coricidin HBP. DXM abuse has traditionally involved drinking
large volumes of the OTC liquid cough preparations. More recently, however, abuse of tablet and gel capsule
preparations has increased. These newer, high-dose DXM products have particular appeal for abusers. They are much
easier to consume, eliminate the need to drink large volumes of unpleasant-tasting syrup, and are easily portable and
concealed, allowing an abuser to continue to abuse DXM throughout the day, whether at school or work. DXM powder,
sold over the Internet, is also a source of DXM for abuse. (The powdered form of DXM poses additional risks to the
abuser due to the uncertainty of composition and dose.) DXM is also distributed in illicitly manufactured tablets
containing only DXM or mixed with other drugs such as pseudoephedrine and/ or methamphetamine. DXM is abused by
individuals of all ages, but its abuse by teenagers and young adults is of particular concern. This abuse is fueled by
DXM’s OTC availability and extensive “how to" abuse information on various web sites.

Some of the many psychoactive effects associated with high-dose DXM include: confusion, inappropriate laughter,
agitation, paranoia, and hallucinations. Other sensory changes, including the feeling of floating and changes in hearing
and touch. Long-term abuse of DXM is associated with severe psychological dependence. Abusers of DXM describe
the following four dose-dependent “plateaus”: Plateau Dose (mg) Behavioral Effects 1st 100-200 Mild stimulation 2nd
200-400 Euphoria and hallucinations 3rd 300-600 Distorted visual perceptions Loss of motor coordination 4th 500-1500
Out-of-body sensations


DXM intoxication involves: over-excitability, lethargy, loss of coordination, slurred speech, sweating, hypertension, and
involuntary spasmodic movement of the eyeballs. The use of high doses of DXM in combination with alcohol or other
drugs is particularly dangerous, and deaths have been reported. Approximately 5-10% of Caucasians are poor DXM
metabolizers and at increased risk for overdoses and deaths. DXM taken with antidepressants can be life threatening.
OTC products that contain DXM often contain other ingredients such as acetaminophen, chlorpheniramine, and
guaifenesin that have their own effects, such as: liver damage, rapid heart rate, lack of coordination, vomiting, seizures,
and coma. To circumvent the many side effects associated with these other ingredients, a simple chemical extraction
procedure has been developed and published on the Internet that removes most of these other ingredients in cough
syrup.


Overdose effects
DXM overdose can be treated in an emergency room setting and generally does not result in severe medical
consequences or death. Most DXM-related deaths are caused by ingesting the drug in combination with other drugs.
DXM-related deaths also occur from impairment of the senses, which can lead to accidents. In 2003, a 14-year-old boy
in Colorado who abused DXM died when he was hit by two cars as he attempted to cross a highway. State law
enforcement investigators suspect that the drug affected the boy’s depth perception and caused him to misjudge the
distance and speed of the oncoming vehicles.

credit to : Drug Enforcement Administration • For more information, visit www.dea.gov

Don't believe that cough syrup can kill, bet these parents can tell you different
http://www.andymaxfield.com/ 

More links and resources : 

Facts about Dextromethorphan

Walgreens becomes drug dealers

Medicine Abuse DXM

Home to Homeroom

Stop Medicine Abuse

Parent Resources

Join Together Resources

Enduring the death of a child is heartbreaking- Do something!

Help us save the lives of countless children that die every year senselessly: Please join us and sign this petition, send it to your Congress and have the letters hand delivered to them also, I did! Make your voice know this year, an election year I might add.

http://www.petition2congress.com/5809/stop-choking-game/

This is what the petition says:

There is an alarming wave of deaths among our country’s youth; a wave that continues to go unnoticed by mainstream media. Adolescents across the nation are victims of unintentional fatalities caused by their participation in the “choking game” and though known by many names, the intent is to pass out purposely for amusement or for a “buzz”. This silent epidemic that focuses the most brutal results on our very young middle schoolers, remains hidden from public attention because currently there is no way to accurately track and report the number of cases. This lack of statistical proof also limits prevention efforts promoted by the grass-roots organization of the thousands of grieving families who have lost a child to this insidious “game”.

As your constituent, I have signed my name below to ask that you help us help our children by doing the following:

1. Call the CDC and request to be briefed on the issue of the “choking game”.

2. Support the CDC and the Department of Health and Human Services by requesting that the World Health Organization add a sub code that includes the “choking game” as a cause of death.

3. Include the “choking game” among the health-risk behaviors that contribute to the leading causes of death and disability among youth in the CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), and make the YRBS affordable and accessible for all states.

4. Support the CDC’s Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH) model of education as the means to disseminate information regarding the “choking game”.


Enduring the death of a child is heartbreaking. As my representative to Congress, I ask that you help me prevent other families from this heartache by showing your support in establishing statistical evidence of the “choking game,” Your efforts will assist us in heightening awareness among teens and their parents, teachers, and health care providers.

 Add the widget to your website here  http://www.petition2congress.com/5809/stop-choking-game/gwt/