The Promise Blog

Experts see prescription drug abuse growing in area

2009-03-06T07:08:00.000-08:00

Friday, March 6, 2009 12:09 AM EST

By LYNN COLLIER
Dispatch Staff Writer

CHITTENANGO — Prescription drug abuse is a growing problem locally, panelists at a town hall meeting on the subject said.

The event, sponsored by Madison County’s Promise and held at Chittenango High School Thursday night, highlighted a problem that is more evident than it appears to be on the surface and the ramifications young prescription drug abusers can face.

Panelists also spoke about solutions that can aid in keeping such substances out of the wrong hands.

The panel was made up of Madison County District Attorney Bill Gabor, New York State Trooper Jack Keller, Peter Lesko from Madison County Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment (ADAPT), Cazenovia Pharmacist Billie Trapani, Chittenango High School Assistant Principal Dee Dee Hagemann, Chittenango Middle School Nurse Debra Gronau and Lisa Murray from Alcohol-Drug Abuse Prevention Education Program (ADA-PEP). Kathy Miller, also from ADA-PEP, moderated the event.

Keller spoke on youth drug use, presenting national statistics that showed that while the use of street drugs, like marijuana, is going down among teens, prescription drug abuse is up 13 percent between 2004 and 2007.

He said, and many repeated throughout the event, that accessibility is a big issue when it comes to why so many young people are abusing prescription drugs.

“The fact is it’s in your medicine cabinet,” Keller said. “It’s not going to cost anything.”

And if a young person is not able to get a drug at his or her own house, looking in a relative’s or friend’s home is an often sought-out way to find these drugs easily.

Though national statistics still show that young people abuse alcohol the most when it comes to drug use, Keller said that prescription drug abuse is catching up.

Opioids and stimulant drugs are among the most popular when it comes to abuse. Opioids are often prescribed to treat pain and include codeine and morphine, while stimulants may be used to treat ADHD and narcolepsy, Keller said.

Specific pain killers that are often abused including Oxycontin and Vicodin. In pill form, Keller said that those kinds of drugs can be easily concealed in something as innocent looking as a mint box, a place where parents wouldn’t normally think to look for drugs.

It’s when students become drowsy, confused or develop other physical symptoms in school or other places that the drug abuse is most likely to be discovered.

Keller said kids as young as 12 years old are dabbling and though they’re not going out looking for cocaine or heroin, they are looking for that kind of high.

“There is an opportunity to get a similar effect to that just by going to the medicine cabinet,” he said.

Over-the-counter drugs are also being abused, he said, including drugs found in some cough and cold syrups.

Keller said another trend emerging is that girls, including high achievers, seem to be abusing prescription drugs more than boys. He said young females are also abusing OTC drugs like diuretics and laxatives.

“For the longest time, the thing we see with girls is them going to stores and shoplifting diet pills,” he said, adding that sometimes it is in large quantities. “It’s a whole thing about trying to stay skinny. It’s their version of trying to be healthy.”

Trapani said that she has seen girls buying large quantities of both in her pharmacy and said she’s put limits on the amount of laxatives they can buy.

But in addition to body image issues, Keller said that stress appears to be a reason why youths get into abusing prescription drugs.

Lesko, who estimated he deals with between five and ten kids at a time dealing with prescription drug abuse problems in this area through the ADAPT program, said that young people have a variety reasons for beginning, whether it’s dealing with grief or loss or just being bored during a Central New York winter weekend. Lesko that peer pressure plays into this sort of drug use as well.

Though some people may not believe that this sort of drug use is local, Lesko said that there are cases in the Oneida and Chittenango areas. Hagemann said that she has also encountered problems as assistant principal of Chittenango High School.

“Over the last three or four years, I have noticed a significant increase in kids abusing prescription drugs,” she said.

As the middle school nurse, Gronau said she has seen the same. Both agree it is difficult to control within the school environment. “It’s almost impossible for us to manage at a level in the school and we need all the help we can get,” Hagemann said.

Chittenango High School has an ADA-PEP counselor in the form of Murray, though, who brought the idea of the panel to school.

“People think this is a really new trend, but I saw this 10 years ago,” she said.

Though there are things like awareness week in school, where drug abuse is discussed and discouraged, as well as programs like DARE and the yearly local Rite Aid Drug Quiz competition, the problem is getting larger.

“I really see this as a public health crisis,” Murray said.

It can get even harder when parents refuse to get involved in a meaningful way, she said, as once it is discovered that their child has a problem, some are in a state of denial. Lesko agreed.

“Parents turn a blind eye to it,” he said. “They have a very hard time.”

Both said that there are other times, when parents are facing substance abuse problems themselves and can’t be there for their child because of it.

Either scenario can be difficult when a parent’s investment in a child’s treatment can make or break whether or not the attempt to get a kid back on the right track is successful or not, Lesko said.

Either way, Lesko said there is a definite problem when it comes to young people abusing prescription drugs.

“We do see it as a problem. It does exist,” he said. “Hopefully people will pay attention to it more.”

Gabor spoke on the legal problems possessing or selling prescription drugs can mean for a youth. As an offender under 15, a youth may be tried in family court, not face as stiff a penalty and see his or her record sealed, but by the time the youth reaches 16, the hammer could come down harder, leaving a permanent stain on his or her record and bringing a tougher sentence.

He also addressed questions regarding the matter of school officials dealing with problems in school involving the possession or selling of prescription drugs before law enforcement is called in, remarking that he didn’t agree with that method of handling such a problem and would be looking into it further.

Mentioned at the end of the program was the upcoming creation of a safe pill drop-off location, for no-longer-needed pills that will be established in June and sponsored by several local agencies. Trapani said that one thing that people can do already to make sure that prescription drugs aren’t abused is turn pills that they won’t be using back into their pharmacy, or grind them up, mix them with coffee grinds and throw them away. To secure prescriptions they are using, she suggested that one can keep them in a locked tackle box.

“You have to be responsible,” she said. “We all have kids. We all believe that we can trust them, but it’s your responsibility, in the end, to secure your prescriptions.”

Linda Kendall, who attended the meeting with her granddaughter, Mary, a seventh grader at Chittenango Middle School, said that the event was eye-opening.

“I found it very informative. I realized that there’s an awful lot I didn’t know,” she said. “I knew we had a problem, but I didn’t know girls were more at risk.”

Mary, who participated and scored well in the 2008 drug quiz competition, was also surprised by that and other numbers shown during the presentation.

“I didn’t know how much these things were abused,” she said. “I didn’t realize what the statistics were.”

Linda said that education about the harms of prescription drug abuse should probably start earlier for kids. She also said perhaps society could go a little easier on prescribing drugs, relying on them less as a solution for every problem, therefore decreasing their everyday presence.

For more information on Madison County’s Promise, visit:

www.madisoncountyspromise.com
>link to the article

Article in the Oneida Dispatch

2009-01-23T06:55:00.001-08:00

Follow the link to read about the coalition's feature in the paper: http://www.oneidadispatch.com/articles/2008/12/23/news/doc49507daeba850394031541.txt

Michael Klitzner Training

2008-12-11T08:58:00.000-08:00

Many thanks to Michael Klitzner, PhD for joining us in the month of November for a very special training on Environmental Prevention. If you missed the training or just want to look at some notes, you can download the PowerPoint presentation by clicking right here.

Dear Lynne

2008-11-05T11:21:00.000-08:00

This is the first in a series of columns that will be published here on the Promise Blog and also in the Oneida Daily Dispatch.

Dear Lynne,

My 16 year old daughter has been acting very strangely. She used to enjoy our time together as a family but now she gets moody and angry. I am worried that she is starting to hate me and that I may lose her. She spends more and more time with her friends and I don’t really know her anymore. When I ask questions about where she is, she gets mad and shuts me out. I want a better relationship with my daughter. What should I do?

Sincerely,
Maggie
…………………………………………………………..

Dear Maggie,
Fear not! Your daughter IS in there somewhere.
Adolescence is a time filled with change, both for children and parents. Parents watch as their children naturally gravitate more toward their peer groups, away from family focused activities that once brought everyone great joy. This time can be confusing and frustrating for parents. In addition to the multitude of biological changes which keep children guessing about their own reactions, priorities and feelings, they feel an urge to define themselves as individuals and express themselves in ways that may leave others scratching their heads.
Why the sudden change?
Did I do something wrong?
Why does my child act like they hate me?
If anything, your child should be angry that limits are being placed on them. It’s natural that they would be resistant if they think you are stepping on their turf and interfering on their freedom. I always say “If your teen really likes you all the time, you are probably doing something wrong”. That being said, I don’t want you to read this and perceive that having a positive, trusting relationship between you and your child is wrong. It is healthy in a developmental sense that your child wants to invest themselves more in relationships outside the immediate family. They just need you to monitor and supervise them; like holding the stick for someone venturing into quicksand.
It is also natural that during this time, children and teens test those around them, especially the people they trust and value the most. That’s why it is more important than ever to give children clear limits and expectations for their behaviors. Don’t take her behaviors personally. What annoys her now in regard to your menacing insistence on being nosey will teach her in the long run that she is worth protecting and she will have a template for making her own safe decisions. Adolescence is a time when your parent/child relationship goes into hibernation. Spring will likely come after your daughter has experienced life as a young adult and her personality will hopefully thaw.

Best of luck to you!

Sincerely,
Lynne

Lynne Bialas is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who practices out of Rome, NY. She works extensively with parents, children and teens on family and individual issues. Write to Lynne by sending submissions to : BRiDGES, attn: Dear Lynne, 3059 Seneca Turnpike, Canastota NY 13032

Old MCP promotional slideshow....

2008-10-23T08:54:00.000-07:00

Enjoy!

IMPACT Youth Night!

2008-10-23T08:29:00.000-07:00

IMPACT, a committee of Madison County's Promise, held their first event on October 12. The event was called "Youth Night." Youth Night was a collaboration between Madison County's Promise IMPACT, the Oneida Recreation Department, and ACT For Youth.
Many local area businesses supported Youth Night with donations: THANK YOU!

There were many fun activities planned for Youth Night, ranging from sports in the gym to live music and Wii games/Rock Band video games.

IMPACT hopes to plan one event a year. In between events, IMPACT will be a forum for the youth pastor/leader to network and share ideas.
See more photos from the event by clicking right here.

Past MCP Town Hall Meetings

2008-10-23T07:14:00.000-07:00

**Underage Drinking: Not A Minor Problem- March 31st 2008***

A follow up to the 2007 Town Hall Meeting on Underage Drinking in Cazenovia. The 2008 Meeting focused on a 'hands on' approach to working on the issue of underage drinking.

***On Bullying, Cyberbullying, and Internet Safety- November 8th 2007***

Pictures from the Town Hall, above.

Parents:
Did you know that you can find videos of local teens you might know fighting on sites like YouTube ?

Did you know that you can teach your child how to deal with bullying?

Do you know that the best way to protect your child from internet predators is to KEEP the computer instead of taking it away from them?

Teens:
Did you know that there really are people out there that surf sites like MySpace and find all sorts of information on you, even if you just post a picture and no info?

Do you know how to talk to your parents about bullying?

Do you know what to do if a peer tries to bully you on IM or MySpace?
***On Underage Drinking, Cazenovia Town Hall Meeting- April 18th 2007***

As a result of the Town Hall Meeting in Cazenovia that addressed underage drinking, Project Cafe recently held the Solstice, a concert in the park that was alcohol-free. This was in response to the community's need for more fun, alcohol-free events as was discussed at the Town Hall Meeting.

Photo Credit: Angela Madonia / Post Standard

Andrew Docherty, 22, of Cazenovia, and goes to school at Onondaga Community College expresses his concerns of teen drinking at the meeting Wednesday evening at the Cazenovia Library
For more news from Madison County, click here.

MCP Celebrates Youth, 2007

2008-10-23T07:10:00.000-07:00

Madison County’s Promise (MCP) held an event Saturday, June 2nd at the Great Swamp Conservancy in Canastota, NY. MCP is a local area coalition dedicated to helping youth in Madison County. The event was called ‘MCP CELEBRATES YOUTH.’

There was plenty of outdoor activities, music, vendor food, and family fun at the Great Swamp! The Great Swamp Conservancy is located on 8375 North Main Street in Canastota. MCP and many other local organizations presented awards to young people at the event to recognize their hard work in our community. A special segment of the day focused on youth that applied for the MCP Youth Leadership Mini-Grants. The Mini-Grants were awarded to area youth that created community projects that met one or more of MCP’s Five Promises to the community: to help kids get a healthy start, to make sure kids know caring adults, to have opportunities to serve in the community, to have safe places, and to have ways to learn marketable skills that will help them later in life.

The Great Swamp is open to the public. See below for directions on how to get there from where you are!

Click here to see a map of the Great Swamp and the surrounding area, courtsey of Yahoo! maps.

If you're coming from Oneida:
1.Starting in ONEIDA, NY on N MAIN ST - go 0.7 mi
2.Turn LEFT on COBB ST(CR-13) - go 1.2 mi
3.Turn LEFT on CANAL ST(CR-76) - go 1.7 mi
4.Turn RIGHT on N COURT ST(CR-10) - go 2.2 mi
5.Continue on PINE RIDGE RD(CR-10) - go 3.1 mi
6.Turn LEFT on N MAIN ST RD(CR-5) - go < 0.1 mi
7.Arrive at 8375 N MAIN ST, CANASTOTA, on the

If you're coming from the Thruway:
1.Take exit #34/CANASTOTA/ONEIDA toward RT-13 (Portions toll) - go 0.6 mi
2.Bear LEFT on N PETERBORO ST(RT-13) - go 0.1 mi
3.Turn RIGHT on MAPLE AVE - go 0.2 mi
4.Turn RIGHT on N MAIN ST(CR-5) - go 0.9 mi
5.Continue on N MAIN ST RD(CR-5) - go 1.9 mi
6.Arrive at 8375 N MAIN ST, CANASTOTA, on the

If you're coming from Cazenovia:
1.Starting in CAZENOVIA, NY on US ROUTE 20 go toward SYRACUSE RD - go 0.3 mi
2.Continue on LEDYARD AVE(US-20) - go 0.5 mi
3.Bear LEFT to follow US-20 - go 0.5 mi
4.Turn LEFT on LINCKLAEN ST - go 0.5 mi
5.Bear RIGHT on CORNWIN ST - go 0.3 mi
6.Bear LEFT on SWEETLAND ST(RT-13) - go < 0.1 mi
7.Continue to follow RT-13 - go 8.5 mi
8.Turn RIGHT on RT-5 - go 6.4 mi
9.Turn LEFT on CR-5 - go 2.1 mi
10.Continue on N MAIN ST RD(CR-5) - go 1.9 mi
11.Arrive at 8375 N MAIN ST, CANASTOTA, on the

From points South:
1.Starting in BROOKFIELD, NY on BEAVER CREEK RD go toward ELM ST - go 8.3 mi
2.Turn LEFT on STATE ROUTE 20(US-20) - go 0.7 mi
3.Continue to follow US-20 - go 10.9 mi
4.Bear RIGHT on BEAR PATH RD(RT-46 N) - go < 0.1 mi
5.Continue to follow RT-46 N - go 14.0 mi
6.Turn LEFT on GENESEE ST(RT-5) - go 3.3 mi
7.Turn RIGHT on N COURT ST(CR-10) - go 3.3 mi
8.Continue on PINE RIDGE RD(CR-10) - go 3.1 mi
9.Turn LEFT on N MAIN ST RD(CR-5) - go < 0.1 mi
10.Arrive at 8375 N MAIN ST, CANASTOTA, on the

What MCP Means to Me: A Photo Essay

2008-10-23T06:33:00.000-07:00

A Photo Essay

At the 2007 Holiday Board Meeting, MCP members were asked to write down "What MCP Means To Me."

Below are some of the answers, click on a photo to zoom in.

Here are some of the other answers: • MCP Means to me…my goal is to learn more about the promise program and to offer my knowledge and expertise to assist the youth in my community.• MCP Means to me…an opportunity to share and engage young people in a healthy start.• MCP Means to me…an opportunity to serve youth in the community.• MCP Means to me…a way to help our youth stay drug free!• MCP Means to me…a way to help change the community for the better!• MCP Means to me…MCP has been a way for people-adults and youth to come together to make a difference.• MCP Means to me…Caring people working together for a common cause.• MCP Means to me…sharing ideas.• MCP Means to me…the energy of many.• MCP Means to me…working with the faith community.• MCP Means to me…Caring about young people.• MCP Means to me…great ideas.• MCP Means to me…a focus on the future.• MCP Means to me…examples of what youth can do on their own and with a little help from caring adults.• MCP Means to me…MCP is sharing, caring, working together-connections that matter for youth and communities.• MCP Means to me…creative collaboration.• MCP Means to me…making connections.• MCP Means to me…supporting each other.• MCP Means to me…overcoming obstacles.• MCP Means to me…creativity.• MCP Means to me…love for our county.• MCP Means to me…caring for our kids.• MCP Means to me…helping out community to grow and thrive.• MCP Means to me…listening to our youth.• MCP Means to me…making this world a better place for future generations.• MCP Means to me…MCP helps me feel connected to my community and gives me hope to learn about so many who care and are not afraid to do the work, to share their skills and their hearts.• MCP Means to me…the efforts of so many people coming together for the benefit of the community young and old. Strength in the numbers. A community of caring.• MCP Means to me…MCP means the future.• MCP Means to me…Eco-Friendly.• MCP Means to me…Family, activities, education, and community.• MCP Means to me…bringing our community together.• MCP Means to me…awareness, prevention, belonging!• MCP Means to me…Pull your weight.• MCP Means to me…a group of caring and loving people.• MCP Means to me…a way of uniting people.• MCP Means to me…MCP means knowing someone is always there caring about everyone, and knowing that there is a place to go when you are in need.• MCP Means to me…A healthy environment for youth.• MCP Means to me…helping others and making the county safer for the youth and setting a good example for the young ones.• MCP Means to me…changing the future of our youth through hard work and dedication!

2008-10-23T06:27:00.000-07:00

Old news stories on MCP!

A Spiral of Photos! Just click on one of the photos above to enlarge it.

1. Underage Drinking: Not A Minor Problem II, March 2008

Cazenovia holding town meetings to fight underage drinking

Updated: 04/01/2008 06:21 AM

By: Ryan Dean

CAZENOVIA, N.Y. -- "When did kids start drinking so aggressively? How did we land here? In this place?"

A movie on underage drinking meant to stir emotion.

"You can't stop everybody from doing that stuff but you can help people who go too far," said Cazenovia resident Doc Sinster.

And a discussion among teens and adults.

It's the second town hall meeting on underage drinking in Cazenovia.

"We had continually heard about the need for more strategies to reduce underage drinking so we wanted to bring the community together to focus on that issue," said BRiDGES prevention coordinator, Maureen Campanie.

The goal is not to discuss underage drinking as a national issue, but a local one -- what prevention techniques can Cazenovia implement.

Cazenovia holding town meetings to fight underage drinking

Underage drinking is no minor problem. That's why one Madison County village is taking action. News 10 Now's Ryan Dean reports.

"What makes us unique is we are a small knit community with a lot of resources and we have a lot of options of great things we can be doing to help our kids avoid alcohol to the age of 21," said event moderator, Britt Zumpano.

The first town hall meeting was last year, just months after a local woman was arrested for serving alcohol to 20 Cazenovia teens. Organizers say that incident is not the reason for the meetings, but is used as an educational tool.

"I think that really served as a great opportunity to lay it all out on the table and talk about what our kids in community do, what the misconceptions of the law were," Zumpano said.

People leading the movement hope to develop a task force comprised of people of all ages. They will work in the village trying to steer teens from alcohol.

Organizers say their goal is to target local retailers, such as gas stations, to see how they're advertising alcohol. They want to see if stores have proper warnings in place in attempts to prohibit underage drinking.

Cazenovia holding town meetings to fight underage drinking

Underage drinking is no minor problem. That's why one Madison County village is taking action. News 10 Now's Ryan Dean reports.

2. Bullying, Topic of Meeting

Thursday, November 01, 2007

Staff reports, Post Standard.

MCP is hosting a town hall meeting on bullying, cyberbullying and Internet safety at 7 p.m. Nov. 8 at New Beginnings Church in Wampsville.
The presentation is free and open to the public. Sara Coulthart, the coordinator of MCP, said experts from schools and area police departments will talk about the problem of bullying and what parents can do to protect their children. The audience is encouraged to ask questions, Coulthart said in a release.
For more information or to get directions, call 697-3947., November 2007.

3. Top Stories, November 09, 2007

By: LEAH McDONALD, Dispatch Staff Writer

Experts say bullying major threat

WAMPSVILLE - Bullying is rapidly becoming an issue among children and teens, but it's no longer limited to only face-to-face and in-school encounters. Members of MCP held a town hall meeting Thursday night to discuss cyberbullying and its impact on the community, from ... read more: http://www.oneidadispatch.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=19007061&BRD=1709&PAG=461&dept_id=68844&rfi=8, November 2007.

4. MCP Vice Chair Brian Buchanan interviewed in the Neighbor's Section of the Post Standard. http://www.syracuse.com/articles/news/index.ssf?/base/news-8/118716816374340.xml&coll=1, August 2007.

5. MADISON COUNTY
Students stick out underage drinking
Oneida High School students stuck out for a good reason at Price Chopper Monday. The group called, "Students Working for Alcohol Truths," otherwise known as SWAT, put stickers on every case of alcohol.
FULL STORY >> Updated: 6/19/2007 6:52 AM

6. Promise Gives Cash to Projects, Syracuse Post Standard , May 2007.

7. MCP/BRiDGES "A Community Issue" The Post Standard, April 2007.

Photo credit: Angela Madonia / P-S

Andrew Docherty, 22, of Cazenovia, and goes to school at Onondaga Community College expresses his concerns of teen drinking at the meeting Wednesday evening at the Cazenovia Library
For more news from Madison County, click here.

8. BRiDGES and MCP 20 Years of Advocacy in the Post Standard, April 2007.

9. Priorities Council 'Pinwheels For Prevention' in the Oneida Daily Dispatch, April 2007.

10. MCP Partner presents "BOOT CAMP" promotional video on YouTube (click play in the box below to view the video):

11. Oneida Daily Dispatch (Reality Check- partner), "Teens want smoking ban in city parks, 'Cancer Corner' 2007"

12. Jesus Street (partner), Oneida Daily Dispatch, "City Helps Underwrite Jesus Street" 2007

13. America's Promise (Windows Media Player clip from Good Morning America), Alma Powell on Good Morning America

14. MCP Youth Bully Skit (click play in the box below to view),

15. Scouting.org, Fact Sheet on America's Promise , no date.

16. BRiDGES, Mini-MCPsite on BRiDGES webpage , no date.

Drug Free Communities Grant

2008-07-31T07:08:00.001-07:00

As you may already know, the Drug Free Communities Grant is our source of funding for all of the great coalition work we do. We should be finding out if we will receive another grant mid-August. A lot is riding on this grant, so we're remaining very confident and hopeful that we will be re-funded.
Stay tuned for more information...

Hot Summer Learning!

2008-07-01T06:19:00.000-07:00

Hot Summer Learning is BACK!

Above: An activity at a past Hot Summer Learning.

This year in Madison, NY, the Madison County's Promise ART (or Aligning Resources with Teens) Committee will be presenting Hot Summer Learning. This one day workshop provides youth with the chance to create a goal and then formulate an action plan...all while having FUN (which is most important!).

Welcome to the Promise Blog!

2008-07-01T06:17:00.000-07:00

I’m glad you’re here! This blog will serve as a way for you to get the most up-to-date information on what we’re doing in the coalition. Of course, you can always get news in our handy email blasts, too!