Chief Ed Tolan and Lieutenant Dean Perry attend the National Prescription Drug Abuse and Heroin Summit in Atlanta, Georgia. President Barack Obama announced new initiatives to address prescription drug, heroin and marijuana use. They heard from several keynote speakers and will also attend the Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) Summit held today.

We thank them for taking time out of their busy schedules to attend this conference and look forward to hearing what they will bring back to our communities.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) gives a brief overview of the connection between prescription pain pills and heroin, click here to learn more.

GenerationRx.org is a website that provides educational resources to help prevent the misuse of prescription medications. The site’s teen materials have been recently revamped and expanded. In addition to the teen materials, Generation Rx also offers free educational materials targeted to elementary students, college students, adults, seniors, patients and those in the workplace.

Access the free materials at GenerationRx.org.

From the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids: Have ever looked at your teenager and wondered: “Why does my teen do that?”

From mood swings to risk taking, “normal teenage behavior” can appear to be anything-but-normal to parents and other bystanders. However, new research reveals that patterns of brain development during these formative years play a significant role in shaping your teen’s personality and actions.

Scientists are beginning to learn that it takes a brain about 25 years to fully develop, and that a huge burst of development happens during adolescence. That burst can explain a lot of unpredictable – and sometimes risky – teen behavior.

Parents and grandparents, you can play a powerful role in preventing your teen from misusing medicine.

One place to start is with Parent Talk Kit, which has tips for talking to your child at any age about drugs and alcohol, including prescription drugs.

Protect your kids. Three steps to Safeguard Your Home.

1. Monitor
2. Secure
3. Dispose

Learn more from the Medicine Abuse Project here

An online guide about interventions in early childhood that can help prevent drug use and other unhealthy behaviors was launched today by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health. The guide offers research-based principles that affect a child’s self-control and overall mental health, starting during pregnancy through the eighth year of life. It recognizes that while substance use generally begins during the teen years, it has known biological, psychological, social, and environmental roots that begin even before birth. Click here to view this online guide.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration suggests when using nonprescription medicines, here are 10 ways to be sure you’re giving your children the right medicine and the right amount.

1. Read and follow the label directions every time.  Pay special attention to usage directions and warnings. If you notice any new symptoms or unexpected side effects in your child or the medicine doesn’t appear to be working, talk to your doctor or pharmacist immediately.
2. Know how much medicine to give and when. Read and follow the label.
3. Know the abbreviations for tablespoon (tbsp.) and teaspoon (tsp.). You should also know: milligram (mg.), milliliter (mL.), and ounce (oz.).
4. Use the correct dosing device. If the label says two teaspoons and you’re using a dosing cup with ounces only, don’t guess – get the proper measuring device. Don’t substitute another item, such as a kitchen spoon.
5. Never play doctor. Twice the recommended dose is not appropriate just because your child seems twice as sick as last time. When in doubt about your child’s condition, call your doctor.
6. Talk to your doctor, pharmacist, or other health care professional before giving two medicines at the same time to avoid a possible overdose or an unwanted interaction.
7. Follow age and weight limit recommendations. If the label says don’t give to children under a certain age or weight, don’t do it. Call your doctor.
8. Always use the child-resistant cap and re-lock the cap after each use. Be especially careful with iron-containing vitamins or supplements, which have been a source of accidental poisoning deaths in children under three.
9. Follow the “KEEP OUT OF REACH” warning. Today’s medicines are often flavored to mask the taste of the medicine, which is all the more reason to keep all drugs out of the sight and reach of children.
10. Always check the package and the medicine itself for signs of tampering. Don’t buy or use any medicine from a package that shows cuts, tears, slices, or other imperfections. Report anything suspicious to the pharmacist or store manager.