Guest Post: January 28-February 3 is National Drug Facts Week

            Tippecanoe County, we have encouraging news! Data collected by Purdue University’s Student Wellness Office and by the Drug Free Coalition of Tippecanoe County suggest that the rate of abuse for most drugs is declining. The reported abuse of non-prescription stimulant medication on Purdue’s campus in 2012 has dropped from 11.4% of all students to 2.4% of students. When it comes to cigarettes, 90.5% of students report not smoking a single cigarette within the last 30 days. Data from the Drug-Free Coalition’s most recent profile show that minor consumption, OWI, and public intoxication arrests have all decreased over the past four years. This is all encouraging!

            However, our work is not done. While these are positive results, they are in no way ideal. In 2009, 431 people were admitted to St. Elizabeth Regional Health hospitals for alcohol-related health issues, and there were 773 drug-related arrests in Tippecanoe County in 2010. Those numbers are too high. In 2012, 14% of Purdue students reported smoking marijuana, and the frequency increases as students progress through their college career. This is why we are recognizing National Drug Facts Week to counter the misinformation that youth receive from the media, the Internet, and from peers about drugs.

            This fight against the myths surrounding drug use and their consequences is challenging. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), of the most popular songs in 2005, 1 in 3 mentioned alcohol, tobacco, or other drug use, and 3 in 4 rap songs mentioned these substances. Of the top 90 movies over the last twenty years, 7 in 10 showed characters smoking, and 1 in 3 showed characters getting drunk.  These are the messages that youth are viewing and internalizing, and these different media sources are often the basis for harmful misinformation concerning drug use. Having substance abuse normalized and the harmful consequences minimalized in music and film leads to ignorance and poor decision-making. This is why National Drug Facts Week is about “working to encourage teens to get factual answers from scientific experts about drugs and drug abuse.”

            One of our biggest challenges is that we are up against billion-dollar industries that advertise tobacco, alcohol, and other drug products with glamorous and highly-technological messages. Our budgets are nowhere near as large. This makes our messages even more important, and there are many ways we can empower youth to make good decisions. We can:

·      Provide them with accurate information about the negative consequences of drug use.

·      Teach them about media advocacy and encourage them to become involved in healthy activities.

·      Work with legislators and councils to enact policies that hold people accountable for their behavior and policies that promote a safe and healthy environment for our community.

·      Support access to mental health services for those who need it.

Together, we can make a difference.  For more information about National Drug Facts Week, visit http://drugfactsweek.drugabuse.gov/

-Miriam Brown, ATOD Education Coordinator

Purdue Student Wellness Office

White House Drug Policy Director Urges Parents to Take Action to Prevent Youth Drug Use

Cites Recent Data Showing Rising Rates of Youth Drug Use as Call for Action; Asks Parents to Learn Common Risk Factors and Act Now Before Drug Use Begins

Washington, DC—In light of recent data revealing troubling increases in youth drug use in America, Gil Kerlikowske, Director of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), today urged parents and community leaders to take action to prevent and reduce drug use.

Last month, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) released data showing drug use in the United States increased significantly between 2008 and 2009 – with 1 in 10 youth ages 12-17 and 1 in 5 young adults ages 18 to 25 reporting drug use in the last month.

Particularly troubling is a 17 percent increase in the rate of prescription drug abuse among young people aged 12-17, between 2008 and 2009. Moreover, treatment admissions for prescription painkillers increased more than four-fold from 1998 (2.2%) to 2008 (9.8%), and the latest data from the Monitoring the Future study show seven of the drugs most commonly used by teens are over-the-counter or prescription drugs.

"Prescription drug abuse is at record levels, attitudes about drug use are eroding, and drugged driving is disturbingly common," said Director Kerlikowske, "Now more than ever, families must recognize early signs that children may be using drugs and take immediate action to protect them from the potential of a lifetime of drug-related consequences and harm."

Director Kerlikowske cited three steps parents can take today to prevent drug use:

1. Talk to your kids about drugs. Research shows parents are the best messengers to deliver critical information on drug use. Make sure they know of the harms that can result from drug use and that you don't approve of them. For tips and parenting advice visit www.TheAntiDrug.com.



2. Learn to spot risk factors that can lead to drug use. Association with drug-abusing peers is often the most immediate risk factor that can lead young people to drug use and delinquent behavior. Other risk factors include poor classroom behavior or social skills and academic failure. Parents can protect their kids from these influences by building strong bonds with their children, staying involved in their lives, and setting clear limits and consistent enforcement of discipline.



3. Go through your medicine cabinet. More than 70 percent of people who abuse prescription drugs get them from friends or family – often from the home medicine cabinet. Immediately remove unused or unneeded prescription drugs from your medicine cabinet. Click here to learn how to properly dispose of prescription drugs.

A renewed focus on drug prevention is a major component of the Obama Administration's effort to implement a public health approach to reducing drug abuse and its consequences. President Obama's FY 2011 budget request includes an increase of more than $203 million in prevention funding – a 13 percent increase. In August, Director Kerlikowske announced $85 million in Drug Free Communities Support Program (DFC) funding to 565 community coalitions to help prevent drug use at the local level.

ONDCP has also revamped the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign to include a broader focus on substances most often abused by teens, including prescription drugs, marijuana and alcohol. The Campaign is also partnering with communities to provide new, locally tailored drug prevention resources for teens and parents.

The Office of National Drug Control Policy seeks to foster healthy individuals and safe communities by effectively leading the Nation's effort to reduce drug use and its consequences.

www.WhiteHouseDrugPolicy.gov