Pierce County Partnership for Youth

DID YOU KNOW?

Suicide is the third leading cause of death among 15-24 year olds, following unintended injuries and homicide. While suicides accounts for approximately 1.4 percent of all deaths in the United States annually, it comprises 12 percent of deaths among this age group.

In 2006, 4,189 people between ages 15 and 24 committed suicide. Furthermore, for every youth who commits suicide, it is estimated that 100-200 additional attempts are made. Some of the risk factors for youth attempting suicide include: depression, drug & alcohol abuse, prior attempts, history of trauma or abuse, bullying and exposure to suicide.

Stats:

• Approximately      135,000 youth between the ages of 10-24 receive medical care for      self-inflicted injuries at emergency departments in the U.S. each      year.
• Data from      2009 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Youth Risk Behavior Survey      revealed that in the previous year:

- 17.4% of responding US high school students

had serious thoughts of killing themselves

- 13.2% made a suicide plan

- 8.1% attempted suicide

- 2.3% made a suicide attempt that required

medical attention

•  More      than four times as many male youth (ages 15-19) die by suicide, girls      attempt suicide two to three more often than boys
• The      following populations have been demonstrated to have elevated rates of      suicide or suicide attempts among young people. American Indian and Alaska      Native youth, Latina youth, Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender      youth .Young people from disadvantaged socioeconomic      backgrounds. Youth in juvenile justice and child      welfare

Information provided by: http://teenscreen.org/policy/digital-library

TIPS:

Tell teens that they are not alone in their struggles with emotional and mental health problems. Share success stories that demonstrate how other teens have successfully worked through the same issues. Young people seeking help are urged to visit www.reachout.com

where they can hear success stories and strategies from other teens.

Helpful links:

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1.800.273.TALK (8255), a resource for individuals who are in crisis and need immediate help and support.

Courtesy of the Quality Enhancement Committee of the National Safe Place Advisory Board

JOINT NEWS RELEASE

the Departments of justice (DOJ) and natural resources (dnr) THANK wisconsin RESIDENTS for DROPping OFF their prescription drugs FOR SAFE DISPOSAL 

More than 37,000 pounds of prescription drugs were turned over to Wisconsin law enforcement during Saturday’s “Take Back Initiative” organized by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration

For Immediate Release                                                              For More Information Contact:

May 4, 2012                                                                              Dana Brueck 608/266-1221

MADISON — Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen and DNR Secretary Cathy Stepp today praised Wisconsin residents for bringing in a record amount of expired or unused medications during the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on Saturday, April 28, 2012.  The DEA reports that a record 37,642 pounds, or 18.7 tons, worth of prescription drugs were dropped off at collection sites throughout Wisconsin.  Nationally, citizens turned in a record 552,161 pounds, or 276 tons, of unwanted or expired medications.

Special agents from the DOJ assisted DEA with collection efforts at some of the more than 150 law enforcement locations statewide.   Last fall in Wisconsin, 9.91 tons, or 19,820 lbs, of prescription drugs were turned over to Wisconsin law enforcement and the DEA for safe disposal.  Saturday’s statewide collection, which ranks 3^rd in the nation, surpasses the previous Wisconsin record.

“All of these medications could’ve ended up either in the wrong hands or in the environment,” Attorney General Van Hollen said.  “I’m very encouraged by the tremendous turnout across the state, and I’m thankful to the DEA for leading this important effort.”

DNR Secretary Cathy Stepp added, “People tell us every day they want to help keep our environment clean. This is one simple thing that they can do that will significantly help our waters, fish, wildlife and ultimately, the food chain.”

If you still have expired or unused prescription drugs, check with your local law enforcement agency for proper disposal options, or visit the following link from the DNR, and search “household pharmaceuticals.” http://dnr.wi.gov

Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high.  More Americans currently abuse prescription drugs than the number of those using cocaine, hallucinogens, heroin, and inhalants combined, according to the 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.  Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet.  In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines — flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash — pose potential safety and health hazards.

With the new carried concealed laws that recently passed in Wisconsin there will be more handling of firearms on a daily basis.  Concerns are that a child will be exposed to a gun by negligent or accidental handling by the gun owner.  The more a person is regularly handling a weapon the more likely he or she will accidentally leave a weapon in a non safe place.  It is important to remember this and discuss with your children what to do if a gun is found.  A simple talk with them may be life saving if they come across a gun somewhere.

                                           If you see a gun:

STOP!
Don’t Touch.
Leave the Area.
Tell an Adult.

The initial steps of “Stop” and “Don’t Touch” are the most important. To counter the natural impulse to touch a gun, it is imperative that you impress these steps of the safety message upon your child.

In today’s society, where adult supervision is not always possible, the direction to “Leave the Area” is also essential. Under some circumstances, area may be understood to be a room if your child cannot physically leave the apartment or house.

“Tell an Adult” emphasizes that children should seek a trustworthy adult, neighbor, relative or teacher — if a parent or guardian is not available.

Gun Owners’ Responsibilities

Most states impose some form of legal duty on adults to take reasonable steps to deny access by children to dangerous substances or instruments. It is the individual gun owner’s responsibility to understand and follow all laws regarding gun purchase, ownership, storage, transport, etc. Store guns so that they are inaccessible to children and other unauthorized users.

Governor Walker has proclaimed April 2012 as “Teenagers Drinking Alcohol Awareness Month.”  Pierce County Partnership for Youth participates in the effort to make community members aware of the problem, and helps to create solutions to end this community problem.  Please follow the link below to view the Governor’s proclamation and look for information to come about an upcoming community event regarding underage drinking and how to keep alcohol out of our kids’ hands.

2012 Governor’s Proclamation

What is prescription drug abuse?

Prescription drug abuse is when someone takes a prescription drug that was prescribed for someone else or in a manner or dosage other than what was prescribed. Abuse can include taking a friend’s or relative’s prescription to get high, to treat pain, or because you think it will help with studying.

What are the most commonly abused prescription and over-the-counter drugs?

Opioids (such as the pain relievers OxyContin and Vicodin), central nervous system depressants (e.g., Xanax, Valium), and stimulants (e.g., Ritalin, Adderall) are the most commonly abused prescription drugs.1 Some drugs that are available without a prescription—also known as over-the-counter drugs—also can be dangerous if they aren’t taken according to the directions on the packaging. For example, DXM (dextromethorphan), the active cough suppressant found in many over-the-counter cough and cold medications, sometimes is abused, particularly by youth.

How many teens abuse prescription drugs?

Among youth who are 12 to 17 years old, 7.7 percent reported past-year nonmedical use of prescription medications. According to the 2010 Monitoring the Future survey, prescription and over-the-counter drugs are among the most commonly abused drugs by 12th graders, after alcohol, marijuana, and tobacco. Youth who abuse prescription medications are also more likely to report use of other drugs.

Where do teens get prescription drugs?

Both teens and young adults obtain the majority of prescription drugs from friends and relatives, sometimes without their knowledge. And in one survey, 54 percent of high school seniors said that opioid drugs other than heroin (e.g., Vicodin) would be fairly or very easy to get.

Why do teens abuse prescription drugs?

Teens abuse prescription drugs for a number of reasons, including to get high, to treat pain, or because they think it will help them with school work. Interestingly, boys and girls tend to abuse some types of prescription drugs for different reasons. For example, boys are more apt to abuse prescription stimulants to get high, while girls tend to abuse them to stay alert.

Aren’t prescription drugs safer than illegal drugs, such as cocaine or heroin?

No. Many people think that abusing prescription drugs is safer than abusing illicit drugs like heroin because the manufacturing of prescription drugs is regulated or because they are prescribed by doctors. But that doesn’t mean these drugs are safe for someone other than the person with the prescription to use. Many prescription drugs can have powerful effects in the brain and body—and people sometimes take them in ways that can be just as dangerous (e.g., crushing pills and snorting or injecting them) as illicit drug abuse. In fact, opioid painkillers act on the same sites in the brain as heroin, which is one reason why they can be so dangerous when abused. Also, abusing prescription drugs is illegal—and that includes sharing prescriptions with friends.

Check out PEERx by NIDA: http://teens.drugabuse.gov/peerx/

Above information provided by the  National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

The repercussions of teen dating violence are impossible to ignore – they hurt not just the young people victimized but also their families, friends, schools and communities. Last month, organizations and individuals nationwide came together to highlight the need to educate young people about relationships, teach healthy relationship skills and prevent the devastating cycle of abuse.

Teen dating violence and abuse is a pattern of destructive behaviors used to exert power and control over a dating partner. While we define dating violence as a pattern, that doesn’t mean the first instance of abuse is not dating violence. It just recognizes that dating violence usually involves a series of abusive behaviors over a course of time.

While there are many warning signs of abuse, here are ten of the most common abusive behaviors:

• Checking your cell phone or email without permission
• Constantly putting you down
• Extreme jealousy or insecurity
• Explosive temper
• Isolating you from family or friends
• Making false accusations
• Mood swings
• Physically hurting you in any way
• Possessiveness
• Telling you what to do

Dating abuse is a big problem, affecting youth in every community across the nation. Here are a few facts:

• Nearly 1.5 million high school students nationwide experience physical abuse from a dating partner in a single year.
• One in three teens in the US  is a victim of physical, emotional or verbal abuse from a dating partner, a figure that far exceeds rates of other types of youth violence.
• One in ten high school students has been purposefully hit, slapped or physically hurt by a boyfriend or girlfriend.
• One quarter of high school girls have been victims of physical or sexual abuse.
• Girls and young women between the ages of 16 and 24 experience the highest rate of intimate partner violence, almost triple the national average.
• Violent behavior often begins between the ages of 12 and 18.
• Violent relationships in adolescence can have serious ramifications by putting the victims at higher risk for substance abuse, eating disorders, risky sexual behavior and further domestic violence.
• Only 33% of teens who were in an abusive relationship ever told anyone about the abuse.
• Eighty one percent of parents believe teen dating violence is not an issue or admit they don’t know if it’s an issue.

If you or a loved one is in a violent relationship, please contact your local domestic violence/sexual assault agency for help or more information—Turningpoint for Victims of Domestic & Sexual Violence, www.turningpoint-wi.org or 1-800-345-5104.

Being smoke-free is important to heart health. This February give a special gift to yourself or someone you love. Quit smoking or encourage your loved ones to quit. Now’s the perfect time!

February is filled with heart-clad images celebrating Valentine’s Day. Although the history and evolution of Valentine’s Day are attributed to a number of different legends, what is certain is that February 14 is associated with love, care, and the heart. Nearly 50 years ago, February was designated as American Heart Month, which has further cemented the heart as an ever-present symbol during this month. This national observance raises awareness about the risks of heart disease and lifestyle changes that can reduce cardiovascular risks and promote healthy hearts. The Million Hearts™ Campaign, recently launched by the Department of Health and Human Services to prevent one million heart attacks and strokes over 5 years, is also keeping heart health in the forefront at this time.

Given that February is recognized as a time to celebrate love, caring, and heart health, what better time to improve your own heart health or encourage loved ones to improve theirs by quitting smoking? About 130,000 cardiovascular disease deaths per year in the United States are attributable to smoking. Also, approximately 26% of heart attacks and 12-19% of strokes are attributable to smoking.  The Surgeon General has concluded that cigarette smoking greatly increases one’s risk for heart disease. Being smoke-free and eliminating exposure to secondhand smoke is important to heart health.

When you smoke or are exposed to secondhand smoke, cells that line your body’s blood vessels react to the poisons in tobacco smoke almost immediately. Your heart rate and blood pressure go up. Your blood vessels grow narrower. Chemical changes caused by tobacco smoke also make blood more likely to clot. Clots can form and block blood flow to your heart.

Smoking is one cause of dangerous plaque buildup inside your arteries. Plaque clogs and narrows your arteries. This can trigger chest pain, weakness, heart attack, or stroke. Plaque can rupture and cause clots that block arteries. Completely blocked arteries can cause sudden death. Smoking is not the only cause of these problems, but it makes them much worse.

Tobacco smoke hurts anyone who breathes it. When you breathe secondhand smoke, platelets in your blood get sticky and may form clots, just like in a person who smokes. Research shows that even spending time in a smoky room could trigger a heart attack. There is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke. Even brief exposure can be harmful to your health, especially if you are at risk for heart disease.

You have years of life to gain and love to give by quitting smoking. Your risk for heart attack drops sharply just 1 year after you quit smoking. In fact, even if you’ve already had a heart attack, you cut your risk of having another one by a third to a half if you quit smoking. And because secondhand smoke also affects others and can increase their risk for heart attack and death, quitting smoking can help protect your loved ones. Make an effort during this heartfelt holiday to stop smoking and/or to encourage your loved ones to stop smoking.

The Pierce County Public Health Department mission is to assure the health of the public, prevent disease and injury, promote healthy behaviors, and protect against environmental hazards.

Many families with seniors in high school are in the midst of filling out college applications, scholarship forms and financial aid materials.  The excitement that families experience during this time of hopeful anticipation can be exhilarating, exhausting and sometimes confusing. 

Even parents who have experienced college themselves find the changes in the education system and society as a whole to be more complicated than they remember.  The transition to college is filled with many positive experiences, such as making new friends and taking on new challenges, which prepare students for success in adulthood.  Today’s high school senior is also at risk of a number of mental and physical health risks when he/she enters college.

The transition poses challenges for parents, too, as they watch their child take another big step toward independence and wonder how to stay connected while letting go, especially when their child may be hundreds of miles away.

A program created by UW-Extension aims to help students and their parents to plan ahead for a smooth transition. The curriculum focuses on real solutions for managing stress and maintaining health during post-high school education including technical, community and 4-year colleges.

The workshop series of three, two-hour sessions will be held on consecutive Tuesday evenings March 6^th, 13^th and 20^th, 2012 at the River Falls Public Library Community Meeting Room from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Week One: Students and adults will learn about best practices for academic success and managing finances.  Families will work together on a plan for “who pays for what?”   

Week Two: Students and adults will meet separately at first and then together as they talk about staying connected while letting go, making new friends while keeping the old, getting along with roommates, dating, values and diversity. 

Week Three:  Students and adults will meet separately at first and then together as they talk about making healthy choices including topics related to stress management, sleep, nutrition, balance, personal safety, alcohol and drugs.

There is no cost to attend the sessions.  Parents and students are strongly urged to attend together.  Registrations are limited and are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.  Door prizes will be drawn at the last session.  For more information or to register, contact Lori Zierl, Pierce County UW-Extension Family Living Educator, at 715-273-6781.

By Lori Zierl, Family Living Educator

NIDA InfoFacts: Understanding Drug Abuse and Addiction

Many people do not understand why or how other people become addicted to drugs. It can be wrongfully assumed that drug abusers lack moral principles or willpower and that they could stop using drugs simply by choosing to change their behavior. In reality, drug addiction is a complex disease, and quitting takes more than good intentions. In fact, because drugs change the brain in ways that foster compulsive drug abuse, quitting is difficult, even for those who are ready to do so. Through scientific advances, we know more about how drugs work in the brain than ever, and we also know that drug addiction can be successfully treated to help people stop abusing drugs and lead productive lives.

What Is Drug Addiction?

Addiction is a chronic, often relapsing brain disease that causes compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences to the addicted individual and to those around him or her. Although the initial decision to take drugs is voluntary for most people, the brain changes that occur over time challenge a person’s self-control and ability to resist intense impulses urging them to take drugs.

Why Do Some People Become Addicted While Others Do Not?

No single factor can predict whether a person will become addicted to drugs. Risk for addiction is influenced by a combination of factors that include individual biology, social environment, and age or stage of development. The more risk factors an individual has, the greater the chance that taking drugs can lead to addiction. For example:

• Biology. The genes that people are born with––in combination with environmental influences––account for about half of their addiction vulnerability. Additionally, gender, ethnicity, and the presence of other mental disorders may influence risk for drug abuse and addiction.
• Environment. A person’s environment includes many different influences, from family and friends to socioeconomic status and quality of life in general. Factors such as peer pressure, physical and sexual abuse, stress, and quality of parenting can greatly influence the occurrence of drug abuse and the escalation to addiction in a person’s life.
• Development. Genetic and environmental factors interact with critical developmental stages in a person’s life to affect addiction vulnerability. Although taking drugs at any age can lead to addiction, the earlier that drug use begins, the more likely it will progress to more serious abuse, which poses a special challenge to adolescents. Because their brains are still developing in the areas that govern decision making, judgment, and self-control, adolescents may be especially prone to risk-taking behaviors, including trying drugs of abuse.

Prevention Is the Key

Drug addiction is a preventable disease. Results from NIDA-funded research have shown that prevention programs involving families, schools, communities, and the media are effective in reducing drug abuse. Although many events and cultural factors affect drug abuse trends, when youths perceive drug abuse as harmful, they reduce their drug taking. Thus, education and outreach are key in helping youth and the general public understand the risks of drug abuse. Teachers, parents, medical and public health professionals must keep sending the message that drug addiction can be prevented if one never abuses drugs.

Information obtained from the National Institute on Drug Abuse. For more information visit: http://www.nida.nih.gov.

Two suicide attempts by the age of 20, the first at age 14. After the second attempt this young person decided the issue had more to do with substance use, since the attempt happened while intoxicated. The self-discovered solution; when feeling suicidal while drunk, “just wait” until morning. This young person was encouraged to look at addressing the issues related to suicidal thoughts.
It’s reported that nearly 25% of suicides involve intoxication. Substance abuse is related to teen depression, depression is related to suicide. It becomes a cycle of what came first the substance use or the depression. Another contributing factor to suicide is bullying. The Suicide Prevention Resource Center, recently released this issue brief, examining the relationship between suicide and bullying. The brief provides specific recommendations and action steps for prevention of bullying and suicide.
Prevention efforts need to begin early in order to be effective. Efforts at prevention can be done by families, schools, faith-based organizations and local agencies like the Pierce County Partnership for Youth. The Partnership mission is to use collaborative efforts and leadership for effective prevention and intervention of substance use by youth. The Partnership meets monthly addressing local trends and topics related to substance use and prevention.
If you are interested in supporting the efforts of prevention and intervention for Pierce County Youth, and students in the River Falls School District, consider attending the next Partnership meeting. Januray 5 from 8:30-10:00 am, River Falls Public Library upstairs meeting room.

Blog post submitted by Pierce County Partnership Member – Kris Miner, Executive Director St. Croix Valley Restorative Justice Program.