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05-25-2005, 11:59 PM
Article published May 25, 2005
Parents meet over drug abuse
Kids misusing over-the-counter medicine
By Mike Redelson
Telegraph-Forum staff
BUCYRUS -- Local law enforcement, school officials, social workers and concerned citizens "took time to care" Tuesday night and to address what seems to be a growing problem locally ... drug abuse.
A recent rash of over-the-counter cough and cold medicine thefts got the attention of area residents who want to help put a stop to abuse of the cold remedies and other drugs by young people.
Councilwoman Norma Hill, chair of the council's health and safety committee, organized a community meeting at the Crawford County Fairgrounds Youth Building to define the problem and educate parents and grandparents.
The 25 attendees were briefed about the mental, physical and legal complications that abusing over-the-counter drugs can have.
Police Chief Ken Teets said his officers have had several encounters with juveniles high or stealing medications with dextromethorphan (DXM).
DXM is a safe and effective cough suppressant when used according to directions, Teets said.
Teets said persons high on DXM often appear confused or dizzy and might have slurred speech, impaired physical coordination, rapid heart beat, nausea and vomiting.
"We had one girl who took DXM and sleeping pills and went to the ER saying she was seeing flying hamburgers," Teets said.
Officers have encountered young people "huffing"
everything from PAM spray, to gasoline and condensed air.
Huffing is when a substance is placed in a bag and inhaled for a high.
Teets told parents to be on the lookout for "drug slang" such as "robo-tripping" (the abuse of Robitussin and other cough medicines), "pharming" (a word used for raiding the home medicine cabinets) and "skidilling" (stealing red pills that look like the candy Skiddles).
"Parenting, parenting, parenting," is the advice Crawford County Sheriff's Det. John Butterworth had for those in the audience.
Butterworth urged parents and grandparents to monitor their children's behavior, including checking their rooms for any signs of drug abuse, monitoring their Internet use and looking for physical signs of abuse.
"Don't feel as if you are intruding. You care about them." Butterworth said.
Butterworth said drugs are a problem in the county with the "Big 4" being meth, cocaine, heroin and marijuana.
He said there are no laws prohibiting minors from buying over-the -counter drugs to abuse, but several stores have enacted policies limiting access and sales.
Local physician Dr. Todd Strickland told parents and grandparents to keep kids busy in healthy activities.
He noted any inhalant can be abused and that abuse can lead to illegal drug abuse, even heroin, which he said is a big problem in the county.
Dr. Becky Strickland also said heroin use is "huge" in the county and now people are trying an animal anesthetic called "Vitamin K" to achieve a high.
Virginia Hammontree of CONTACT and Judy Demo-Hodges of the Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Board, both addressed the recent increase in "cutting" incidents in the county, which may be related to drug use in many cases.
The cutting -- slicing one's own skin with a blade -- is done by a person usually depressed.
Demo-Hodges also said there was a "dramatic" increase of reports of heroin and cocaine abuse in the county.
Bucyrus City Schools Superintendent Dr. Paul Johnson said many students are under pressure from their peers to do drugs, have sex and do poorly in school.
"It's not cool to do well in school for many students," Johnson said.
"There is a drug problem here. It is here," Johnson said, noting that the district hopes to start drug testing for students involved in athletics, who drive to school and who participate in extracurricular activities next year.
He said local companies have told school officials that it's hard to find employees who can pass a drug screening.
"Kids don't leave their problems at the school door," Johnson said. The problem of drug abuse is often "generational" with kids following their parents, and grandparents, down the road of drug abuse, he added.
"We in law enforcement spend our careers trying to lessen our business. But we need the help of parents in the area of drug abuse among youths," Teets said.
http://www.bucyrustelegraphforum.com/apps/.../505250303/1002 (http://www.bucyrustelegraphforum.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050525/NEWS01/505250303/1002)
Parents meet over drug abuse
Kids misusing over-the-counter medicine
By Mike Redelson
Telegraph-Forum staff
BUCYRUS -- Local law enforcement, school officials, social workers and concerned citizens "took time to care" Tuesday night and to address what seems to be a growing problem locally ... drug abuse.
A recent rash of over-the-counter cough and cold medicine thefts got the attention of area residents who want to help put a stop to abuse of the cold remedies and other drugs by young people.
Councilwoman Norma Hill, chair of the council's health and safety committee, organized a community meeting at the Crawford County Fairgrounds Youth Building to define the problem and educate parents and grandparents.
The 25 attendees were briefed about the mental, physical and legal complications that abusing over-the-counter drugs can have.
Police Chief Ken Teets said his officers have had several encounters with juveniles high or stealing medications with dextromethorphan (DXM).
DXM is a safe and effective cough suppressant when used according to directions, Teets said.
Teets said persons high on DXM often appear confused or dizzy and might have slurred speech, impaired physical coordination, rapid heart beat, nausea and vomiting.
"We had one girl who took DXM and sleeping pills and went to the ER saying she was seeing flying hamburgers," Teets said.
Officers have encountered young people "huffing"
everything from PAM spray, to gasoline and condensed air.
Huffing is when a substance is placed in a bag and inhaled for a high.
Teets told parents to be on the lookout for "drug slang" such as "robo-tripping" (the abuse of Robitussin and other cough medicines), "pharming" (a word used for raiding the home medicine cabinets) and "skidilling" (stealing red pills that look like the candy Skiddles).
"Parenting, parenting, parenting," is the advice Crawford County Sheriff's Det. John Butterworth had for those in the audience.
Butterworth urged parents and grandparents to monitor their children's behavior, including checking their rooms for any signs of drug abuse, monitoring their Internet use and looking for physical signs of abuse.
"Don't feel as if you are intruding. You care about them." Butterworth said.
Butterworth said drugs are a problem in the county with the "Big 4" being meth, cocaine, heroin and marijuana.
He said there are no laws prohibiting minors from buying over-the -counter drugs to abuse, but several stores have enacted policies limiting access and sales.
Local physician Dr. Todd Strickland told parents and grandparents to keep kids busy in healthy activities.
He noted any inhalant can be abused and that abuse can lead to illegal drug abuse, even heroin, which he said is a big problem in the county.
Dr. Becky Strickland also said heroin use is "huge" in the county and now people are trying an animal anesthetic called "Vitamin K" to achieve a high.
Virginia Hammontree of CONTACT and Judy Demo-Hodges of the Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Board, both addressed the recent increase in "cutting" incidents in the county, which may be related to drug use in many cases.
The cutting -- slicing one's own skin with a blade -- is done by a person usually depressed.
Demo-Hodges also said there was a "dramatic" increase of reports of heroin and cocaine abuse in the county.
Bucyrus City Schools Superintendent Dr. Paul Johnson said many students are under pressure from their peers to do drugs, have sex and do poorly in school.
"It's not cool to do well in school for many students," Johnson said.
"There is a drug problem here. It is here," Johnson said, noting that the district hopes to start drug testing for students involved in athletics, who drive to school and who participate in extracurricular activities next year.
He said local companies have told school officials that it's hard to find employees who can pass a drug screening.
"Kids don't leave their problems at the school door," Johnson said. The problem of drug abuse is often "generational" with kids following their parents, and grandparents, down the road of drug abuse, he added.
"We in law enforcement spend our careers trying to lessen our business. But we need the help of parents in the area of drug abuse among youths," Teets said.
http://www.bucyrustelegraphforum.com/apps/.../505250303/1002 (http://www.bucyrustelegraphforum.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050525/NEWS01/505250303/1002)