Urban Outfitters Selling Products that Promote Prescription Drug Use

Urban Outfitters, the national retail store popular with teens, is currently selling pint glasses, flasks and shot glasses made to look like prescription pill bottles. These products make light of prescription drug misuse and abuse, a dangerous behavior that is responsible for more deaths in the United States each year than heroin and cocaine combined. Medicine abuse has increased 33 percent over the past five years with one in four teens having misused or abused a prescription drug in their lifetime. Combined with alcohol, the misuse and abuse of prescription medications can be especially dangerous, making the Urban Outfitter Rx pint and shot glasses and flasks even more disturbing.

As recent research from The Partnership at Drugfree.org shows, teens and parents alike do not understand the health risks associated with the misuse and abuse of prescription drugs. In fact, more than a quarter of teens mistakenly believe that misusing and abusing prescription drugs is safer than using street drugs.
Tongue-in-cheek products that normalize and promote prescription drug abuse only serve to reinforce the misperception about the dangers associated with abusing medicine and put more teens at risk.
Ask Urban Outfitters to remove these products from their stores and website immediately.
Feel free to use the information above to help make your point.
CONTACT INFO FOR Urban Outfitters:

Send an e-mail to:
Richard A. Hayne; CEO & Chairman
richard.hayne@urbanout.com
Write a letter:
Urban Outfitters, Inc.
5000 South Broad St
Philadelphia, PA 19112-1495

*This information was posted by The Partnership at Drugfree.org
You can also go to www.causes.com/actions/1749784-stop-urban-outfitters-from-selling-products-that-promote-prescription-drug-abuse to sign a petition in support.

April is Alcohol Awareness Month - Help for Today, Hope for Tomorrow

April is Alcohol Awareness Month and the Putnam County Communities That Care (CTC) Coalition and the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependencies/Putnam remind you that if your drinking has caused problems in your relationships, at work, at home, financially, physically or legally, it’s time to get “Help for Today, Hope for Tomorrow.” Drinking too much alcohol can lead to health problems, including alcohol poisoning, and an increased risk of heart disease. This April, during the 27^th anniversary of Alcohol Awareness Month, we encourage you to take this time to educate yourself and your loved ones about the dangers of alcohol abuse.  

In New York State alone, there were 8,461 drunken driving crashes in 2011, 362 of those crashes were fatal.(NYS DMV)  Young drinking drivers are at the highest risk. Drivers 20 years old or younger are almost three times more likely to be involved in alcohol related fatal crashes than other drivers. Even though most teenagers know that you should not drink and drive, nearly a third still accepts rides from drivers who have been drinking.

According to the 2012 Communities That Care Prevention Needs Assessment Survey, 57% of Putnam County youth grades 8-12 have used alcohol in their lifetime.  Tragic health, social and economic problems result from the use of alcohol by youth. Underage drinking is a causal factor in a host of serious problems, including homicide, suicide, traumatic injury, drowning, burns, violent and property crime, high risk sex, fetal alcohol syndrome, alcohol poisoning, and need for treatment for alcohol abuse and dependence.

Community norms that foster alcohol abuse are a major factor. Parental support, monitoring and communication can significantly reducing drinking among adolescents.

The Putnam CTC Coalition encourages all parents to:

• Increase awareness of alcohol use disorders and the success of prevention and treatment.
• Educate yourself and loved ones, especially our youth, about the dangers of alcohol abuse.
• Support and encourage referrals for treatment for individuals when an alcohol addiction is suspected or present.

If you are drinking too much, you can improve your health by cutting back or quitting. Keep track of how much you drink, avoid places where overdrinking occurs, and find new ways to deal with stress. If you are concerned about someone else’s drinking, offer to help.

Members of the Putnam CTC Coalition are available if you have any questions or would like for us to do a presentation to your organization on this or any other substance abuse trends that affect our children. Please call the National Council on Alcoholism & Drug Dependencies of Putnam at 845-225-4646 for further information and referral services. Help is available today.  Please visit and join us on Facebook by searching “Putnam County Communities That Care – NY or on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/PutnamCTCNY.

National Inhalants and Poisons Awareness Week 3.17- 3.23

The culprit is legal, poisonous, cheap, accessible, and right in your home. Children and teens are using household products to get high. In an effort to raise awareness to parents, students and community members regarding this somewhat overlooked substance use, the National Inhalants and Poison Awareness Week (NIPAW) will be observed March 17-23, 2013. This prevention week will focus on providing education, resources, and information on risks of inhalant use.

The problem has a presence in Putnam County. According to the 2012 Prevention Needs Assessment Survey, 6.8% of student’s grades 8-12 have used inhalants to get high in their lifetime. 2.1% of student’s grades 8-12 have used inhalants to get high one or more times in the past 30 days.
According to The Partnership for a Drug Free America, “Inhalants are ordinary household products that are inhaled or sniffed by children to get high.”  Examples of products intentionally used to get high are computer keyboard cleaner (such as Dust Off), cleaning fluids, nail polish remover, paint thinners, and even model airplane glue. The slang for inhalant use includes glue, kick, sniff, huff, Texas Shoe Shine, etc.
What are the side effects to inhalant use? Due to the oxygen deprivation that goes along with this particular substance use, the effects can be fatal. “The user can experience slight stimulation, feeling of less inhibition or loss of consciousness. The user can also suffer from Sudden Sniffing Death Syndrome. This means the user can die the 1st, 10th or 100th time he or she uses an inhalant. Other effects include damage to the heart, kidney, brain, liver, bone marrow and other organs” (National Inhalant Prevention Coalition).
What are signs that parents and guardians can look for if they suspect their child is abusing household products? According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, here are a few signs:

• Slurred speech
• Drunk, dizzy, or dazed appearance
• Unusual breath odor   
• Chemical smell on clothing
• Paint stains on body or face
• Red eyes
• Runny nose

“Prevention is the key. Parents are encouraged to keep an inventory of potentially harmful chemicals in their household and talk to their children, no matter how young, about the dangers or sniffing or ingesting harmful substances. Let your children know that inhalants can not only severely damage their bodies, but can cause violent behavior that can hurt those around them.” stated Joseph DeMarzo, Deputy Commissioner of the Putnam County Mental Health/Social Services/Youth Bureau.
“If you are a student and know someone who uses inhalants, encourage them to stop or get help. Let them know the ramifications of the use. If you are using inhalants, it’s never too late to talk to an adult you trust and make the necessary steps to recovery.” stated Elaine Santos, Coalition Coordinator for the Putnam County Communities That Care Coalition.
Members of the Putnam CTC Coalition are available if you have any questions or would like for us to do a presentation to your organization on this or any other substance abuse trends that affect our children. Please call the Putnam County Communities That Care Coalition at 845-225-4646, Ext. 13 for information and referrals. Please visit and join us on Facebook by searching “Putnam County Communities That Care – NY” or on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/PutnamCTCNY or call 845-225-4646.

Upcoming Seminar: Synthetic Drugs of Abuse

Be sure to register with Coalition Coordinator Elaine Santos!

Alcohol and drug use in Putnam youth declining, but numbers are still cause for concern

4,649 student’s grades 8-12 completed the anonymous Prevention Needs Assessment (PNA) survey that provides information on alcohol, drug and other addictive or harmful behaviors. The PNA survey is administered every two years to all Putnam County school district. Prior to completing the 129 question survey, all students were assured that their participation was voluntary, anonymous, and confidential. In addition, surveys were eliminated when respondents were determined to be dishonest or because students did not answer enough of the validity questions to determine whether or not they were honest in their responses.

 The final overall outcomes were as follows in Putnam County (since 2005 compared to the 2012 youth survey results)

  

• Past 30 day alcohol use rates have declined by 19.5% 

•   Past 30 day tobacco use has declined by 37.9%

• Past 30 Day Marijuana use has declined by 3.2%
• Binge drinking reduced by 19.8%
• Past Prescription narcotic use has declined by 34.4% (since 2008)

Despite these overall declining trends, there were some increases that are a cause for concern including:

• Past 30 day marijuana use by 12^th graders in Putnam County increased from 29.4% in 2010 to 37.6% in 2012.
• 42% of 12^th graders in Putnam County reported binge drinking. Binge drinking is defined in the Prevention Needs Assessment survey as 5 or more drinks in a row within the past two weeks.
• 60.7% of student’s grades 8-12 perceive that their parents have attitudes favorable to alcohol and drug use.
• 3.6% of student’s grades 8-12 stated they have driven while intoxicated within the past 30 days.
• 15.8% of student’s grades 8-12 stated they have been in a car with an intoxicated driver within the past 30 days.

“This is a community effort that the Coalition is proud to facilitate. The positive outcomes can be attributed to the good work of parents, youth, schools, healthcare professionals, and our community and sector leaders who come together to encourage positive change. We will continue to do our pre prom initiatives, community and school based prevention, medication take back events, media campaigns, and the many other prevention efforts that are geared towards preventing substance abuse because we must remain vigilant especially in light of the numbers that are a cause for concern.” stated Joseph DeMarzo, Deputy Commissioner of the Putnam County Mental Health/Social Services/Youth Bureau and Coalition Co-Chairperson.

Members of the Putnam CTC Coalition are available if you have any questions or would like for us to do a presentation to your organization on this or any other substance abuse trends that affect our children.  Please visit and join us on Facebook by searching “Putnam County Communities That Care – NY” or on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/PutnamCTCNY or call 845-225-4646.

Children of Alcoholics Week 2.10.3-2.16.13

The National Association for Children of Alcoholics (NACOA) will be observing its Children of Alcoholics (COA) Week from February 10-16, 2013. COA Week “celebrates the recovery of the many thousands of children (of all ages) who have received the help they needed to recover from the pain and losses suffered in their childhood, and it offers hope to those still suffering from the adverse impact of parental alcohol and drug addiction”. (SAMHSA)

According to the NACOA,

• it is estimated that one in four children in the United States under age 18 is hurt by family alcohol abuse or alcoholism, and that countless others are affected by parental drug use.
• there is strong scientific evidence that alcoholism runs in families with children of alcoholics being 2 to 4 times more likely to develop alcoholism than children of non-alcoholics.
• young children of alcoholics exhibit symptoms of depression and anxiety to a greater extent than children of non-alcoholics; and incur increasing health care costs and experience more life problems over the lifespan.
• young children of alcohol or drug dependent parents often have difficulty in school and are more likely to be truant, drop out of school, repeat grades, or be referred to a school counselor or psychologist.
• children of addicted parents, with interest and support from family, friends, health professionals, teachers, clergy, and others, can avoid the negative effects of familial alcoholism and drug dependence.

“Home is what most children consider a safe environment, but unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. It is essential that children currently living in the difficult situation of parental alcohol addiction know that there are resources out there to help them and that there are individuals out there who are in recovery from the situation and are living healthy and full lives.” stated Joseph DeMarzo, CTC Coalition Co-Chairperson. “The Youth Bureau offers Pegasus, which is a free and confidential program for children ages 6 to 14 who have a parent or family member suffering from alcoholism or other drug dependency.  Pegasus is an eight week program held twice a year that offers information, support and hope to both children and families. For more information, please call us at (845)808-1600 ext. 46126.” DeMarzo said.

“We support and spread the word on this observance because we don’t want those who need the encouragement the most to fall through the cracks. An average of 40% of individuals at each of Putnam County outpatient treatment providers (Putnam Family and Community Services, Arms Acres, and St. Christopher’s Inn)  report that they were a child of an alcoholic or substance abuser. This doesn’t mean all children of alcoholics will repeat their parent’s behavior, but it does prove that there is a correlation and we need to help those struggling now so they know they aren’t alone” stated Elaine Santos, Putnam County CTC Coalition Coordinator.

The Putnam County Communities That Care (CTC) Coalition is an anti-drug coalition that works to build a safe and healthy family-oriented community, which includes reducing the use of harmful substances by our adolescents. It is composed of individuals from all sectors of the community who work together to reduce risk factors and strengthen protective factors through education, enforcement and policy initiatives.

Members of Putnam CTC Coalition are available if you have any questions or would like for us to do a presentation to your organization on this or any other substance abuse trends that affect our children. Please call 845-225-4646, ext. 13 for further information. Please visit and join us on Facebook by searching “Putnam County Communities That Care Coalition– NY” or on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/PutnamCTCNY or call 845-225-4646.

Save the Date: Hang Up and Drive Seminar

For Putnam County parents and teens on the dangers of impaired and distracted driving. The seminar is May 21st at 6:00p.m. and features Jacy Good, who is well known for her presentation across the United States. Please click the above flyer for more information. This free seminar is proudly presented and sponsored by the Putnam County CTC Coalition.

Due to space, registration is required.