OTC Medicine Abuse
The lovely Mimi dropped me a line the other day to let me know of a new project that she been working on with the Consumer HealthCare Product Association. They’re the member0based association that represents manufacturers of OTC medicines and wow that’s a hella mouthful for the first paragraph isn’t it? Ha!
Anyway, Mimi wrote to let me know about the Stop Medicine Abuse initiative that was launched a few months ago. While recent surveys say more parents are talking to their teens about risky behaviors, there’s still a long way to go to make sure EVERY parent is doing what I preach all the time – Talking to their Kids. Remember that teens who learn about drugs from their parents are about half as likely to abuse them!
To help that along, many OTC cough medicines will be featuring the image above on their packaging, hoping to be a key to remind parents that it’s not just the main hard core drugs that they need to be on the lookout for, but also simpler and easier to get things like cough meds. Those medicines are as easy as opening the cabinet at home, readily accessible and thus very easily abused.
Over at Stop Medicine Abuse website, they are taking action and hoping to help educate parents in the dangers, as well as helping them open up that important conversation with their teens. Take a few minutes to head over there and see the information they’ve collected – including the code words teens are using in reference to using these drugs. (Dex. Triple Cs. Tussin. Robofizzing. Etc.)
Our best defense as a parent is being informed, so that we can have those discussions with our kids. Check out the site today – and tell Mimi I sent ya. 🙂
PS: Click here for a report on a recent National Survey re: kids and Prescriptions! – Thanks Candice!
Perscription Drug Abuse
Continuing on the apparently theme today – the lovely Monica also contacted me a while back, and I found it buried in my inbox when I went on a cleaning spree today (Sorry Monica!). She wrote to share with me a new Q&A on the dangers of prescription drug abuse in teenagers from Karen Reed, who’s a spokesperson for the American Pharmacists Association. While the over the counter drugs are easily accessible too, it’s almost easier to hit the prescriptions in the medicine cabinet too, as most parents simply don’t think their kids would actually take them. Worse yet – kids tend to think that since these are given by the doctors, it’s a safe way to get high.
Scary, hm? As always – the number one way to make sure your teens are informed is to TALK TO THEM. The AntiDrug website can help you start those conversations.
.
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration – every single day sees 2000 kids between the ages of 12 and 17 abusing a painkiller for the first time. Among 12 and 13 year olds, prescription drugs are the drug of choice. On the AntiDrug.com, they are currently highlighting prescription drugs, including an interactive house tour which highlights the locations where teens find OTC and prescription drugs, tips for parents on how to prevent the abuse and how to talk to you kids – and so much more.
The first step is to Educate yourself. The second step is to Talk To Your Kids. Parenting is not a job for a nervous nelly, and there are tons of resources available. USE THEM.
Click the ‘more’ tab below for the Q&A session with Karen Reed. Thanks for the info, Monica!
Family Map
We’re rounding out our PSAs today with the Family Map from At&T. With summer on us, and the kids off and running every which way, it’s harder than ever to keep track of everything we need to do, where we all need to be, and keep in contact with each other. AT&T understands that, and the lovely Sarah wrote to tell me a little bit about their FamilyMap.
Some of the features of the new wireless application is that it makes it easy to locate a family memeber’s phone via web browser – PC or Mobile style. It’ll let you see their whereabouts, as well as surrounding landmarks like schools and parks. You can also use the apps ‘schedule checks’ which alerts parents at specified times via text or e-mail, which will tell them where their kid is, even while they’re driving so that it doesn’t distract them.
Here’s a video of how one mom uses the Map to help keep her family organized:
.
Now, when I told MY teens about the application (Which I can’t demo for ya’ll, as I don’t have AT&T service) they felt it could open the door to MOM SPY, which of course I explained is my right AS a mom. It’s in the fine print. So, as with everything, I encourage you to talk to your kids about it and set some mutually acceptable guidelines for what you’ll use the application for exactly. And most importantly, respect their feelings on the matter.
If you’d like to try FamilyMap, AT&T is offering a 30-day free trial*, then the application is available for $9.99 (2 phones) or $14.99 (up to five phones) per month. Note that AT&T FamilyMap privacy standards ensure that all users on an account will receive a text message when their phones first become locatable through the service, as well as periodic reminders that their phones can be located. An account owner has the option of notifying a phone every time location information is requested.
(*Users must cancel free trial of AT&T FamilyMap within 30 days or be automatically subscribed at a cost of $14.99 or $9.99 per month depending on plan. Customers can cancel from the “My Accounts” portal on their handset or by calling AT&T Customer Care.)
So, if your interested, be sure to check it out if your on AT&T, and be sure to let me know how it goes! Tell ’em I sent ya.
🙂
LMK (Let Me KNow)
And we continue our theme today, by classifying it “Safety day” and adding the lovely Julie to the mix! She dropped me a line a while back to let me know of a new website that’s an interactive guide aimed at internet safety of our tweens n teens. With the internet so readily available, we often forget to talk to our kids about how to be safe online, and protect from some potentially negative effects.
The Girl Scouts of the USA and Microsoft Windows have started the initiative LMK (Let Me Know in text speak) which provides parents and girls with resources catering to both generations, aiming to bridge the digital gap between parents and teenagers. There’s two sections to the website, one aimed at the girls (lmk.girlscouts.org) and one for the parents (letmeknow.girlscouts.org).
On the girls side, teens find interactive quizzes, videos and expert articles that will help educate them about being safe online in a fun way. Girls can comment, share their thoughts and experiences on more than just the safety issues – commenting on many things that teens face and deal with everyday, from “Sexting” to “cyber-bullying” and everything in between. There is new content periodically and it’s for all teenagers – not just Girl Scouts!
On the parents side, they can sign up for an email newsletter written by a team of LMK Teen Editors, who share their knowledge about how teens are using technology and help the parents understand it all. Parents have the chance to learn need-to-know skills which will help them keep up to speed with what their kids are doing online. There’s also expert advise on many issues offered as well.
As with everything, I encourage you to educate yourself and talk to your kids! So what are you waiting for? Check out the LMK sites today and LMK how it goes!
Announcements!
I know I’m behind in our chenbot recaps – I’ll try to get those finished and up this weekend! As always, you can join the forums and catch up on all the happenings there!
So – we are in the home stretch of the first Big Brother Experience Season, and I want to take this time to personally thank you ALL for making it a success! We have a small core group that stuck through all the shit in order to have a fantastic season, both for the players and viewers. I appreciate the maturity – and the dignified immaturity at times! – and sense of fun that made the Big Brother Experience a relaxed and welcoming place to be!
That brings us to the most important question – what NOW? It’s almost over, so what NOW? I have an answer for you.
While we don’t have time for another season of BBE before Big Brother 11 starts and my focus becomes Big Brother Craze, I had an idea of what should come next. The viewer’s are all for it, so it’s time to let you players in on the plan.
After the Finale, I will open a section of the forums dedicated to Big Brother 11 – you’ll be able talk shit about the BB Houseguests anytime you want, and generally dish about the season while keeping up with all the goods at Big Brother Craze. Even BETTER though is this….
We’re going to run a BBE Pool Party!
Here’s how it will work:
— I’ll post a signup thread, and we’ll have as many pools as we need to make sure everyone gets a shot. You can even sign up for more than one, as long as you are committed to seeing it through, and willing to pony up your part of the prize.
— Once the houseguests are announced, we will assign each member of the pool (or pools) a houseguest via Random.org to cheer and/or jeer for. You can chatter and discuss and tear apart your houseguests strategy, attitude and/or hygiene all you like.
— If your houseguest wins Big Brother 11, then each member of your pool commits to sending $10-$20 USD to the winner in the form of Amazon gift cards, or some other form of gift card if the winner prefers somewhere else. Let’s say there’s 13 houseguests again, at $10 a person, that’s $120 of new books or something for the winner! Definitely nothing to sneeze at, and it isn’t too difficult an amount to come up with.
— We all have fun!
So that’s what’s coming up from Big Brother Craze, Reality Daze, and The Big Brother Experience! We look forward to a GREAT Big Brother 11 Season!
