Parent Connection Page 6 Parent Connection Page 3
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Opioid and Heroin Abuse Red Flags
Young adults age 18 to 25 are the biggest abusers of prescription opioid pain relievers, ADHD stimulants and anti-anxiety drugs. In 2014 more than 1700 young adults died from prescription drug overdoses. Here are some of the red flags for abuse:
Small items missing and unaccounted for from your home or neighbors. This includes yard equipment or anything than can be pawned for money.
Opiates are sedatives and therefore make the user very tired. User will begin to seem very fatigued, sleep more than usual. Watch for episodes of“ nodding off.”
� Eyes: pupils are pinpoint and fixed— unresponsive to changes in light.
� Opiate side effects: itchy skin, having the feeling and appearance of“ skin crawling” and“ cotton mouth.” Speech is impaired and / or slurred. User constantly licks his or her lips. Lips also appear dysfunctional.
� User loses all interest in any recreational activity.
� Personal hygiene suffers; user loses interest in showering, clean clothes, etc.
� Secretive behavior and lying. �
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Watch for signs of“ dope sick.” This is the attempt at getting clean or off opiates. The symptoms are exactly like the flu, in varying degrees and can last for a day to a week. Be aware of times missed from school or work.
Watch for snorting paraphernalia such as empty or disassembled pens, straws, rolled dollar bills, burnt aluminum foil.
� Watch for sinus congestion, sniffling or stuff nose.
Talking to your Child
Communication is the key to prevention. The best way to prevent a drug problem from ever beginning is to provide an environment of open and honest communication. Visit www. drugfree. org for suggestions on effective communication with your child. Here are some effective tools to set the stage for a conversation about substances:
� Keep an open mind. When a child feels judged or condemned, he or she is less likely to be receptive to your message.
� Put yourself in your teen’ s shoes. It might be helpful to think about how you felt when you were a teenager.
� Be clear about your goals for the conversation. It may help to write them down.
� Be calm and relaxed. If you approach your teen with panic or anger, it will make it harder to achieve your goals.
� Be positive. Keep reminding yourself to speak and listen from a place of love, support and concern.
� Don’ t lecture. Listen as much as you talk. Be sure it is back and forth.
� Find a comfortable setting. Look for a place that feels less confined but not too distracting.
� Be aware of body language. If your teen is sitting then you want to be sitting as well.
The Opioid Trail
Approximately 33,000 of those fatal overdoses( mentioned in the article on page 2) nearly two-thirds of them were from opioids, including prescription painkillers and heroin. Although the death toll is greater in big cities, the devastation reaches areas such as Appalachia, New England and the Midwest. Many of the victims hail from white middle-class suburbs and rural towns.
The opioid epidemic has its roots in the explosive growth of prescription painkillers. From 1991 to 2011 the number of opioid prescriptions supplied by American retail pharmacies increased from 76 million to 219 million. Many addictions come from youth athletes who sustain sports injuries or youth who were are over prescribed pain medication after tooth extractions.
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What are Opioids?
Percocet OxyContin Tylox Percodan Oxycodone Vicodin
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What are the opioids you ask? Here is a list of the names of some of the prescription drugs that can be lethal to our children and young adults:
Hydrocodone Lorcet Tussionex Lortab Dilaudid Darvon
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Acetaminophen & Propoxyphene
Darvocet Talwin Demerol Aspirin with Codeine
Other drugs commonly used by teens and young adults are ADHD drugs such as Adderall, Concerta, Ritalin and Central Nervous System depressants for relieving anxiety such as Xanax or Valium. The most commonly abused OTC drugs are cough and cold remedies containing dextromethorphan( DXM).
Opioids can produce drowsiness, cause constipation and depending on the amount taken can depress breathing. This makes opioids particularly dangerous, especially when they are snorted or injected or combined with other drugs or alcohol. Prescription Opioids have effects similar to heroin when taken in high doses or in ways other than prescribed. Research has shown the abuse of these drugs may open the door to heroin abuse. Nearly half of young people who inject heroin surveyed in three recent studies reported abusing prescription opioids before starting to use heroin. Some have reported starting heroin because it is cheaper and easier to obtain.
Opioids and heroin / fentanyl( a synthetic opioid pain killer) taken in high doses affect the receptors in the brain that tell the body to breathe. The body literally forgets to breathe. Naloxone or called Narcan is a drug that when administered floods those receptors and reverses the overdose, telling the body to breathe again. In Ellington and many towns across the country, the Resident State Troopers and EMS personnel carry Narcan. It is not a cure! A Narcan dose only lasts for an hour and the person may stop breathing again. Call 911 and get the person to a hospital. Narcan is a life saver indeed, however, steps to curb opioid and heroin use obviously is the desired action.
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Tylenol with Codeine Codeine
Acetaminophen & Codeine