When children become the littlest victims in drug epidemic

I know so many addicts and alcoholics whose parents were also addicted. My Mom suffered from alcoholism and it colored everything about the way we grew up. My Grandmother was the who tried to rescue us by seeing that we had good school clothes and summer vacations. But least we not forget--my mother had the disease but she was also the first one into a 12 step program and brought the rest of us behind her. A curse and blessing all in one. Isn't that the way life is? Children are the victims--but sometimes, if a parent can find sobriety, they can turn the whole family around like my mother did for us--all her kids are sober, her nieces and nephews, and her brother.

Read about these kids--They have loving relatives to take them in and possibly someday their parents can turn around like my mom did.

 When children become the littlest victims in drug epidemic: "Aaron is 10 now, Katherine is 8 and Will is 7, the sons and daughter of Jim Bass and Ken Adcox of Alpharetta. They are also Jim Bass’ niece and nephews, children of an ever-increasing number of families unraveling because their parents are either in rehab, in jail, dead, or otherwise incapable of taking care of them because of substance abuse."

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War Cries by Shelly Marshall - Step 12 Magazine

I often write for various recovery publications--I love sharing recovery. My most recent article made it in "Step 12 Magazine" and covers our use of slogans in recovery. Slogans and great one-liners--that is what our books at Day By Day use to carry the message. I hope you take a minute to read about War Cries and how they carry the message for us.

War Cries by Shelly Marshall - Step 12 Magazine: "Getting clean and sober can feel like war. War against a disease. Although we eventually learn to cease fighting anyone or anything, in the beginning we battle a ferocious enemy: the compulsion, obsession, and jonesing to pick up just one more time. To confront this fierce enemy, the old-timers gave us a very powerful tool in slogans, which often goes unrecognized."

Please note: Step 12 Magazine has merged with Serene Scene Magazine. Effective June 1, 2017, we will publish under the name of Recovery Illustrated. Same mission, new name. Join them!

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Keep the kids away from prescription drugs--a new website

My degree in Alcohol and Drugs came from Metropolitan University in Denver. Colorado has been on the "kids and drugs" bandwagon for 40 years that I know of. Every year the experts (and I was one of them) come out and say how "epidemic" the drug problem has become. The only thing that changes is the name and slang for the drugs--it goes from marijuana to speed, to LSD, to cough syrup, to peyote, to heroin, to date rape drugs, to cocaine, to crack, to prescription drugs, and so on.

I'm not saying that the efforts aren't exemplary--they are. We need to do what we can for each generation of parents and their offspring--I just get so weary of the "epidemic" and alarmism stuff--but maybe that is the only way to capture the attention of those that need to hear it.

This is a great website not only for Colorado parents but for all parents! Go visit.

News | Highlands Ranch Colorado | Highlandsranchherald.net: "A campaign run by the Colorado Department of Human Services Office of Behavioral Health called “Speak Now Colorado” is targeted at helping parents have those difficult conversations with kids, especially around prom and graduation seasons. On the Speak Now website, speaknowcolorado.org, parents can:
 • Learn how to spot risky behavior.
 • Explore hypothetical scenarios to help them prepare for real-life situations involving kids and substances.
 • Take a quiz to test their knowledge of drug and alcohol use.
 • Get tips for starting and continuing conversations with their children about drugs and alcohol. Start conversations early "

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FREE Addiction Poster Download

This poster is from our Day By Day store--download and print on a legal sheet of paper. It's FREE and you can get across a strong message on addiction.

Click here for your FREE High definition poster.

Inside the 'eye-opening' drug course parents must take before kids go to prom | NJ.com

Prom time again and parents should be prepared. what does your school do to help parents understand what the teens are facing? This school makes a course mandatory for parents if they want their kids to participate. I never heard of this before, but think it is a GREAT idea.

Inside the 'eye-opening' drug course parents must take before kids go to prom | NJ.com: "Parents are invited to tour the bedroom set and use their detective skills to seek out likely hiding spots. Sgt. Danielle LoRusso, with the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office, leads the programs. Once she has allowed parents to pull out drawers and examine the scene, she takes them through again to show what they missed."

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Pay It Forward with Free Books for Your Center, Just fill this out

We have just awarded May and June's Free books for Treatment Centers. They are the House of Grace in Louisville and Hagerstown Treatment Center in Maryland. I know I shouldn't be advertising that we give free books every month (we do but our resources are limited) but we are so happy that God has made it possible to Pay It Forward. Who would have thought? Thank you, everyone for the help you give us. Click the link to see who we give books to and why they need them.

 Maybe you want to help? Even a dollar ($1) goes a long way!

Pay It Forward with Free Books for Your Center, Just fill this out: "June 2017 House of Grace, Louisville, KY Sharon F is a former client of the House of Grace. Her words were simple, "To help the alcoholics and addicts in the household get extra help." A little extra help is on the way. May 2017 Hagerstown Treatment Center, Hagerstown, MD Lynn K, an employee wrote, "I would like the books for Substance Abuse counselors to have more resources to help our patients. I also would like to be able to offer resources to patient as to help them be successful with their recovery." Your pay It Forward Gift includes a first edition workbook and facilitator guide for starting a parent's group--Sober Coaching Your Teen. Thanks for letting us contribute."

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ASK A PARENT COACH

I found the best website today! It is run by Partnership for Drug-Free Kids and I am so impressed! You can contact this organization if you have concerns about your child and they can help steer the right direction for the help you may need. They also have a volunteer staff (Carla returned my call and explained what they do) who has been through the trials of raising a child in today's drug influenced world--you can call them, fill out a form or do an online chat--whatever works best for you. Check out this great resource--I am also adding a resource link from the SoberCoachingYourTeen.com.

Partnership for Drug-Free Kids | Portal: "Who are Parent Coaches? Parent Coaches are moms and dads just like you who have been personally affected by a child's substance use. They are not therapists – they are parents who have been there and received special training and support from the Partnership and our clinical partner, the Center for Motivation and Change, to help other families through similar struggles. Their answers can help you too. To connect with a counselor experienced in the field of substance use, please call our Helpline at 1-855-DRUGFREE."

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Parental action is key to fighting teen substance abuse in area |

Yes this is true--parents need to do something, anything to address this issue--just as they address a myriad of issues everyday--they have to address school, futures, manners, puberty, peers, health, drivingect.--but this article begins like so many " But with teen alcohol and drug use on the rise in recent years" NO IT ISN't on the rise! Every few years kids take to opiate, then in a year or so it's meth, then hull eugenics, then back to booze or heroin--and everytime this happens reporters act shocked, "(name your drug) is on the rise!" Help, the world's on fire--kids are taking drugs!

Sorry for the sarcasm. I get so tired of folks screaming fire in a crowded room to garner attention. Use Fear--use guilt, use shame--why don't we stick with facts and education? People use drugs. Kids experiment. That is never going to change.

Parents must address it--but not with scare tactics--let's use common sense. If you are a mom or dad--go to the website, take the awareness test and address drinking and drugging as you do all other growing up issues. You are a good parent--don't get sucked in with the hysterics.

Addiction in the suburbs series: Parental action is key to fighting teen substance abuse in area | mySuburbanLife.com: "Most parents don’t want to think about their child drinking alcohol or using drugs. But with teen alcohol and drug use on the rise in recent years, there are steps parents can take to address these issues before they lead to serious consequences."



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Lost my step-nephew to drug addiction--

He was only 21. I wasn't close to him. Wasn't even close enough to know he was into meth. Yet I feel a connection. And I am so sad about yet another loss to our family.

This young man is not the first one to be lost in our family to this disease of addiction. I had two step brothers lost to heroin. I had a cousin (who I was close to) fall off a porch drunk and lose her life. I've had numerous friends and an ex husband die from addiction. Alcoholism and addiction is aggressive. It doesn't let go easily.

For all of you who have lost loved ones to this disease, know you are in my heart, just as my young step nephew is. Sometimes I hate this disease--but have to remember that there is another choice. Please support recovery in any manner you can.

This is one of mine   YoungSoberFree.com

Montana favors parents’ rights over kids’ safety, advocates charge

This is a really tough one--sometimes states act more for the rights of parents and often states do the opposite "protecting" the child so much that they actually hurt them. Here these 2 women claim that Montana protects the rights of parents over the child. In Idaho, right beside Montana--I saw the oppositive experience where my friend's daughter lost her innocence because of social services.

Angry at her mother, the girl told social services that her stepdad had abused her. Mom didn't believe it. But social services took custody and placed her in foster care. They took my friend's daughter to a doctor for testing and low and behold, the girl was a virgin. Social services still did not believe Mom so kept the girl for over 6 months. When she was finally returned to the family, she came back no longer a virgin. So how well was this girl protected? She was 13 or 14 at the time.

My friend was furious but there was really nothing she could do. Its a fine line they walk in social services and I just wish they could use common sense! In unsure cases, I support the parents.

Here's the Montana story:

Montana favors parents’ rights over kids’ safety, advocates charge | News | bozemandailychronicle.com: "“Overall, the child abuse and neglect system is failing kids miserably,” said Nancy Mitchell, 76. “There needs to be some major changes to protect kids, and they are not being protected right now.”"

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Highway Patrol, ODOT: Talk to your kids about drugged driving for Holidays

We hear about Drunk driving all the time and often forget about drugged driving. Same thing actually.

When you talk to your teens this season about drunk driving, don't leave out the "drugged driving" part, either. Your kids are smart--smart enough to say, "I didn't have any drinks" justifying their crash when in fact they had taken 3 downers and smoked  a joint! Just cover your basis in parent/teen drunk/drugged driving talk this year.

Story here: Highway Patrol, ODOT: Talk to your kids about drugged driving: "The signs will show messages outlining the increase in drug related crashes and urging them to talk about the drug abuse epidemic. This is part of the state’s Start Talking Initiative, the release said."

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Drinking homemade brew in school sends four students to hospital

I was thinking that "homemade brew" was fermenting potatoes! This is made from OTCs! Never too old to learn about the ingenuity of kids and mind-affecting chemicals. Better read this article to stay informed.

Drinking homemade brew in school sends four students to hospital - The Buffalo News: "The school sent home a letter to parents on Wednesday warning them that the homemade mixture is referred to as "Lean" and that the instructions on how to make it can be found on numerous Internet sites. "Please make your children aware that the misuse of any drug, prescription or over-the-counter, is potentially dangerous and/or deadly, and that they should never drink from an opened bottle that is not their own," the letter read. "Please also make sure that medications in your home are secured from possible misuse.""

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More parents are taking drugs while children watch, and the viral videos are 'shaming' addicts

OMG-- a horrible image of parents-grandparents in addiction and what it does to our children. The only message here is "WHY?" Such an aggressive disease in many families. Each small thing that each of us does helps break the cycle. Keep up the good work is my message for each and every one of you reading this blog!

More parents are taking drugs while children watch, and the viral videos are 'shaming' addicts | The Independent: "While the adults were charged with child endangerment and are awaiting trial, the photo of their possible overdose has gone viral, prompting strong criticism and shaming of their ability to look after a child."



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Teens and substance abuse: Insights from the treatment field

This sounds like a good program--one thing I want to know is if they teach teh parents to become their kid's coach? That would be the ultimate center for teens---

Teens and substance abuse: Insights from the treatment field | The Daniel Island News: "The ASSET program, run by Viktoriya Magid, PhD, targets kids ages 12 to 18 and offers two ongoing care tracks - one for prevention and another for treatment - as well as assessments, drug screenings, medication management, teen coaching, and parent coaching. "



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LIVE FACEBOOK CHAT on Rx Stimulant Abuse Among Students

https://drugfree.scdn2.secure.raxcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Meet-the-Parents-Hour-Alan-Schwarz-ADHD-Nation-Partnership-for-Drug-Free-Kids-September-20-2016-cropped-200x300.jpg
LIVE FACEBOOK CHAT on Rx Stimulant Abuse Among Students - Partnership for Drug-Free Kids:



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Understanding the Plight of Zokos Children

I sometimes lament what happens here with our drug addicted parents--and then I read something like this--the Plight of Zokos Children...thank you God for our blessings...

FrontPageAfrica Newspaper - Understanding the Plight of Zokos Children: "Many are ex-combatants or former child soldiers who are living with the recurring ill effects of the civil war and the policy neglect that came thereafter."



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Officials gather to seek cure for area's drug crisis | Local News | tribdem.com

Great article--says you can't "jail" your way out of opioid addiction, you can't "treat" your way out of the epidemic, but you can use "life skills" to get yourself out of the problem--hmmm, maybe..does joining a 12 Step program qualify for changing your life skills.

Opiod epidemic: Officials gather to seek cure for area's drug crisis | Local News | tribdem.com: "“We can’t jail ourselves out of this problem,” said Langerholc, who is also the lead prosecutor for the Cambria County Drug Task Force. “We can’t treat our way out of this problem.” A July 12 report from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Philadelphia division showed a 23 percent increase in overdose deaths in 2015. Cambria County saw a 32 percent increase.  Yaw said 85 percent of heroin users start by abusing pain medication. The epidemic affects people of all age groups, social classes and races, he added, so a multifaceted approach is required to address the issue."



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Substance abuse is factor in up to 80% of cases where a child is removed from a home.

California is working hard to help kids stay out of foster care--how? By helping their drug addicted parents. I love it. This is a good use of taxpayer dollars rather than jailing parents and fostering out kids. This is a program that if run right can make a huge difference in the lives of drug addicts and their children. In the long run, it will also save the taxpayer money. Read the article below.

California Court Helps Kids By Healing Parents' Addictions : Shots - Health News : NPR: " "Graduation from this court is considered a critical factor in determination that the children of participants will be safe from any further exposure to the danger and destructive impact of parental substance abuse." There has been a surge recently, across the U.S., in the number of children entering the foster care system after years of decline. Nationally, roughly 265,000 kids entered foster care in 2015 — the highest number since 2008, according to a recent government report."



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Sober Coaching Your Teen

Yahoo! We launched the updated website for parents of teens in trouble with drugs. It's user-friendly,  has free downloads, gives parents basic info and of course talks about our parental workbook. Please pass on info to any parents you know who might benefit! Thanks (oh and tell me if you like the site--I am pretty proud of my newly-learned website revamping skills!)

Sober Coaching Your Teen: "How will our workbook help you deal with your teen? Of course we want our children to stop drinking and abusing drugs. The Sober Coaching You Teen workbook will jump-start the process with research-based interventions using the Teaching-Family Model principles of developing empathy, boundaries, taking responsibility, and recognizing thinking errors. "

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Are parents the cause of addiction?

Parents are not the cause of addiction. No matter how much influence parents believe they have over a child, the reality is, parents will only influence approximately 25% of what a child will do. Nevertheless, as I work in the field of adolescent substance abuse, I find many parents believing they are the source of their child’s addiction. Maybe this is because; society expects parents to have control over their child. For example, when a child is running wild in the grocery store, don’t we all whisper to ourselves “They need to get control of their child?” So when a teenager is drinking or doing drugs, of course the blame will fall back on the parents.

However, when it comes to addiction, I can tell you from a professional background and a personal background that parents do not create or reinforce addiction. I was brought up in a warm loving family, where my parents helped when needed but also let life teach when needed.
But at the age of fourteen I drank and smoked weed for the first time and the rest is history. I continued to use substances up until the age of 22. I eventually experienced so many natural negative consequences, I decided to change.

During my recovery, I discovered the source of my addiction was a multitude of factors, such has low self-esteem, social anxiety, and a personality trait that craves adventure. Nowhere, did I find my parents as a part of my addiction. Unless a parent is forcing a child to drink or do drugs, it is simply irrational to believe a parent has enough control to be responsible for a child’s addiction. If a parent was responsible for their child’s addiction then a parent would also be able to stop their child’s addiction.

-Chad Hepler works as an addiction counselor at an adolescent treatment center. He has published two books about his recovery, titled, Intervention: Anything But My Own Skin, and Beyond Intervention: A Memoir of Addiction and Recovery by Hepler, Chad (2012) Paperback.