The new program is the result of a partnership between the St. Joseph County police, the prosecutor’s office, Juvenile Court, Community Mental Health substance abuse services, and the Human Services Commission.

The Sturgis Police Department and Juvenile Court have been working on an initiative that focuses on helping reinforce parental responsibility in order to reduce drug use among local youth in the past year. Efforts included the development of a user-friendly and easily-understandable brochure, companion information, and drug test kits.

Judge Thomas Shumaker of the Juvenile Court shared, though, that there have already been programs in the past that were aimed at helping parents talk to their children about drugs; but he said that this new effort is being backed by local support groups and substance abuse services. The goal of the new initiative is to give parents the opportunity to keep their children drug-free in the privacy of their homes. The test kits included in the program also has information for parents regarding how to talk to their children about drug testing.

The sample test kits will be available at the Juvenile Court, and through the police department, for $5. These will be able to test for marijuana, pills, and cocaine, among others.

Shumaker shared further: “The police are the contact point, but we will work with schools to make the test kits and information available… Parents need to be more observant of the signs of drug use and help their children make good choices on the road to being successful citizens.”

Researchers led by Karen Ersche of the Behavioral and Clinical Neuroscience Institute at Cambridge University in Britain studied pairs of biological siblings – one an addict, the other with no history of alcohol or drug abuse – and compared the brains of both siblings with the brains of other healthy people.

The results of the study indicated that addicted and non-addicted siblings shared abnormalities in the parts of the brain that are associated with controlling behavior, called the fronto-striatal systems. Ersche shared: “It has long been known that not everyone who takes drugs becomes addicted, and that people at risk of drug dependence typically have deficits in self-control… Our findings now shed light on why the risk of becoming addicted to drugs is increased in people with a family history:… Parts of their brains underlying self-control abilities work less efficiently.”

The next step, Ersche shared, is to conduct further studies on how the siblings who did not have problems with substance abuse overcome their abnormality. This will provide scientists with a better understanding into what protects these siblings from substance abuse, despite their abnormalities, and may contribute to the development of more effective therapies to combat addiction.

Paul Keedwell, a consultant psychiatrist at Cardiff University, who was not involved in the research, shared: “If we could get a handle on what makes unaffected relatives of addicts so resilient we might be able to prevent a lot of addiction from taking hold.”

The results of Ersche’s study were published in the journal Science.

The Coalition is one of 22 organizations based in Ohio to receive such a grant, which is given out in order to bring down the number of teen alcohol parties hosted by parents. Over the past 20 years, the Coalition for a Drug-free Clermont County has worked with the community to promote drug-free environments for the youth, and raise awareness regarding the angers of abusing alcohol and drugs.

The grant money will be used by the Coalition for education and awareness activities on drug and alcohol abuse in the spring, to coincide with the high school graduation and prom season.

The program “Parents Who Host Lose the Most: Don’t be a party to teenage drinking” was developed by Drug Free Action Alliance. The program, which is recognized nationwide, raises awareness among parents regarding the health and safety risks associated with underage drinking, as well as underage drinking laws in the state of Ohio. Serving as Honorary Chair for the program is college basketball commentator and former NBA superstar Clark Kellogg.

Funding for the “Parents Who Host Lose the Most: Don’t be a party to teenage drinking” program is available with support from the Ohio Department f Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services, as well as the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

Around 80 to 100 teens and their parents attended the activity. The event was held in response to the results of a recent Prevention Needs Assessment survey, which indicated that rates for alcohol abuse and binge drinking among Pelham teens surpassed the national average.

Characters in the documentary “American Teen” included a jock, beauty queen, geek, rebel, and heartthrob, and deals with the pressures that today’s American teens face, including alcohol and drug abuse, sexting, and bullying.

While the documentary was being shown, teens were give a questionnaire and encouraged to text their comments.

Daragh Murphy, JLP president, shared: “We did get lots of texts… I think it was a great way to communicate with the audience, certainly with a group of this age. They seemed to be all engaged in the interaction.” Murphy shared further that some of the text messages they received indicated that the teens felt that the movie was similar to life in Pelham.

After the screening, a question and answer session was held with PGC director Cheryl Bobe. The high school group “Kids Helping Kids” then performed a scene from their anti-bullying play. Bobe shared: “This was our first time doing something like this and we had tremendous participation from the kids… “I think they learned that they’re in a similar situation. They learned about what each other felt.”

Associate director and chief financial officer of the Patricia Henley Foundation Trisha Geyer adds that sbTNN is a teen scene magazine show. Now on its third season, sbTNN offers teens “community-based arts programs” which help develop effective communication and enhance performing arts for the youth.

In the last six months, sbTNN has been working with their media sponsor Noozhawk in creating a special six-week investigative report and public announcements pertaining to prescription drug abuse. Many of the videos and have already been posted in their website together with articles from Noozhawk reporters.

The Santa Barbara Teen News Network has since came out with 28 public service announcements for prescription drug abuse. By interviewing and talking to professionals like doctors and medical providers and other resource persons like recovering addicts, the staff of sbTNN have learned and absorbed useful information with regards to prescription medications misuse and abuse.

According to one sbTNN staff, the notion that drinking is the largest problem among teens could be overtaken by the issue of prescription drug abuse.

Teen staff of the network confirmed that people they interviewed were excited about the project. “Everyone was really caring and just wanted to help,” says one teen interviewer.

As a result of the interviews, the teens themselves learn a lot and were in turn empowered to share information and knowledge about prescription drug abuse to others of their age. “We’re living (with those who misuse prescription drugs) and can help guide them,” says one teen volunteer for the teen network.

In Missouri, for instance, parents can request for a free drug test to administer to their child in the privacy of their home. James Proctor, Resource Officer for Cameron High School in Cameron, Missouri, shared: “It’s an opportunity for parents to get a free drug test to give their child at home.” He shared further that the free drug test could be requested from the website TestMyTeen.com, which is being run by the state of Missouri.

The system is something that was implemented recently in Cameron. The rest of Missouri will also follow suit soon.

Kristi McIntosh, a health teacher and parent as well, shared: “I think it’s a good idea, that way they can know what their kids are into and can get them help if they need it.”

In addition to being able to help parents, Officer Proctor also pointed out that administering home drug tests may also serve as a deterrent for teens, in terms of giving in to peer pressure regarding drug use. Teens who get tested will be able to say “no” to peers who are trying to get them to do drugs, bringing up the fact that they are getting tested at home.

While these numbers are still low compared to drunk driving arrests, the dangers of drugged driving are just as real. Without the proper tools, though, what the cops can do to catch drugged drivers is very limited.

“If people next year knew that they’d be tested for drugged driving just like they are tested for drunk driving, it might deter them from doing it to begin with and save lives,” Schumer said.

This is why he is pushing for legislation that would provide $140 million research and training funding to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, in order to develop tests that cops can use to detect drugged drivers as well as to train cops to use any new technology.

Current tests being used by cops can detect alcohol intoxication. There is presently no device or test used by cops that can detect drugged drivers.

“Our cops need state-of-the-art equipment and better training to identify and apprehend those who are putting innocent victims at risk,” he added.

The funding of the program comes from the FEMA grant given to the community which was hit by floods to aid in their economic development. Yet when a survey was done in Olive Hill which asks citizens as to how to spend the money, many voiced out their concerns on the pain pill epidemic which has affected the youth in the area.

Some comments received say “we can’t recover or grow here without attacking the pain pill epidemic — and let’s start while they’re young.”

In fact, in West Carter High School, just about everyone knows somebody who is into drug addiction. This is why the Champions Against Drugs student organization is doing their share in fighting the epidemic by presenting anti-drugs skits in schools.

The program will provide drug testing kitsto parents who ask for them, and conduct school drug testing on students with both the parents’ and students’ consent. Students and parents are given the option to join the program or not.

“If there’s a party and kids are tempted to do drugs, and the parents might test them when they get home, they’ll think twice,” one student says.

Testing positive at home will have the student tested in a lab again. If it’s still positive, treatment and counseling will be offered to help in their problems. Legal and criminal liabilities are set aside to make way for more effective counseling.

According to McMillin, his democratic colleagues in the Indiana General Assembly revised the original bill on welfare recipients’ drug testing to include provisions which extend the said drug testing to lawmakers.

McMillin added that unlike other bills of the same subject, his own creation has been carefully put together to pass even the complications brought about by Constitutional provisions.

Last year, Republican lawmakers have tried to have drug testing policies for those who receive assistance from the government in over 30 states. Some bills even include those who claim for unemployment insurance and food stamps as candidates for drug testing.

However, some of McMillin’s colleagues said that his withdrawal is not a good move. “After it passed, Rep. McMillin got pretty upset and pulled his bill,” Rep. Ryan Dvorak (D- South Bend) said. “If anything, I think it points out some of the hypocrisy. … If we’re going to impose standards on drug testing, then it should apply to everybody who receives government money.”

Dvorak added that testing of lawmakers is not unconstitutional, as how MCMillin perceives it, since the Georgia rule which McMillin cited, is against drug testing only to candidates and not those who are already elected and holding office.

“I would think legislators that are here who are responsible for the people who voted them in, they should be more than happy to consent,” Dvorak said. “Give me the cup right now and I will be happy to take the test.”

Findings from Kelly’s program called “Drug Use Trends in Charlevoix County” have shown that more high school students are engaging in marijuana use than cigarettes smoking. Partly due to medical marijuana laws, kids’ perception on the dangers of marijuana has decreased. In 2008, Michigan approved its medical marijuana program and is now one of the 16 states which have adopted such policy.

Another contributing factor to the increase in prescription drug abuse and marijuana use is the availability of such substances online. Prescribed medications and synthetic cannabinoids such as K2 and Spice are readily available for purchase online.

“We had a kid come in, saying he could buy some ‘stuff’ online for $50, and then ‘flip’ it for $700,” Kelly recalled. “Synthetics create all kinds of legal, political and health issues.”

The program, which was initiated by the BASES executive director, aimed to help parents and concerned citizens understand the trends that kids get into as far as prescription drugs and marijuana abuse are concerned. They were also taught about the dangers of addiction that could lead to psychological problems and the treatments that can help those who become victims of abuse.

Kelly, who is one of the co-founders of BASES, also suffered from alcohol addiction during his college years. He has remained sober since 1984 after enlisting in an alcoholism treatment program. Today, he is one of the resource persons of their program and is currently working on his master’s degree in counseling. He also works as a relapse prevention specialist and as an advanced addiction counselor for their organization.