Raising Healthy Kids

Horizon High School: Giving Teens A Second Chance

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Drug Addiction, Drug Testing, Raising Healthy Kids on June 9th, 2010

Being a junkie at fifteen does not necessarily mean that your future as a degenerate has already been set in stone, especially if an institution such as Horizon High School is available to you. Its mission, stated on its website, reads as follows: “to provide a school that fosters emotional, social and academic growth for students who want to learn in an alcohol-free, drug-free environment.”

horizon high schoolAn article on the Wisconsin State Journal shares how the school helps teenagers and serves the community. It is a private, non-profit institution operating in two rooms at the Neighborhood House Community Center in Madison, Wisconsin. It caters to students who are recovering from addiction to drugs or alcohol – or both. Students who apply to the school are interviewed along with their parents and fill out an application.

The school opened in January, 2005, and has thus far served more than 50 students, some of whom have earned a diploma, returned to a traditional high school or earned their General Equivalency Degree. At this time, there are nine students studying in the school.

Lori Battista LaFond, director of outreach and marketing for Horizon High School, shared that classes follow a curriculum that meets state standards. In addition, it provides each student with one hour of counseling everyday and subjects students to weekly random drug testing.

Madison’s director for Connections Counseling Shelley Dutch shared that Horizon began with some parents of teenagers who underwent treatment but suffered relapses after returning to their schools. Horizon receives enrollees any time during the year and almost all of its students have undergone inpatient drug or alcohol treatment.

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Shenandoah Valley Starts Process on Drug Testing Policy

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Drug Abuse Prevention, Drug Testing, Raising Healthy Kids on May 30th, 2010

A report on the Republican Herald shares the first reading of the proposed drug testing policy that will be followed in Shenandoah Valley schools. The school board met on Wednesday and the proposed policy was read aloud by Superintendent Dr. Stanley G. Rakowsky. This was then approved unanimously by the members of the board.

young cheerleadersThe policy will affect students in the seventh until the twelfth grade who are engaged in extra-curricular activities such as football, cheerleading and the student council. There will be voluntary and mandatory drug testing in the form of urine tests. The students will be selected at random by an approved contractor. Up to ten eligible students may be tested randomly in two-week intervals throughout the school year.

The parents or guardians of the students involved will need to sign a consent form that authorizes the release of test results. Students whose parents will not give their consent will be prohibited from getting involved in extra-curricular activities.
Students who are not involved in the specified extra-curricular activities may be covered through enrollment in a voluntary program provided that their parent or guardian gives the necessary permission.

The testing will cover the following substances: anabolic steroids, amphetamines, barbiturates, cocaine, codeine, depressants, heroin, marijuana, morphine, methamphetamine, opiates, PCP, stimulants, Valium and alcohol.

Wednesday’s reading, as mentioned earlier, is the first reading of the proposed policy. Two more public readings will be held before the school board takes a vote on adopting the policy or not. The policy may be amended during this time.

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Hirst Family: From Losing Andrew over Drug Abuse to Helping Others

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Drug Addiction, Raising Healthy Kids on May 29th, 2010

We have shared several posts about families who have lost loved ones to drug abuse and who are now reaching out to other families in order to share their experiences and hopefully help save a young life.

We found yet another family who is using their loss as an inspiration to help others. A feature on MLive.com shares the story of Mike and Corinda Hirst, who lost their son Andrew to drug overdose.

Andrew HirstAndrew had been through quite a few scrapes in his young life. He has spent time in jail, a hospital, and rehab, and at one point had even tried to help the police catch drug dealers. His father Mike had gone all the way in trying to help his son and keep him drug-free. Andrew’s family shared that he hated heroin and was ashamed of his habit – but had difficulty staying away from it.

The young Hirst tried to kick the habit several times, as shared by his father. He willingly went to Brighton hospital for using oxycontin in 2008. According to Mike Hirst, Andrew was drawn to the substance by his high school friends. He eventually switched to heroin, which was said to be a cheaper alternative.

Andrew died after buying heroin from 18-year-old Amanda Ball, who was arraigned on Wednesday afternoon and charged with providing heroin and delivering a controlled substance causing death. If convicted, Ball may face imprisonment for life.

The Hirst family, including Andrew’s sisters Jill and Karey, would like to do what they can to assist authorities in fighting the distribution and use of heroin. While Andrew was not saved in time, “we are going to save someone else.”

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Birmingham Police Provide Drug-Testing Kits

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Drug Testing, Raising Healthy Kids on May 28th, 2010

The Birmingham Police Department (BPD) is providing drug testing kits to parents free of charge, according to an article on the Earnest W. Seaholm Highlander, the student publication of Seaholm High School. The BPD is offering the program in an effort to be of assistance to parents who suspect that their sons or daughters may be involved in drug use.

Detective Ron Halcrow gave the following comment regarding the BPD program: “It’s mostly to try to establish some honesty on [the kid’s] part, and so the parents can be proactive.”

healthy teensThe kits provided by the BPD are urine-based drug testing kits that test for eight different substances: barbiturates, amphetamines, methamphetamines, cocaine, oxycontin, THC, marijuana, and alcohol. All test kits are home-based and will provide parents with immediate results; there will be no need to send in samples to companies, which means that both the parents and the child will have privacy.

The BPD, however, will have no hand in the consequences that the child will have to suffer should a test come out as positive. Crisis counselor Sherree Williams shared that consequences will be entirely up to parents, as the school itself does not make its students undergo drug testing, but mentioned that she is open to talking to any student who may test positive.

Halcrow said that the BPD hoped that parents whose children test positive will try to help their children get back on track through treatment, counseling or rehab – instead of merely disciplining them. The BPD is also encouraging parents to make use of the services that they have to offer.

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New Canaan Parents Unite Against Teen Substance Abuse

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Drug Addiction, Raising Healthy Kids on May 8th, 2010

In New Canaan, Connecticut, a group of parents have taken it upon themselves to come together against teen substance abuse. Their action plan involves reaching out to parents like themselves through workshops that will revolve around parent-children relationships, including how to communicate with one’s kids about sensitive issues.

parent-teen relationshipA feature on the New Canaan Patch shares the objectives of the group, which as yet does not have a name to go by. A core group of parents have received training and are equipped with materials to lead intensive 12-hour workshops. The effort is spearheaded by Robert Curry, who was quoted with the following statement: “You don’t just go directly at addressing alcohol and substance abuse, you have to go back and lay the groundwork with the parents, to give them the tools to parent.”

The group will be spreading the word about the workshops through churches, libraries and community groups. The sessions are scheduled to start in the fall, although there are a couple of summer workshops in the works: there will be one for parents of kids being treated at the Silver Hill Hospital and another for adults in 12-step programs.

The group does not expect the effort to be a walk in the park. One of the parents who have been certified as workshop leaders is Diane Blasco, and she shared: “I think it will be challenging getting the people who really need to be at these programs… I think that’s always the issue—a lot of times you have to wait for a crisis to occur before you even know you have a problem.”

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Marijuana Danger Facts for Teens

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Alcohol Abuse, Drug Addiction, Raising Healthy Kids on May 4th, 2010

Can marijuana cause harm (illness or death) to the user?

The components of marijuana are not toxic enough to cause an illness or death. It has even been used as a form of medication in a number of states in the US. However, if we talk about using marijuana with other drugs or using marijuana while or shortly before doing activities that require focus and coordination, such as driving or operating a heavy machine, then marijuana can be dangerous and can even cause death.

teen marijuanaIs it dangerous to drink alcohol and smoke marijuana at the same time?

Drinking too much alcohol can cause serious illness or death. Throwing up is the body’s way to get rid of poison. Smoking marijuana suppresses the body’s need to purge when the blood alcohol content reaches dangerous levels. That is why binge drinking and marijuana smoking make a dangerous combination.

Does using marijuana always lead to abusing other more dangerous drugs?

Marijuana has been referred to as a gateway drug, a label which many marijuana advocates strongly oppose to. Many drug abusers may have started with marijuana, but only a small percentage of marijuana users actually move on to using other more dangerous drugs. What marijuana users should be concerned about is not how it can lead to further drug abuse, but what its effects are to the brain even when taken without other drugs.

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