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How Can Parents Safely Dispose of Unused Medications to Help Prevent Teen Drug Abuse?

Posted by on March 25, 2014

ANSWER:

Elise Schram
Community Initiatives Coordinator
DuPage County Health Department
Phone: (630) 221-7075
www.dupagehealth.org
Elise.Schram@dupagehealth.org

Today I’m here to talk with you about how parents can safely dispose of unused medications and prevent the risk of prescription drug abuse. The DuPage County Health Department launched the Rx Box Program in 2009 in response to prescription drug abuse among teens. The Rx Box Program is an environmentally safe and easy way of disposing unused medicines, eliminating the risk of these prescription drugs being misused and abused. The problem is between 30 and 80% of patients do not finish commonly prescribed medications such as pain medicines, antibiotics, and beta blockers. According to the Center for Disease Control, prescription drug abuse is the fastest growing problem among youth between 12 and 17 years old. Most of these teens are abusing the unused medications in their very own home.

The DuPage County Health Department’s solution to this problem is the Rx Box responsible disposing system. The Rx Program has established 12 locations scattered throughout DuPage County making it easily accessible for everyone to utilize. The medications are collected and removed periodically from theses locations. They are then safely incinerated in an environmentally friendly way according to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency protocols.

Since the program was launched five years ago, the Rx Box has collected over 40,000 pounds of unused medications. For more information on the Rx Box program, and to find a location near you, visit dupagehealth.org/rxbox. The simple act of cleaning out your medicine cabinet could save a life and protect your teen’s future!

Locations offering Rx Boxes are:

Addison Police Department
1 Friendship Plaza, Addison, IL 60101

Bloomingdale Police Department
2015 Bloomingdale Road, Bloomingdale, IL 60108

Burr Ridge Police Department
7660 S. County Line Rd # 1, Burr Ridge, IL 60527

Carol Stream Police Department
500 N. Gary Avenue, Carol Stream, IL 60188

DuPage County Sheriff
501 N. County Farm Road, Wheaton, IL 60187

Glendale Heights Police Department
300 Civic Plaza, Glendale Heights, IL 60139

Lemont Police Department
416 Main Street, Lemont, IL 60439

Lisle Police Department
5040 Lincoln Avenue, Lisle, IL 60532

Oak Brook Police Department
1200 Oak Brook Road, Oak Brook, IL 60521

Schaumburg Police Deparment
1000 W. Schaumburg Road, Schaumburg, IL 60194

Wheaton Police Department
900 W. Liberty Drive, Wheaton, IL 60187

Wood Dale Police Department
404 N. Wood Dale Road, Wood Dale, IL 60191

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Posted in: Drugs & Alcohol, Prescription Drug Abuse

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How Do I Help My Child Balance
Commitment to Academics and Athletics?

Posted by on March 25, 2014

ANSWER:

Barb Barrows
Athletic Director
Neuqua Valley High School
Naperville, IL
(630) 428-6849
barb_barrows@ipsd.org

Student Comes First as a Student Athlete!
Know that choosing to participate in a sport and athletics comes with a large commitment. Students will need to make sacrifices and adjust in becoming more responsible, diligent & organized. Developing good habits, setting priorities & good time management is KEY!

Good Study Habits
Planning ahead in using a calendar or assignment book, carve out time on weeknights and weekends to study. Study in chunks of time, so as not to cram the night before. Eliminate the distractions. Studies have shown, multitasking while trying to do homework results in twice as much time to complete the task. Stay FOCUSED!

Prioritizing time means there will be less time for socializing, watching TV, twitter, video game, etc…. Cut the excess or limit the amount of time viewing TV, games, computer, etc….

Time Management
Athletes in season tend to be more organized and balance time than in the off-season. Use down time for specific assignments or reviewing notes. Take advantage of resource room during the day, PLC Wed. afternoons to work on homework and / or use time while on the bus. Ask for help from the teacher, study with teammates, and let your coach know if you are struggling in a class. They may be able to assist and can provide extra time if needing to study.

Parents establish parameters with your son or daughter. Helping develop a good routine at home is essential. Keep communication open and checking grades regularly will keep you informed.
If the demand of sports appears to be too much, look for ways to improve habits before quitting. Keep line of communication open. Empower your son and daughter in the process and while insisting that academics are a priority, guide your child in changing habits. He/she is responsible for his/ her academic success. Learning how to find balance will add to the positive experience of being a student athlete.

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Posted in: Schoolwork & Competition

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How Do I Help My Child Manage
Performance Expectations in Sports?

Posted by on March 25, 2014

ANSWER:

Barb Barrows
Athletic Director
Neuqua Valley High School
Naperville, IL
(630) 428-6849
barb_barrows@ipsd.org

What are the expectations/goals of the Child?

GOAL SETTING
ATHLETES work with your Coach in setting reasonable goals and acknowledge that goals are achieved over time. Focus on only what you can control, do your best and have no regrets. Enjoy the experience.

COMMUNICATIONS

Parents communicate with your child about his/ her goals. This will help to avoid unrealistic expectations that are different from your child. The lack of communication and or extra pressure of unrealistic performance or season expectations can make the season very stressful and unproductive. Student athletes know their role on the team and what is expected of them. Support your child by encouraging him/her to do their best and be proud of their best efforts. Do not compare your child to other players. Do not use playing time, statistics or words in a newspaper or lack of in qualifying your son’s/ daughter’s experience.

OPPORTUNITY

Approach sports as an opportunity / experience for your child to get close to a group of people, build friendships, develop skills, improve fitness, learn discipline, how to manage adversity and how to work towards personal goals. These experiences carry over to real life. If the purpose of playing sports is to get a D1 scholarship, then the end result could be disappointing and the student be clouded to all the benefits that sports have to offer.

GROWTH

Participation in sports allows individuals to see what they are made of and how they will react to different situations. How an athlete manages the ups and downs of emotions, stress, time management, accountability in working with others, etc…
Sport can bring the best and the worse out of individuals. If a student athlete is being encouraged and supported to work through challenges this will allow him/her to enjoy their experience greater and grow as a person.

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Posted in: Schoolwork & Competition

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How Do I Identify the Pills I Found in my Child’s Room?

Posted by on March 24, 2014

ANSWER:

Chief Bob Marshall
Naperville Police Department
(630) 420-6161
www.naperville.il.us
marshallr@naperville.il.us
First Step Program – DuPage County
(630) 407-2100

 

This is a question the Naperville Police Department fields frequently. Two options immediately come to mind:

1. The first option is to confront your child and ask your child: Where did you get these pills, who did you get them from, and do you know what these pills are for?

2. The second option is a program that’s available through DuPage County, through their Crime Lab. It’s called the First Step Program. The Program allows parents to anonymously call the DuPage County Crime Lab and give a description of the item the parent is questioning whether it be pills, a powdery substance, or a leafy substance. What happens then is that the Crime Lab will provide direction to the parents and they don’t need to leave their name, address or number. The Crime Lab will analyze that material and communicate the contents directly to the parents. We are assured that there are no legal ramifications for calling the Crime Lab and asking them to identify that substance.

Those are two options that are available to parents in DuPage County and specifically the Naperville community if they come across some pills or substances in their child’s room or in their child’s possession and they may not know exactly what it is.

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Posted in: Drugs & Alcohol

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