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 Parenting Related NewsI am betting that very few of you have sat through a week’s worth of sex education classes at your teenkid’s school. If your school district offers – or mandates – such classes, you no doubt have received a carefully crafted note listing the topics to be covered. And, if you have somehow managed to raise one of those rare tweens or teens who, in response to “so, what happened at school today?” replies polysyllabically, you might have a general notion of what goes on.
Do you know an outstanding youth coach or student athlete who demonstrates a commitment to fair, drug-free play and an overall healthy lifestyle? Does this person inspire others to give it their all, make the team smile after a big defeat, or show exemplary character and integrity on and off the field?
If you answered YES, [...]
She smiled and said she was proud of him. He had come to a 180 degree turn in his life. And with that, he turned to the other teens and thanked them for helping him change his life. His victory became theirs.
One in five teenagers has abuse prescription pain medication. Dr. Drew shares some reasons why teens are abusing pills and what parents can do if they suspect their child is using.
My colleague told me she was having her 10-year-old stepson practice his reading and comprehension skills while reading entries from my personal blog. Effectively, she noted, along the way she discovered that it’s a creative method of early drug prevention too.
As a college student living 5 hours away from my parents, I have the freedom to do pretty much whatever I want. If I got into any real trouble, with the university or the law, only then would the school contact my parents. Otherwise, I can get away with a lot without my parents ever knowing. That’s a scary thought for parents reading this, right?
Being a responsive parent instead of a reactive parent begins with more matter-of-fact interactions with our kids. This means speaking to them in a calm manner and not freaking out, overreacting and getting extreme with our emotions. Too often, when we see something in our relationship that we don’t like, we try to change everything wholesale. We say things like, “From now on, things are going to be different!”
While it was hard to immediately see the outward effects of my pill intake, inside, I was detaching from reality. I always describe the feeling of being on pills as being inside a protective bubble. You feel like nothing can hurt you…and eventually, nothing can, simply because you’ve got no emotions left.
Let’s face it. Teens are not that interested in talking to someone whose sole intent is to pepper them with questions, judge their answers, and offer unsolicited advice. In fact, these forms of communication serve to obstruct rather than facilitate communication with our teens. As a matter of fact, they are part of a longer list of communication blocks that parents would do well to avoid if they’d want their teens to talk to them.
Truth be told, the lessons about alcohol consumption that are the most powerful may just be the ones that are not accompanied by a wagging finger and a tongue lashing. It is the small, accumulated lessons about drinking that add up to make a difference.
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BOTOX AND KIDS?Public Citizen Wants Stricter Botox Warnings 180 serious reactions, 16 deaths, linked to the drug January 24, 2008 The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) should immediately increase its warnings and directly warn patients and doctors about the use of botulinum toxin -- available as Botox and Myobloc -- because of serious adverse reactions, including deaths, linked to the drug, Public Citizen said in a petition filed with the agency. Unlike drug regulatory agencies in Europe, the FDA has not issued any warnings to patients or doctors about the dangers of using the toxin, which is commonly used in therapeutic and cosmetic procedures. Botox and Myobloc are intended to block nerve impulses to certain muscles, causing them to relax. However, in some cases, the toxin has spread to other parts of the body with serious consequences, such as paralysis of respiratory muscles and difficulty swallowing (dysphagia), the latter possibly leading to food or liquids entering the respiratory tract and lungs, causing aspiration pneumonia. A Public Citizen analysis of FDA data found that makers of the drug have reported 180 U.S. cases of people developing these sometimes life-threatening conditions after receiving injections, including 16 deaths; four of the deaths occurred in children less than 18 years of age. The FDA data come from voluntary reports, which have been estimated to account for only 10 percent of actual cases. The FDA has approved the use of botulinum toxin for a limited number of "therapeutic" conditions, including uncontrollable neck and shoulder muscle contractions, crossed eyes, spasmodic blinking of the eyes and excessive underarm sweating. The only approved cosmetic use is for temporary smoothing of wrinkles between the eyebrows. Most cosmetic uses of botulinum toxin are unapproved. The FDA should send a warning letter directly to doctors alerting them to the problems associated with the toxin, including cases of hospitalization and death, Public Citizen’s petition said. Black box warning The petition also asks the FDA to label the products with a "black box" warning, the strongest warning the agency can make, and require doctors to give patients a medication guide at the time of the injection warning them of possible symptoms of adverse reactions, as well as other information about the drug. "These significantly improved warnings to doctors and patients would increase the likelihood of earlier medical intervention when symptoms of adverse reactions to botulinum toxin first appear and could prevent more serious complications, including death," said Dr. Sidney Wolfe, director of Public Citizen’s Health Research Group. "Nobody should be dying from injected botulinum toxin, Educating physicians and patients about what adverse symptoms to look for and when to seek immediate medical attention will save lives," Wolfe said. Early symptoms include dry mouth, difficulty swallowing, difficulty breathing, slurred speech, drooping eyelids and muscle weakness. Cases cited The Public Citizen analysis of FDA data found that between Nov. 1, 1997, and Dec. 31, 2006, there were 658 reported cases of people suffering adverse effects from injections of botulinum toxin. Of these, 180 were associated with aspiration (fluid in the lungs), dysphagia and/or pneumonia; 87 required hospitalization. In fact, cases of dysphagia were common in pre-approval studies of botulinum toxin for therapeutic uses. Although most cases were mild, severe cases did occur, even with the limited number of people exposed in these studies. The FDA should follow the lead of its counterparts in Europe, Wolfe said. The European Union took steps last year to caution doctors about the dangers of the botulinum toxin, posting warnings on its Web site. Additionally, the U.K. and Germany have sent letters to doctors. So far, the FDA has not required the issuance of direct warnings to either doctors or patients. Copyright © 2003-2008 Consumer Affairs.Com Inc. All Rights Reserved. |
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