People in recovery often face a social dilemma: where to hang out when bars and clubs must remain off-limits. For many, so-called Token Clubs provide an answer — and a safe haven — the Louisiville Courier-Journal reported July 12.

Lousiville, Ky.’s West End Token Club, for example, serves coffee and soda instead of alcohol, and patrons meet for sober dates, not pickups. The former bar, open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and featuring a big-screen TV and space for 12-step meetings, is owned by recovering alcoholics and addicts.

“We can’t go around old people and places,” said co-owner Charles McGinnis. “So that’s the purpose of this place: to keep us — to keep me — from straying.”

Find more information at jointogether.org

Teens who regularly visit stores that display point-of-sale ads for tobacco products were twice as likely to try smoking — a finding researchers said argues for a complete ban on such advertising.

HealthDay News reported July 19 that researchers who surveyed 2,110 teens ages 11-14 found that — contrary to industry claims — point-of-sale ads are highly effective in motivating teens to smoke. Such ads represent 90 percent of all tobacco-industry spending on advertising.

Study author Lisa Henricksen of Stanford University Medical School said that regulating retail marketing is essential for further progress in bringing down teen smoking rates.

The study will be published in the August 2010 issue of the journal Pediatrics.

This article from the Join Together website. Visit them at www.jointogether.org

Action Alert
Deadline Is July 15 to Submit Comments
on New Dietary Recommendations

The 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Report was released on June 15. This report forms the basis for the federal government’s highly influential Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The new report suggests that increased daily consumption is safe. Please join Marin Institute and Join Together and tell the Committee they are making unscientific recommendations that the alcohol industry will use to its advantage. The deadline for submitting your comments is 5 p.m. (EDT) on July 15, 2010.

Click here to submit comments.

Click here for talking points.

Kids Count Radio Show is hosted by the Indiana Youth Institute President and CEO Bill Stanczykiewicz, the show discusses key parent issues and provides applicable tips and resources. Guests include youth development experts, national authors on child, youth and parenting issues, educational and government leaders and Indiana youth workers with timely comments that will inform, educate and inspire!

Last week the radio show Bill Stancykiewicz spoke with Janet Williams, Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio and Chair of the American Association of Pediatrics Committee on Substance Abuse and Maggie Blythe MD a Professor of Pediatrics & Adjunct Professor of Gynecology at the Indiana University School of Medicine.

Janet shares with everyone about a  statement that the AAP has come out with stating that they have hard evidence that alcohol is bad for kids. They have come out with recommendations for parents, the general public and the medical community on how to prevent kids from using and abusing alcohol and help those who have already started using to stop.

To listen to the radio show click here.

By: Bob Culey :: Join Together :: June 22, 2010

This month’s “Cannabis Cup” in San Francisco featured the unveiling of a product sure to take the debate over e-cigarettes to a new level. Vapor Rush delivers a dose of THC from vaporized marijuana “kief,” or powdered resin. Three varieties are offered by the company, based in southern California. “Smoke your green without a lighter, smell, even weed!” the Vapor Rush website boasts.

Critics of e-cigarettes — including the FDA — say the products are untested and potentially dangerous. “Now, on top of these dangers, there may be additional ones as users are able to “smoke” marijuana in their workplaces, and in other public places including airplanes surreptitiously (without any smell or smoke as the sellers brag), and where bystanders — including young children, the elderly, those with a variety of medical problems, and those who do not wish to get even a little bit high — can be exposed,” according to John Banzhaf, executive director of Action on Smoking or Health (ASH), a leading e-cigarette critic.

With its emphasis on delivering doses of psychoactive THC, Vapor Rush is clearly designed to get users high, even though the manufacturer instructs customers to “visit your local dispensary” to get e-cigarette cartridges.

Advances in research on e-cigarette technology and sussing out the beneficial ingredients of marijuana for medical use might someday see a successful union of smokeless delivery devices for legitimate medical-marijuana users. Right now, however, the hype is far outpacing the hope.

By SARAH MICHALOS :: Daily Journal :: June 19, 2010

Teens charged with underage drinking said they didn’t have any alcohol, but pictures posted on Facebook showed them sipping from bottles of liquor, wine or beer.

In another case, Franklin police found a group of Bob Marley fans who were spraying “One Love” graffiti across the city through a MySpace page dedicated to the singer’s hit.

Investigators with the Johnson County Prosecutor’s Office use Facebook to find deadbeat parents who aren’t paying child support and have them arrested and hauled back to court.

Local police officers, prosecutors and attorneys are turning to social networking sites to find suspects and tie them to a crime.

But the investigation doesn’t end when a person is charged or makes an appearance in court; online profiles of defendants, witnesses and victims are monitored to see what they’re saying about the case, attorneys said.

Screenshots of a Facebook profile or a wall posting are more frequently finding their way into evidence during a trial and can bolster or discredit someone’s testimony, Franklin attorney Jay Hoffman said.

He’s been involved in cases where people claiming to be a victim in a battery case brag on a social networking site that they set the other person up.

Franklin attorney Andy Roesener has started telling all new clients to be careful about what they post to a social networking site while a case is pending. He’s heard of people posting information online about what happened in court that day or the intricate details of a case.

People may not realize that what they put online can be printed out and used as evidence, but that’s exactly what attorneys have been doing, Hoffman said. He and other lawyers have their clients log into Facebook and print off wall posts or photos, then make sure they’re printed with a time and date stamp to show when the material was accessed. A screenshot of a Facebook page or photo is admissible in court.

Because Facebook has privacy settings that allow only certain users to see their profiles or pictures, attorneys ask their clients to look at the pages of their Facebook friends involved in the case.

Prosecutors and attorneys also can subpoena the Facebook pages of people with privacy settings that they’re unable to access themselves.

Most of the time, information found online helps supplement other evidence already gathered by police, such as interview transcripts and video footage, Prosecutor Brad Cooper said.

But in an underage drinking case last year, Facebook photos were a linchpin, he said. Five teens and 20-year-olds faced misdemeanor underage drinking charges after reportedly drinking alcohol provided by a parent while at a party.

The teens denied drinking that night, but one of them posted a photo album on Facebook showing them holding alcoholic beverage bottles and drinking from them, Cooper said.

After the teens were shown the pictures, they withdrew their not-guilty pleas.

Prosecutors also tracked the Facebook profile of Will Slinger, who was convicted in 2007 of two counts of operating a vehicle while under the influence of a controlled substance.

Slinger had smoked marijuana the day he crashed his vehicle into a van and killed a passenger inside. On his Facebook page, Slinger referenced his marijuana use and also posted photos of a bong, Cooper said.

“If (defendants) take the stand in the trial, we can use that to cross-examine them,” he said.

Sometimes, it’s difficult to measure how evidence from Facebook or MySpace impacts a case, Franklin attorney Andy Baldwin said.

He and his law partner earlier this year represented Thomas Hibbs, who faced sexual misconduct charges after having sex with a girl who was under 16, the legal age of consent.

Part of the defense’s argument was that the girl presented herself as older than she was, including putting on her MySpace page that she was older than she actually was, Baldwin said. The trial ended with a hung jury, and the case likely will be tried again.

“There was some value to (the MySpace page) in that case,” Baldwin said. “She got caught in a lie.

Social networking also can be useful in civil or child support cases, Cooper said. An investigator on his staff uses Facebook and MySpace coupled with utility records to find people who aren’t making their child support payments.

Prosecutors also track blogs and other Web sites and have found comments posted by a confidential informant or the relative of a defendant that damage their case, Cooper said.

“It’s a nice tool to have when people just basically want to help you prosecute them by posting incriminating evidence,” he said.

Attorneys often check Facebook for evidence of a person’s lifestyle in a custody case, said Baldwin, who used to handle custody hearings. People sometimes use the site to vent about a former spouse or post photos of a recent party that shows their behavior.

“I think all parties now go right to MySpace or Facebook and look for information on people to see how they’re presenting themselves,” Baldwin said.

Prescription and over the counter drug abuse is becoming an area concern in Indiana and the United States. Most students use prescription drugs properly, but nearly one in five teens reports abusing them to get high. By their sophomore year in college, about half of all students have been offered the opportunity to abuse a prescription drug. The Drug-Free Coalition of Tippecanoe County has initiatives in place to educate the community in an effort to reduce the misuse and limit youth access to RX and OTC drugs.

To learn more about how to educate your family, monitor, secure and dispose of prescription drugs click here.

By Amanda Sliepka :: Purdue Exponent Summer Reporter :: 06/02/2010

With the need to concentrate on school, work and extracurricular activities putting more stress on students, some have found a solution to get those better grades.

A survey conducted by the Student Wellness Office from 2007 to 2009 showed shocking levels of illegal prescription drug use among Purdue students, especially the drug Adderall. In 2007 and 2008, between 4.8 to 5.7 percent of students who took the survey claimed to have used Adderall, a prescription medication for Attention Deficit Disorder, illegally. In 2009, that result doubled to 11.3 percent. These surveys were conducted in early March, during most students’ midterm season.

When broken down by living situations, this increase was consistent between on-campus non-Greek housing, off-campus housing and students living with their parents; Greek housing has the highest rate of Adderall use among all the living arrangement groups studied, but in Greek housing the number of students responding to the survey who said they had taken Adderall illegally within the previous 12 months had dropped almost 7 percent, from 20.1 percent to 13.6 percent – only slightly above the overall average.

Lt. Fred Davis of the Purdue Police Department said that some students who have been caught have mentioned using it during exams.

Marty Green, clinical social and addiction specialist for Counseling and Psychological Services, has been watching as more and more students come in either looking for Adderall or taking it illegally.

The brain functions because it is filled with millions of neurons, which both produce and collect neuron-specific neurotransmitters, transmitting messages along specific neural pathways. In a person with ADD, Green said, part of the brain is overstimulated and some of the neurons do not fully extend.

Thus, the neurotransmitters don’t reach the intended neuron and are lost in the synapse, or space between neurons; they gravitate to the source neuron, so the pathway is broken, creating a feedback loop. A person with ADD just pays attention to one particular thing; when students with ADD are in a room they notice the little details of their surroundings and can’t concentrate on an exam or lecture or finish a task. Adderall helps cancel out the extra stimuli by slowing down the brain, helping users focus more.

Students without ADD have a filter that can block out these distractions. Adderall, in users who do not have ADD, acts as a stimulant and helps them focus better. However, it brings with it health risks, including increased heart rate, rapid blood pressure, stroke, paranoia, rapid weight loss, addiction and even death. Adderall is a strong stimulant and people have a high risk of becoming addicted to the drug.

Green said that on a 1 to 9 scale of stimulant strength, Adderall is at about a 6, while cocaine is at a 9. A student would have to consume a lot of caffeine to feel anywhere close to the same effect as Adderall.

The drug, to a user without ADD, will eliminate tiredness for a while, but afterward the user will feel lethargic, irritable, on edge and will experience a speed crash.

Green said that there have been studies that have shown that some students without ADD who are taking Adderall illegally have been seen doing better on academics. These studies say they’re able to concentrate, but the studies ask the questions of if these users were sleep deprived when taking the drug or if the users can operate at full capacity. Another problem with taking this drug illegally is users will stay up later and mess up their sleep cycle.

“If students just sleep well, maintain healthy nutrition and exercise, they will far exceed how they would do in academics compared to taking Adderall,” Green said.

The Student Wellness Office has made the general assumption that this use is mainly for academic purposes.

“It’s pretty much an A-plus drug,” said “Jarred,” who uses Adderall without a prescription. Jarred said for finals and exams this drug is the best way for him to study.

What most students fail to realize is that Adderall is a Schedule II controlled substance, according to Davis.

“Adderall is an amphetamine that’s been around for years,” Davis said. “The possession of Adderall without prescription is a Class D Felony, which is punishable by up to one-half to three years imprisonment and a fine of not more than $10,000. Dealing of Adderall is a Class B felony, which is six to 20 years imprisonment and not more than $10,000 fine.”

This punishment may be worse under other circumstances, such as dealing to someone under the age of 18.

Davis said that the Purdue Police Department doesn’t have a serious problem with Adderall busts. In February, a freshman was found to have seven pills thought to be Adderall.

“Stacy,” another Purdue student, has a prescription for Adderall and provides her friends with the drug if they ask. She doesn’t ask her friends for money, but admits that if they’re willing to give it to her she’ll let them choose the price, which is usually a couple of dollars per pill. “Jarred” said that he has spent between $3 and $5 per pill on Adderall, depending on the amount of milligrams per pill.

Green said most college students, according to recent research, don’t see a problem with it.

“I can see it being abused and I don’t think it’s not a big deal. I feel like I’m smart enough to not be addicted to it, but if it got in the wrong hands it can cause big problems,” Jarred said.

Stacy feels that it is a big deal, because it’s a controlled substance, but “students are seeking out study aids.”

Tammy Loew, the health advocacy coordinator of the Student Wellness Office, oversaw the survey and campaign on the use of Adderall.

“If people are taking a drug that haven’t had a check-up before hand, they’re at risk for other side effects,” Loew said. “They’re just thinking about something they think will help them study.”

According to YouTube video, put together by students Bryan Sprich, a sophomore in the College of Liberal Arts, Martrell Golston, a sophomore in the College of Health Sciences, and Alissa Johnson, a sophomore in the College of Liberal Arts, “Adderall Abuse at Purdue,” students are learning to navigate the psychiatric exams offered at PUSH. Green said that CAPS has extensive tests before officially prescribing Adderall, but ADD is not something that can be blood tested.

Green said “patients can’t trick their way through testing protocol.” The physicians have prescription privileges and want to help out the students that need Adderall, but are now taking extra precautions.

“There’s too much risk,” said Green, referring to the health risks that are involved in taking Adderall without a prescription.

The Student Wellness Office has been in the process of putting together a campaign in hopes that students will decrease illegal use of the drug. In October of 2009, the office asked students who said they used Adderall within the previous 12 months, “How did the Adderall ad affect your behavior this semester?”

Three hundred and eighty five students replied; 21 percent said they used less Adderall without the prescription. The students who said they sold their Adderall were asked “How did the Adderall ad message effect your behavior this semester?”

Out of those students, 18 percent said they sold or gave away less Adderall. The office also asked these students if they had used Adderall within the previous 12 months, in which 12 percent of them said they had.

Jarred said that he will continue to use Adderall to help him study. “I’m not proud I use it, but it helps me get by.”

Chart Data: 12 month prevalence of Adderall use without a prescription

n= students answering the question: In the last 12 months, have you used Adderall without a prescription?

Year n percentage of students who said yes

2009 4994 11.3%

2008 7187 5.7%

2007 3818 4.8%

By Justin Mack • Journal and Courier • June 1, 2010

Leonard Washington said making sure he has proper identification is the last thing on his mind when heading to the liquor store.

The 56-year-old Lafayette resident thanks his gray hair and wrinkles for keeping most of his trips for beer and wine short and sweet.

“I think it’s safe to say I didn’t just turn 21, and they’re pretty sure I ain’t gonna pull out a fake ID,” Washington said. “I’m an old man, so they tend to leave me alone. As long as I have enough cash on me, I’m in and out.”

However, Washington and other residents who have become accustomed to picking up alcohol without first showing their ID will soon be forced to break the habit thanks to a recently passed mandatory carding law.

Starting July 1, any licensed server selling alcohol for off-premise consumption will be required to card all Hoosiers — regardless of how old they look. That means all retailers from supermarkets to package liquor stores will be turning away customers without identification.

Anyone who fails to check for ID during a transaction can be cited with a criminal misdemeanor.

Restaurants, bars and other businesses where patrons consume alcohol on-site are not affected by the change.

In anticipation of the new rules, many Lafayette-area retailers have already rolled out new mandatory carding policies.

“We appreciate their commitment to ensure that every person that purchases alcohol does so legally,” said Karah Rawlings, director of the Drug-Free Coalition of Tippecanoe County. “It may be a bit of an adjustment. This minor inconvenience of showing identification will help ensure we keep alcohol out of the hands of minors.

“I fully expect our community to support this initiative.”

Among the supporters are the members of the Indiana Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association. In January, the group voluntarily implemented a mandatory carding policy in all affiliated shops.

Speedway, Super K, Super Test and Village Pantry are just a few of the stores throughout the state that have been carding all of their customers for months.

According to Katy Travis, program director for the Drug-Free Coalition, Walgreens and Target also have similar rules already in place.

She said that Ron Culp, owner of Elmwood Liquors in Lafayette, has been treating May as a consumer education period.

Travis said all Elmwood Liquors employees have been speaking to customers about the upcoming changes before they start carding everyone on June 1.

“We just hope that people go into the change with a positive attitude,” she said. “When the cashier asks them for ID, we want them to hand it over with a smile and understand it’s not the cashier’s fault.”

For some residents, remembering to keep an ID handy when buying alcohol has been easy.

“I’m used to it now. I usually stop in and grab stuff here,” said Tom Ebert, 32, of Lafayette after buying a beer from the Village Pantry on South Fourth Street. “Makes me feel like a kid again, so I have no problem with them checking. I know they have to do their jobs.”

For others, the new rule is enough to keep them out of the liquor store.

“I just don’t see the point,” said Washington. “Some of the employees recognize me after coming in so much. Now these people who know me are going to card me, and for what?

“Carding me isn’t keeping beer away from underage drinkers.”

Jerry Mull, assistant manager at Eastway Liquors in Lafayette, said he expects some customers to resist at first.

“What’s going to happen is in the beginning people will see it as a bit of a nuisance, but then it will become second nature,” he said. “We already card a lot of people in their 40s and 50s, so we absolutely support the new law.”

Mull said the shop takes carding seriously and recognizes clerks that always ask for ID.

“We’ve had the Drug Free Coalition come in here several times, and we’ve never failed their tests,” he said. “We commend our people for doing it. We even have plaques up for people who card customers.”

While stores are already gearing up for the carding rules, some residents said the changes will likely go unnoticed.

West Lafayette residents Dan Bowen, 32, and Chloe Rutkowski, 28, said they were unaware mandatory carding wasn’t already a law.

The couple said they usually purchase alcohol from stores such as Walmart and Target.

“I can’t remember ever not having my ID checked,” Bowen said, as he browsed the liquor aisle of the Walmart in West Lafayette. “I always keep it in my hand along with my debit card. It takes two seconds to show it and move on.”

Travis said that while the new rule is a big win for the coalition, the group continues to fight for additional changes.

“We really want to see the carding law applied to on-site locations like restaurants. We also still want to see a tax increase on alcohol,” she said. “We have done a lot of work with legislators here in Tippecanoe (County) and at the state level. It’s been a long time coming, but were excited to see changes.”

WLFI :: by Erin Coduti and Ava Wilhite:: May 26th, 2010

LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) – It appears that a growing number of people between the ages of 15 and 30 are using Spice, but few are admitting to it.

Spice, and the related cannabinoid substance known as K2, can be found at gas stations or tobacco stores legally as incense. Warning labels state that K2 is not intended for human consumption but emergency room doctors said some people are ignoring that warning.

Jill Grant is an emergency room physician at St. Elizabeth Central. She said she has seen an increase in the number of Spice-related cases.

“In the last couple of weeks I’ve probably seen a half-dozen patients with symptoms that could potentially be related to them,” said Grant.

Dr. Grant said people ignore the warning because they are looking for a legal high.

“A lot of people are looking for the highs they would get with marijuana. Sometimes a legal high can provide users with relaxation from it. Sometimes they can have relief from pain. So they will ignore warnings because they are looking for the euphoric feelings that they get as a result of using,” said Grant.

She said the patients that come all complain of similar symptoms.

“Typically people will come in tachycardia, which is an elevated heart rate. They will come in and they are sweaty. Their blood pressure will be higher. I’ve actually had patients that are hallucinating. I’ve had individuals who have had seizures are a result as well,” said Grant. Long-term use can cause permanent harm to the body.

“If you end up having damage to your heart because your heart goes out of rhythm. If it beats too fast it can cause strain on the heart. It can cause seizures. Seizures can cause long-term problems with brain function. You can have a stroke and be paralyzed. It can have long-term detriments to your life. You can even die if you have seizures that are uncontrolled or do not have medical care before that time,” said Grant.

She added emergency physicians rely heavily on people admitting that they ingested Spice so they can give proper medical treatment.