Sedating children with over-the-counter or prescription medications may be an under-recognized form of abuse, CNN reported July 22.

Researchers who looked at data from the National Poison Data System found an average of 160 cases of ‘malicious administration’ of pharmaceuticals to children per year, with 1,439 cases between 2000 and 2008. The study found that 14 percent of cases resulted in injuries and 18 kids died.

Sedatives were the most common drug administered, but parents also gave kids antidepressants, stimulants, and antipsychotics.

“Anytime you’re giving a medication for any other purpose other than for what it’s explicitly prescribed for, you run the risk of harming your child,” said Shan Yin, the author of the report.

“If [parents give kids medicine] for medical a reason, that’s one thing,” James Hmurovich, the president and CEO of Prevent Child Abuse America, added. “If moms are at wit’s end and the stress is building up and they’re tired, that’s not a good use of over-the-counter medications.

The findings were reported in the Journal of Pediatrics.

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.

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