Did You Know...

01-18-07 I have commented in a previous article how I enjoy a periodic snow fall but also like it when it melts as quickly as it came. I'm not changing my opinion but I must say that while driving down the hill on Hwy 47 last Friday was absolutely beautiful! The blanket of snow on the ground and the snowy accents on the trees made for a picturesque post-card setting. When in Nebraska my wife and our family spent a great deal of time in the Colorado Rocky Mountains and what I saw on my drive down 47 was as beautiful or more so then the Rockies. My first topic has to do with the internet and the very popular website called "YouTube.com". YouTube is a video sharing website that has become extremely popular with young people and juveniles. The site allows you to share small video clips with the world. Many of the clips are mini-movies made by some very talented young people while others are clips taken with cell phones or whatever device you can think of. Most of clips are fairly innocuous, innocent, and funny while others are not funny and sometimes disturbing. When I say disturbing I am not commenting as to my opinions but on those images that depict dangerous acts, drug use, intoxication, and self destructive acts that are perpetrated. Teens have always done dangerous things (including myself) but the trend is to stage these acts and then film them so they can be posted. As a parent or guardian I suggest you speak to your teens about dangerous behavior and peer pressures to perform this behavior for the camera. Ask if they have a YouTube account and ask to see what they have posted or what they have saved in their YouTube favorites. The second topic I want to quickly discuss is the increase in prescription drug abuse we are seeing and hearing about here in Vernonia. The Partnership for a Drug Free America's annual tracking study showed; 1 in 5 teens has abused prescription pain medication, 1 in 5 report abusing prescription stimulants and tranquilizers, and 1 in 10 has abused cough medication. Though I don't have actual data I would venture to say these numbers are consistent if not a little bit higher here in Vernonia. Over the last year and recently we have received information of all three of these examples occurring in Vernonia. Parents and guardians need to speak to their children about the abuse of these medications. Many teens think these drugs are 'safe' because they have legitimate uses. If you have current or older prescriptions for this type of medication make sure you secure them and see that none are missing. If you have elderly relatives make sure their medication is secure and all accounted for. If you find suspicious medication, ask you teen about it and don't hesitate to call the VPD so we can attempt to identify it. If you have questions on drug abuse you can go to <www.drugfree.org> for more information.