Chemical Health

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STAFF
Ann Lindberg-Borgen, LADC
Title
651-403-7205 | a nn.lindberg@isd197.org

School District 197 has long taken a proactive stance in addressing the educational needs of our students in regard to healthy choices and avoiding chemical abuse. In September 2003, LIFESKILLS was implemented in the 5th and 6th grade curriculum. LIFESKILLS TRAINING (LST) is the highest rated, recommended and researched school-based substance abuse prevention program offered today. It is uniquely designed, proven effective, and grounded in over 20 years of research. Rather than simply teaching information about drugs, LST combats the underlying causes of substance use.

Other prevention activities include:

Parent educational and a support-based speaker series offered at both middle schools and the high school
Staff development training on signs and symptoms of chemical abuse
Comprehensive behavioral data gathering and analysis when a student is believed to be under the influence
School-based SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) chapters exist at both middle schools and the high school
Educational briefs and newsletters sent to district parents/guardians
Individual, family, and group meetings that deal with personal, family, or friend chemical use issues

Even with the best prevention programming in place there are students who take the road into experimentation, abuse, and/or dependency of illicit chemicals. School years are the time when the physical, psychological, and addictive effects of drugs are the most severe not only for the user but for those around them.

In an effort to combat the use or distribution of illegal chemicals at school, the administration of Henry Sibley High School along with the chemical health coordinator, chemical health advisory board, and school liaison officer have implemented canine searches of school lockers.

Resources

VAPING

Vaping Presentation

Espanol

Radio Presentation

Radio Presentation on “Teens and Vaping” Ann Lindberg-Borgen on KDWA - Hastings - (38 minutes)

LISTEN HERE

Resources

New Studies suggest Vaping could cloud your thoughts
New survey shows youth vaping remains a serious challenge in Minnesota
For Some Teens, It’s Been a Year of Anxiety and Trips to the E.R.
Vaping Erases 15 Years of Progress Lowering Youth Tobacco Use (PDF)

E-cigarette use

Current Use: 19.3% of high school and 2.9% of middle school students reported having used an e-cigarette in the past 30 days, not statistically different from the percentages in 2017 (19.2% and 3.1%, respectively).
Ever Use: 35.4% of high school and 7.9% of middle school students reported ever using an e-cigarette, not statistically different from the percentages in 2017 (37.7% and 9.9%, respectively)

Source: Minnesota Youth Tobacco Survey, 2020

E-cigarette and recreational marijuana use

18.2% of high school students reported having ever vaped marijuana, a significant increase from 11.4% among high school students in 2017. 2.5% of middle school students reported having ever vaped marijuana, a marginally statistically significant increase from 2017 (1.5%).
Among students currently using e-cigarettes (past 30-day), 65.1% of high school and 71.7% of middle school students had ever vaped marijuana, a statistically significantly increase from 2017 (33.4% and 15.5%, respectively).

Source: Minnesota Youth Tobacco Survey, 2020

Signs of dependence

70.4% of students who used an e-cigarette in the past 30 days reported signs of e-cigarette dependence (78.0% of middle school and 69.7% of high school current e-cigarette users).
42.8% of current tobacco users reported having had a strong craving or feeling like they really needed to use a tobacco product in the past 30 days.
33.6% of current e-cigarette users are frequent users (used on 20+ days in past 30), a significant increase from 2017 (18.7%).

Source: Minnesota Youth Tobacco Survey, 2020

Youth access

Students age 17 or younger who used an e-cigarette in the past 30 days (but could not legally buy tobacco products in any jurisdiction) most commonly reported they got the e-cigarettes they used from social sources: 49.2% reported “someone offered them to me,” 30.6% reported they “asked someone to give me some,” and 27.8% reported “I bought them from another person.” [This question changed from 2017 to 2020; difficult to trend]
8.0% of high school students under age 18 reported they bought e-cigarettes from a store (including online stores), which is a substantial decline from 30.5% in 2017.
[Note: deleted purchase source – too few respondents]

Source: Minnesota Youth Tobacco Survey, 2020

How to Talk with Your Kids about Vaping

First page of the PDF file: ChemicalHealth-1

Eight Warning Signs Your Child Could be Addicted

First page of the PDF file: ChemicalHealth-2

What Parents Need to Know about Adolescent and Young Adult Substance Abuse

First page of the PDF file: ChemicalHealth-3

School District 197 Vaping Brochure

First page of the PDF file: ChemicalHealth-4

Chemical Health Advisory Board

The school and community advisory team must be composed of representatives from the school pre-assessment team established in section 126.034, to the extent possible, law enforcement agencies, county attorney’s office, social service agencies, chemical abuse treatment programs, parents, and the business community. The community advisory team shall:

Build awareness of the problem within the community, identify available treatment and counseling programs for students, and develop good working relationships and enhance communication between the schools and other community agencies
Develop a written procedure clarifying the notification process to be used by the chemical abuse pre-assessment team established under section 126.034 when a student is believed to be in possession of or under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance. The procedure must include contact with the student, and the student’s parents or guardian in the case of a minor student.

Links & Documents

commonly abused substances

Prescription Medication

Prescription medications can be helpful—even life saving—when used to treat injury or illness. When abused, prescription drugs can have devastating effects. National studies find that 15 percent of high school seniors reported nonmedical use of at least one prescription medication within the past year. According to the 2007 Minnesota Student Survey, in Dakota County, 10% of 9th and 12th grade boys and 6-7% of 9th and 12th grade girls reported using someone else’s prescription drugs, most often ADHD/ADD drugs or pain relievers such as OxyContin.

Prescription drugs commonly abused by teens include:

Narcotics (Darvon, Demerol, OxyContin, Percocet, Vicodin)
Stimulants (Ritalin, Adderall and diet pills)
Sedatives (Quaaludes, Rohypnol, Valium, Xanax)

Some of the effects of misusing or abusing prescription drugs include:

Dilated pupils
Drowsiness, dizziness and insomnia
Excessive sweating, urination or thirst
Shaking
Nausea and vomiting
Diarrhea
Addiction
Loss of consciousness
Death

Parents can prevent drug abuse by setting clear expectations and by communicating with their children and teens early.

Tips for Parents

Talk to your children and teens; be sure they know you oppose all illicit drug use.
Keep your prescription medications out of reach. They should not be in a place where your children or their friends can find them. Put them in a safe place where only you have access.
Monitor your teen’s behavior by randomly checking up on them to make sure they are where they say they are. Know their friends and their friends’ families.
Monitor the Web sites that your child visits on the Internet; some teens actually order medications via websites.

For more information go to www.hazelden.org or to http://theantidrug.com.

Energy Drinks

Energy drinks, such as Red Bull, Venom, and Adrenaline Rush, promise to boost energy and sports performance. Energy drinks are loaded with supplements like ephedrine, ginseng, B vitamins, amino acids or caffeine and are typically packed with sugar. They are very appealing to young people because they claim to be a quick and easy way to increase performance. The boost comes from large amounts of sugar and caffeine. One dietitian explained that the additional 200 calories each day could lead to a 20-pound weight gain over the course of one year. These extra calories can increase the risk for heart disease, elevated blood pressure, type two diabetes and other chronic diseases.

The caffeine content in a single serving of an “energy drink” can range from 72 to 150 mg, however many bottles contain 2-3 servings raising the caffeine content to as high as 294 mg per bottle. Young people should limit their caffeine intake to less than 100 mg per day. Adverse effects associated with excessive caffeine include nervousness, irritability, sleeplessness, increased blood pressure, and abnormal heart rhythms.

Young people find it appealing to use energy drinks as mixers for alcohol; this is a potentially a dangerous combination. Both are diuretics and can lead to dehydration. Using energy drinks with alcohol can also lead to drinking more alcohol because of the burst of energy, leading the person to feel less intoxicated than they really are.

What parents should do
Talk with your teen about the beverages they choose. Discuss the potential health consequences from energy drinks. Encourage low-fat milk with meals to ensure healthy bone density during these important years. A best bet is to encourage drinking water – the ultimate thirst quencher! And if their energy level is low – encourage adequate sleep and physical activity.