Monday, October 31, 2016

Teens Think e-Cigarettes Are Safe

Philip Copitch, Ph.D. – Author of Life's Laws For New Adults: Mastering Your Social I.Q.

In the October 2016 journal, Pediatrics, researchers evaluated the numbers from the 2012 and 2014 National Youth Tobacco Survey. This cross-sectional survey of 6th to 12th grade students looked at how students perceived the harm and addictiveness of e-cigarettes. 
Inside the e-cigarette
It is documented that electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are now the most commonly used tobacco product by American youth.
E-cigarettes are battery powered devices that heat a liquid containing nicotine and often a flavoring. This warm vapor is inhaled.
Teens are unaware of the dangers of e-cigarettes. 
About 3 of every 4 students believed that e-cigarettes were less dangerous than paper and tobacco cigarettes. Just under half believed that e-cigarettes were less addictive than cigarettes. 
Read the research paper.
More information: E-cigarettes and Lung Health (American Lung Association)

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

A parent's worst fear, the death of their child.



Before I get started with this article let me give you a warning. This article is about an adult subject. I know a lot of young people read this website. This subject matter is not for the young or faint hearted.
I have been a family therapist for well over 30 years. In my experience the hardest pain for adults to deal with is the death of their child. For most parents it is simply gut wrenching and devastating.
On numerous occasions I have supported parents whose child died in a car accident involving alcohol, or who have died from a drug overdose. 
In these painful situations most families want to climb into a hole and hide (die). The pain is great and made even greater by the social embarrassment of the drugs in their young person’s life.
An important message
Below you will find the obituary of 24-year-old Molly Alice Parks. I have great respect for Molly’s parents who want to help others during their most painful loss.
Obituary for Molly Alice Parks
March 13, 1991 - April 16, 2015 
Manchester, New Hampshire | Age 24 


Loving Daughter, Sister, and Granddaughter

OLD ORCHARD BEACH- Molly Alice Parks, age 24, who most currently resided in Manchester, NH, passed away in Manchester on April 16, 2015 as the result of a heroin overdose.She was born in York, Maine on March 13, 1991, a daughter of Tom and Patti (Michaud) Parks.Molly graduated from Old Orchard Beach High School in 2009 and attended one year at SMCC until her addiction took over. Most recently, she was employed as a delivery driver for Portland Pie Co. in Manchester, NH. She enjoyed theater, fashion, reading – especially Harry Potter, and will always be remembered for fearless personality and her trademark red lipstick. Along Molly's journey through life, she made a lot of bad decisions including experimenting with drugs. She fought her addiction to heroin for at least five years and had experienced a near fatal overdose before. Molly's family truly loved her and tried to be as supportive as possible as she struggled with the heroin epidemic that has been so destructive to individuals and families in her age bracket.She is survived by her parents- Tom Parks and his wife Pat Noble of Saco and Patti Michaud Parks of Berlin, NH; sister- Kasey Parks of OOB; step siblings- Dustin and Delayna Denicourt of Biddeford; maternal grandparents- Rita and Raymond Michaud of Berlin, NH; paternal grandmother- Ruth Parks of OOB; and numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews, and a niece.If you have any loved one's who are fighting addiction, Molly's family asks that you do everything possible to be supportive, and guide them to rehabilitation before it is too late.Visitation will be held on Wednesday, April 22, from 4-8 PM at the Old Orchard Beach Funeral Home, 36 Portland Ave., Old Orchard Beach, ME 04064
Important contact numbers for you to have and share
If you or somebody you love is struggling with addiction, here are some resources to help you help them:
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Helpline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255) Always open 24/7
Mental health links of interest
List of common street drugs and what they look like