CADCA Hosts LIVE Broadcast to Discuss Teen Cough Medicine Abuse

Have you heard the term “skittling” or “Tussing?” Chances are, your teenage son or daughter has. Recent research shows that while parents are aware of the dangers of illicit street drugs, both prescription medicine and over-the-counter (OTC) cough medicines are often overlooked as a potential threat. This, despite the fact that an estimated one in 10 people, age 12–17, or 2.4 million kids, have intentionally abused cough medicine to get high.

Cold and cough medicines are available in any drug store and are effective when used properly and responsibly. But taking in large doses, over-the-counter medicines containing dextromethorphan, or DXM, can produce a hallucinogenic, dissasociative and dangerous high.

The Multijurisdictional Counterdrug Task Force Training Program (MCTFT), Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA), and the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA) are teaming up for a live and interactive broadcast that will explore OTC cough medicine abuse. The broadcast, held Aug. 23, 2007 from 1-2 p.m. EST, will feature an expert panel who will take calls from viewers about cough medicine abuse.

The broadcast, “A Dose of Prevention: Fighting Cough Medicine Abuse,” will feature a mother whose son, now 22-years-old, is serving a 13-year prison sentence in Folsom State Prison for actions he took while under the influence of cough medicine; as well as first-person accounts from young people who abused cough syrup and want to prevent others from going down the same road. Viewers also will learn how CADCA and CHPA are joining forces to educate parents, engage coalitions and reduce this problem through an education initiative entitled “A Dose of Prevention: Stopping Cough Medicine Abuse Before It Starts.” This past June, the U.S. Senate passed S. Res. 225, a resolution designating August 2007 as National Medicine Abuse Awareness Month (www.stopmedicineabuse.org), the first ever national observance created in response to over-the-counter and prescription drug abuse. This came after recent studies unveiled escalating rates of prescription drug abuse and high rates of DXM abuse among young people.

This broadcast will teach coalition leaders about the risks and signs of OTC cough medicine abuse; how the Internet is being used to promote this abuse; and concrete action steps that community leaders and parents can take to prevent this dangerous trend.

Panelists will include:
 

Linda A. Suydam, D.P.A., President, Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA)
Linda Suydam is the president and principal spokesperson for CHPA under the guidance and direction of the CHPA Board of Directors. She has a B.A. from College of New Jersey, a M.A. from George Washington University, and a M.P.A., D.P.A. from the University of Southern California. Suydam joined CHPA as its president in June 2002. Since then she has directed the establishment of the Consumer Health Education Center (CHEC), CHPA’s educational foundation; has increased opportunities for synergistic cooperation between member firms by establishing the annual Market Exchange and retail immersion events; and enhanced the Association’s positive relationship with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) through educational seminars, conferences, and joint learning opportunities. Prior to joining CHPA, Suydam enjoyed a 21-year career at FDA, rising from an entry-level position to senior associate commissioner, the highest-ranking, non-political executive position in the Agency.

Christy Crandell, Drug Awareness Advocate, Author, Lincoln, CA
Christy Crandell is dedicated to educating parents about the issue of teen drug abuse, serving as the parent outreach coordinator for the Rocklin Unified School District. In addition, she is a teacher with The Parent Project®, a national parenting program for parents of teens exhibiting out-of-control or destructive behavior, and works with her county on several grants for programs on teen alcohol and drug abuse. Crandell’s son Ryan, now 22-years-old, is serving a 13-year sentence in Folsom State Prison for an armed robbery he committed while high on over-the-counter cough medicine and marijuana. For Crandell, sharing her story with parents and hopefully helping them avoid her family’s tragedy is her mission. Her book, Lost & Found: A Mother and Son Find Victory over Teen Drug Addiction, tells her family’s story and provides important information and resources about drug abuse for parents. Crandell is also one of five moms from across the country that make up the Five Moms: Stopping Cough Medicine Abuse campaign, an online education and awareness campaign geared toward parents.

Cynthia R. Lewis-Younger, MD, MPH, Florida Poison Information Center-Tampa
Prior to becoming Managing/Medical Director of the Florida Poison Information Center-Tampa in May 2006, Dr. Lewis-Younger was the Associate Medical Director for the center, as well as the Medical Director of Comprehensive Occupational Medicine for Business and Industry (COMBI). Before completing her Medical Toxicology fellowship at the Oregon Health and Sciences University in 2002, she was an Assistant Professor of Occupational Medicine from 1995-2000 at the University of Utah. She served as Medical Officer in the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry from 1991 to 1995. Dr. Lewis-Younger graduated from the University of Alabama School of Medicine in 1979, and practiced Emergency Medicine and Occupational Medicine in the 1980s. Dr. Lewis-Younger is Board-certified in Occupational Medicine and Medical Toxicology.

Eric Gregory, Executive Director, The Save Our Kids Coalition
Eric Gregory is a founding member and Executive Director of the Save Our Kids Coalition in Bowling Green, Kentucky. He is a Certified Prevention Professional and currently serves as Secretary on the Kentucky Certification Board for Prevention Professionals (KCBPP). He serves as a member on several local boards including the Warren County Juvenile Delinquency Prevention Council and Warren County Kentucky Agency for Substance Abuse Policy Board. With over Six years of experience as a Prevention Professional, he has served as an expert panelist and assisted many communities in developing anti-drug coalitions and implementing evidence-based Prevention practices.

 

How To View this Broadcast
The broadcast will be Webcast live at www.MCTFT.com and at www.cadca.org. You also can view this special broadcast at no cost from any site with a satellite dish having C-band downlink capabilities. All viewing sites must register in advance to receive the necessary satellite coordinates. To register, contact Ed Kronholm at 877-820-0305 or send an e-mail to dlnets@aol.com. You also may register online at www.dlnets.com/MCTFT2nd.htm.

This broadcast is made possible through a partnership with the Multijurisdictional Counterdrug Task Force Training Program (MCTFT), St. Petersburg College and the Florida National Guard.

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