Howard County Working Together to Keep Youth Safe
September 2, 2014 - After two deaths at a recent concert, many in the community are wondering if they could have been prevented. HC DrugFree, serving as the lead agency of the Howard County Alcohol Coalition, works throughout the year with other community leaders on educational programs and awareness campaigns in an ongoing effort to battle drug and alcohol abuse. The September edition of The Business Monthly examined youth alcohol and drug use in the County and asked Coalition leaders what parents can do to keep their children safe. Click here to read the article.
Community leaders working to keep youth off alcohol and other drugs, include, from left,
William V. Tucker, Associate Judge, Howard County Circuit Court; Joan Webb Scornaienchi, Executive Director of HC DrugFree and Howard County's Alcohol Coalition Coordinator; Howard County Police Chief Gary Gardner and Howard County State's Attorney Dario Broccolino.
Back to School and Working to Keep Youth Safe
We at HC DrugFree want to extend our sincere wishes to students, parents, school staff and all our partners for a safe and successful school year. We had a busy summer settling into our new office and preparing for another productive year, but HC DrugFree is starting this year fresh and ready to go.
In an effort to stop the 88% rise in heroin overdose deaths in Maryland from 2011 to 2013, the Howard County Health Department continues to offer free classes to put Naloxone into the hands of addicts, their families, and other nonmedical personnel.
Naloxone is a drug used to counter the effects of an opioid overdose. Joan Webb Scornaienchi, HC DrugFree's Executive Director, completed the certification to administer Naloxone a few months ago and stresses that the training is easy and informative. If you have a loved one with a drug problem, please consider attending the next class scheduled for September 22, 2014 at the Roger Carter Community Center in Ellicott City. Please see the information below.
Our staff looks forward to serving you for another amazing year. Feel free to contact HC DrugFree's office if you have questions or need assistance.
Howard County Overdose Training--Preventing Heroin Deaths One Shot at a Time
September 6, 2014 - Heroin use in Maryland continues to rise and more than 50% of drug and alcohol intoxication deaths are related to Heroin. Maryland Health Secretary, Dr. Joshua M. Sharfstein, has supported an initiative to get Naloxone nasal spray, an antidote to Heroin overdose, into the hands of family and friends of addicts and police officers to prevent these deaths. The Howard County Health Department started Naloxone training sessions this summer. Click here to read the entire Baltimore Sun article and click here for more information about Naloxone training at the Howard County Health Department.
Howard County Drug Take Back Day: Saturday, September 27th
Get ready to clean out expired and unwanted prescription, over-the-counter and pet medications from your home. Saturday, September 27th from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM is National Drug Take Back Day with 9 convenient locations throughout the county. HC DrugFree's office is the only location accepting needles, syringes and EpiPens. Click here for more information.
HC DrugFree's Teen Advisory Council Meetings
The Teen Advisory Council is composed of Howard County high school students (public, private and home school) who meet monthly during the school year to discuss teen use of alcohol and other drugs, advise HC DrugFree's staff and board and develop educational messages that promote HC DrugFree's vision of a County where youth are drug-free by choice.
Meetings will be held at The Barn in the Oakland Mills Village Center from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm.
October 6th
November 10th
December 8th
January 12th
More dates will be announced later. For more information and an application, check out the TAC page on our website at www.hcdrugfree.org.
Poison-Safe Back-to-School
July/August 2014 - The Maryland Poison Center Newsletter offers safety tips for parents as children and teens begin the new school year. Energy drinks that contain high doses of caffeine can pose serious health risks to teens, especially when mixed with alcohol. High doses of caffeine can cause nausea, vomiting, nervousness, sweating, tremor, increased heart rate, headache, and seizures. Click here to learn more about poison prevention.
Unintended Consequences: Why Painkiller Addicts Turn to Heroin
August 29, 2014 - Narcotic painkillers like Oxycontin have become the new gateway drug to Heroin addiction. Patients often start out with legal prescriptions from their doctors and over time find that they need higher doses to achieve the same effects of pain tolerance and euphoria. Heroin is often the cheaper alternative to prescription drugs. Click here to learn more.
Free Printer Ink
HC DrugFree has HP22 and HP940 printer ink cartridges available to a good home. If interested in the free ink, please email [email protected].
Contact HC DrugFree
If you have any questions or comments, contact Joan Webb Scornaienchi at [email protected] or 443-325-0040.
Please consider donating as little as $25 to support our work and become a Friend of HC DrugFree, and your name will be listed on our website. Visit www.hcdrugfree.org for a complete list of our Friends and Sponsors. Thank you for your support!
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