Help Make Our Community a Better Place
Over-the-counter (OTC) medicines are those medicines you can buy at the store without a prescription from your doctor. They help you feel better by treating or preventing common health problems. Side effects are effects that medicines have on your body that don’t help your symptoms. Most side effects are unpleasant.

Here are some tips to help you avoid side effects.

  • Try to limit how often you use OTC medicines. Don’t use them unless you really need them.
  • Read the drug facts label on the medicine carefully. Make sure you know what ingredients the medicine contains. Also make sure you understand any warnings or possible adverse effects.
  • If you don’t understand something about the medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
  • Take the medicine just as your doctor or the drug facts label instructs. 
  • Don’t take a higher dose of the medicine than recommended. 
  • Don’t take any medicine with alcoholic drinks.
  • Don’t mix medicine into hot drinks unless the label tells you to
  • Don’t take vitamin pills at the same time you take medicine. 

Questions you can ask your Doctor:

  • What are the interactions between the medicines I take?
  • Should I take any of my medicines with food or on an empty stomach?
  • Do I need to tell my doctor about the vitamins I take regularly?
  • Should I tell my doctor every time I take a new OTC medicine?
  • What kinds of symptoms should I look out for that could mean I’m having an adverse reaction to my OTC medicine
 
Remember medicine either over the counter or prescription medicine can have serious consequences if not taken correctly, Read the directions or ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions. Always keep medicines LOCKED in a safe place when you are not using them. Call us at 402-871-5622 if you need a medicine lockbox to keep your home and family members safe from medicines that are not to be used by anyone else. 
Carey Pomykata
Executive Director, Coalition Rx
In The News
March is National Inhalants and Poison Awareness Month. Using inhalants can lead to Sudden Sniffing Death Syndrome. This means the user can die the 1st, 10th or 100th time they use an inhalant. Which makes it incredibly dangerous.
Inhalant Abuse
By The Cleveland Clinic
"What are inhalants?

Inhalants are chemicals found in certain household and workplace products that produce chemical vapors. These vapors can be inhaled to induce mind-altering effects. Inhaled substances are rapidly absorbed into the brain to produce a quick high. Chronic abuse of inhalants can result in irreversible side effects, such as coma and even death.

Who abuses inhalants?

The peak age of inhalant abuse is age 14 to 15. However, abuse is seen in children as young as 5 to 6 years of age. In many cases, abuse declines by 17 to 19 years of age. However, abuse can continue into adulthood. Inhalant abuse is more common in males than females.
Higher rates of inhalant abuse have been reported in those with a history of physical or sexual abuse, delinquency, criminal behavior, depression, suicidal behavior, antisocial attitudes, family conflict, violence, and/or drug abuse. Rates are also higher in people of lower income, the mentally ill, those living in rural communities and those in communities with high unemployment rates.

Where are inhalant products found?

There are more than 1,000 commonly used household and workplace products that can be abused as inhalants. Inhalants are convenient, inexpensive, easy to hide and legal. There are four general categories of inhalants: volatile solvents, aerosols, gases, and nitrites.

How do you know someone is abusing inhalants?

Inhalant abusers may show such signs as:
  • Chemical odors on the breath or clothes.
  • Paint or other stains on hands, fingers or clothes.
  • Changes in behavior including apathy (lack of interest).
  • Significant decrease in appetite and weight loss.
  • Sudden change in friends and hobbies.
  • Rapid decline in school performance.
  • Poor hygiene and grooming habits.
  • Slurred speech.
  • Runny nose or nosebleeds.
  • Tiredness.
  • Ulcers or irritation around the nose and mouth."
The Dangers of Over-the-Counter (OTC) Drug Abuse
By Fort Behavior Health
“Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs are legal drugs that you can acquire without a prescription. They are sold in pharmacies, grocery stores, and even gas stations. Chances are that you use these drugs all the time to treat your colds and headaches. In their intended doses, these drugs pose little to no risk. However, the problem occurs when OTC drugs are used in large doses, especially with the intention of achieving some sort of “high.” 

There is a misconception that because OTC drugs are more readily available than illegal drugs and prescription drugs, they are safer. While, again, OTC drugs are safe when used responsibly, hundreds of OTC drugs contain psychoactive chemicals that people may try to maximize for recreational use. Partly because of their social acceptance and partly because of their widespread availability, OTC drugs can seem like an easy and relatively safe option. 
According to the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine (1), people who misuse and abuse OTC drugs tend to be younger (under the age of 26), mix the OTC drugs with alcohol, and use OTC drugs when prescription and/or illicit drugs are not available.

Cough and cold medications that contain antitussive (a type of cough suppressant) dextromethorphan is the most commonly abused and also a particularly dangerous kind of OTC medication. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) reports that emergeny room admissions due to the use of antitussive agents such as DXM rose considerably between 2004 and 2010.

Often referred to as “DXM” (shorthand for “dextromethorphan”), DXM is an ingredient used to treat cold and flu symptoms as well as allergies. Some common OTC medications containing DXM include NyQuil, Robitussin, Vicks Formula 44, Alka Seltzer Plus, and Tylenol Cough & Cold. Over 100 different additional OTC medications contain DXM, available in all manner of capsules, gel caps, liquids, and lozenges.

Another commonly abused type of OTC medication are medications containing stimulants. These include diet pills, energy drinks, caffeine pills, decongestants, and even some herbal remedies. 
Diet medications — this includes appetite suppressants and mild stimulants as well as their herbal counterparts — are particularly prone to abuse. The National Comorbidity Survey Replication, which examines different mental and physical disorders, found that 6 percent of young females and 4 percent of young males abuse OTC diet medications. The abuse of OTC diet medications is also strongly linked to eating disorders. Those afflicted by bulimia behaviors, for example, may use laxatives (a type of stimulant) as a method of purging.”
The More You Know
St. Patrick's Day is March 17th, and it is one of the largest drinking days of the year.
St. Patrick’s Day Safety
By Denver Driving Safety Committee
“It can’t be stressed enough that if you plan on drinking, don’t drive. EVER. Four drinks is the average amount of drinking per person during the holiday. Always choose a designated driver, bring extra cash for a cab, spread out your drinks over several hours and make sure to eat.

Don’t let your friends drive drunk. Take their keys and call them a cab. Many towns and cities have local sober ride programs that you can call for a safe drive home. Find these resources before going out on the town. Keep in mind that you don’t have to drink to have fun.

Try celebrating St. Patrick’s Day sober. There’s an international movement to curb drinking and driving over the St. Patrick’s Day holiday. It’s called Sober St. Patrick’s Day. It’s a non-profit group dedicated to reclaiming the holiday in honor of Irish culture and St. Patrick. By celebrating sober, more lives are saved from drinking and driving.”

Spotlight
Abuse of Over-the-Counter Medications Among Teenagers and Young Adults
By Chini-Wen Shi, MD, PhD, and Margaret A. Bayard, American Family Physician.
 "In recent years, recognition of over-the-counter (OTC) medication abuse by patients—especially teenagers and young adults—has increased.1 Abuse is defined as the use of a drug to experience psychoactive effects instead of for its medical indication. OTC medications are easily abused because they are inexpensive, legal, and widely available (in supermarkets and pharmacies, and via the Internet), and because they have no age requirement or limit on the amount purchased. Many patients think that OTC medications are safer than prescription or illicit drugs.2 Abusers of prescription drugs or illicit substances may also abuse OTC medications, or substitute an OTC drug when other substances are unavailable.

The wide variety and accessibility of OTC drugs and lack of surveillance mechanisms make it difficult to gather national data; thus, neither the National Survey on Drug Use and Health nor the Monitoring the Future survey has examined the full scope of OTC drug abuse. Nevertheless, the medical literature supports this as an emerging issue. About 3.1 million persons between 12 and 25 years of age (5.3 percent) reported using OTC cough and cold medications to get high in 2006, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.4 A Utah survey showed that 38 percent of illicit drug use among teenagers and children from 1990 to 1999 involved OTC drugs. Admission to drug treatment centers for OTC medication abuse increased by more than 30 percent between 1993 and 2003. Cases of dextromethorphan abuse that were reported to poison control centers increased sevenfold from 1999 to 2004; most of these reports involved 15-and 16-year-olds. Studies suggest that adolescents and young adults are at greatest risk of OTC drug abuse."


Thank you!
This month we say farewell to one of our loyal staff members Jacob Peterson who has been working on prevention education with local youth. We are so thankful for all the time & effort he has put into our organization wish him the best of luck on his next endeavor!
Upcoming Events
Online Programming
If you are looking for educational and engaging activities for your kids during this time of social distancing Coalition Rx has you covered! We are working hard to transition our evidence-based programming into online lessons. We are currently posting one video per program a week on our Facebook page and website.

We're also working on Zoom lessons if parents, teachers or students are interested in joining please email coalitionrx@gmail.com and we will get some class times set up!
Coalition Rx - Interview with OPD Lt. Keith Williamson
Help Reduce the Misuse of Substances of Abuse
We provide three evidence-based programs for youth and families. Strengthening Families Program 10-14, Too Good For Drugs and Violence K-8 and WISE. If you are interested in these programs please check out our Facebook page for the virtual lessons we have started in the wake of social distancing guidelines.

Stay tuned for more details on upcoming community events!








Founded in 2015, our mission is to reduce the misuse of all substances of abuse by raising awareness and partnering with community organizations to provide public and professional education, prevention and treatment resources, and policy advocacy.
Carey Pomykata Executive Director
(402) 871-5622