Behind the Orange Curtain



CANDLELIGHT VIGIL

BEHIND THE ORANGE CURTAIN DOCUMENTARY
NEWPORT BEACH FILM FESTIVAL

Last week one of my classmates and I went to see the documentary "Behind The Orange Curtain" at the Newport Beach Film Festival. I first heard about this documentary when I arrived in Orange County last summer. It's a documentary about the prescription pill epidemic in Orange County. However, this problem is not exclusive to Orange County.

 I have had a personal interest in this subject for a long time now since my own son's addiction to Opiates began with prescription pills that were prescribed by a doctor over 10 years ago. I have read many books about families who have been affected by addiction, I have attended 12 step support groups for families of Alcoholics or Addicts. I know first hand the pain that families go through when a loved one struggles with addiction. Attending this premiere was emotional for me. I have come to know and love some of the families who are featured in the documentary who have lost a child to a lethal overdose.

The evening started out with a candlelight vigil for the families who had lost a loved one. As I approached the theatre I saw the small gathering of mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters listening to music as silent tears fell from their cheeks.  I felt somewhat of an intruder as I approached the small group of men and women who held lit candles in remembrance of their lost sons or daughters. I found myself drawn into the group,  the soft music and reverence of the moment lulled me in. I quickly spotted a friend, who has fought like a warrior this past year to get the word out to young people about how dangerous these drugs are. She has put her grief aside to go to schools and tell teens her story and to relive the loss of her son every time she speaks. This night, she is a grieving mom, this night, she is here to honor her son. I went to her side and put my arms around her. I was filled with emotion. How is it that my boy is still here? How is it that my boy walked in the darkness of his Addiction for the last 10 years and survived? I am constantly reminded that the line between life and death is so incredibly thin when drugs are involved. One bad hit, one too many pills, one deadly combination of drugs and alcohol and our lives are forever altered.

Then it was time for the documentary to begin. I sat next to a handsome young man and asked what brought him out to see this movie. He mentioned that he knew my friend who gives the talks at schools, he said that he was a friend of her sons. He then went on to explain that he is addicted to Heroin and that my friend is helping him get into a rehab. The next hour and a half I watched as the forlorn faces of mothers and fathers told the story of the personal hell their family experienced the night of  their child's overdose. The moment the call came that changed the course of their lives forever. My mind kept flashing between my son and the young man sitting next to me. I was reminded of my own fear everytime my son didn't come home at night and how I would jump out of my skin everytime the phone would ring. Each time I saw another parent on the screen I thought that could be me, that could be this boys mom or dad.

 It was a difficult night. Many of the faces of the parents on the screen were faces that I had seen earlier in the evening at the candlelight vigil or standing in line. They don't look much different from you or me on the outside but inside there is a hole that will never be filled. Every morning they wake up to the reality that their child is gone. They will never be able to hear the sound of their childs voice again. No more "I love you's". The bedroom at the end of the hall is filled with childhood memories and an emptiness that will never be filled. The lost love of their loved one can never be replaced.

When the movie ended and the screen turned black I I turned to the boy sitting next to me and said, "please, don't give up, please keep fighting to free yourself from this deadly disease", but I know from my experience with my son, that the pleading words of a parent or loved one are barely heard through the roar of addiction that will call this young man back into the darkness if he doesn't get help soon.

Prevention and Education, Drug Overdose and The Good Samaritan Law

One of the frightening things that is happening with teenagers overdosing on prescription pills is that when a teen overdoses their friends are so afraid of getting caught with drugs or getting in trouble that they don't call 911. There are good samaritan laws being passed so that young people don't have to worry about getting in trouble if they report an overdose. New York just passed such a law.
People need to know the dangers of overdosing. When someone overdoses on an opiate it shuts down their respiratory system but this happens gradually. There is usually time to get help. One of the problems is that people do the wrong things. They leave their friend alone to "sleep it off", or they try to throw cold water on them, or yell at them. I have read about teens who have left a friend on the side of the road to die alone rather than risk getting into trouble themselves. Even adults have neglected to get medical services involved because of the fear that they themselves or their child will be prosecuted.  It is crucial that the person gets immediate medical attention. In half of the cases of drug overdoses no one called 911 and a life could have been saved.  Teenagers as well as parents need to be taught how to recognize an overdose and what they should do if they are in the presence of someone who overdoses. 


Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2011/07/29/new-york-state-passes-good-samaritan-law-to-fight-overdose/#ixzz1sQqT7uft

Save A Life Cards

My friend Jodi Barber, who woke up to find her son Jarrod barely breathing at 3 am on the living room couch  had these wallet sized cards made. It was too late for Jarrod.  It is sad that we have come to this but we have to do everything we can to warn teenagers about the dangers of overdosing.

www.onechoicecandestroy.com 

"Good Parenting" is simply not enough to keep them safe

I was thinking about the article that Natalie Costa wrote for the Laguna Patch newspaper about the prescription drug epidemic. There is so much infomation in the article that parent's need to know about what is really going on with their teenagers. Our teenagers are in a warzone. "Good parenting" is simply not enough to keep them safe. There was a time; I have to admit, that I believed “good parenting” would protect my children from harm. The fact is “good parenting” is simply not enough when it comes to fighting the prescription pill epidemic.

I am enrolled in an Alcohol and Addiction Studies Program.  Recently I was in a Substance Abuse in Adolescents class. I was a little surprised when our instructor began a lecture on Substance abuse Prevention in Adolescents. She began by saying, “they are finding that environmental factors are much more significant than the genetic component.” She said the approach to prevention now is to increase the Protective Factors in a teen’s life. 

 The list of Protective Factors went something like this:

·         Supportive family relationships

·         At least one significant caring adult in the child’s life

·         Families spend time together, mealtimes together

·         Teens need to be involved in sports and extracurricular activities

·         Teens need to feel special, and feel empowered, have self-acceptance

·         There should be clear parental expectations and consequences

·         Religiosity

·         Community

My children were raised with two parents who were very involved in their lives. Our children went to good schools where we both worked in their classrooms and drove on field trips. Our children were involved in sports, dance, swimming, and karate. They were taught that there was nothing they couldn’t accomplish. We attended church together each Sunday and our children attended youth activities and summer camp at the church. We talked to them about the dangers of drugs, we even role played how to say “no”. That was my idea of being a “good parent”. I guess if you look at the list above, WE DID PROVIDE PROTECTIVE FACTORS, but that did not stop our son from taking his first hit of marijuana.  My son tells us, “he had a great childhood”, he didn’t use drugs because he was unhappy. He used because “he loved how it made him feel”. That is the problem my friends, THAT is why so many teens are overdosing on opiates; “they love how it feels.” Being a teenager today is challenging they have so many stressors in their lives. They worry about fitting in, about making the team; they worry about getting good grades and making it into college. One hit of marijuana, one oxycontin, one opana takes those worries away instantly. 

If we are going to fight this battle we have got to see that this is happening in good homes where protective factors are in place.

Natalie Costa said,

“During the research for our film Behind The Orange Curtain, the main focus was the shock regarding the number of deaths from this beautiful affluent Southern California area. We have tree-lined streets, gated communities, Blue Ribbon schools and amazing sports activities to keep the kids active and off the streets.  What makes a good kid from a good family take drugs in the first place never mind such high voltage pain killers that are extremely addictive and kill”.

Many teens report they began experimenting with drugs when they were between 12-15 years old. Experts say that teens have immature brains. The part of the brain that is responsible for logical thinking is very underdeveloped in a young persons brain. The area of the brain that dominates a teen’s behavior is the one that controls impulsivity. So they have a very difficult time making good choices because they are very impulsive. How many times have you found yourself asking a teenager “what were you thinking?” The truth is, they probably weren’t thinking. Research suggests that the younger a person begins experimenting with drugs the more likely they will become addicted.

It is a deadly combination, the underdeveloped brains of teens who desperately want to “fit in”, teens under stress, teens attending parties where very dangerous prescription drugs are so readily available. One pill can provide a few moments of bliss where, for a brief period they forget about all about the stress in their lives.  That one moment they are on the top of the world. The problem is these pills are highly addictive and eventually they are taking 8-10 pills a day just to keep from getting sick, which can be very expensive.  What we have now is an epidemic of teenagers from affluent neighborhoods either overdosing on prescription pills, or eventually turning to the cheaper heroin to feed their addiction.

Natalie went on to say,

 “What we have come to find out, there is no simple answer. These are good kids from good homes making bad, stupid choices in the name of fun. They open mouth, insert pill, and the road to hell is paved. About three out of 100 comeback from an opioid addiction and then it's a lifelong battle. The consensus was unanimous in our interview for the film - the feeling they got from that first pill - was a feeling they wanted to feel the rest of their lives. Many stay addicted because the detoxification is so painful, that it's easier to stay under the influence than to get clean”

I don’t know what the answer is. I know we are way past “just saying no”. I know that we can have all the protective factors in place and if our teen decides to put a pill in their mouth, as Natalie so eloquently said, “the road to hell is paved.” 

If you know someone whose family has been affected by this epidemic please don't judge them. We all love our children. We all want the best for them.  This battle is deadly. This battle robs families of all their hopes and dreams. It is painful. We need love and support from our friends. Help us fight to save lives.

Prescription Pill Epidemic

Natalie Costa at Behind the Orange Curtain wrote an excellent article for the Laguna Patch about the presription drug epidemic that is SWEEPING OUR NATION.

http://lagunaniguel.patch.com/blog_posts/oxycontin-opana-and-heroinall-available-in-your-backyard

Street Drugs Book

http://www.streetdrugs.org/ This website is a great resource if you want to learn what street drugs teens are using. The book STREETDRUGS is on sale right now for $2.95. A great resource.
Drug trends are in constant motion. Easy access to cocaine, heroin, marijuana, methamphetamine and other illegal drugs is well documented. In addition, the internet provides another avenue to many different kinds of drugs or chemical concoctions that provide a high, a low, hallucinogenic or other experience. Some of these internet acquired concoctions can be more dangerous than heroin or methamphetamine. Even legitimate, commercially manufactured prescription drugs are available from international markets that do not have the same restrictions or laws as the U.S. The availability of drugs and the ability of Law Enforcement Authorities to stop this threat is daunting. Our 2011 Drug ID Guide on the left shows some of the internet connections as well as some of the latest drugs available.

April 20th AKA 420

April 20th, AKA "420" is known by teens and young adults as the biggest marijuana smoking day of the year and it is approaching. Regardless of a teens history of use, they know about this day and many experience pressure to use on this day.  It's important that parents and teachers are aware of this.

The best time  to offer support to young people is before the day arrives. Talk to them about their understanding of the day, experience of the day in the past, and anticipated pressures with it coming soon. There are so many myths about this day that it creates a great discussion. Offer ways to help them negotiate their way through it.

In addition, having drug testing supplies around the house helps the young person have a refusal skill when peer pressure occurs. It will occur. When they say, "my parents have a drug test and they will use it," then the peer pressure stops. The negative friends back away.

It's time to start talking to our teens about what's really going on in their lives.

Here is a link to Recovery Happens Newsletter about Marijuana http://gallery.mailchimp.com/7cd449941a71b253658f8defb/files/marijuana_2.0_pdf.1.pdf