Randie O’Neil, PhD, LCADC Student Assistance Counselor

Any staff member that suspects a student is under the influence MUST report the incident and student must be evaluated by a medical professional-IT’S THE LAW-IT’S YOUR LICENSE

 Whenever it shall appear to any teaching staff member, school nurse or other educational personnel of any public school in this State that a pupil may be under the influence of substances as defined pursuant to section 2 of this act, other than anabolic steroids, that teaching staff member, school nurse or other educational personnel shall report the matter as soon as possible to the school nurse or medical inspector, as the case may be, or to a substance awareness coordinator, and to the principal or, in his absence, to his designee.  (steroids are included in another section)

18A:40A-13. Immunity for personnel No action of any kind in any court of competent jurisdiction shall lie against any teaching staff member, including a substance awareness coordinator, any school nurse or other educational personnel, medical inspector, examining physician or any other officer, agent or any employee of the board of education or personnel of the emergency room of a hospital because of any action taken by virtue of the provisions of this act, provided the skill and care given is that ordinarily required and exercised by other such teaching staff members, nurses, educational personnel, medical inspectors, physicians or other officers, agents, or any employees of the board of education or emergency room personnel. L.1987, c.387, s.6; amended 1992,c.158,s.1.

18A:40A-14. Civil immunity for reporting Any teacher, guidance counselor, school psychologist, school nurse, substance awareness coordinator or other educational or non-educational personnel, employed by or in any of the public or private schools of this State, who in good faith reports a pupil to the principal or his designee or to the medical inspector or school physician or school nurse in an attempt to help such pupil cure his abuse of substances as defined in section 2 of this act, shall not be liable in civil damages as a result of making any such report.

Most commonly abused drugs at River Dell Alcohol Marijuana Ecstasy Over the counter medications Prescription drugs/Heroin

SIGNS Poor judgment Disorientation Violence Impaired vision Slurred speech Drowsiness Decreased energy level EFFECTS Slows down reflexes Depression of central nervous system

SIGNS Lost potential, lazy Eating binges Red eyes Loss of short term memory, concentration Dry mouth Irritable EFFECTS Interferes w/ coordination Causes happiness or anxiety Increased heart rate Lowers body temp.

SIGNS  Loss of inhibitions  Extremely talkative  Enhanced senses: smell, touch, even light  Increased energy level  Jaw clenching  Sweating EFFECTS  High blood pressure  Increased heart rate  Increased body temperature  Dehydration  Depletes Serotonin  Eventually depression, anxiety and confusion

Abuse of Rx and OTC Medicines Recent studies indicate that the abuse of prescription (Rx) and over-the-counter cough medicines (OTCs) to get high is a concern— particularly among teens.

Key Factors Driving Teen Medicine Abuse  Misperception that abusing medicine is not as dangerous as (is safer than) “street drugs”  Ease of access via medicine cabinets at home or friend’s house, other person’s prescriptions, Internet, stores

 What is Dextromethorphan? ◦ Cough medicine found in OTC cough and cold medications  Coricidin Cough and Cold ®  Cheracol Plus Cough Syrup ®  Robitussin Cough ®  And many, many more  Often the ingredients in the syrups are just as dangerous in high quantities  Acetaminophen – liver problems  Ibuprofen or aspirin – stomach and bleeding problems  Chlorpheniramine – vomiting, passing out  And many, many more

Used in high quantities 8-30 pills can Cause hallucinations and dissociative state Metabolizes like PCP Sold over the counter Kids steal them off the aisle Can create extreme highs and lows

SignsEffects  Delusions  Panic attacks  Memory problems  Blurred vision  Stomach pain, nausea, and vomiting  High blood pressure and rapid heart beat  Sluggish  Jerky movement  Out of it  Rashes and itchy skin  Loss of consciousness  Confusion  Slurred speech  Loss of motor control

 From the Medicine Cabinet?  A class of narcotic pain killers such as:  OxyContin® (oxycodone)  Percocet ® (oxycodone and acetaminophen)  Duragesic ® patch (fentanyl)  Vicodin ® (hydrocodone and acetaminophen)  Codeine  Codeine cough syrup can be purchased from a pharmacist without a prescription (Heroin is in this class of drugs)

 Effects of opioids in healthy people ◦ Euphoria, slowed (or stopped) breathing, vomiting, confusion, sedation, unconsciousness, coma  Opioids taken with other drugs can cause dangerous interactions ◦ Alcohol ◦ Depressants such as sleeping pills, antihistamines, benzodiazepines ◦ Some antidepressants

Substance Abuse: Progresses in stages Not easily detected in the early stages

Use - The ingestion of alcohol or other drugs without the experience of any negative consequences. If a high school kid had drunk a beer at a party and his parents had not found out we could say he had used alcohol. This can apply to any drug. Misuse - When a person experiences negative consequence from the use of alcohol or other drugs it is clearly misuse. A large percentage of the population misuses drugs or alcohol at some point in their lives, however this does not imply that the negative consequences are minor. For example, a 40-year old man uses alcohol on an infrequent basis, his employer throws a surprise party and the 40-year old man drinks more than usual and on the way home he is arrested for DUI. He does not really have a problem with alcohol but in this instance the consequences is not minor.

Abuse - Continued use of alcohol or other drugs in spite of negative consequences. Lets go back to the 40-year old man who was arrested for DUI. If he had no Substance abuse problem he would abstain from alcohol, getting a DUI would be enough of a deterrent. However, shortly thereafter this man goes to another party and there he drinks in excess and then gets behind the wheel of his car, this would be considered abuse. Dependency/Addiction - The compulsive use of alcohol or other drugs regardless of adverse or negative consequences. For example, a man received three DUI's in one year. He was on probation and would be sentenced to one year in prison if he was caught using alcohol but he continued to drink. The man would be clearly addicted to alcohol because the negative consequences did not impact or deter his use.

Behavior changes can be an indicator that a student is involved in substance.

Such as: APPEARANCE Changes  hygiene and dress  level of consciousness  affect: elation or depression, gesture, facial expression and speech BEHAVIOR  Hyperactive, abrupt,  Incoherent  Impulsive  Dangerous, bizarre  Sleepiness

COGNITION  Oriented to time and place  Simple tasks  Judgment and insight  Delusions and hallucinations ANXIETY  Panicky  Nervous  Phobic  Alert

Any staff member that suspects a student is under the influence MUST report the incident and student must be evaluated by a medical professional-IT’S THE LAW-IT’S YOUR LICENSE

 Whenever it shall appear to any teaching staff member, school nurse or other educational personnel of any public school in this State that a pupil may be under the influence of substances as defined pursuant to section 2 of this act, other than anabolic steroids, that teaching staff member, school nurse or other educational personnel shall report the matter as soon as possible to the school nurse or medical inspector, as the case may be, or to a substance awareness coordinator, and to the principal or, in his absence, to his designee.  (steroids are included in another section)

18A:40A-13. Immunity for personnel No action of any kind in any court of competent jurisdiction shall lie against any teaching staff member, including a substance awareness coordinator, any school nurse or other educational personnel, medical inspector, examining physician or any other officer, agent or any employee of the board of education or personnel of the emergency room of a hospital because of any action taken by virtue of the provisions of this act, provided the skill and care given is that ordinarily required and exercised by other such teaching staff members, nurses, educational personnel, medical inspectors, physicians or other officers, agents, or any employees of the board of education or emergency room personnel. L.1987, c.387, s.6; amended 1992,c.158,s.1.

18A:40A-14. Civil immunity for reporting Any teacher, guidance counselor, school psychologist, school nurse, substance awareness coordinator or other educational or non-educational personnel, employed by or in any of the public or private schools of this State, who in good faith reports a pupil to the principal or his designee or to the medical inspector or school physician or school nurse in an attempt to help such pupil cure his abuse of substances as defined in section 2 of this act, shall not be liable in civil damages as a result of making any such report.

 Be alert to the signs and symptoms of substance use by students  The law holds harmless those that report  Failure to report can have consequences including the lose of your license  Any Question feel free to talk to me, your Student Assistance Counselor room 617-HS ext