The Blog of P.U.R.E. and Sue Scheff

High school can be hard for anyone; it doesn’t matter if your teen is the captain of the cheerleading squad or the chess club. There are many factors into teens becoming depressed like lack of self-esteem, bullies, hormones or an unfortunate event. Here are 5 signs that your teen may be depressed: 1.  Chooses to stay home: Teens typically spend their youth hanging out with friends, going to movies and the mall or over to a friend’s house. If your teen has been choosing to stay home and without friends, this could be a sign they aren’t happy. It’s normal for a teen to go through friendship changes but if you think it is something more, talk to your teen. 2.  Change in clothing and hygiene: This could go either way, if your teen stops taking care of their appearances or they drastically become obsessed with their appearance and hygiene these could be signs your teen is depressed. Teens often use clothing and makeup to express themselves and when they start...

It’s no secret that students cheat.  On exams, on papers, on projects: no matter the assignment, someone out there has figured out a way to cheat on it. And the statistics are alarming : two out of three college students admit they have cheated on homework, and 19% have cheated on exams, according to a recent study. View slideshow: Back to School: Common cheating habits Whether it’s because of shifting morals or access to technology, it’s clear that cheating is as prevalent as ever. If you’re a teacher who wants to crack down on cheaters or a student who wants to take the easy way through school (shame on you!), these are the most common ways students around you are cheating. 1. Looking at someone else’s answers during an exam happens , but it’s much more common for students to copy a peer’s homework routinely. Many students don’t even see it as cheating. Not only is it unfair to the student who is actually doing the assignments and being taken advantage of, it...

With school opening shortly many teens will be driving for the first time to school. A recent AT&T survey found that 97% of teens say they know that texting is dangerous. The survey also found: · 75% of teens surveyed say that texting while driving is “common” among their friends; · Almost all teens (89%) expect a reply to a text or email within five minutes or less; · And 77% of teens report seeing their parents text while driving. Wireless provider AT&T *, seeking to bring attention to a serious road-safety problem, today urged all Americans to pledge to stop texting while driving, and then to join with others September 19th to make a lifelong commitment to never do so again. AT&T’s “ It Can Wait ” public awareness campaign is focused on a simple, powerful message: No text is worth dying for . AT&T plans to spend tens of millions of dollars on the campaign in 2012 and has made it an ongoing commitment in future years. ...

Via: Rehab International

OTC - Over the Counter Medicines Drugstore medications can be dangerous! Over-the-counter (OTC) medicines like painkillers and cold medicines are generally safe when used as intended. But if your teen takes them in large doses to get high, they can be dangerous and even life-threatening. Many young people abuse cough medicines containing dextromethorphan, among other drugs. Get the facts on this disturbing trend. 1. The statistics are frightening: Government surveys show that 3.1 million people age 12 and older have misused OTC medications in their lifetime—with nearly 4 percent of misuse among those younger than 18. Nearly 6 percent of 10th graders and roughly 5 percent of high school seniors report abusing cough or cold medicines, particularly those containing dextromethorphan. 2. Dextromethorphan goes by many names: Pharmacists may call this medication DXM. ...