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

It’s not just pot anymore! It’s not the pot some parents smoked in college! It’s not just pills that gave you a quick high or a downer! Today’s teen drug use is worse than generations prior.  Why?  The access, the technology, the peer pressure, society, many reasons that all lead to one result:  Parents need to take the time to not only educate their teens on they dangers of substance abuse, but also themselves. What is Oxycontin? OxyContin is a drug that is administered in pill form.  The actual drug name is oxycodone and OxyContin is a brand name for the pills that are produced by Purdue Pharma. OxyContin is considered a narcotic painkiller and is in a class of drugs called opiates because it contains chemicals called opioids which bind with particular opioid receptors in our brain. Other drugs that are opiates include: Heroin Codeine Vicodin (brand name for a drug with active ingredieant hydrocodone) Morphine Percodan (also contains oxycodone) Percoce

With today's society, kids have access to many different substances that can be addictive and damaging. If you suspect your child is using drugs or drinking alcohol, please seek help for them as soon as possible. Drug testing is helpful, but not always accurate.  Teen Drug use and Teen Drinking may escalate to addiction. We get calls constantly, that a child is only smoking pot. Unfortunately in most cases, marijuana can lead to more severe drugs, and marijuana is considered an illegal drug. Smoking marijuana is damaging to the child's body, brain and behavior. Even though marijuana is not considered a narcotic, most teens are very hooked on it. Many teens that are on prescribed medications such as Ritalin, Adderall, Strattera, Concerta, Zoloft, Prozac etc. are more at risk when mixing these medications with street drugs. It is critical you speak with your child about this and learn all the side effects.  Educating y

Parents in denial.   Teens and heroin, a deadly combination. Dealers making it easier to smoke, cheaper to purchase, and more potent to be an addict faster.  Heroin is dangerous and deadly and it is a growing concern and trend today. 20/20 ABC News featured an excellent report on this topic.  The New Face of a Heroin Addict, which followed the lives of three average all-American families and their addict. ( Watch segment on sidebar ). Since 2007, the number of heroin users in the U.S. has nearly doubled, and half of all first-time users are younger than 26 years old, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration . This 20/20 ABC News segment should be an episode that every parent with a young teen should stop and watch.  It clearly shows that no one is immune to becoming an addict - especially a heroin addict. Parents that belive their teen is " only smoking pot ," listen to these stories - most start out that way.