Be Skeptical of the Media

The media likes to make social issues out of instances that have happened once or twice. Sometimes these things aren't even mention until the media brings light to them. In an article by Jacob Sullum he shines like to the media's ridiculous claim that "vodka-soak tampons are 'everywhere.'" This statement was made CBS affiliate in the Phoenix area. A local school resource officer also stated that this no fad "is not isolated to any school, any city, any financial area." Apparently using a beer bong rectally is the same concept of soaking a tampon in vodka. Together both of these methods of getting alcohol to the blood stream quicker is referred to as "butt chugging."

However, the report fails to mention that a Nexis search of "butt chugging"shows that there has been no earlier mention of this term - not even on the show South Park. This is just one example of the media attempting to make fictional information into a social problem. There are many others related to alcohol consumptions through tampons, here are a few:

• March 1991: Anti-drinking groups states that Finnish girls are using vodka tampons so you can't smell the booze on their breath.
• May 2003: Vic Chestnutt mentions in his song remembering a girl with vodka soak tampon in his science class.
• September 2009: Border protection informs in a forum that tampons can be soaked and inserted rectally.
• March 2011: Patriot News mentions vodka soaked tampons, as well as, "pouring alcohol into eyes" and "brushing teeth until bloody then drinking"

These are just a few of the many stories where the media plays a significant role in displaying information in a way to gain popularity. However, all of these way can lead to very harmful situations, including death. By the media shining light on the situation, they are potentially only making it worst, because now individuals are curious and may attempt these forms of consumption. 

Before reading anything related to drugs and substance consumption, please take note on who is writing the article. By doing this you can figure out their objectives and what they have to gain from the article. Also, this will help you understand any bias in the article. 

Overall, your best bet is to STAY AWAY FROM ALCOHOL AND OTHER SUBSTANCES!

Michael Jackson's Life Long Battle

There is a lot of controversy surrounding the death of Michael Jackson and his addiction to pain medication and his unyielding need for sleep aides, which ultimately led to his death. Understanding how Michael Jackson got so deep into drugs that it would lead to his death is a very complicated but started very innocently.

The first publicly known time that Michael Jackson began his drug use can be traced back to the commercial shoot for Pepsi in which a pyrotechnic malfunction that caused MJ’s hair to catch fire, leading to an extended stay in the hospital. The severe burns caused Michael to be in extreme pain and often required medication to help subdue the pain. It was at this moment in his life where it is believed that he began his addiction to prescription medications.

Because he began to grow tolerant of the drugs, Michael had to rely on increasingly stronger medications to fight his immunity to them. Over time, his brain became reliant on the medications to relax and to sleep. Demerol is reported to have become the drug of choice for Michael over the years.

During the 90’s, Michael’s life became more complicated as allegations and charges of child molestation arose. After being acquitted of the charges, Michaels’s reputation was shattered in the eyes of a vast majority of the public, leading to a downfall of his music career.

After his shocking death due to illegal ingestion of the powerful sleep agent, Propofol, stories form his personal assistance and bodyguards began to surface. These stories began to paint a picture of Michael that showed the King of Pop requiring a progression from one drug to the next, more powerful one, to sleep, which eventually led to his use of Propofol.

This tragic demise of the pop sensation is a clear example that drug abuse and death can reach anyone and everyone.

Are Parents At Just As Much Fault For Underage Drinking?

The article/news story I chose to talk about my ninth blog was written by Frank Hamilton and was printed in the Beaufort Gazette. Obviously Beaufort, South Carolina is very “close to home”. Even though it is so close, it is obvious that this is a social problem that is happening all over. This particular piece is titled, “Parents, don’t delude yourselves about drinking”. The first sentence of the article/news story is very straight to the point and I would say it pretty much sums up what the article/news story is trying to say.

The first sentence states,

“Prom and graduation parties are coming soon with the continuing problem of participants drinking alcohol and using other drugs.”

The main purpose of the article/news story is to discuss the fact of parents being ok with their teenagers drinking underage. Even though parents might not exactly look at themselves as contributing to this social problem, it is obvious that they do. An issue such as this is definitely considered a social problem, and I personally (unfortunately) have heard and experienced these types of situations. When I was in 6th grade there was a story in my hometown of Charleston, SC where a group of teenagers were arrested at a party for underage drinking, along with the parents being there as well.

Thankfully, along with the parents who tend to “support underage drinking habits” there are also groups out there that help with the situation; MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) is an example of one. The person who contributed to writing this, Franklin Hamilton, is actually the MADD Action Site Leader for Beaufort, SC. This particular article/news story actually discusses a situation in Beaufort, SC at Beaufort high school where there was a program called “Alive at 25”. This particular program was presented by the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Department. Along with MADD, other groups such as; Young Life, and the Beaufort YMCA also help with these presentations. When this article/news story was published in 2008: the three organizations held post-prom parties for the two local high schools: all three for Beaufort High school and only Young Life was involved with Battery Creek High school.

Even though there are statistics (on places such as the MADD website) showing the negative effects youth drinking can have on teenagers, parents to this day are still contributing to these habits. While this article was written back in 2008, there is still sufficient evidence to show this social problem is still very important and taking place. After reading this article, I do believe that if enough people expressed concern there could definitely be a significant turnaround. Along with just personal opinions and parents changing, there definitely should be as many presentations possible from organizations such as MADD. I honestly do believe that with the effort the number of incidences with underage drinking can definitely be lowered, I say lowered because it is definitely high probability that this social problem, like others, very well may never go away completely.

Welfare Drug Testing - Florida

In this article, a federal judge blocked Florida’s new law that requires welfare applicants to pass a drug tests before receiving benefits. The block was placed because the law “may violate the Constitution’s ban on unreasonable searches and seizures”.

The judge, Mary Scriven, ruled this ban in response to a lawsuit filed on behalf of a 35-year-old Navy veteran who is also a single father. The veteran, Luis Lebron, sought benefits while finishing his college degree, but refused to take the drug test.

The drug test can reveal a host of private medical facts about the individual, Scriven wrote, adding that she found it "troubling" that the drug tests are not kept confidential like medical records. The results can also be shared with law enforcement officers and a drug abuse hotline. "This potential interception of positive drug tests by law enforcement implicates a `far more substantial' invasion of privacy than in ordinary civil drug testing cases," said Scriven.

Lebron, the sole caretaker of his 4-year-old son, said he is "happy that the judge stood up for me and my rights and said the state can't act without a reason or suspicion”.

More than two-dozen states have also proposed drug-testing recipients of welfare or other government assistance, but Florida was the first state to enact such a law in more than a decade. Should any of those states pass a law and face a court challenge, Scriven's ultimate ruling would likely serve as a legal precedent.

Nearly 1,600 applicants have refused to take the test since testing began in mid-July, but they aren't required to say why. Thirty-two applicants failed the test and more than 7,000 have passed, according to the Department of Children and Families. The majority of positives were for marijuana.

Supporters argue that many applicants skip the test because they know they will test positive for drugs. Applicants must pay $25 to $35 for the test and are reimbursed by the state if they pass. Those who test positive for drugs are ineligible for the cash assistance for one year, though passing a drug course can cut that period in half. If they fail a second time, they are ineligible for three years.

Teens should be screened for substance abuse

Leading pediatricians say teens should be educated on substance abuse as well as screened for abuse at every doctor visit, stated in an article by the Los Angeles Times published on October 31st 2011.

"In a statement published in the November issue of the journal Pediatrics, members of the American Academy of Pediatrics said doctors can use a variety of screening tools to inquire into a teen's use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs."


The pediatrician's agreed that though the experimentation with different forms of drugs are common among teenagers, doctors should educated teens on the consequences of those actions and not condone them.

This article, though published in Los Angeles, hold relevancy to teenagers across the country.  Substance abuse is a problem faced by teenagers across the country and it is important preventative measures are taken.

To read this article click here.

Alcohol is Suspected to be Cause of Clemson Student Death

Monday evening counselors are on hand for the death of a Clemson student, age 19. The student was found Saturday night "heavily intoxicated" as reported by the Sheriff's office. This is not the first death that alcohol is suspected to be the cause of death at the University. In 2007 a student died from attending a fraternity party.

However, because of these incidents and others the university had increased in alcohol awareness programs. The main group playing a role is Empower Clemson, which a educational program for the university students. Empower Clemson is responsible for having incoming freshmen complete an required alcohol survey. Even better they must also attend an awareness program taught by fellow students.

To remind students of consequence, especially the legal ones, the University is working closely with law enforcement. They currently have a "party registration," in which students can register their parties and are to have two "sober" monitors at the event. Then the police give them two "warnings" before showing up if complaints come in.

As far as the student's death from this weekend, we are still waiting on the toxicology results. For more information regarding this story please visit this link.

Alcohol and substance abuse, is a huge matter on several college campus, that is not taken light. Many students go into college believing everyone drinks, however that is far from the truth. However, college students do have more cases that the general population.

One thing, from the Empower Clemson, that could be used on all campuses is the peer group alcohol awareness programs. Students are more likely to listen when learning from their peers, however some worry about weather not knowledge is accurate. I am sure the students have to go through some form of training and  could offer real life experiences.

Being informed is a very important step in helping to prevent substance abuse problems. Don't be scared to ask for help or knowledge.

Drug Testing Your Teenager

The article/news story I chose to talk about for my eight blog was written by Lindsay Lyon of US News. This particular piece is titled, “5 Ways Teens Might Cheat on Drug Tests—and How to Catch them”. Along with this article/new story there are other stories regarding the same situation of teenagers and drug abuse, including, “7 Reasons Parents Should Not Test Kids for Drug Use”. All of these articles are obviously useful to parents when it comes to their children/teenagers/loved ones, etc.

As stated by the article/ news story,

“Google "beat drug test," and the search engine spits out page upon page of ploys and products that can make incriminating urine seem drug free. All it takes is a computer-savvy teen to access them.”

The main point of the article is obviously discussing the 5 main different ways children my cheat on drug test. The five main ways are; tampering, water-loading, switching drugs, popping vitamins, and swapping urine samples. In my eyes, it is just so sad that it has come to teenagers having to think and do these sorts of things to pass a drug test. Just from personal experience of course, as a teenager I could never imagine such things even going through my mind. It just goes to show you how big of a social problem this really is.

To add on this particular social problem discussed in the article/news story. Even though two of the sources they gathered information were from places such as Washington DC and Texas, this social problem is obviously something that exist all over our country as well. Also, it was written in 2008 but clearly still a social problem to this day. Some of examples of sources the article/ news story used were; president of the Institute for Behavior and Health Inc./former director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, Robert DuPont and a toxicologist of the University of Texas-Houston medical school, Amitava Dasgupta. A week before this article/ news story was published, the American Association for Clinical Chemistry's annual meeting was held in Washington, D.C. Throughout the meeting they discussed how adults had all these different ways of cheating on their drug tests for work, and therefore it enabled teenagers even more to try and do the same things.

In conclusion, even though I was aware drug testing with teenagers was a significant social problem, this article helped me realize even more. To do our best to solve these issues, I think the first step would definitely have to be talking to our children/future children and drug related issues more and more. In my eyes, I feel is always best to have the parent/child relationship where the child feels safe talking to their mother/father about just about anything and everything. After reading this article and seeing even more the significance of this social problem, I definitely have made a pledge to myself to take any steps I can to help prevent these types of issues.