Dangers of Teen Pharming

Dangers of Teenage Pharming
by Linda Myers-Bock, Registered Pharmacist
Want to go “pharming”? Then go to a “pharm party” (thrown by teenagers); a bowl of “trail mix” (a variety of pills mixed together) is passed around for party goers to “graze” upon. Another name for such a party is a “skittles” party, since the bowl of pills looks like a bunch of Skittles brand candy. You can’t get in unless you contribute to the mix so teens obtain the pills in a number of ways.

Most teens scavenge medicine cabinets of relatives--grandparents, cousins or aunts and uncles. Some steal sibling’s or parent’s prescription medications from their own homes. It’s also possible for teens with credit card access to buy drugs online, from overseas, without a prescription. One teen reported stealing drug samples from a relative who was a drug company sales representative.

Prescription drug abuse among teens has been steadily on the rise. Three million teens have abused prescription drugs and that statistic increased 400% in the last 10 years. Many start as early as age twelve. It is also now common for kids to bring baggies of mixed pills to school to sell to friends.

This practice can lead to a variety of health problems. It can result in seizures, stroke, breathing difficulties, kidney or liver failure or even death. One 21 year old who used to be on the Dean’s List at a private university suffered permanent brain damage from a stroke she had as a result of “pharming”. She’s now living at home, undergoing therapy, and struggling to keep a job in a sandwich shop. She will never graduate from college.

What to know and do to protect your teen(s):
1. Does your teen come home seeming “out of it” but not smelling of alcohol or
smoke? A teen who has taken pills at a “pharm party” may be jittery, nauseated, have red eyes, feel hot, or have difficulty breathing.
2. When you visit relatives watch for unexpected visits to various bathrooms.
3. Check credit card purchases carefully.
4. Keep all prescription drugs locked in a storage drawer somewhere other than the bathroom medicine cabinet. (The moist heat in the bathroom degrades drugs anyway.) Inventory what you have, including inhalers.
5. Return old prescriptions to a drug “take back” program or crush and discard medications in the trash mixed with litter or coffee grounds.
6. OTC (over-the-counter) medicine can also be abused, especially cough and cold medicines. Be suspicious of empty containers in the trash.
7. Even “smart” kids abuse prescription stimulants such as Ritalin and Concerta. These drugs improve concentration for studying and tests so keep track of any ADHD meds younger children may be using. This is most common between the ages of 18 and 24.


The most important thing you, as a parent, can do is talk to your teens about the dangers of “pharming” or taking medicine in any way except as directed by your doctor or pharmacist. The following resources can be very helpful. You can also contact me by e-mail or phone if you have any questions.

Linda Myers-Bock, Registered Pharmacist
mondobock@neb.rr.com
402-276-2208

References and Resources:
www.drugfree.org
www.theantidrug.com
www.about.com/teens
www.getsmartaboutdrugs.com a DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) website

A Retired Preacher's View from the Pew

Ah, Christmas, so many memories!

My oldest memory of Christmas is when I was probably about five years old and my folks had a paid Santa Claus come to our house on Christmas Eve. When he got there he was pretty schnockered up and he tracked slush all over the living room carpet. My cousin and I were both so scared of him that he left pretty quick. I remember that because the story was repeated almost every Christmas after!

One memory which will probably be there forever was when I was about ten. My part in the Christmas program was to recite from Luke 2: And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

I practiced and practiced memorizing that part. When it came time to say it in front of the congregation I left out “into Judea”. At the time I didn’t realize it and was just relieved to have it over. Later, though, I was reminded by my Sunday School teacher (in front of the other kids) that I had left out a “very important” part of my recitation.

Later, as a teacher in Lutheran schools, the Christmas Eve Children‘s Program was one of the big events of the year. Tradition was that it was on Christmas Eve. The kids from the Lutheran School practiced every day from Thanksgiving on. The kids who didn‘t go to the Lutheran School practiced on Sundays during Sunday School. Then on the Sunday before Christmas there would be an afternoon practice with everyone present.

Finally, the big night. The little kids would get dressed in their costumes. There’d be five or six wise men and half a dozen angels and who knows how many shepherds (easy costumes-a blanket and a stick) but only one Mary and Joseph. The teachers would be making sure all the kids were there, going over last minute reminders and instructions, lining the kids up.
And one thing that was always important- find the child who says, “And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger” and remind them not to pause after “and the babe”. (If you pause there they’d all three be in the manger!)

As the principal I would make sure every teacher had a couple of brown paper bags. There’s nothing that can upset a program more than one of the kids throwing up on the ones around them!

Another tradition was that after the service was over each child would be given a bag with an apple or orange and about 25 lbs. of candy and peanuts. Just what they needed at Christmas!
Over the years we ran into a few glitches. Like the blizzard that kept about half of the kids from making it on Christmas Eve. Lots of gaps in the Christmas story, but most everyone knows it well enough that they understood.

In the first church where I was the principal one of the girls was given a small part because she rarely was in Sunday School. After the service I got a phone call from her Dad. “My daughter got a new red dress for the Christmas program and her Grandma hardly got to see it because she had such a small part.” At that same church we decided to take the offering at the door after the service and not have to deal with sixty restless kids for the five minutes while the offering was taken. I got a phone call about that, too. “The biggest church service of the year and we don‘t take an offering.” “We took one at the door.” “But people can get by without putting anything in.”

There was the father who had begun his Christmas celebration too early and was quite disruptive even before things got started. The ushers helped him out of the church. And the uncle who showed up wearing a racing jacket with “Viagra” in big letters over the back. I got quite a few phone calls about that one!

Christmas was always sort of bittersweet when I was a teacher involved with the children’s programs. The same, too, when I was the Pastor of a church. All the preparations and activities packed into one or two services. A packed church on Christmas Eve and Day, but then the weeks after… The same folks who won’t be there again until Easter. The kids you won’t see in Sunday School until it’s time to begin practice next year. The people who come to watch the kids but have no thought of worshipping the Savior.

Jesus can get lost pretty easily at Christmas, can’t He? Sometimes with all the things we have to do in the church and with our families it can be pretty hard to keep things in perspective. Christmas is all about Jesus. Jesus, who came to the manger to go to the cross to suffer and to die to save us from our sins. It’s all about Jesus.

May you be blessed with good memories this Christmas, but most of all the hope that Jesus brings.

(Perhaps my favorite Christmas memory. We’d get our girls into the van to go to church on Christmas Eve. After they were all packed in my wife, Mary, would have to go back into the house because she’d forgotten her purse. Then she’d get out the presents “from Santa” that had been hidden away and put them under the Christmas tree. One year, when the oldest was six or seven, she said to me, very seriously, while we were waiting for Mom, “Dad, we know why Mom really goes back into the house. But don’t tell her we know because we don’t want her to feel bad.”)

Columbus Art Gallery

The Columbus Art Gallery
“The Best Kept Secret in Columbus”
by Shelly Burke, Editor

Lisa Rosendahl and Susan Schoenhofer want people to know that art is not intimidating and that it is for everyone! Rosendahl has been the Columbus Art Gallery Manager for two years and Schoenhofer is the Executive Director of the Columbus Arts Council, of which the Columbus Art Gallery is a part.

Although it has been located in the lower level of the Columbus Library (2504 14th Street) since 1984, many people are not aware that there is an art gallery in Columbus! Rosendahl says that the gallery exhibits a large variety of artwork and promises “something for everyone’s taste.” There is no cost to visit the gallery.

There are 12 exhibits a year and in 2010 the exhibits focused on Nebraska artists. As Rosendahl says, “Our state is filled with amazingly talented artists,” including Mike Hagel (brother of former Senator Chuck Hagel), who has artwork at SAC Airforce Museum and many other military museums, and Mario Arango, a Cuban native who now lives in Nebraska. Arango’s art was popular in Cuba and his paintings are in the Cuban Embassy in Canada.

When a new exhibit opens, the gallery hosts an Opening Reception at which visitors can meet (and be inspired by) the artist.

Every spring the Columbus Art Gallery sponsors a traveling exhibit from either the Sheldon Museum of Art in Lincoln or the Museum of Nebraska Art (MONA) in Kearney. Over 900 students typically tour these exhibits and create art projects related to that exhibit.

The gallery also works with the library upstairs. The library staff and Rosendahl have developed a StoryART program with Mr. H (Brad Hruska), the Children’s Librarian, and have also done projects with Rachelle McPhillips, the Young Adult/Teen Library Director.

The gallery offers a variety of youth and adult classes (jewelry-making classes will be offered this spring), workshops, and even concerts. Recently Thunder Power, a group from Omaha, and Gunnar Cleeman from Denmark and The Homestories from Switzerland, performed. Rosendahl hopes to have Gunnar return in the spring of 2011. The concerts and exhibits are sure to fit everyone’s budget, as they are FREE!

Beginning November 29th, you can even do your Christmas shopping at the Columbus Art Gallery! During the annual “Christmas Unwrapped” event the formal exhibit space is turned into a gift shop featuring the work of artisans from across Nebraska.

The large variety of unique merchandise includes glass, wood, stained glass, photography, ornaments, stationery items, home décor, books by local authors, and much more! Most gifts are priced under $100 (many under $20) and commission from sales goes back into funding educational programs the gallery offers. Hours will be extended during “Christmas Unwrapped;” you can shop from 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM Monday through Thursday; 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM on Friday, and 1:30PM -4:30 PM on Saturday.

Regular hours for the gallery are Noon – 5 PM Monday through Thursday; Noon – 4:30 PM on Friday, and 1:30 PM – 4:30 PM on Saturday. Groups are welcome; call ahead to schedule a special tour by appointment. Contact Lisa at (402) 563-1016. Check out http://www.artscolumbusne.org/ for more information on upcoming events.

December Editor's Letter

Merry Christmas!

And Happy 19th Birthday Cody! He was born today, November 18th, at just about the time I’m writing this letter. What a joy it has been to be a parent to both Cody and Morgan!

Cody is in Louisville, KY today, with Tim. He won the steer show at the Livestock Exposition last weekend, and his steer Crash sells this evening. It was Cody’s last cattle show so was a great end to his showing career. Morgan and I were unable to go to the show, but it was broadcast over the Internet so we were able to watch from home. Cody, Morgan, and Tim worked many, many hours to get Crash ready for the show, and it was nice to see their hard work pay off.

For the most part it’s been fun to be a parent, but there are scary times too, and we had a scary time about three weeks ago when Morgan was diagnosed with viral meningitis. Viral meningitis is much less serious than bacterial meningitis, but Morgan was in a lot of pain and very sick for a few days. Thankfully our prayers were answered and she is recovering. She is attending her first full day of school since she got sick, today.

I really enjoyed putting this issue of the Nebraska Family Times together. Tracy Buzynski, who helps with promotion and publication (and great ideas!) compiled the Human Services Awareness list. I hope you will consider helping out one or more of these organizations if you are able to.

Several people commented on how they enjoyed the Christmas Quiz in the December issue of the paper last year, so I included a quiz in this issue as well! I hope you enjoy it.

Teen “pharming” is an issue that has, unfortunately, come to the Columbus area. Educate yourself on “pharming” by reading “Dangers of Pharming,” by Pharmacist Linda Myers-Bock, in this issue.

I hope you enjoy the variety of articles in this issue of the paper! If you have any suggestions or comments on articles in this issue, or issues you’d like to see covered in a future edition of the paper, please let me know! I appreciate your comments, suggestions, and yes, even complaints. My mission is to “encourage, inspire, and motivate you on your Christian walk,” and I pray that I do that every month.

May God bless you and your family this Christmas season!



This is a picture of my computer screen which shows Cody showing Crash.

A Retired Preacher's View from the Pew

Hebrews 10:25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Statistics (if you can believe them) show that less that 40% the people who call themselves Christians attend a worship service on a weekly basis.

When I was a fulltime preacher either before or after the worship service I would try to greet as many people as possible. I tried to vary the greetings: “How’s the new grandchild?” “Get to go fishing last week?” “How’s the new car?” “Got all your corn in yet?” “Feeling better after your bout with the flu?“ It was a way to feel closer to the people, to let them know you were in tune with their lives. Usually the remark was prefaced by “Good to see you.”

I can remember vividly when “Good to see you” backfired! The people it backfired with worshipped just a few times a year and took “Glad to see you” as a dig that they weren’t there most of the time. There were several times I was told that Mr. & Mrs. ____or so and so took “Glad to see you” as “Where have you been and why aren’t you here more often?”

Once I was told, “My son and his family finally came to church and they’re not coming again because you offended them.” “How did I do that?” “You told them you were glad to see them and other people heard you.”

So, what to do? Greet the people who are there regularly and forget the rest? (I have to admit that in my mind whenever I saw those folks I’d be tempted to greet them by saying, “Boy, I’m sure not very happy to see you today” or, “Bad hair day, huh?” or, “Been so long since you’ve been here I almost forgot your names.” I resisted the impulse and would just say “Good morning.”

I still like to greet as many people as I can when I get to my home church. We get there once or twice a month because I’m filling in at other churches. I had preached at my home church two weeks in a row and the following week a husband and wife who are “occasional worshippers” greeted my wife and me with “We haven’t seen you for a long time.” My wife quickly responded with, “Yes, it’s good to be here.” I told her later that I wanted to say, “Well, I preached here the last two weeks, didn‘t see you here.” She said, “I know, and I wasn’t going to give you the chance.”

My son-in-law from Canada says that people who attend church faithfully know where they’ll probably be the morning of November 28, or the morning of January 16, 2011, even March 20, next year (all Sundays). They’ll be in worship somewhere. He also says that the people who don’t attend worship regularly don’t decide until the night before or even on Sunday morning whether they‘ll go to church.

No, you don’t have to go to church to be a Christian. Do you have to go golfing to be a golfer or go fishing to be a fisherman or go to the Lion’s Club meetings to be a Lion? You don’t have to, but you will. And Christians will worship with other Christians regularly. It’s what they do, not because they have to but because it’s part of being what they are.

A closing thought--with Thanksgiving just ahead, we have to ask oursleves the question: "Am I thankful enough for the 168 hours God has given me this past week to give him a couple of hours back?"

Blessings!

November Editor's Letter

Giving Thanks

Give thanks, with a grateful heart,
Give thanks, to the Holy One,
Give thanks, because He’s given Jesus Christ, His Son…
And now, let the weak say “I am strong”,
Let the poor say “I am rich,” because of what the Lord has done for us,
Give thanks.

This is one of my favorite “thanksgiving” songs. I definitely have a grateful heart this month, first of all because God did give Jesus Christ, His Son, for me and for all believers.

I am also thankful to God for my family and the wonderful times we have together with each other, and with our friends. Cody’s steer, Otter, was the Grand Champion at the AK-SAR-BEN cattle show last month! It was a great way for Cody to end his years showing at AK-SAR-BEN (he will be too old next year). Cody’s good friend Nathan had the Champion Market Hog; we got a unique and fun picture of Cody and Nathan with their champion animals. No one was quite sure if the calf and pig would get along, but they behaved just fine, as you can see from the picture.

Morgan’s heifer Sadie was the Reserve Champion Chianina heifer at AKSARBEN, and Morgan was in the showmanship finals as well. It was a very good show for us and for many of our friends.

Morgan is keeping very busy with school activities; she recently joined the speech team. I am thankful that I’ve already learned about Avogadro’s Number and figuring out the atomic mass of a compound (I might have learned it, but I can’t say I remember it, although Morgan tried to explain it to me…).

Tim is thankful for the nice weather we’ve had recently. We are getting ready for the annual cattle sale in November (“we” as in Tim does all the hard work and I take phone messages when necessary!).

I’m thankful that I love my work—my work as a nurse as well as my work as the Editor and Publisher of the Nebraska Family Times,

By this time last year, we’d already had a snow storm! Remember how long and cold the winter was? I’m thankful that I can already say that ”This winter is shorter than last winter.”

I’m thankful for everyone who reads the Nebraska Family Times, especially when they take the time to tell me when they’ve enjoyed an article, and even when they have a suggestion for something I could do differently. Thanks also for spreading the word about the paper; it’s my prayer that it will get into the hands of everyone who needs encouragement, inspiration, and motivation on their Christian walk (don’t we all?).

Thank you to the Nebraska Family Times advertisers and sponsors, as well! Without you the paper could not be published. I enjoy delivering the paper every month and meeting the people who work in the businesses that sponsor and support the paper.

I hope you enjoy the Thanksgiving edition of the Nebraska Family Times! Thanks to everyone who sent in their contribution for “Keeping Christ in Christmas.” You will see some of their ideas in the Play Room section of the paper. More ideas will appear in the December issue of the paper; please send your input to shelly@shellyburke.net.

I know that while I might not be rich by the standards of the world, I am definitely rich in what the Lord has done for me and for my family. I pray that the Lord will bless you richly, as well.

A Retired Preacher's View from the Pew

The story is told (you’ll have to use your imagination for this one) of a small country church in Michigan that discovered Michigan crude under church property. If you’ve ever traveled through north central Michigan you might have seen some of those small oil wells pumping slowly but steadily away. A well was dropped and soon all the church’s bills were paid. Then a new church was built and a parsonage. The pastor got a raise and a church secretary was hired. The church doubled and quadrupled the money it sent away for mission work and to help the poor. And the well kept pumping.

A church meeting was held. What to do with all the money? A motion was made that when all the bills were paid, when all the mission money was sent away, whatever was left would be divided among the members. Motion carried. As the meeting was about to be adjourned old

Fred, a lifelong member of the church stood up and made another motion, “I move that we take in no new members until the well runs dry.”

I doubt there are many, if any, churches that don’t want to take in new members. It was and continues to be the directive of Jesus, “Go ye therefore…“ Matthew 28:18. It’s part of the Christian life, to bring others to know Christ and to be a part of the Holy Christian Church. Not only that, if a church doesn’t take in new members it probably won’t be around very long.

There are over 100 churches listed on the church page of the Bolivar Herald Free-Press (and many listed in local newspapers in Nebraska, as well). Thirty-nine of them have a Bolivar address. All different kinds: Baptist, Missionary Baptist, Fundamental Baptist, Southern Baptist, Bible Baptist, Berean Baptist, Assembly of God, Nazarene, Church of God, Church of Christ, Pentecostal, Presbyterian, United Methodist, Episcopal, Roman Catholic. There’s also a Community Church, a New life Community Church and a New Heart Foursquare Church, a Freshwater Church. (Forgive me if I left someone out.)

And last of all--Zion Lutheran. Zion is Missouri Synod Lutheran. There are also Wisconsin Synod Lutherans and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America and other smaller groups of Lutherans.

Many of us go to the denomination we grew up in or married into. We go because that’s what we do. But what about those who don’t have a church, those we are called to reach out to? It must be pretty confusing to them. “There’s a Church of God and a Church of Christ. Isn’t Christ God?” “There are several that call themselves Christian Churches. Does that mean the others aren’t Christian?” “There are several Community churches. Do you have to live in that town to go there?” “There’s a Bible Church and an Open Bible Church. Don’t they all use the Bible?”

What’s in a name? Not much when it comes to churches. We all know what the name of our church means (at least I hope we do) and what we believe in our denomination. But how about someone who’s new to it all? And I remind us all again--these are the people we are to reach out to.

A friend of mine said, “When we go to heaven our denomination falls off and when we go to hell it burns off.”

No matter what denomination of Christianity, we are all brothers and sisters in Christ. We all have the same responsibility of sharing our faith and spreading the Gospel. It is especially important that our pastors equip us so we can effectively explain what we believe and what our church has to offer as Baptist Christians, Methodist Christians, and whatever denomination of Christianity we are.

Peter put it this way: “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” 1 Peter 3:15b.