Drug & Alcohol Awareness

Our first official piece in our new Breaking The Chains segment of our publication. Hope you enjoy. Written by Collette Matthews.

Do you know where your children are? Many of us may remember this question from an evening public service announcement that aired on television originating in the 1960’s. It was a warning to suggest that perhaps if your children aren’t home, then they might be doing something wrong. There are more dangers for our youth in today’s world than in the 1960’s. We also know that some things that were common in the 1960’s like smoking cigarettes are far more dangerous than we thought. Vaping has become popular amongst children as young as 12 or in some cases even younger.  Alcohol use among teens is also more of an issue. We now know that drinking alcohol as a teen can have long lasting effects and can cause problems with brain development. Your child may have more education than the previous generation about using tobacco, vaping, using drugs, or drinking alcohol. They may even know more than their parents do.

There are teens or pre-teens in the Northern Lebanon area who vape, smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol, use drugs, or all of the above. If your child isn’t one of these kids, it is almost a guarantee that they know who these kids are and may even be friends. There are many scenarios where your child will be around other children without supervision and will be talked into or tempted to try dangerous substances they know they shouldn’t do. We know some kids are more susceptible to peer pressure than others. In cases where alcohol is involved it may even be easier for them to get talked into using drugs like heroin if they’re already under the influence of alcohol. Even if your child is a good kid and promises you they would never do anything wrong, there is still a good chance they will encounter peer pressure. 

If we want to help the youth in our area avoid using dangerous substances or becoming addicted to them, we need to educate more. We need better tobacco, drug, and alcohol education for our youth, the parents, and the community. The schools should not be 100 percent responsible for all of the education they receive about dangerous substances. It should also come from the child’s home. Unfortunately, some of the children in our area come from homes where the parents are struggling with addiction. In these cases it is important for the community to be educated and understanding about ways to help. Please take time to talk to your children about the dangers of using dangerous substances. Remind them that it is illegal to buy or use tobacco products in the United States under the age of 21 and if caught they could face big fines. Also, it is illegal to consume alcohol under the age of 21 and in Pennsylvania you can be arrested for being at a party with alcohol present. The fine for underage drinking starts at $500 and a revoked drivers license. It is also important to note that the minimum fine for supplying alcohol to a minor starts at $1,000. To learn more about teen alcohol abuse visit 

https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/underage-drinking.

There is a controversy surrounding whether or not drug addiction or alcoholism are a diseases. If you ask any licensed health care professional they will tell you the answer is yes. Drug addiction and alcoholism are diseases and there should be no controversies surrounding this fact. Addiction is a serious disease in which the body needs a certain substance to feel well. If an addict does not have that substance they will start to go through withdrawal. Withdrawal symptoms for both alcohol and drugs make people very sick and sometimes can make someone seriously ill. Withdrawal is not only serious but it is also why addicts have a hard time becoming sober. Absolutely no one wants to feel those withdrawal symptoms and it is very scary. As much as a person may want to gain sobriety it is very hard to quit without help. Each dangerous substance and user, whether it be drugs or alcohol, haS varying symptoms and durations, which cal also be extreme. There are clinics, hospitals, and inpatient rehab centers that can help a person detox and go through withdrawal easier. Addiction itself can also be treated at these places with both counseling and medication. 

Medication-assisted treatment or MAT for short is the use of medication by health care providers to treat addiction. MAT can also be used along with drug and alcohol counseling to help reach sobriety. Popular forms of MAT include Suboxone (buprenorphine) or Vivitrol. Suboxone treats opiod dependance and can be taken orally or by injection perfomed by a healcare professional. Vivitrol is a montlhy injection that treats both alcohol dependence and opioid dependence. Naltrexone, which is an ingredient in Vivitrol can be taken orally, but needs to be taken daily to be effective. All of these medications need to be taken with the guidance of a healthcare professional and can be dangerous if not monitored. Patients should be educated on their uses to be successful and avoid complications. 

Opioid abuse is a serious epidemic in our area. Opioids are used to treat pain. If abused or taken too long they can lead to addiction. Often, addicts are people who have been prescribed opioids also known as “pain killers” or narcotics and have just become addicted to them. This also leads them to seek out Heroin once the medications they were prescribed become unavailable to them. No one chooses to become an addict. All opioids are extremely addictive and have a risk of overdose leading to death. They include popular pain medications like Hydrocodone (Vicodin), Oxycodone (Percocet), Morphine, Fentanyl, and Codeine. Fentanyl is 50 times more potent than Heroin and even more of a risk of overdose. Other drugs are sometimes laced with Fentanyl including Heroin, methamphetamines, and Cocaine. Fentanyl laced drugs are becoming more common and you will most likely not know if a drug is laced with Fentanyl which makes more risk of overdose. There is also a new drug to be aware of that is hitting our area known as Xylazine which is known as the “zombie drug” and is a tranquilizer. It is a dangerous drug used for large animal tranquilization. It is not fit for human consumption and is extremely dangerous. Xylazine is also used to lace other drugs like Heroin and can be combined with Fentanyl. When Xylazine is used it can be deadly and often leads to large wounds that will not heal. Doctors do not currently have many treatments that help people who use Xylazine and the rotting wounds take a long time to heal that can lead to amputation. Drugs that contain Xylazine can lead to drug poisoning which Narcan does not reverse. 

According to PA.Gov Lebanon County had more than the statewide average of overdoses in 2022 with 75.4 overdoses per every 100,000 people. If you or someone you know takes an opioid for any reason they can be in danger of overdose. This includes elderly patients or those who may not remember how many doses of their medication they have taken. Children in homes where heroin or opioids are located are also in danger of coming into contact with these drugs by accidental contact. Heroin users are at a high risk for overdose and users do not know how much drug use will cause them to overdose. Narcan or Naloxone is a nasal spray easily available to everyone. Narcan reverses the effects of the opioid and allows the person who is overdosing to start breathing again. Always call 911 if you suspect an emergency or overdose. The Good Samaritan Law gives immunity to those who may be under the influence of drugs if they call 911 and stay with the victim until help arrives. Narcan saves lives! It is important to identify the signs of an overdose which are Small/constricted “pinpoint pupils”, shallow/weak/slow breathing, no breathing, gurgling/choking sounds, limp body, clammy and/or cold skin, and discolored lips/nails/skin. Anyone who wants to learn more about overdosing can do so at https://www.cdc.gov/stopoverdose/naloxone/index.html. Locally, the closest place to get narcan is at the Lebanon Walmart and costs just over $38 at the pharmacy with a doctor’s prescription or by using the PA standing order. The staff at Walmart Pharmacy, Lebanon was very helpful and knowledgeable when asked about Narcan/Naloxone which makes pharmacies like that one essential in saving lives. Currently, Pennsylvania has a standing order for anyone who wants Narcan. You can take the standing order to the the pharmacy for the drug. For more about heroin addiction and for the standing order for nalaxone visit https://www.pa.gov/guides/opioid-epidemic/. Narcan can be free if your insurrance covers it and sometimes organizations will offer it for free. You can ask your health care provider if they know where you can get free Narcan. 

Drug and alcohol abuse is a huge problem in small rural areas like ours. There is help available to everyone in need. This includes help for addicts, those in recovery, or family and friends. Here is some information that may help you or someone you know. 

In the case of a drug overdose or emergency dial 9-1-1

Suicide & Crisis Lifeline call or text 9-8-8

United Way 2-1-1 Can help find you the help you need.

Drug & Alcohol Counselers and Rehabs in Lebanon County: https://www.compassmark.org/lebanon-county-outpatient-evaluations/

Stronger Together Lebanon County Heroin Taskforce & Resourses: http://strongertogetherlebco.com/

Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration Helpline (For Referrals): 

1-800-662- HELP(4357) https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline

Narcotics Anonymous

Helps people who need help with addiction to narcotics and those in recovery. Visit NA.org for more information.

Closest meeting to us:

Covenant United Methodist Church

346 North 9th Street

Lebanon, PA 17046

Fridays at 7:00 p.m. 

Nar-Anon

Help for family and friends of those addicted to drugs

Visit https://www.nar-anon.org/find-a-meeting for more information

Closest meeting to us: 

Jonestown United Church of Christ

120 W. Market St.

Jonestown, PA 17038

Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. 

Alcoholics AnonymousHelps those struggling with alcohol addiction and those in those in recovery. Closest Meeting is in Harrisburg visit AA.org for more information and to find your preferred place. Online meetings are available.

Al-Anon

Helps family and friends impacted by alcoholism

Visit Al-Anon.org for more information

Palmyra Church of the Brethren

45 N Chestnut St, Palmyra, PA, 17078, USA

Mondays at 7:00 PM