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In The News

Families Advocate for Awareness of Fentanyl Dangers

By Quanecia Fraser, KETV

"Parents and teens sat in the Platteview High School auditorium Thursday night, listening to law enforcement talk about the dangerous reality of fentanyl. The presentation is by the Drug Enforcement Administration's Family Summit.

"Within our division, we invited families from within the five states that make up the Omaha division to come in and share their stories", said Justin King, special agent in charge of the DEA Omaha Field Division.

"He was poisoned by fentanyl in August of 2021," Barajas said. "He started experimenting with marijuana when he was 13. That slowly increased to a lot of marijuana use and into opioids, some pills."

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Fatal Drug Overdoses Among U.S. Seniors Have Tripled Since 2000

By Denise Mann, HealthDay Reporter

"Growing numbers of older Americans are dying from drug overdoses and alcohol abuse. That's the tragic takeaway from two new reports by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 5,000 people aged 65 and older in the United States died of a drug overdose in 2020, and this number has tripled since 2000, according to one of the reports. The other report revealed that more than 11,600 U.S. seniors died from alcohol-induced causes in 2020.

Alcohol-induced death rates in this age group have been on the rise since 2011 and jumped more than 18% from 2019 to 2020. The new research wasn't designed to look at why more older Americans are dying from drug overdoses or alcohol abuse, but the findings mirror what has been seen in younger age groups.

Abuse of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids has had a big impact on the older population as well as younger folks, said study author Ellen Kramarow. She is a demographer at the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics. Death rates from these drugs increased by 53% from 2019 to 2020 among people aged 65 and older, Kramarow said. The increase in deaths from drug overdoses and alcohol use has been rising faster in men, she added.

The drugs people take now are more lethal than they were even a decade ago. "Earl on, the opioid overdose crisis was driven by prescription opioid use but now it is driven by highly lethal synthetic opioids like fentanyl in the drug supply, Fernandez noted."

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Prescription for a Healthy Holiday: Tips to Safeguard Your Medicines

By Administration for Community Living

"For many people, the holiday season means extra visits with family and friends, creating fun memories, sharing traditions, and enjoying the warm glow of family. With all the decorating and activities, it's easy to let safety slip off your to-do list. But this is an excellent time to make sure powerful medicines don't fall into the wrong hands.

Prescriptions and over-the-counter remedies we rely on can be dangerous to others, and not just to children. It is true that about 60,000 young children are taken to the emergency room each year because they got into medicines left within easy reach. Unfortunately, older kids and teens often experiment with drugs they find in someone else's medicine cabinet.

Here are six ways to safeguard your prescription drugs - and your loved ones:

Keep all medicines and over-the-counter items - especially cough syrup, sleep aids, and motion sickness medicine - locked up, or move them to a place where they won't be easily found."

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What's Happening at Coalition Rx?

Too Good For Drugs and Violence Presentations, Programming, and More!

Have you ever heard of the STAR method? Chief Deputy Wayne Hudson and Carey recently visited students at Elkhorn North Ridge Middle School to discuss the STAR method when making good decisions.

It is always important to (S)top (T)hink (A)ct (R)eflect when faced with a big decision because it helps to thoughtfully plan your actions and evaluate the choices you will face in life!

Peer pressure can sometimes be a difficult thing to deal with! Our friends at Forest Station recently learned some great peer pressure refusals that they can use when faced with negative pressure from a peer.

Pinky the Elephant from the Nebraska Regional Poison Center stopped by to visit our friends at the Offutt Youth Center!

Our students learned the importance of being safe around harmful substances, and how to make good decisions on what things people should and should not consume!

The More You Know

Looking Forward

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Help Reduce the Misuse of Substances of Abuse

Founded in 2015, our mission is to reduce the misuse of all substances of abuse by raising awareness and partnering with community organizations to provide public and professional education, prevention and treatment resources, and policy advocacy.

Carey Pomykata

Co-Founder/Executive Director

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