Public forum in Milton warns of prescription drug danger
Photo 
Jeanne L. Erickson
MILTON — A public forum Wednesday at Milton City Hall gave local officials a chance to talk about a growing threat facing area teens. It resides in the home medicine cabinet.
That threat is prescription drugs.
Wednesday’s forum was, in part, a response to the Feb. 9 fatal OxyContin overdose of Alexander Aiken, 13, of Milton township. A 13-year-old friend of the boy also was hospitalized, allegedly suffering a drug overdose.
For one resident, the forum was a chance to pour out her concern about prescription drug use.
Jennifer Bethel, Aiken’s mother, was at the forum Wednesday, announcing that a toxicology report on her son’s death was released to the family Wednesday afternoon.
She said the report showed Aiken had overdosed on OxyContin.
“I miss my son more and more every day, if that’s possible. I’ll never get to hold him. I’ll never get to hear him laugh,” Bethel said.
But a speaker at the forum, Jeanne Erickson, said it is not too late for area parents to pull the plug on youth prescription drug abuse.
Erickson is an expert in adolescent brain development and a program director for Madison-based TNT’s “Youth Safety First—Lock It Up Campaign” The program’s purpose is self-evident—it focuses on securing prescription medications in homes, and emphasizes their proper disposal.
Among others attending Wednesday’s forum were Rock County Sheriff Robert Spoden, Milton Police Chief Jerry Schuetz and Milton High School Principal Jeremy Billhorn.
Erickson said that in the teen years, the brains of young people are still developing. The delicate balance of brain chemistry mixed with normal hormonal processes in teens can lead to impulsive, risk-taking decisions, she said.
“At least 99 percent of us have at least one episode in our lives that we can look back and say, ‘My god, what was I thinking?’ ”
At social gatherings, authorities say teens often aren’t thinking about the risks of taking prescription pills. Often, officials say, teens don’t even know what they are taking. Erickson said that results in dangerous drug interactions and side effects.
Rock County sheriff’s deputy Charles Behm said he recalls breaking up a youth pill party only to find several teens snorting ground up anti-diarrhea pills.
Regardless of what pills teens may be taking, Behm said, they can be a gateway to heroin use.
Behm pointed out that one prescription pill can have a street value as high as $80. Compare that to the $10 street value of a bag of heroin, Behm said, and for a teen with a growing dependency on drugs, switching from pills to heroin is a matter of simple economics.
But that pattern doesn’t have to play out, Milton Police Lt. John Conger told the group of about two dozen parents at the forum.
Conger said people can lock up and secure their medications. He added that proper disposal of unused medications can keep dangerous prescription drugs from falling into the hands of young people.
The Rock County Health Department will host a prescription drug round-up from 9 to 11 a.m. April 17. The drop-off site will be The Gathering Place, 715 Campus St., Milton.
Other drop-off locations include the Janesville Water Utility, 123 Delavan Drive; the Edgerton city garage, 315 W. High St., and the Beloit Department of Public Works, 2351 Springbrook Court.
In concluding the forum Wednesday, Bethel gave parents a sobering reminder to protect their children from the dangers of prescription drugs.
“You have to talk to your children and tell them it only takes one pill,” she said.
Mar 5, 2010 at 5:45 p.m.
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Mickie and fanoffun... The point is... there is only ONE barrier between the crap in the world and our children. US! And NO IT IS not A COP OUT to mention media exposure. Children are "sponges" and media saturates them with crap! This just adds to the pressure to have the best clothes, the latest cell phone (which I think is assinine anyway for children to have cell phones...)watch what they want on TV and do as they please.
On another note, parents who throw their hands up and GIVE UP should be stripped of their "parenting card". How DARE a parent except the adage "kids will be kids"... Back in the 50's... maybe. NOW? Uh... no!
And YES... you can and should know EXACTLY where your children are at ALL times... 24/7... as you said Mickie.
Mar 5, 2010 at 2:53 p.m.
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Parents cannot possibly watch their kids at any age 100% of the time. Thats ridiculous. So someone like Jeffrie Dahlmer, is his mother and father suppose to be accountable for how he turned out? Some kids grow up to be idiots and not because of their parents. Mental disease- whatever.. As parents we can only do the very best we can do. So all you people screaming about the parents need to pull your head out of your (not so) perfect butts and realize that not everything is in your control. NO- not even your children- no matter how perfect you may try to parent them.
Mar 5, 2010 at 10:27 a.m.
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SwissChick, loperamide (basis of Imodium, etc.) is an opioid receptor and has mild psychoactive potential, more so on adolescents than adults, probably chiefly when snorted vs. ingested into the stomach. You'd have to be pretty desperate, I would think.
Mar 5, 2010 at 10:08 a.m.
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Mallwood has Edgerton address, phone numbers and the kids go to Edgerton schools. It is part of the township of Milton. Trash collection etc.. is through the town of Milton.
Mar 5, 2010 at 9:50 a.m.
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Weren't these kids from Mallwood? Which is in Edgerton school district I thought.
Mar 5, 2010 at 8:28 a.m.
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"...snorting ground up anti-diarrhea pills". What? Geez.
Mar 5, 2010 at 8:04 a.m.
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Biggirl: Run by men? What does that have to do with anything? The cops in charge of these departments are MEN. What can they do about that???! And did u read the article and notice the KEYNOTE speaker was a WOMAN??!!! Wow, the negativity is ridiculous. They try to do a public service and the message you take away is that it was run by men. Congratulaions on being able to read that and learn nothing.
Mar 5, 2010 at 5:24 a.m.
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biggirl: At least someone is doing something. And at least the police are taking the first step. But all of us agree that it starts at home and with parents. And I don't know if I would bring a former addict in that would give the kids the idea that that person did it and survived so whats wrong with that. As the mother of the dead boy said it only takes one pill.
Mar 4, 2010 at 9:16 p.m.
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Must all these helpful forums be run by police (and men at that)! Could we not hear from a physician, a pastor, a community activist, a former addict, etc? And, if their brains are so underdeveloped is the DA going to guarantee that they will get help rather than criminal prosecution?
Mar 4, 2010 at 8:37 p.m.
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Stop blaming TV, Music, Movies, or Video Games !!! What a cop out !!!
Really is kids will be kids and parents have to be parents. Take time to know your kids and their habits. But the best thing is to have a schedule and stick to it the best you can. Any change by the kids, should be monitored, talked about, and monitored closely.
Never turn a blind eye to "Not my kid". Always think "Yea my kid" and educate yourself to deal with anything. Knowledge is power.
Periodically, check your kid's room. It's not a lack of trust, it's protecting your kids from peer pressure, overdoses, and/or addiction.
Remember, kids will experiment. But be there to educate and guide them.
Mar 4, 2010 at 8:30 p.m.
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PARENTS! Plain and simple. Until that child of yours packs their bags and removes themselves from your residence....you are 100% absolutely responsible for them. PERIOD. I don't buy any excuses any parent has who has lost a child for whatever reason. If a parent was doing his/her job, and yes, when you conceive that becomes your number ONE job, not the job that provides money to take care of your family not anything, if need be, to be there 24/7 to protect and keep an eye on your child, all else in your life needs to be haulted immediately, and your responsibility to that child needs to become your whole being. There is no such thing as I had no clue, there were no signs, that all comes down to .... I WASN'T PAYING ATTENTION. My needs were more important and clouded my perception of what my child was doing/acting like. We are going through issues right now with one of our younger children. He isn't a bad child, we have dicipline in our home, we are the 'snoopy' parents, our almost 18 year old has to forfeit his phone upon receiving a tardy...he still has a bed time...but, our young child that is having anger issues, and almost OCD issues, is in part my fault. And I admit that, because I have had my own physical/mental illnesses in the past two years that have taken away his stability that is owed to him. Therefore, it has now become my job, to put my issues on the back burner and turn my attention to taking care of what is bothering him and fix it, see, he doesn't have the cognative development to reason, I do. I have the ability to 'get through the day' knowing in the future I can return to fixing myself, his condition is in need of immediate attention....I am not saying I am perfect, many of us parents do things unintentionally that affect our child's environment, but it is the parent that removes the pride and the 'because I said so's' that makes the difference between substantual damage and savoirism. BE A DAMN PARENT! If you F up...admit and move on and fix it! Don't blame the child or the childs friends!
Mar 4, 2010 at 7:39 p.m.
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One important message to parents: If what your kid is telling you seems odd, or doesn't make sense, be suspicious.
Mar 4, 2010 at 7:29 p.m.
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I agree to a point with gmaof3. Parents need to BE parents. But even good parents need to increase their suspicions about what their kids are doing. There are so many influences, strong and constandtly, slamming into kids these days. They are confused, scared, intimidated, lonely, and searching. Who are they, where do they fit in, who likes them, they are not sure if they like themselves. They see today, the present, and fret about tomorrow.
A parent, extended family member, teacher, friend's parent needs to constantly tell the kid that THEY ARE LOVED, LIKED, and ACCEPTED.
School coulture today is hard. Fellow students are mean, excluding others. Today's media is full of smart alec quirps shot at others that in real life hurt. Many in our society are self-centered and pleasure seeking.
When kids feel neglected, excluded, bored, tired, hurt, sad or angry they, like all of us, will seek pleasure. Like adults, the pleasure they seek may not be good for them. kids do not have the mental ability to make safe judgements and understand the consequences.
Parents, teachers, relatives, any adult who is in contact with kids needs to be on the look-out for possible bad choices the kids may be making.
Kids are creative and that can be good but also can lead to finding a mirade of ways to seek pleasure in ways that can bring harm or death to them.
Mar 4, 2010 at 5:27 p.m.
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Kids have this sense of immortality. TV shows glamorize it, exploit drug use and make it appealing.
Parents are solely responsible for the safety of their own children. NOT schools or churches or grandparents or... Be accountable for the things your children are involved in. And TALK to them. Then TALK some more, and some more and....
We have such a small amount of time to "get it right" and blaming others does not keep your children safe. And yes, the teen years can be like living in hell sometimes. Children are sneaky little stinkers. But its YOUR home and YOUR child... YOUR responsibility. Search their rooms, check school bags and pockets... watch for mood swings, changes in friends, slipping grades, any behavior that isn't normal.
It is the first clue that they are drifting...
Did I get it perfectly right with my own children? OF COURSE NOT, but I knew who their friends were, I knew their friends parents, I knew where they were and I did not bend on restrictions, under any circumstances. They did not like it all the time, but I was consistent. AND I did not try to be their FRIEND. I was the MOM.
I so enjoy the relationships I have with them now. And at the time, I think they wanted to hate me. But now that they are in their 20's we really ARE best of friends! If you ARE the parent, you will have a great relationship with them when they finally become adults! And they just might make it through those teen years, unscathed.
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