Holiday helpers are thanked

To the editor:
With the holidays behind us, the Jay County Salvation Army would like to thank all the volunteers who made this year’s fundraiser a success.
Without you, many who are less fortunate would not receive the help they desperately need.
Thanks to Florine Golden and her helpers who organized the high school students.
And we would like to thank our Kettle Coordinator Karin Somers for all the hard work she put in.
Thank you to James Fennig of WalMart and Dave Evers of MainStreet Market for their continued support. Thank you to the students of Jay County High School and others who braved the cold wind and cold temperatures to help others.
Thank you to the community for your generosity.
Denise Brewster, chairman, Jay County Salvation Army

RX problems
To the editor:
The problems surrounding prescription drugs continue to be a problem in our community. It continues to be an issue in the schools with students bringing pills to school and then giving them away or selling them to other students.
Often a student will consume these pills without ever knowing what the drug is or the effects it may have on them.
In speaking with students who have participated in these behaviors, it seems that a lot of the motivation behind the behavior is to be cool or fit in with others.
They say that although it does not happen on a daily basis in their school, they do see or hear about these kinds of activities on a regular basis.
Some students have used the Internet to identify the drug before consuming it. For some students this may be a cautionary exercise, but for others it may be a tool to look for the specific effects of a drug that they can then try to acquire.
Our society has made it pretty easy for teens to acquire these prescription meds. They often acquire them from peers, friends or family members who have legal prescriptions, and in some cases they may even steal them from people who they know have a prescription.
To help prevent the illegal use of prescription medications, adults, school officials and family members may want to do the following:
•Keep prescriptions secure in a locked room, drawer or cabinet.
•Do not allow adolescents to self-administer their prescription medications without adult supervision.
•Do not allow children to carry prescription medications to and from school. A parent or guardian should deliver and remove medications from school.
Medications should be provided in properly labeled containers that identify the name of the medication, prescribed dosage and frequency of medication.
•Pay attention to the amount of medication left in a bottle. This is crucial to discovering someone who is selling their medication.
PJ Corwin, Jay County
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