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Teens in the Reno, Nev., area report high levels of suicide, sexual activity and drug use, according to a recent youth risk behavior survey conducted by Washoe County School District officials. The district released the results of the survey tand called for action by the entire community.

According to the study, the number of students considering suicide is on the rise (from 8.6 percent in 2001 to 14.6 percent in 2009); more than half of the district's students have had sex; and almost one-quarter of students reported coming to class high.

District Board of Trustees President Barbara Clark said at a morning news conference: "Many of our children come to school each day facing challenges to be ready and willing to learn. We want to make sure our parents and community know what our children are facing so we can work on these issues together."

The survey was based on questions created by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and involved a sampling of 1,844 middle school students and 1,727 high school students.

(Source: www.rgj.com)

Labels: sex, drug-use, suicide

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Sara Carlin had been taking anti-depressant medication for about a year before she committed suicide. Her parents asked for an investigation into what role – if any – her medication might have played in her death.

“A lawyer for Ms. Carlin’s family attempted to draw a strong link between her death and Paxil, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) medication that the young woman had been taking… Over the months after she began taking Paxil, he said, she told friends she was suicidal, wrote a note in which she said she was tired of life and later landed in hospital after a session of drinking and cocaine use.” [Source: The Globe and Mail (Canada)]

A lawyer for the pharmaceutical company, however, pointed to medical records in which doctors stated that Sara’s mood and sleep began to improve as a result of Paxil. The inquiry can’t place blame for Sara’s death, but it can request recommendations – including a requirement that doctors inform patients of possible side-effects associated with Paxil.

Labels: suicide, mental health, antidepressants

Posted By: Stefanie Hamilton 0 Comments