Generation Rx at the University of Louisiana at Monroe is partnering with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Children's Coalition of Northeast Louisiana for National Drug Takeback Day on October 27, 2018. Collection sites are available at the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day website.

Olivia Dumestre, co-chair of Generation Rx, and Agent Paul Seale of the DEA discuss the drug abuse crisis.Generation Rx is part of ULM chapter of the American Pharmacists Association Academy of Student Pharmacists. "Our main focus is to reach out to the community and promote proper ways of disposing of medications, and also to prevent the misuse and abuse of prescription and non-prescription drugs," says Olivia Dumestre, co-chair of Generation Rx. According to Dumestre, all prescription drugs have an expiration date and should not be used after that date. 
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One way to help keep medications out of the wrong hands is to regularly clean out medicine cabinets. Agent Paul Seale agrees: "It's as simple as that. At the DEA, we believe that's a big cause of a lot of the issue, as far as our young people, teenagers, and people becoming addicted to drugs. One of the main ways to get those drugs is in their house, in their medicine cabinet."

National Prescription Drug Takeback Day began in 2010 to address public health concerns. According to  Seale, it has grown every year since. This year, around 3,700 law enforcement agencies have partnered with the DEA to man over 4,000 collection sites nationwide. "We provide an easy, anonymous, and free way to get rid of a lot of those prescription drugs in local law enforcement or other organizations," says Seale.

Collection sites are located at participating Brookshire's and Super 1 Foods in Monroe, West Monroe, Farmerville, and Bastrop. Other collection sites are available at the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day website.

Mental health is an important aspect of an adult’s overall well-being, but what about with children? Tammy Washington, healthy living coordinator at The Children’s Coalition for Northeast Louisiana, says that mindfulness helps children learn to self-regulate better. 

On what mindfulness is
Mindfulness is a tool that assists children with self-regulation. Mindfulness will provide strategies for training their attention and helping them to focus on the present moment purposefully.
For example, if you take a mason jar that’s filled with water and you add glitter and some small tokens, the glitter and tokens will represent the thoughts and feelings. If you shake it up vigorously, you’ll see the glitter and tokens chaotically float throughout the water.

Understand that this is what it’s like for children – and even adults – when their thoughts and feelings are spinning out of control. So, a child may act out and become irritated or frustrated or unfocused. If you don’t teach them how to regulate their feelings, just telling them, “Do what I say do!” will continue a cycle that only works temporarily.
Mindfulness takes places as the glitter slowly starts to settle to the bottom. For the child, this takes place when you get them to have slow and steady breaths. They’re able to calm down and think about what’s going on around them. This is a life skill that we should all work hard at.

On why mindfulness is important for children today
It is important for children to be able to see and adjust to what's happening around them clearly. They learn skills to help them settle themselves, to steady their minds, and steady their hearts so they can function in this world as a generous and compassionate individual. This will help with academics because when they’re calm they’re focused.  

On the long-term effects of mindfulness
Some of the long-term effects are minimized aggression. The parents, teacher, and child will be able to notice the shift. They will also become self-aware. When I say self-aware, I’m saying that they’re knowledgeable of what they lack. They know their personality and what their characteristics are. They begin to accept themselves and they become more self-confident. Students who are more self-confident are more likely to accept others in spite of their differences.

On when to implement mindful exercises with children
You can start them at any age. Parents can teach this to their toddlers at home. Children don’t know how to verbalize their emotions – they don’t know how to calm themselves. Everything is learned after that. The first thing I recommend is for parents to practice it themselves. Parents are the best models. Children imitate everything we do. Take slow and steady breaths and watch your thoughts slow down. Other tips, are to talk your children for a walk around the house or at the park. Teach them to be more conscious of the things around them. It helps them be more appreciative. 
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Time to Talk is produced with the Children's Coalition for Northeast Louisiana and BayouLife Magazine.

It's hard to pinpoint exactly who your child may or may not be communicating with on the internet. Online harassment is becoming one of leading causes of self-harm and suicide in teens. Rhonda Winbush, community outreach specialist at United HealthCare, says parents need to monitor what their children are doing online.

On the most common misconceptions about cyber bullying
Most teens feel that cyber bullying only happens to a certain group, but the truth is that everyone who uses the internet is subject to cyber bullying. Secondly, they believe that no one else is ever being bullied and that’s not true. With cyber communication, its easier for someone to bully you because you don’t know who’s behind that computer. Third, the difference between cyber bullying and other types of bullying is exactly what we’re discussing. It can be anyone. It can be someone that you were just at school with or someone that you’ve never known. 

On conversations parents should have with children on cyber bullying
Well, the major conversation that you want to have with your children is for them to not take the computer as their complete resource. The internet is an excellent resource, but they have to know how to use it. They have to know, as a parent, I have to monitor certain things that my children are seeing and doing on the computer. Also, when something is going on they need to report it. Tell a parent or tell a teacher so that it won’t affect them.

On what parents and educators can do stop cyber bullying
The first thing I would say is that we can no longer say that kids are being kids. It’s become a major problem. Kids are taking their own lives or someone else’s life because they don’t have any type of support to tell them it okay and they can get help. As a parent, I have to make sure that my child is safe on the internet as well as at school. Getting teachers involved, counselors, and mental health professionals, to work with us as a unit and not separately.
Time to Talk is produced with the Children's Coalition for Northeast Louisiana and BayouLife Magazine.

UNION PARISH, La, (KNOE) - In Union Parish, the Hispanic community came together for a day of family fun.
Saturday, was their 8th annual Dia de la Familia at Lake D'arbonne State Park.
Organizers say their goal is to celebrate the Hispanic culture in Northeast Louisiana and bring resources to the community.
The day was filled with food and fun for the entire family.
"Let the community also know that the Hispanic population is here, is present and that we want to share our culture and everything with them,” said Wendy Comfort, who went to the event.
The event was hosted by the Children's Coalition of NELA and a host of sponsors including Healthy Blue, who were providing free screenings.