We started the All-Stars contest last January as a way to lead up to our first anniversary together. We are truly excited to be celebrating our year-long effort, but we are even more delighted about the role people like the All-Stars have played.

We are so close to our one-year milestone. That means there is only one more chance to share your story for a chance to be recognized as an All-Star. If you haven’t done so yet, go to our contest page and fill out an entry to nominate yourself or someone you know who has raised awareness about cough medicine abuse. Not only will our winner get well-deserved praise on FiveMoms.com, they also will receive a prize package that includes an iPod Touch! Get your entries in before May 25 for our final contest May 25!

The Internet, however, also has become a popular place for teens to trade tips on how to abuse cough medicine and to share their experiences while high on cough medicine. To protect your kids, you should talk with them about the dangers of abuse and explain your expectations about how your kids should and should not use the Internet.

Using sites like MySpace to find their friends is fun for your kids, so talk with them about it to show you are interested in their activities and so you have a better understanding of what your kids are doing online. You also should remind them that there are also plenty of sites they shouldn’t be surfing. The only way they will know, though, is if you share your feelings on what is safe. You can find other tips on how to monitor your kids’ computer use here at Five Moms.

One thing I noticed in the article is that teens have questions about cough medicine abuse. Look at what one teen asked the experts from NIDA:

plbaby - Point Loma high school - some of my friends drink a lot of cough medicine to get high? is that dangerous?
Nicolette Borek - It is dangerous - dextromethorphan, which is often abbreviated DXM, is the drug in cough syrup that gives the high and abusing it can lead to various negative side effects especially if it is used along with alcohol.

Your kids probably have lots of questions about all kinds of drug abuse, but a professional expert like Nicolette Borek, who is a NIDA psychologist, won’t always be around. If you get educated about cough medicine abuse, you can be the person they turn to for the answers that will help keep them safe.

So, here’s our wish list of what we can all do together in year two:

• Keep telling the people you know. Parents who reach out to other parents are the most important part of our campaign.
• Stay educated and up-to-date. You probably already know that we have a great resource section here at Five Moms, but check back often as we share other news we find. If you see an article about something in your community, tell us!
• Stay involved. Talk to other parents in your community, or join the conversation on our campaign’s Gather web page.

Most importantly, talk with your kids. Start at home and make sure your kids know exactly how you feel about this dangerous habit. Tell them that you care for their safety and that they are putting themselves at risk if they abuse cough medicine.

Please join me in congratulating Gwendolyn Scales of Cleveland, Ohio!

Gwendolyn has been a foster parent for more than 10 years, offering support and family to 17 children, in addition to raising her two biological children. While surfing the Internet, Gwendolyn came across our campaign’s web site. She realized that many other parents may need to hear our message, especially some members of her foster parent group who look after teenagers. For her work educating parents and helping to protect foster children, we are delighted to honor Gwendolyn as our April All-Star.

We are now entering the fifth and final month of our All-Star contest. It is your last chance to share your story about how you’ve used what you’ve learned from the Five Moms to help fight cough medicine abuse. Submit your story today and you could be our last winner. Our last contest ends on May 25, so get your entry in now!

As we get ready to start our second year, let’s make sure to keep the conversation going. I’d like to invite you all to share some ideas or experiences that have taught you about talking with your children about drug abuse.

Is there a special way you bring up the topic? A setting or method that you have found was successful in approaching your kids about drugs? Join the discussion on our page at Gather so we can all benefit from each other’s experiences.

Once you have an inventory, continue to keep track. It is important as a parent to always know what medicines, both prescription and over-the-counter, you may have in your home. If your child is abusing medicine, they may be turning to what is in your home. If you know what you have on hand, you will be in a better position to catch warning flags early.

Safeguarding your medicine cabinet is one way to keep your family healthy and safe. You can find more tips on protecting your kids here at the Five Moms.

Your children may be getting more and more excited about getting out of class and into summer activities. Take a moment this week and try to tap into that excitement with your children. It is a perfect opportunity to connect with your kids about something they are looking forward to.

When you are comfortable talking with your kids, you also can approach other topics that matter to you. It is a great way to start a conversation about the dangers of drug abuse. For more tips on conversing with your kids, you should check out Time to Talk, which has a Parent Talk Kit full of resources.

Here are two simple things you can do in your own house to fight this trend:

• Safeguard your medicine cabinet. Always know what medicine you have in your house and keep track of what’s in each bottle or box.
• Communicate with your kids. Talk about how drug abuse is dangerous and that medicine is safe, but only when it’s used as directed and for its intended purpose.

This is not just a family problem. It is a community problem, she said.

“There are both risk factors and protective factors to consider. Risk factors include early aggressive behavior, lack of parental supervision, substance abuse, drug availability and poverty,” Denton said. “Protective factors are self-control, parental monitoring, academic competence, anti-drug use policies and strong neighborhood attachments.

“As neighbors, we all can do more,” Denton cautioned. “We don’t take that opportunity to know one another and help one another.”

She made a great point; cough medicine abuse is something that affects an entire community. That’s why you should spread the word about abuse to other parents. The more parents who know, the more we can prevent the habit from happening in our own neighborhoods.