Blue Cross to limit opioid scripts to 30-day supply

Jay Greene's latest article in Crain's Detroit Business discusses the recent move by Blue Cross to limit opioid prescriptions to a 30-day supply.   Here are few excerpts from the article that explain the decision:

• In Michigan, 1,365 people died of opioid overdoses in 2016, compared to 884 in 2015 and 426 in 2012, meaning Michigan's overdose rate has tripled since 2012, said the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
• Doctors, pharmaceutical companies and health insurers have been criticized over the past two years for their roles in enabling the opioid addiction crisis.
• Physicians have taken steps to limit prescriptions after surgeries and ensure patients have true pain and are not doctor shopping. Many providers and first-responders have also been trained to use naloxone opioid overdose kits.

Read the entire article

Gifts Were Plentiful at Example's Christmas Party

Example's Christmas event featured a great speaker, great games, great gifts, great pizza and great students giving and receiving encouragement to each other.

Mr. Steve Fox, Macomb County assistant prosecuting attorney, spoke to the students and explained the legal and criminal ramifications of using and possessing drugs and alcohol. He also applauded the students for being a part of Example and their willingness to make a difference.  Below are some excerpts from his presentation.

Lindsey and Jordan won the Most Creative and the Ugliest Christmas sweater awards. The raucous white elephant gift exchange included a potpourri of gifts: a 2001 country Christmas cd, Twilight and popcorn to boost the viewing experience, Justin Bieber wrapping paper, and an actual white elephant!

Thank you to everyone who attended.

SHOCKtober 2017

In Macbeth, Shakespeare offers a recipe for a gruesome concoction as the three witches add some interesting ingredients to the cauldron:

Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn and cauldron bubble.
Fillet of a fenny snake, 
In the cauldron boil and bake; 
Eye of newt, and toe of frog,
Wool of bat, and tongue of dog, 
Adder’s fork, and blind-worm’s sting, 
Lizard’s leg, and howlet’s wing, 
For a charm of powerful trouble...

At Saturday's SHOCKtober event, there were no newt eyes, dog tongue, or bat wool.
There was, however, a dash of laughter, a heaping of creativity, a pinch of competition and more than generous amounts of a desire to make a difference.
Once again, high school students demonstrated that alcohol and drugs aren't needed to have fun.




"Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity." 
                                                        - I Timothy 4:12

Homecoming Advice for Parents

Example is reposting this article from 2012. 

Parents,
Homecoming isn't too far away and it's a great opportunity to be an Example to your son and/or daughter.  Here are some tips for parents taken from another web site. 

q  Know where your teenager will be.  Obtain the phone number and address of the party giver.  Agree that your teenager will call if he goes to another location.

q  Personally contact the parents of the party-giver.  When you call: verify the occasion, offer support or assistance, make sure an adult will be present, and be certain that alcohol and other drugs will not be permitted.

q  Know how your teenager will get to and from the party.  Let your teen know that you, or a specified friend or neighbor, can be called if a ride home is needed for any reason.  Discuss with your teenager the situations which might make such a call necessary.  Reinforce that under no circumstances should your teenager allow someone who has been taking drugs or drinking alcohol to drive them anywhere.

q  Determine with your teenager a reasonable curfew.  Be awake or have your teen awaken you upon arrival home.  Being up and available when your teen comes home encourages communication and could alert you to a potential problem.

q  If your teenager stays overnight with a friend after the party, personally check with the parents.  Be sure they will be home and want your teen to stay over.  Spontaneous “sleep-over” arrangements should always be confirmed with the host parents.

Last May Example reminded parents about the legal responsibilities of hosting parties.  Look it over as you plan Homecoming activities this year.

The Lord has blessed us with children and with those blessing also come responsibilities.  

"Train up a child in the way he should go; 

even when he is old he will not depart from it."

Proverbs 22:6 

Launching Example for 2017 - 2018

Our first event of the year was great fun and great encouragement. Not only did we laugh and eat more pizza than humanely possible, we also heard from two seniors who gave great advice about making God-pleasing decisions, taking care of yourself and your friends.  Thank you to everyone who helped make our first event a great time.

Thank you Jordan and Michael for leading by Example.

If you couldn't make it, plan now for our next event on Saturday, October 28 from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.

Finis Origine Pendet

Finis Origine Pendet

The end depends on the beginning.

Begin this year by giving and receiving encouragement, strength and hope.

 

Important Questions and Answers

These questions and answers are more important than any Final Jeopardy round.  This article, "Short Answers to Hard Questions About the Opioid Crisis" by Josh Katz  presents eleven questions and answers that everyone needs to read.
The following excerpt is question 7. The others are just as important.
Read all the questions and answers.

What is fentanyl and why is it killing people?

It’s a synthetic opioid 50 times more potent than heroin.

Heroin is derived from opium, a plant. That means its growers need fields and labor to harvest the crop. They are tied to land, weather and time.

Fentanyl is purely synthetic. Think chemistry, not agriculture. It’s commonly used for surgical anesthesia and is prescribed to treat pain, but almost all of the fentanyl on the streets is illicitly manufactured. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, the majority of illicit fentanyl in the United States is manufactured either in China or in Mexico using precursors bought from China. And at least some portion of it comes to the United States in the mail, ordered from dark web sources like the recently shuttered AlphaBay. But we don’t know how much.

Run Drugs Out of Town

Summer is just around the corner.
While you are enjoying the sun, the beaches, and the absence of homework, plan on participating in Families Against Narcotics' event, Run Drugs Out of Town on Saturday, July 15.

Register online before June 15 and the cost if $25.00.  If you register online, sign up with Team LHN Example. Registration on the day of the event opens at 8:00 a.m.  Festivities begin at 9:00 a.m.
Run, race or walk your way to supporting a great cause.

Example has been a part of this event for the past four years. Families Against Narcotics has been a great resource for Example.  Show your support for a great event and a great organization.

Contact Mr. Brandt if you have any questions.

Keeping the Streak Alive

Thank you, faculty and friends for being a part of Example's kickball tournament.  We are very grateful for your willingness to encourage the young men and women of Lutheran North to make smart, healthy, God-pleasing decisions. Thanks for being part of this great event.

Your non-championship streak is still alive. Perhaps this video explains why...

Prom: A Great Week of Leadership and Encouragement

Thank you to everyone who signed an Example Promise, spoke to the student body, encouraged one another, listened to Dr. McHugh's presentation, clapped for the student speakers and make healthy, intelligent and God-pleasing decisions this Prom weekend.
Here is a recap of the week's events.

Monday:

• Emily and Charles encouraged the student body to make God-pleasing decisions because there are so many great events in life to experience. 
• Student began signing Example PROMise sheets as a way to show North's student body that many people do not drink or use drugs at Prom.

Tuesday: 

• Jack addressed the student body and referenced Romans 12:2 “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing, and perfect will.” Later that day Jack was awarded the Macomb County Prevention Coalition's Student Leader Award by Macomb County Prosecutor, Eric Smith.
• Example hosted a school assembly featuring Dr. Charlene McHugh.  Dr. McHugh, an ER doctor at St. John Providence Hospital in Detroit, gave a candid and compassionate presentation on the consequences of making poor decisions and how to make healthy decisions.

Wednesday:  

• Example released this video reminding students that Prom can be so much fun and never has to include drugs or alcohol. 

Thursday:

• Therese and Logan encouraged students to enjoy the excitement of Prom and life by not using drugs and alcohol.  Therese's genuine excitement for life and Logan's third reason for not drinking are why you need to watch these presentations.

Friday: 

• While all the seniors enjoyed a day off school, Blaire addressed the remaining student body and combined compassion and common sense to deliver a powerful message about why refraining from drugs and alcohol is a good idea during Prom and every day.

By the week's end tmore than 150 students signed the Example PROMise.  Example also encouraged students to use #LHNExampleProm to tweet the fun they were having during all the festivities. 

It was so good to see students use their leadership skills and their compassion to make a difference. Students, parents, families, teachers, and administrators, thank you for encouraging these young men and women to make healthy, intelligent and God-pleasing decisions during Prom and every day of their lives.

Prom Week: Day Five




Use this # to tweet your Prom fun to the world.

Hi, my name is Blaire Weiman, and I’m a junior here at LHN.  As you know, tonight is Prom and I am so excited and I imagine that you are too!  Prom is a big night, and I am really looking forward to enjoying it with my date and my friends – spending time together, having dinner, dancing, laughing and taking pictures to help remember it all.

This is my first time going to Prom, and I will not be using alcohol or drugs.  As much as I am looking forward to tonight, I also realize how making one wrong decision can impact me for a lifetime.  I understand how powerful my choices are and how they can have long-lasting consequences.  I know that I will have an awesome Prom experience, without following the stereotypical prom night standard of drinking to have fun that we sometimes see in movies.  I want to enjoy every minute of this special night – a night that we will remember forever when we look back at our good ol’ high school days.

Whether we make good or bad choices, we can determine our memories of this night.  Making a poor decision because of peer pressure could not only hurt you but someone else.  The good news is we all have the ability to do the right thing and to make the right choices! 

As I said earlier I am looking forward to tonight and all of the fun we will have, but I am also looking forward to all of the other things that I have ahead of me in my life – this summer, my senior year, college, my career, having a family – all of these things that could potentially be destroyed by one wrong decision. 

So if you are out there thinking you are alone in saying no to drinking or using drugs, think again!  Remember all of the encouraging words you have heard this week from other LHN students making the pledge to have fun without alcohol or drugs.  Together we can have a memorable night without drugs but instead with the support of one another!

Prom Week: Day Four

Encouragement. Excitement. Honesty. Honor.  These four words describe today's speeches. Therese and Logan shared their desire to make intelligent God-pleasing decisions during Prom weekend.

Click here to watch Therese's speech

Hello, my name is Therese and I’m beyond excited to be graduating soon. Seniors, we have 20 days left of high school. Did you hear that? Twenty days! One of the most important events during the school year is Prom….and it’s tomorrow. The day everyone fantasizes about. The day girls spend hours upon hours getting their hair, nails and makeup done.

The day guys get to rock the bow-ties and show off their killer moves on the dance floor. Prom is something everyone looks forward to. It’s a big night for a lot of us. You want to look back on this day and remember the good times, not forget them. Choosing to drink before, or after Prom, is just NOT WORTH IT. What’s really the point? Is it to look cool in front of your friends? Does getting wasted, to the point you won’t even remember Prom, sound memorable to you? Being under the influence is a conscious decision you make that puts yourself and others at risk.

Now I’m not going to continue my lecture on why not to drink, because most of you already know the consequences. The dangerous reality of drinking is harming people. Harming them mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. A lot of you have already planned what after-party you’re attending. Are there going to be some that supply alcohol? Yes…But MOST don’t! What a lot of people don’t realize is the majority of people don’t drink at all on prom night. If you choose not to drink, YOU’RE NOT ALONE! 
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; You were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”

This verse is one to live by. If you walk away today forgetting everything I said except one thing, let it be this: Enjoy this special night with friends who encourage you in God pleasing ways. I challenge you today, and every day to be a courageous leader. I challenge you to never fear or give into the peer pressures of drinking. Always stand firm in the knowledge that, because Christ is for us, who can be against us?

Click here to watch Logan's speech

Hi, I’m Logan Davis and this is why I won't be drinking at prom. 
As some of you may know my dad is a deputy for the Macomb County Sheriff's Office and for any of you that may have met him, you know he’s not the most gentle of creatures in the world. For those of you that don’t know him, let's just say he doesn't need his gun to be intimidating. So I think that would have to be my first reason I won't drink because I don't want to know what he might do.

The second reason that I'm going to say no is that I am one of those weird kids that actually likes to run. Track is nearing the end of the season which means that all we have left are the important meets. I would hate to throw away any shot of being able to run in those meets because I decided that I would have one “fun” night that I probably won't even be able to remember.

The third and final reason that I will remain sober during Prom is that, like a lot of you, I am taking a date to prom. By asking her I have made a promise to her and her parents that I will protect her. How can I fulfill this obligation if I get too drunk to protect even myself? These are the reasons I will not be drinking at prom and I hope that you will do the same.

Prom Week: Day Three

Some students from Example have a Prom message they want you to hear:

Prom Week: Day Two

There were a variety of events today that demonstrated the importance of student leadership.  

The first event began with Jack Hilt explaining and encouraging the student body as to why he won't be using drugs and alcohol at Prom on Friday.

Hi everyone.  My name is Jack Hilt and I will not be drinking at Prom.
A verse that the senior class has focused on for a majority of the year is Romans 12:2 “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing, and perfect will.”
Our decisions and our actions are a response to the love that God has shown us.  Don’t let social media or conversations that you hear fool you into thinking that drinking is the only way to experience Prom. For those who feel like you’re in the minority for not drinking – you are not.
My best advice is to stick with people that you trust, support and look out for each other.  Finally, my hope and prayer is that we all make good, God-pleasing decisions at Prom.  Have fun, be safe, God’s blessings."

After today's chapel message, senior Therese Kasper introduced the guest speaker, Dr. Charlene McHugh, an ER doctor at St. John Providence in Detroit.  Dr. McHugh addressed the student body about the very real consequences of making poor decisions. She used her 25 years as an ER doctor and her experiences as a mother, whose four children all graduated from Lutheran North, to deliver an informative, timely and very effective presentation.  



Later that day, Jack journeyed out to the Macomb Intermediate School District, as he, along with other student leaders from area high schools, was recognized for his leadership and involvement with Example by Macomb County Prosecutor Eric Smith. They received the Macomb County Prevention Coalition's Student Leader Award. Prosecutor Smith thanked and commended the young men and women for their leadership and their willingness to make a difference in their school communities.

Prom week, day two ended with a record number 123 students signing an Example PROMise.  

O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: 

for his mercy endures forever. 

- Psalm 136:1

Prom Week: Day One

It's one of the most exciting weeks of the school year: spirit days, early dismissals, and Prom on Friday night.  Example sees it as the perfect time to encourage students to make intelligent, God-pleasing decisions and not drink or use drugs during Prom weekend.

Example has numerous activities and events to accomplish that goal.  Today, Emily and Charles explained to the student body why they are not drinking or using drugs during Prom weekend and encouraged those attending to do the same. It's inspiring to see students demonstrate their leadership as they impact their community.

Hello, my name is Emily and at the end of my senior year, I’m excited about a lot of things, one of those being prom, and I bet I could say the same for everyone else going. The reason I’m talking to you today is because every single one of us has to make a decision. But I’m not going to tell you why should make the decision not to drink, because I don’t know you, I don’t know your life, or what’s important to you. Only you know that and only you can make that decision for yourself. And I’m not even going to try to convince you with reasons why I think you shouldn’t drink, because, most likely, my reasons don’t apply to you. But I’m up here to tell you how I came to the decision to not drink on prom night.

Yes, I have parents and teachers who tell me not to drink, but ultimately I have to make the decision myself. So here are some of the reasons why I am not drinking at prom.

So, I’m on the soccer team, and you know, we’re a really good team. We have a chance of going far with the talent we have. And I’m excited. I’m too excited to play soccer to throw it all away for one night of drinking at Prom. I want to be on that team. I don’t want to miss one game. I’ve had to miss more than my fair share of games because of injuries and I’m not about to take the slightest chance of missing any more. And it’s not just about me, I have my teammates to think about. It’s not fair to them if I put the rest of the season on the line just so I can drink on Prom night.

I’m also looking forward to this summer. I’m looking forward to working at a summer camp for kids to make some money before I go off the school. I’m excited; I just got this job two weeks ago, but they still have to do a background check on me, and me choosing to drink at Prom this Friday could take that job right away from me.

Also this summer my sister Danielle is getting married. I am so excited for that. I can’t wait to be a bridesmaid and celebrate with everyone.  I don’t want to miss that. I don’t want to risk the chance of not being there with my sister on one of the most important days of her life just so I can drink on Prom night.

There’s so much I have to look forward to, and I don’t want to miss any of those things, or have any of them taken away from me because I decided to drink one night. The thing is it might not happen, but it could happen, and I don’t want to take that risk. It’s just not worth it to me. So that’s me, but that’s not you. So what’s important to you, what are you looking forward to? And ask yourself is drinking on Prom night worth the risk of missing out on any of those things?

Hello, I'm Charles and Prom is Friday and my advice to you is if you go to the after party, and people are pressuring you into drinking, say no. That’s tough but you should do it. When you say no, you, personally, think it is a huuuuuge deal. And the people who are pressuring you think it is too… Until the next morning because they don’t even remember the encounter. If you need an excuse, say you are driving or say you don’t feel good.

You can have fun without drinking.  I promise. We do it every day at school and at practice and at our buddies’ house where we laugh and joke and screw around.  

What about Prom makes us think we can only drink to have fun?

That just isn’t true and my hope is that you realize that. When you choose not to drink at Prom, you are taking the most common option, even if you feel alone in that decision. I promise there are more people who don’t drink than you might think. When you choose not to drink at prom, you are making the smartest decision because you are focused on your life beyond the three-hour window at the party. And when you choose not to drink at prom, you are most importantly making a God pleasing decision. Thank you and have fun at Prom.  

A striking success!

Some believe there is comfort in numbers.
While the numbers from some of the bowling games might not have been too comforting, knowing that other high school students share similar values and strive to avoid alcohol and drug use, is very comforting.
We had a great time as you can see from the video. We have two more events this year so if you haven't been to an Example event, it's time you attend.
All are invite and all are welcome.

Strike

Strike! 

 

No, that is not a sign that spring is here and baseball is about to begin. That sound means the next Example event has arrived! 

On Saturday, March 25 at 11:00 a.m. head over to Imperial Lanes on Garfield for some great fun and great bowling. 

The cost is $8.00 for two games and shoes.  Pay Mr Brandt during the week.

Listen to morning announcements before chapel this week for more details.  

Be sure to wear your new or old Example t-shirt to school this 

Thursday, March 23.

42 Seconds

These forty-two seconds perfectly capture the Example Christmas party.