Help
TMA Reward Outstanding Science
Teachers!
products that mimic the effects of mari- juana. The DEA action March 2 made it illegal to manufacture, sell, or possess these products for at least one year. Following the DEA’s action, state law
requires DSHS to place the substances on the Texas Schedules of Controlled Substances, unless the commissioner objects.
Schedule I, the most restrictive cat-
egory on the Texas Schedules of Con- trolled Substances, is reserved for un- safe, highly abused substances with no accepted medical use. Five chemicals that are found in
Winning teachers and their schools receive
generous cash prizes! Do YOU know an
outstanding teacher to nominate for the 2011-12
school year? Make sure your community is represented by nominating a teacher from your area today.
Visit the program Web site at
www.tmacares.com to nominate a teacher by Oct. 21, 2011, and
donate to the program! For more information,
call TMA at (800) 880-1300, ext. 1600.
FDA OKs Menactra for children
This program is supported by the TMA Foundation,
the philanthropic arm of TMA.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of Menactra in children as young as 9 months for the prevention of invasive meningococcal disease caused by Neisseria meningitidis serogroups A, C, Y, and W-135. Menac-
38 TEXAS MEDICINE July 2011
K2 — JWH-018, JWH-073, JWH-200, CP-47,497, and cannabicyclohexanol — were placed on Schedule I. Penalties for the manufacture, sale,
or possession of K2 are outlined in Sec- tion 481.119 of the Texas Controlled Substances Act. The penalties remain in effect unless the Texas Legislature deter- mines a different penalty group for the substances. Persons found guilty of a Class A mis- demeanor are subject to a fine not to exceed $4,000 and/or confinement in jail for a term not to exceed one year. Persons found guilty of a Class B misde- meanor are subject to a fine not to ex- ceed $2,000 and/or confinement in jail for a term not to exceed 180 days. Since January 2010, 600 calls were
made to the Texas Poison Center Net- work related to K2 exposure. Reported adverse effects associated with use of these marijuana-like substances include chest pain, heart palpitations, agitation, drowsiness, hallucinations, nausea, vom- iting, dizziness, and confusion.
tra already is approved for use in people aged 2 through 55 years. An FDA news release says Neisseria meningitidis is a “leading cause of men- ingitis in young children. Even with ap- propriate antibiotics and intensive care, between 10 percent and 15 percent of people who develop meningococcal disease die from the infection. Another 10 percent to 20 percent suffer compli- cations such as brain damage or loss of limb or hearing.” Although the rates of meningococcal
disease are low in the United States, the FDA says infants and toddlers are more susceptible to getting this serious illness. “Meningococcal disease is particularly dangerous because it progresses rapidly and can cause death within hours. Early symptoms are often difficult to distin- guish from influenza and other common illnesses.” In May, the Texas Legislature passed
a bill to require that any new or transfer student at a higher education institution must show he or she has been vaccinat- ed for bacterial meningitis. The bill was proposed because of the recent death from bacterial meningitis of a Texas col- lege student who lived off campus. Currently, the Advisory Committee
on Immunization Practices recommends meningococcal conjugate vaccine for children aged 11 or 12 and a booster at age 16, but says the vaccine can be given for high-risk groups as young as 2. Texas law requires meningococcal
vaccine for students entering seventh grade. n
Crystal Conde is associate editor of Texas Medicine. You can reach her by telephone at (800) 880-1300, ext. 1385, or (512) 370-1385; by fax at (512) 370-1629; or by email at
crystal.conde@
texmed.org.
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