It's not too late to win $500 for your community group or youth group! The Ulster Prevention Council is still accepting submissions for the Phil Terpening Memorial Award. Please visit http://www.ulsterpreventionproject.org/page/Awards
Philip Terpening, a County Legislator from Rosendale was a founding Chair of the Ulster County Substance Abuse Prevention Board until his untimely passing. As a tribute to Phil and his vision for Ulster, The Board has established an annual memorial dedicated to his commitment to reduce substance use and abuse among youth in Ulster.
This memorial will award $500 to the community group and $500 to the youth group that promotes substance abuse prevention in the most effective manner.
The submission Deadline for both awards is November 30, 2011.
New Resource from National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) has just released a guide for health care professionals to help identify children and teenagers age 9 to 18 who are at risk for alcohol-related problems, provide brief counseling, and refer them to treatment resources if that is indicated.
The evidence-based guide, Alcohol Screening and Brief Intervention for Youth: A Practitioner's Guide, includes a two-question risk assessment as well as links to resources for motivational interviewing. NIAAA developed the guide and supporting pocket guide in collaboration with the American Academy of Pediatrics, a team of underage drinking researchers and clinical specialists, and practicing health care professionals.
In contrast to other screens that focus on established alcohol problems, this early detection tool aims to help prevent alcohol-related problems in patients before they start or address them at an early stage.
The screening questions and risk scale, developed through primary survey research, are powerful predictors of current and future negative consequences of alcohol use.
The screen consists of just two questions, which can be incorporated easily into patient interviews or pre-visit screening tools across the care spectrum, from annual exams to urgent care.
It’s the first tool to include friends’ drinking. The “friends” question will help identify patients at earlier stages of alcohol involvement and target advice to include the important risk of friends’ drinking.
U.S. Bans Chemicals in "Bath Salts" Street Drug WASHINGTON | Fri Oct 21, 20115:22pm EDT
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. authorities on Friday issued a temporary ban on chemicals used in a new type of street drug known as "bath salts" that is increasingly popular among teens.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) took emergency action that makes possessing and selling these chemicals or products that contain them illegal in the United States.
"This emergency action was necessary to prevent an imminent threat to public safety," the DEA said in a statement.
Under the federal order, the chemicals used to make bath salts -- mephedrone, methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) and methylone -- are banned for at least one year.
Studies will then determine if the chemicals should be permanently banned.
The action places the chemicals on the DEA's most restrictive list, reserved for substances with high potential for abuse and that do not have a currently accepted use for treatment.
Bath salts are marketed with catchy names like "Ivory Wave," "Purple Wave," "Vanilla Sky" and "Bliss" and are comprised of chemicals that mimic the effects of drugs like cocaine and LSD, authorities said.
Users have reported impaired perception, reduced motor control, disorientation, extreme paranoia and violent episodes, with other unknown longer-term physical and psychological effects.
Bath salts, also sometimes sold as "plant food," are growing in popularity among young adults and teens. They are sold at tobacco shops, gas stations, convenience stores and online, according to the DEA.
The products are typically marked "not for human consumption" but are commonly snorted, swallowed or injected by users. They have not been approved by the federal regulators for human consumption or medical use.
Poison control centers, hospitals and police have been fielding an increasing number of calls about products containing the chemicals in bath salts, the DEA said.
The makers of Colt 45 malt liquor have stirred up a controversy with a new beverage that some fear will encourage kids to drink. 18 state attorneys general – both Republicans and Democrats and from a wide range of states sent a letter to Pabst asking it to take Blast off the market.
Blast is a fruity new blend boasting twice the alcohol as Pabst Brewing Co.'s original malt liquor. The drink in a colorful 23.5-ounce can resembles soda pop but has an alcohol content of 12%, more potent than a typical can of beer.
"Colt 45 makers are raising the alcohol level from the already high 6% to the even higher 12%, and enticing young people with hip hop themes and lollipop flavors," said Paul Porter of Industry Ears, a think tank that promotes justice in the media. Blast comes in such flavors as grape, strawberry watermelon and blueberry pomegranate. According to the state Attorney Generals, each can of the product, which comes as large as 23.5 ounces, is equal to drinking as much as five servings of alcohol.
It is being promoted on hip-hop radio stations, at concerts, and by popular hip-hop/rap artist Snoop Dogg. Snoop Dogg, a presenter at Nickleodeon’s Kids Choice Awards, has been asked to withdraw his endorsement of the controversial Blast beverage.
The fruit flavors, as well as the marketing, is oriented towards youthful drinkers, maintain the AGs, who have a history of getting such products removed from the market. Pabst, in a statement, denied it is marketing the product to underage drinkers.
In describing Blast, the chairman of Pabst, Dean Metropoulous, called it a “uniquely positioned product.” The company then described a marketing campaign that appears to be heavily aimed at the African-American community because of the campaign’s heavy use of hip-hop concerts and radio stations.
In order to cooperate with FDA regulations, Blast by Colt does not contain caffeine, taurine, or guarana. The drink’s slogan is “Works Every Time”.
National Survey Shows a Rise in Illicit Drug Use From 2008 to 2010
The use of illicit drugs among Americans increased between 2008 and 2010, according to a national survey conducted by SAMHSA. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) shows that 22.6 million Americans age 12 or older (8.9 percent of the population) were current illicit drug users. The rate of use in 2010 was similar to the rate in 2009 (8.7 percent), but remained above the 2008 rate (8.0 percent).
Another disturbing trend is the continuing rise in the rate of current illicit drug use among young adults age 18 to 25—from 19.6 percent in 2008 to 21.2 percent in 2009 and 21.5 percent in 2010. This increase was also driven in large part by a rise in the rate of current marijuana use among this population.
“We stand at a crossroads in our Nation’s efforts to prevent substance abuse and addiction,” said SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde, J.D. “These statistics represent real lives that are at risk from the harmful and sometimes devastating effects of illicit drug use. This Nation cannot afford to risk losing more individuals, families, and communities to illicit drugs or from other types of substance abuse—instead, we must do everything we can to effectively promote prevention, treatment, and recovery programs across our country.”
The annual NSDUH survey, released by SAMHSA at the kickoff of the 22nd annual National Recovery Month observance, is a scientifically conducted annual survey of approximately 67,500 people throughout the country, age 12 and older. Because of its statistical power, NSDUH is the Nation’s premier source of statistical information on the scope and nature of many behavioral health issues.
The White House Office of National Drug Policy announced that the Community Partnership for a Safer New Paltz has been awarded $125,000 in Drug Free Communities (DFC) Support Program funding. The DFC is a Federal grant program that provides funding to community-based coalitions that organize to prevent youth substance use. The philosophy behind the DFC program is that local drug problems require local solutions. Recent evaluation data indicate that where DFC dollars are invested, youth substance use is lower. Over the life of the DFC program, youth living in DFC communities have experienced reductions in alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use.
Thank you so much to everyone who visited our booth at the Ulster County Fair. We had many visitors come and fill out our surveys and were entered in the drawing to wim the 22 inch Philips Flatscreen TV.
Congratulations to our lucky winner, Bernadette Pikul from Highland.
Posts
