2/10/12: Community Coalitions Work!

Community Coalitions Work!

I had the privilege of spending this week in National Harbor, Maryland at the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) Conference.  The message this week has consistently been that community coalitions are effective in reducing local substance use rates among youth and in creating safer and healthier communities. Alcohol and drug problems manifest in local communities and show up in our schools, churches, health centers, and in our homes.  Coalition work helps local leaders and community partners organize to identify the youth drug issues unique to their communities and develop the infrastructures necessary to effectively prevent and respond to the these issues to target the prevention needs of youth, their families, and surrounding communities.
The Drug Free Communities Support Program (DFC) is a Federal grant program that provides funding to community-based coalitions that organize to prevent youth substance use.  The DFC program has funded nearly 2,000 coalitions and currently mobilizes nearly 9,000 community volunteers across the country.  In Ulster County, Kingston Cares and the Community Partnership for a Safer New Paltz have received DFC funding. Recent evaluation data indicate that where DFC dollars are invested, youth substance use is lower.
Over the past five years, DFC-funded communities have achieved significant reductions in youth alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use.  For middle school youth living in DFC-funded communities, data from the 2011 DFC National Evaluation indicate a 12% reduction in alcohol use, 28% reduction in tobacco use, and 24% reduction in marijuana use.  High school-aged youth have reduced their use of alcohol by 8%, tobacco by 17%, and marijuana by 11% in DFC-funded communities. Even when communities start their coalition work with substance use rates higher than the national average, they were able to reduce to rates lower than the national average through organized and effective coalition work.

Recent data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) as well as local data indicate increases in youth prescription drug abuse, as well as marijuana and ecstasy.  Now, more than ever, coalitions are needed in local communities to help prevent drug use and reduce its consequences. 

In the coming months, the Ulster Prevention Council will be hosting community meetings throughout the county to raise awareness about local youth substance use issues and the importance of engaging all sectors of the community in addressing these issues.  To host a community meeting or find out about organizing a coalition in your area, please contact me at the UPC, 458-7406 or email cdepaolo@familyservicesny.org. Coalitions work!

Regards,

Cheryl

Find Ulster Prevention Council on Facebook. Visit us at ulsterpreventioncouncil.org

2/3/12: Alcohol and the Superbowl

Alcohol and the Superbowl

On February 5, millions of Americans will drive to a friend or family member's house to watch the Giants meet the Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI. While the big game is one of the most exciting events of the football season, it is also one of the most dangerous as roads are filled with too many impaired drivers wending their way back home after the parties. Contributing to the inherent dangers of drinking and driving is the relatively late kickoff (6:30 p.m., ET) and the fact that the game may go on for hours.

Last year approximately 151.6 million people viewed at least part of the Super Bowl. Americans consume more than 325.5 million gallons of beer during the Super Bowl, which is approximately 17 times the amount consumed on the average any other day of the year (Nielsen Research).

According to the most recent figures from the National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2010, alcohol-impaired-driving crashes accounted for 31 percent of the total motor vehicle traffic fatalities. On Super Bowl Sunday, 48 percent of the fatalities occurred in crashes in which a driver or motorcycle rider had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level of .08 or higher. In fact, more than 13,000 Americans died that year in crashes involving an impaired driver.

The U.S. Department of Transportation and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), with support from the National Football League (NFL) have joined forces with local highway safety and law enforcement officials to spread an important safety message to the public about designating a sober driver on Super Bowl Sunday – Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk.

“This message is for everyone who will be drinking during the big game. Make the right play and pass your keys to a designated driver so they can get you home safely,” said Captain Ivan Minsal. “There is no excuse to get flagged for a false start.”

Driving while impaired could result in a loss of your driver’s license or even possibly the loss of your or someone else’s life. On Super Bowl Sunday, make it a team effort to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe. If you plan on driving, plan not to drink alcohol.

If you are hosting a Super Bowl party:
• Make sure all of your guests designate their sober drivers before kick-off or help arrange ride-sharing with sober drivers.
• Find unique ways to recognize the designated drivers at your party:
  -Give them a great spot to watch the game.
  -Whatever non-alcoholic beverage they are drinking, make sure their glass is always full.
 - Let them have the first pass at the buffet table.
 - Make sure their cars are easy to access when it is time to start driving people home.
• Serve plenty of food.
• Offer a variety of non-alcoholic choices like soft drinks, juice, and water.
• Serve one drink at a time and serve measured drinks.
• Only serve alcohol to guests over 21 years of age.
• Determine ahead of time when you’ll stop serving alcohol, such as one hour before the party ends or at the end of the third quarter (just like NFL stadiums) and begin serving coffee and dessert.
• Add the numbers of local cab companies into your phone so they are just one touch away.
• Take appropriate steps to prevent anyone from drinking and driving.
• Be prepared for guests to spend the night if an alternative way home is not available.
• Remember, you can be held liable and prosecuted if someone you served ends up in a drunk-driving crash.

If you are attending a Super Bowl party or watching at a sports bar or restaurant, please follow these guidelines to make sure you enjoy Super Bowl XLVI responsibly:
• Designate your sober driver before the party begins.
• Avoid drinking too much alcohol too fast. Pace yourself—eat enough food, take breaks, and alternate with non-alcoholic drinks.
• If you don’t have a designated driver, ask a sober friend for a ride home; call a cab, friend, or family member to come and get you; or just stay where you are and sleep it off until you are sober.
• Use your community’s sober ride program.
• Always buckle up – it’s the best defense against other drunk driving.

Ulster Prevention Council Blog: 2011 Monitoring the Future Study Results on Synthetic Marijuana

2011 Monitoring the Future Study Results on Synthetic Marijuana

For the next several weeks I’ll be addressing the release of the 2011 Monitoring the Future Survey results. The Monitoring the Future (MTF) study is a long-term epidemiological study that surveys trends in legal and illicit use among American adolescents in 8^th, 10^th and 12^th grades.

The survey is conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research, funded by research grants from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.  MTF results are important to us in Ulster County as it gives us national comparison data as we review the results of our biannual Ulster County Youth Development Survey. from the

The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) has issued a Call for Action based on what it called one of the most noteworthy findings of the latest MTF survey.  The 2011 survey included for the first time a question on past-year use of synthetic marijuana among high school seniors. Synthetic marijuana (specifically “Spice” and “K2”) consists of leaves of ordinary plants sprayed with chemicals that mimic the mind-altering effects of marijuana. Clemson University organic chemist John W. Huffman created the K2 compound in the mid-1990s to mimic the effects of cannabis on the brain.

The MTF results indicate that the prevalence of use in the past year among 12^th graders was estimated at 11.4%. Synthetic marijuana ranked as the second most frequently used illicit substance, after marijuana, among high school seniors.

The 2010 Ulster County YDS did not survey synthetic marijuana use. However, a local scan found that such substances are readily available in gas stations and convenience stores, and local school districts report incidences of students bringing these substances to school.

In 2011, the DEA used emergency scheduling authority to ban the sale of the chemicals used to manufacture K2 and Spice. Many states, including New York, have taken action to ban the chemicals as well. However, manufacturers “tweak” the formulations used to produce these products. An internet search today readily turns up dozens of sites selling “K2 Incense Spice” marketed as “Spicester” and declared to be legal in New York.

Given the latest data, ONDCP states that it will be reaching out to a nationwide network of state and local public health and safety organizations to provide them with the latest information on this public health threat and spur action at the local level.  The Ulster Prevention Council welcomes your observations and comments regarding synthetic marijuana in Ulster County.

New Paltz Coalition Receives Federal Funding

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.