Drug Free Communities Program Reduces Teen Substance Use

(Taken from Join Together)

A new report from the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) says that alcohol, tobacco and other drug use rates were lower than national averages in cities and towns with coalitions funded by the Drug Free Communities (DFC) program.

Annual youth marijuana, alcohol and tobacco use in DFC communities was 9.9 percent, 23.3 percent, and 10 percent lower, respectively, than the national average for use of these substances. Trends in current use among DFC communities were compared with national data from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System.

The report also found that youth drug use declined more rapidly in communities with DFC coalitions than the national average.

The 769 DFC coalitions are made of community leaders, parents, youth, teachers, religious and fraternal organizations, health care and business professionals, law enforcement and the media. The DFC program provides grants of up to $625,000 over five years to community organizations that facilitate citizen participation in local drug-prevention efforts.

Do U know how 2 txt? IDK either! Learn how to talk to your teens:

(Taken from Partnership for a Drug-Free America's www.timetotalk.org)

Back-to-school is a stressful time for teens, and new research from the Partnership shows the top reason teens use drugs is to cope with school pressures. Take every opportunity to talk to your teen, and help them manage stress in a healthy way. Text messaging is a great way to send a quick reminder of your support at back to school—or anytime. All thumbs when it comes to texting? We can get you started.

Find the complete Time to Text guide on the DCCCA website:

http://www.dccca.org/documents/ttt_time_to_text.pdf

Why 21?

A spate of recent articles in The Lawrence Journal World have sparked heated discussion throughout the state of Kansas and nationwide. More than 100 colleges have come together under the umbrella of the Amethyst Initiative to suggest a dialogue on lowering the minimum drinking age from 21 to 18.

We commend KU for not joining the Amethyst Initiative. There is no evidence that lowering the drinking age will reduce binge drinking or other risky behaviours. In fact, the minimum 21 drinking age law has been heralded as one of the most effective public safety laws ever passed. It is also one of the nation's most examined laws, with countless studies that have been conducted to measure the law's effectiveness--all of which have come to the same conclusion: this law saves lives.

Alcohol-related fatalities and injuries have decreased, saving 900 lives per year as estimated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 17,000 Americans are alive and well today thanks to the adoption of this law by all states in 1988--that's more than enough to pack Allen Fieldhouse to the rafters. Youth drinking rates have also declined since 1988. Binge drinking has decreased 15% among high school seniors. A look at all the research between 1960 and 2000 shows that the minimum 21 drinking age laws decrease underage consumption of alcohol.

For a complete fact sheet on "Why 21" please visit our DCCCA website. History of the law, research and statistics, and responses to many common objections to the law (i.e. age of military service) are included.

For Journal-World articles visit:

http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2008/aug/20/ku_abstains_effort_lower_drinking_age/
http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2008/aug/19/should_drinking_age_be_lower/

What's the Number One Reason Teens Use Drugs?

Stress. According to new data released by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, stress has overtaken 'to feel cool' and 'to have fun' as the top reason teens say they use drugs. Although overall teen drug use is declining, prescription drug abuse is rising at an allarming rate. Up to 1 in 5 teens has abused a prescription medication, and 41% think it is safer to abuse a prescription drug than an illegal drug.

If you're concerned about how stress in your child's life, please attend Parents University in Troy on August 25th. Experts in youth development will be speaking on the topic of kids and stress.

For more information about the 2007 PDFA survey results visit their website at:

www.drugfree.org

Teen Marijuana Use in Douglas County Exceeds State Rates

Substance abuse among youth is a growing concern in Douglas County. Read more about the issues we face, and the latest efforts to treat teens who have already started abusing drugs and alcohol:

http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2008/jul/28/substance_abuse_growing_concern/

Free University!

The Doniphan County Interagency Coaltion is proud to announce its second annual Parents University. This free event open to parents, grandparents, and professionals will be held August 25th at Troy Elementary School from 6:00-8:30 p.m. Please join us for an evening devoted to learning more about kids and stress. Free child care and dinner will be provided, as well as door prizes including gas cards. For more details see the PU Flyer, link below:


http://www.dccca.org/documents/DoniphanCoParentsUniversity.PDF

Take Action Against Beer Ads in the NCAA

Taken from the Center for Science in the Public Interest's Take Action website:

Since 2005, 348 institutions of higher education — including Arizona State, Ohio State, Texas Tech, and the Universities of Florida, Minnesota, and Nebraska — and 16 athletic conferences have endorsed the Campaign for Alcohol-Free Sports TV’s “College Commitment” pledge to work toward eliminating beer advertising during televised college sports.

That pledge essentially asks that the NCAA live up to the intent of its own policies on advertising. The NCAA’s advertising and promotional standards on their face plainly “exclude those advertisements and advertisers...that do not appear to be in the best interests of higher education and student-athletes.” NCAA advertising rules specifically prohibit ads for cigarettes, other tobacco products, organizations promoting gambling, and alcoholic beverages, yet they permit ads for beverages with alcohol content of 6% or less (beer)!

Please take a moment to send a quick message to NCAA President Myles Brand urging the Association to take a leadership role to remove all alcohol advertising from televised NCAA sporting contests. This action would support college administrators’ efforts to help reduce alcohol-related problems, send a consistent message to college students and other young people about the impact of underage and excessive drinking on their health and well-being, and conform to general NCAA advertising policies.

http://takeaction.cspinet.org/campaign/attn_myles_brand