November 2011 E-Newsletter
Message from the
Executive Director:
As many in the country will
come together with friends and family to give thanks this week, Drug-free
Action Alliance would also like to give thanks for the many partners that we
have with the same focus of preventing substance abuse. Because of the valuable
work that you do in prevention, there are many young people who are choosing to
stay substance free and fulfill the promise that lies within each person.
The most difficult piece of
prevention, however, is that the majority of the work we do may never be truly
measured. We may never know about the young person who decides to turn down his
first drink because of the actions of your program. We may never know about the
kid at the party who turns away from a marijuana cigarette. We also may never
know of the young person who is affiliated with your organization talking his
or her friend out of taking that prescription pill. It becomes these simple
decisions that define the future and subsequent success of a person. It is
because of your passion for this issue, even though you may never see the full
impact of your work, that we give thanks.
Drug-Free Action Alliance wishes everyone who is dedicated to keeping our society substance free a very happy holiday season.
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December is National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month, a time to raise awareness about the consequences of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs.
Mothers
Against Drunk Driving
Holiday Campaign
According to Ohio State Highway
Patrol crash statistics, in Ohio last year 431 people were killed in 393
alcohol-related crashes, with 41 of those deaths occurring between Thanksgiving
and New Year’s.
Tie One On For Safety
is MADD’s longest running and most visible public awareness project. MADD asks
holiday drivers to tie MADD red ribbons to visible locations on their vehicles,
or place window decals on their vehicles’ windows. The red ribbons represent
drivers’ pledges to drive safe, sober and buckled up, reminding other drivers
and passengers to do the same.
How can the public participate in Tie One On For Safety?
This year MADD is also offering the gift we can all give each other – the gift of a safe and sober ride home. If you are looking for a cost effective, yet thoughtful gift to give your family or friends, offer to be their DD this holiday season.
For more information visit: madd.org
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Talking to your Teen about Prescription Drug Abuse
There has been quite a bit of media buzz about the skyrocketing number of preteens and teens abusing prescription drugs. You may have heard that every day, about 2,500 American youth are trying their first pain pill (for a high). With this on your radar, you may have intentions to talk to your child about this concerning issue. Read on as we take a closer look at the reasons youth give for experimentation and provide you with accurate information on medication abuse so that you can more easily frame the conversation to dispel the myths and decrease your child’s risk.
Click here for the article in full.
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KNOW! empowers parents to raise their children to be substance-free with twice monthly alcohol, tobacco and other drug-related information tips designed to get conversations between parent and child started and to keep them going.
Know! Parent Alert:
Smoking Smarties and Drunken Gummies
While neither of these concepts is necessarily new, Smoking Smarties and Drunken Gummies are two current trends among today’s youth that have rapidly grown in popularity thanks to YouTube, social media sites and other popular online tween/teen hangouts.
If you are wondering how one smokes a Smartie or concocts a drunken gummy, just “Google” it. Then you, like youth across the country, will unfortunately have instant access to hundreds of instructional videos.
Parents: We must Know! the facts to share with our children to help curb curiosity and deter experimentation.
Click
here for the full Know! Parent Tip.
Click here to sign up
for FREE Know! Parent Tips.
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Drug-Free Action Alliance National Training a Success
On November 9th and 10th, prevention professionals from Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, New Mexico, Rhode Island, South Carolina and Wisconsin came together to discuss the Parents Who Host, Lose the Most: Don't be a party to teenage drinking campaign and how to maximize the initiative’s benefits in their local communities.
The two-day training focused on the Strategic Prevention Framework, including the seven Community Change Strategies. While the topic area was underage drinking prevention through Parents Who Host, Lose the Most: Don't be a party to teenage drinking, the model was designed to incorporate additional prevention topics in order to reach a variety of target audiences to further meet community needs.
Prevention Opportunities:
The time to plan for January implementation is now! January kicks off the New Year and heralds many new beginnings, some actual and others symbolic. One 'new beginning’ in January is the official start of the second half of the school year. It is also a 'clean slate' for many young people. While classroom performance in the first semester is still relevant, the beginning of second semester brings a new opportunity for academic success.
This ‘clean slate’ can apply to other areas of school life, too. Students who have had discipline problems in the first half of the school year can view the start of the second semester as an opportunity for change. Youth who have avoided extra-curricular activities can test the waters of school activities with the advent of the new semester.
Click here for the Drug Free 24/7 January Prevention Idea in full.
Click here to view our storefront of Drug Free 24/7 campaign materials.
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Or click here and we will take you to there directly!
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Join the Statewide Prevention Coalition Association (SPCA) Today!
Dear Drug-Free Action Alliance,
Thank you so much for your assistance with dues for CADCA.
It is greatly appreciated!
Signed, SPCA Member
BIG
BOWL VOTE 2012
You’re
Invited to GET IN THE GAME!
Sunday, February 5th
Will
alcohol ads once again be among the FAVORITES when
Middle and High School Students VOTE on the
2012 Super Bowl commercials?
MORE DETAILS COMING SOON!
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ON THE CALENDAR
December is National Drunk and
Drugged Driving Prevention Month
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: www.stopimpaireddriving.org
