Liquor Control Board considers rule to require liquor vendors to report thefts

From the statewide Coalition to Reduce Underage Drinking: 

The passage of Initiative 1183 privatized liquor sales across the state last summer.  Since then, many communities have seen an increase in theft of spirits.  The Washington State Liquor Control Board (LCB) is currently engaged in rulemaking that would require spirits license holders (stores that sell liquor) to report 4 times a year the theft or loss due to shrinkage.

Liquor theft has been covered by media and following are two examples:

• Liquor boosting much worse than first reported
• Teen shoplifting, liquor a bad mix

A November 2012 post contains additional information.

Mandatory Reporting of Loss of Spirits Due to Theft and Internal Shrinkage: The public comment on proposed rulemaking on this topic will end Wednesday, February 27, 2013.  This is a different and distinct window of opportunity for public comment then the one that ended on January 27.  (In late January this item progressed to the “proposed rulemaking phase” - known as CR 102 - where a new comment period began specific to the proposed rule.)

Proposed language under consideration by the LCB states:

(4) Spirit retail licensees must report to the board quarterly on a form provided by the board, spirits product loss due to theft and internal shrinkage.

The proposed language would be added to the Washington Administrative Code (WAC) that defines the requirements for a spirits retail license.  The new language is underlined and can be found on the last page of the attached notice to stakeholders.

Public comment to the LCB can be submitted in any of the following ways:

Why is reporting of theft is important?

1. Law enforcement can better direct resources to mitigate public safety issues such as alcohol-fueled crimes and the black market of theft and resale of spirits.

2. The state can better quantify the amount of revenue loss from what would have been legitimate sales.

3. Prevention coalitions and concerned community groups can better assess the extent spirits are available to youth in their community.

Public Hearing

A public hearing on this item will be included in the LCB’s February 27 meeting.  The meeting begins at 10:00 a.m. and the public is invited to participate.  Comments about this proposed rule may also be submitted to the Rules Coordinator prior to the meeting.  

What brain research tells us about underage drinking

In March, the Preventing Underage Drinking series sponsored by the federal Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Prevention of Underage Drinking (ICCPUD) will host the second webinar about underage drinking.

Webinar #2:  Brain Research and Underage Screening – Getting Informed, Preparing to Act

When: March 7, 2013, 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Who: The following experts will present:

• Kenneth R. Warren, Ph.D., Acting Director, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism 
• Aaron White, Ph.D., Program Director, College and Underage Drinking Prevention Research, NIAAA; and 
• Vivian B. Faden, Ph.D., Director, Office of Science Policy and Communications, NIAAA.

Why: Nearly 10 million 12- to 20-year-olds in the United States are underage drinkers, with serious negative consequences for individuals, families, and communities. This webinar series features national leaders and experts discussing the extent and nature of the problem, lessons from recent research, and evidence-based strategies for addressing underage drinking.

What:

• Dr. Kenneth Warren will provide a brief introduction to the problem of underage drinking, briefly summarizing some of the information from the first webinar. 
• Next, Dr. Aaron White will discuss alcohol’s effects on the developing brain, and present information on the prevalence and biology of blackouts and alcohol poisoning. 
• And to round out the presentations, Dr. Vivian Faden will discuss the contextual factors surrounding youth drinking and the importance of screening youth for alcohol use, risk for use, and alcohol related problems. 

Where: For more information and to register, visit http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/news-events/meetings-events-exhibits/iccpud-webinar.

Online TV show explains link between prescription painkillers and heroin

The push to reduce the supply of painkillers  is creating a new problem. Opiate addicts need their fix, so when they can’t easily get their pills, they’re often turning to heroin. During our next CADCA TV show, “Highway to Heroin,” airing February 28, experts will discuss how communities are dealing with two serious drug problems at the same time and how your community can prepare for an influx of heroin.

The show will also explore how the Community Awareness and Prevention Association coalition is working to prevent opiate use. Heroin use is now an epidemic in and around the areas of Cleveland, Ohio. Its use increased after painkiller users switched to heroine when the pain medications became harder to find.

Key concepts:
- Learn about the link between prescription painkillers and heroin

- Find out how to prepare your community for an increase in heroin use

- Hear what prevention strategies work best to educate about opiates

The show, which is hosted by CADCA’s Mary Elizabeth Elliott, will feature Marc J. Fishman, M.D., Addiction Psychiatrist, Faculty, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Lisa Roberts, R.N., Portsmouth City Health Department, Portsmouth, Ohio; and Harold Rochon, Lieutenant, Detroit Police Department.

How to Watch:
All CADCA TV shows are free of charge and can be viewed via live webcast. Simply click on “View Webcast” on the webpage of the CADCA TV show you’re interested in watching.

Girls and binge drinking

According to a new Vital Signs report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1 in 5 high school girls report binge drinking.  Most high school girls who reported current alcohol use also reported binge drinking.

The info-graphic below (available here) provides an overview of the binge drinking problem among girls and women.

What can we do to prevent binge drinking?  
The Guide to Community Preventive Services recommends evidence-based strategies for preventing excessive alcohol consumption, including—

• Increasing alcohol taxes.
• Reducing alcohol outlet density (the number and concentration of alcohol retailers in an area).
• Maintaining existing government controls over alcohol sales (avoiding privatization).
• Holding alcohol retailers liable for injuries or damage following illegal service to intoxicated or underage customers (dram shop liability).
• Maintaining or reducing the days and hours of alcohol sales.
• Enhanced enforcement of laws prohibiting sales to minors.
• Electronic screening and counseling for excessive alcohol use.

Substance abuse prevention reports, news stories, and more

We're heading into a three-day weekend and it's time for me to clean out my "to share" file.

Prevention messages
From the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: Reports show that fewer adolescents getting substance abuse prevention messages

Alcohol prices
A study published in the journal Addiction found that when alcoholic drink prices rise, there is an "immediate, substantial and significant reduction" in deaths wholly attributable to alcohol abuse.  This study adds to research that shows that an increase in alcohol taxes reduces underage drinking rates.

Minimum legal drinking age
A study published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research found that the ability to legally buy alcohol before age 21 is associated with an increased risk for binge drinking later in life.

Parents consuming marijuana
Once marijuana becomes more available in our state, more parents may contemplate its use.  The New Republic recently published an article about a father who is considering "a late-night high".

Virtual drug purchases
Almost any kind of illegal drug can be purchased online and delivered by mail, without the buyer making direct contact with drug dealers, according to a report by the European Union.

Child custody and parent marijuana use
The Denver Post published an article, Parenting and pot: Colorado divorce lawyers' perspective on marijuana legalization, about how child custody cases may change with the normalization of parental marijuana use.

Misuse of ADHD drugs
Emergency room visits for ADHD drugs more than doubled from 2005 to 2010 according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Marijuana and teen brain development
The Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse wrote about marijuana's lasting effect on the brain in her January Message from the Director.

Learn about prevention policies that work

Free webinar: The Coalition Influence: Strategies to Implementing Sustainable Tobacco Prevention Policies
Thursday, March 14, 2013
11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

At the end of the webinar, participants should be able to:

• Describe some of the challenges to implement tobacco prevention policies and how to overcome those challenges
• Understand the importance of youth engagement in reducing the burden of tobacco use
• Understand the importance of local media influence in reducing the burden of tobacco use
• Implement strategies to use the influence of creating new social norms to reduce tobacco use prevalence and acceptance
• Implement collaborative strategies that encourage sustainable partnership building

Click here to register.

Why delaying alcohol use is important

In January, Aaron White, PhD, from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism presented information about "Alcohol and the Adolescent Brain" during a free webinar. The presentation included information about adolescent brain development and how it is hurt by alcohol. Below are a few of the slides, which may be downloaded from the UDETC website along with an audio recording.

Underage drinking: the problem and how to prevent it

On January 30, the federal Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Prevention ofUnderage Drinking (ICCPUD) hosted a webinar about the nature and extent of underage drinking, recent research and available evidence-based solutions to the problem.  A recording of the webinar is now available online.  

Here are a few slides from the webinar.  The first four, from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, describe the problem.  The second four, from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, discuss evidence-based prevention strategies.

All slides from this webinar are available online.

The mysterious workings of the adolescent brain

Adolescent brain development has an impact on teenage behavior including risk taking and decision-making skills associated with substance use.  

To learn more, view the video below in which cognitive neuroscientist Sarah-Jayne Blakemore compares the prefrontal cortex in adolescents to that of adults, to show how typically “teenage” behavior is caused by the growing and developing brain.