Keeping Our Children Drug-Free

Parent Forum: Keeping Our Children Drug-Free

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

7:00 - 8:30 p.m.

Roosevelt High School Library

Speakers:

Lisa Sharp, Seattle Public Schools Prevention Intervention Program

Jeffrey Thaxton, Roosevelt High School Student Assistance Counselor

Parents will have a chance to connect with one another and discuss ways we can support one another as we guide our teenage children to remain drug-free.

Navigating the Teens Years at NHHS

The Nathan Hale High School PTSA is hosting a forum for parents . . .

Navigating the Teen Years
February 24, 2010
Nathan Hale High School

6:15-7:00 p.m
-- Information booths including representatives from RADD (Raiders Against Destructive Decisions); Hale counselors; Teen Health Center; and Prevention Works in Seattle.

7:00 p.m.
-- Principal Jill Hudson will present Healthy Youth Survey data
-- Jamie Weber from the SAMA Foundation will talk about substance abuse and the teen brain, prevention, and treatment
-- Marion Howard from the Hale counseling center will discuss types of assistance available at the school

Blogging about youth alcohol use

An entry about underage drinking and Prevention WinS, entitled Worried About Tween and Teen Alcohol Use?, was posted yesterday on the popular Seattle Public Schools community blog.

New alcohol advertising regulations

From the Washington State Coalition to Reduce Underage Drinking:

Over 500 teens and adults sent comments to the Liquor Control Board (LCB) encouraging increased regulation of alcohol advertising. This was unprecedented!

The journey is almost complete. The LCB filed the proposed rules with the coder reviser on January 13. They include:

-- Limit alcohol advertising signs on stores to 4 with no more than 1600 square inches per sign.

-- Limit alcohol advertising signs at festival beer gardens to the same rules and eliminate inflatables or give-aways that promote alcohol.

-- Signs should not appeal to, or target, children/teens.

-- Signs should be more than 500 feet to the property line of schools, churches, playgrounds.

The last step before adoption is a hearing scheduled for Wednesday, February 24, 2010 from 10:00 a.m. to noon at the LCB in Olympia. The LCB will adopt the rules on March 3, 2010 and they will become effective April 3.

While alcohol advertising may not be the #1 factor contributing to underage drinking, it is a factor that influences youth in all communities. This is a wonderful success for substance abuse prevention and it is largely thanks to everyone who made comments to the LCB over the past year about alcohol advertising.

Parents drinking with teens?

From today's Seattle PI: Kegging it with the kids: Is it okay for parents to drink with their teens?

Links to substance abuse prevention resources for parents are available on the Prevention WinS website.

Drug trends among King County youth

According to the report Drug Trends in the Seattle-King County Area, 2008, of all King County residents who entered substance abuse treatment in 2008, 81% of those who were admitted for alcohol addiction started using alcohol before the age of 18. Ninety-two percent of those who were admitted for marijuana addiction started using marijuana before the age of 18.

The chart below shows youth substance abuse treatment admissions in King County. By far, the primary drug for which youth seek treatment is marijuana, followed by alcohol.

Adolescent brains more sensitive to effects of alcohol

From National Public Radio: Teen Drinking May Cause Irreversible Brain Damage.

For teenagers, the effects of a drunken night out may linger long after the hangover wears off.

A recent study led by neuroscientist Susan Tapert of the University of California, San Diego compared the brain scans of teens who drink heavily with the scans of teens who don't.

Tapert's team found damaged nerve tissue in the brains of teens who drank. The researchers believe this damage negatively affects attentions span in boys, and girls ability to comprehend and interpret visual information.

"First of all, the adolescent brain is still undergoing several maturation processes that render it more vulnerable to some of the effects of substances," Tapert says.

In other words, key areas of the brain are still under construction during the adolescent years, and are more sensitive to the toxic effects of drugs and alcohol.

Monday is Prevention Advocacy Day in Olympia

2010 Prevention Advocacy Day
Monday, January 18, 2010
8:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Olympia, WA

This year's theme: The Prescription for Saving $$ is Prevention!

For more information, visit the Washington Association for Substance Abuse and Violence Prevention (WASAVP) website.

Social norms campaigns to prevent underage drinking

As Prevention WinS considers including a social norms campaign as part of a Drug Free Communities grant proposal, here is another great example of a campaign being implemented by the SPF-SIG coalition in Kelso, Washington.

Secure Medicine Return Bill

The Secure Medicine Return Bill that has been introduced to the Washington State Legislature provides for the safe collection and disposal of unwanted drugs from residential sources. Environmental organizations and substance abuse prevention advocates have come together in support of this bill. As the rate of youth who abuse prescription drugs rises, this bill is an important preventive measure.