More links

A few more good websites I have come across lately:

The Center for Science in the Public Interest: Alcohol Policy -- www.cspinet.org/alcohol/. It includes a link to BeerSoaksAmerica.org that describes itself as "a response to beer industry propaganda", including underage drinking and ads targeting youth.

The Centers for Disease Control's (CDC) "Quick Stats" on underage drinking -- http://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/quickstats/underage_drinking.htm

The Federal Trade Commission's We Don't Serve Teens -- http://www.dontserveteens.gov/

Though I've come across this one before, it keeps (unintentionally) falling off of my radar . . . International Institute for Alcohol Awareness -- http://www.iiaaonline.org/. It includes a link to the Not in Our House campaign that has information for parents, school administrators, coaches, 9th & 10th grade teachers, and students themselves about preventing adults from serving alcohol to youth.

University of Minnesota's Alcohol Epidemiology Program -- http://www.epi.umn.edu/alcohol/ -- contains data in its Quick Facts tab about youth access to alcohol; where and when youth drink; public opinion on alcohol policy; and other related topics.

Finally, if I haven't mentioned this before, I should have. The Washington State Alcohol/Drug Clearinghouse -- http://clearinghouse.adhl.org/ -- contains links to all sorts of resources including free materials you can order through the site.

Who's to blame when you get drunk?

On National Public Radio's Talk of the Nation yesterday . . .

Who's To Blame When You Get Drunk? A man who got drunk on a United Airlines flight was arrested for beating his wife as they walked through customs. The couple is now suing the airline for serving him too many drinks. On an airplane, at a bar, or at a party, who's responsible when someone gets drunk? Guests were:

Jody Drews, mother of Jesse Drews, who died after drinking 15 shots in less than an hour at a bar

Michele Simon, a public health lawyer, and research and policy director for the Marin Institute

Susan Cheever, author of My Name Is Bill, about Bill Wilson, the founder of Alcoholics Anonymous

Communities That Care

Communities That Care (CTC) now has its own Wikipedia page. CTC is a coalition-based prevention operating system that uses a public health approach to prevent youth problem behaviors such as violence, delinquency, school drop out and substance abuse. This model is similar to the one used by the NE Seattle Coalition to Prevent Underage Drinking. Like the coalition, CTC's main strategy focuses on strengthening protective factors that can buffer young people from problem behaviors and promote positive youth development. We also work to reduce risk factors.

CTC was developed by the Social Development Research Group at the University of Washington's School of Social Work.

Effective prevention on college campuses

The third updated edition of Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention on College Campuses: Model Programs, published by U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools, is now available at no charge.

The report includes descriptions of model programs at Auburn University, Boston College, Bowling Green State University, George Mason University, Gonzaga University, Grand Valley State University, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Lehigh University, Loyola Marymount University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Michigan State University, Rutgers, San, Diego State University, and Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute.

The book, which is in the public domain, can be viewed online at highereducationcenter.org/files/product/model.pdf. To obtain a free hard copy of the book, call toll-free 1-877-433-7827 (1-877-4-ED-PUBS) or 1-800-872-5327 (1-800-USA-LEARN) or email edpubs@inet.ed.gov.

Reducing drunk driving deaths

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has published "Lives Saved in 2007 by Restraint Use and Minimum Drinking Age Laws." The report's findings indicate that the 21-year-old minimum drinking age laws have prevented an estimated 4,441 drunken driving deaths in the last 5 years alone. (Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention)

Sustance abuse and suicide prevention

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has released a new white paper focusing on the current state of knowledge about the interrelationship between substance abuse and suicide. Entitled “Substance Abuse and Suicide Prevention: Evidence & Implications”, the document stresses substance abuse as a risk-factor for suicide and suicide attempts and the importance of continued learning about this connection to help prevent suicidal behavior.

Funding opportunities

Drug Free Communities Grant

The 2009 Request for Applications (RFA) for the Drug Free Communities program will be released on or about January 12, 2009. Subsequent to the release, application workshops will be held around the country to assist communities in responding to the details of the RFA. The closest one to Seattle will be held in Portland on Monday, February 2, 2009. Although there is no registration cost to attendees, you must RSVP.

The grants support coalitions of youth; parents; media; law enforcement; school officials; faith-based organizations; fraternal organizations; State, local, and tribal government agencies; healthcare professionals; and other community representatives. The Drug Free Communities Support Program enables the coalitions to strengthen their coordination and prevention efforts, encourage citizen participation in substance abuse reduction efforts, and disseminate information about effective programs.

Stipend for Teach-In

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is making available a limited number of stipends for community-based organizations (CBOs) to conduct Reach Out Now Teach-Ins (RONTIs). Stipends in the amount of $300 will be awarded to up to 2,000 organizations on a first-come, first-serve basis. CBOs must declare their intent to participate by completing an online confirmation form.

Since the NE Seattle Coalition to Prevent Underage Drinking held a Town Hall Meeting in March 2008, our community is eligible for the stipend. Please contact me if you are part of the NE Seattle community and would like to host a Teach-In.

Grants to Prevent High Risk Drinking Among College Students

The U.S. Department of Education´s Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools recently announced that they are accepting applications for the Grants to Prevent High-Risk Drinking and Violent Behavior Among College Students competition. They anticipate awarding 18 grants in the amount of $100,000-$150,000 each. The deadline to apply is Jan. 30, 2009.

This program provides funds to develop, enhance, implement, and evaluate campus-based and/or community-based prevention strategies to reduce high-risk drinking and violent behavior among college students.

School Character Education Grant

The Sprint Character Education Grant Program accepts applications for funding of character education programs promoting leadership, youth volunteerism, character education, and school pride. Grants will fund the purchase of resource materials, supplies, teacher training, and equipment that facilitates character education for K–12 students.

Applications for 2009 will be accepted February 1-27. Public schools may apply for individual school grants up to $5,000.

From JoinTogether.org:

Youth Violence Prevention Grant

The National Center for Injury Prevention and Control at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will award a pair of $500,000 grants to assess the efficacy of community policy, economic and environmental changes aimed at reducing youth violence.

"The purpose of this program of research is to assess the efficacy or effectiveness of interventions and policies designed to change the economic or environmental characteristics of a community to reduce rates of youth violence perpetration and victimization," according to the CDC. "Youth violence has been linked to a variety of factors, including individual, family, community, and societal characteristics. Although much research has been conducted on interventions to change the characteristics of individuals and families, less research has focused on evaluating interventions and policies designed to change community economic or environmental factors."

Nonprofits and public agencies are eligible to apply. Letters of intent are due Jan. 26, 2009; applications are due Feb. 23.

Gang Resistance Grants

The U.S. Department of Justice will award grants of up to $125,000 under its Gang Resistance Education and Training (GREAT) Program, which aims to prevent youth gang involvement, violence and delinquency.

The program centers on lectures by police officers focusing on life-skills development -- similar to the D.A.R.E. drug-prevention program.

Application deadline is Jan. 22, 2009. Law-enforcement agencies are eligible to apply.

Youth binge drinking in France

According to the BBC news, binge drinking was once thought to be the exclusive province of young Brits and Americans, but now French adolescents are defying cultural stereotypes and drinking heavily with the intention of getting drunk, too.

According to the story, "The (French) government recognises the problem and plans to raise the legal age for buying alcohol from 16 to 18 next year."

"In some parts of Paris, municipal authorities have already targeted teenage drunkenness by declaring "dry areas" where drinking on the streets is banned at night."

"These measures mark a major shift in a society which used to take pride in initiating children into the art of sipping wine with their parents from an early age."

"The consensus was that this approach bred a moderate, mature attitude to alcohol."

"A glass or two of wine at home over dinner, it used to be thought, protected the French from the need to indulge in a British-style Saturday night booze-up at the pub."

The article goes on to state, "Our societies resemble each other more and more, and binge drinking, especially at weekends, has developed in recent years in France," says Patrick Bloche, mayor of the 11th Arrondissement, or district, of Paris."

Of course there is opposition to new French policies. People argue that teens are going to drink not matter what restrictions are put in place. This is simply not true. We have plenty of research that backs up the idea that prevention works. We know that teaching youth refusal and other social skills reduces underage drinking rates in a community. We know that parents who talk to their children about alcohol make a significant difference. We know that anti-underage drinking community norms make a difference in prevention. As our society's change and become more alike, it's important to remember that old ways of prevention and harm reduction may need to be re-assessed and updated.

KING5 story about parenting workshops

Thanks to partnerships with the University Family YMCA, Seattle Children's Hospital, and Seattle Public Schools, the coalition to prevention underage drinking in NE Seattle is able to offer many Guiding Good Choices (GGC) parenting workshops for free. With underage drinking rates in NE Seattle higher than the statewide average, these workshops are a part of a community-wide effort to reduce alcohol use among the youth in our community.

KING5 recently taped a GGC session at the YMCA and started broadcasting a story about it this weekend as part of their Children's HealthLink series.

Blog about using technology for prevention

Technology in Prevention is a blog for those of us who want to explore ways to use the Internet and other new technologies for drug/alcohol prevention. It describes itself as, "A virtual how-to hotspot for people who want to connect, inquire, discuss and learn to put technology solutions to work for prevention and social change."

Have you wondered what the following terms mean and how you may be able to use them:

Twitter

Flickr

Delicious

The blog provide information about what these, and other tools, are and how we can use them as part of community prevention strategies. Check it out: www.technologyinprevention.blogspot.com.