Marijuana laws: a prevention perspective

From CADCA:

Attitudes about marijuana are changing. Fewer 8th and 10th graders believe smoking marijuana is dangerous. These declines in the perception of harm invariably precede increases in substance use. Despite that, several states have medical marijuana laws on the books and more states are considering putting these types of initiatives on the ballot. During the next CADCA TV program, “The Blunt Truth: Communities Dealing with Marijuana,” representatives from various states will discuss how medical marijuana laws and marijuana legalization efforts are impacting their communities, and what they’re doing to tackle this issue.  The show airs August 25.

Locally, the Mercer Island Communities That Care Coalition is hosting a viewing of this national webcast from 10 a.m. to noon on August  25 at the Mercer Island Community Center.  After viewing, there will be an hour-long discussion about how the prevention community in Washington is addressing the marijuana issue, options for collaboration, and strategies to educate the public.  For more information and to RSVP, please contact the coalition's Project Director. 

More about parties in neighborhood parks . . .

From a post on today's Laurelhurst Blog:

I wanted to let you know that the kids were partying at the play-field on 45th near Laurelhurst Elementary again tonight. The noise was exceptionally loud this evening and peaked around 10:30pm.

My neighbor called 911 and apparently there was already a noise complaint called in. They were sending a police officer out to the park.

As a neighborhood, what can we do to try and deter this behavior? It is so loud and has woken me up on more than one occasion.

This is posted a day after I was told about a recent drunk-driving accident near Golden Gardens that involved a neighborhood high school student. 

Online resources for teenagers

Earlier this week, KING5 broadcast a story called Teens go online to get answers on health. 

Dr. Leslie Walker, Chief of Adolescent Medicine at Seattle Children's, said parents might not realize their teens are searching online for health answers. 

"Out of every ten kids, three of them are saying they're going to the Internet for health information. And that's a lot of kids," she emphasized.

She said for kids who want to know more about topics ranging from diet to fitness to sexual health, there are helpful sites, such as the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Another is the award winning KidsHealth.org, with it's own teen health section.

Following are a few links for teens looking for information specifically about drugs and alcohol:

Above the Influence

NIDA for Teens

The Cool Spot

State by state analysis of adolescent drug use

When it comes to adolescent substance abuse, how does Washington stack up compared to other states?  Below are a bunch of maps showing rates of use among young people ages 12-17.  States in red have the highest rates of use and the states in white have the lowest. 

Source: State Estimates of Substance Use and Mental Health Disorders from 2008-2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Local communities coming together to promote health

King County launched a new health education campaign, Let's Do This, earlier this week. The campaign focuses on the relationship between neighborhood and health and inspires residents to become involved. The campaign features Mia, an eleven year old King County resident who wants to be a healthy kid and notices aspects of her neighborhood that make it difficult to be healthy.

The campaign is part of King County's Communities Putting Prevention to Work program.

ER doctors report on effects of caffeinated alcoholic beverages on minors

A team of emergency room doctors in New York City describes 11 cases of young people who wound up in the ER after drinking Four Loko in a report published in the latest Annals of Emergency Medicine.  The median age of the teenagers was 16.4 years.  The report starts with:

Premixed caffeinated alcoholic beverages such as Four Loko are promoted for their ability to mask alcohol’s effects and intensify the intoxication. Their brightly colored packaging, low cost, and retail placement mean that they are marketed like a sports or energy drink, appealing to a young consumer. These young drinkers may engage in high-risk behaviors that place them or others in danger, resulting in severe societal consequences. 

Four Loko is a top-selling caffeinated alcoholic beverage in the United States. Its popularity followed the surge in energy drink sales during the last several years, largely because of consumer marketing of caffeine’s stimulant and recreational effects. Since early 2011, caffeine has been removed as an ingredient of Four Loko because of governmental warnings.  Retail and Internet supplies of the original formulation exist, although manufacturing and distribution have halted . . . The combined use of caffeine and alcohol is increasing, especially among adolescents and college students, leading to increased alcohol related injury.

The report goes on to describe the 11 cases of adolescents who were brought the the ER under the influence of Four Loko and then concludes with a discussion that includes:

Adolescents and young adults who are naive to the effects of alcohol and caffeine may be at higher risk from these combination beverages . . . More than 35% of our patients had blood alcohol levels greater than twice the legal limit. This population is inherently immature, and intoxication with caffeine and alcohol can increase risk-taking behavior. Alcohol and caffeine combinations have been associated with higher rates of alcohol-related consequences, such as medical treatment, sexual assault, drunk driving, and injury.

2011 Prevention Summit update

The 2011 Washington State Prevention Summit website is now up and running.  Information about registration and scholarships is available and further updates will be made soon. 

The Summit will take place October 27-29 in Yakima.   The goal of the Summit is to provide an enriching and culturally competent training and networking opportunity for youth, volunteers and professionals working toward prevention of substance abuse, violence and other destructive behaviors.

This year, youth groups from Eckstein Middle School and Nathan Hale High School will join other youth groups from around the state and participate in the Summit.

Prescription drug abuse leading to heroin abuse

Yesterday, KING5 broadcast a story about a teenager who recently died from a heroin overdose. 

Dean Shumway died of a heroin overdose just before his 19th birthday. He did not fit the stereotype of a heroin addict, down on his luck and homeless--but perhaps Dean does represent what's becoming the new face of heroin addiction: white middle class teenager.

Frank Couch, a counselor with Science and Management of Addictions (SAMA), says Dean is not an isolated case.

"It's a huge problem out there. It's a huge problem with young folks and adolescents,” said Couch.

Couch says these kids used to smoke Oxycontin, but now that the prescription painkiller has been reformulated, they're turning to heroin.

"It's cheaper, it's more readily available so the trend is moving back to heroin use again," he explained.

Washington Recovery Help Line: a resource for everyone affected by substance abuse

Yesterday, I posted information about a national hotline for parents who are concerned about their child's substance abuse.  A more local resource is the Washington Recovery Help Line which provides round-the-clock help for substance abuse problems. The Helpline phone number is: 866-789-1511.

In addition to providing resources for individuals struggling with substance abuse, the helpline provides support to people who are looking for help for a friend or family member, but unsure of how to help them or what resources are available.

Prevention fellowship program accepting applications

Washington State has been chosen by the federal Center for Substance Abuse Prevention to receive a two year Prevention Fellow for 2011-13. Specific recruitment information is availble online.  Applications must be in by August 31, 2011, with a start date of September 26, 2011.

The Fellow will be stationed in Olympia and work with the Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery's Prevention Services Team.

The goal of the Prevention Fellowship Program is to build a workforce of substance abuse professionals. During the 2‐year fellowship program, which combines Web‐based and in-person trainings, fellows improve their skills and their knowledge of prevention practices.