Tie One On For Safety

Dec. 8, 2010

MADD's press conference for their drive sober campaign was well attended by law enforcement from all over the entire region. Tying red ribbons to vehicles was encouraged as a reminder to drive sober during the holiday season and throughout the year. Sheriff Anderson of Sullivan and County Chief Price of Bristol, VA both recalled stories of devastation due to this entirely preventable problem.

To download your designated driver coupon, go to http://www.madd.org/feature-stories/november/Coupon-Banner.pdf.

One in Three Fatally Injured are 'Drugged Drivers'

According to the inaugural analysis of drug involvement from NHTSA’s Fatal Accident Reporting System census, one in three motor vehicle fatalities (33 percent) with known drug test results tested positive for drugs in 2009. Additionally, according to the new analysis, the involvement of drugs in fatal crashes has increased by five percent over the past five years, even as the overall number of drivers killed in motor vehicle crashes in the United States has declined. [more...]

Treatment Center Confirms Link Between Early Drug and Alcohol Use and Later Addiction

Dec 1, 2010
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/11/prweb4810924.htm

A new study shows the earlier an individual first tries drugs or alcohol, the more likely they are to develop a substance abuse problem later in life. Lakeview Health Systems, an addiction treatment center, confirms that the years before the age of 15 are especially fragile. They encourage parents to take preventive measures, as well as to intervene as soon as possible if they suspect drug or alcohol use. To assist families, Lakeview offers some preventive measures to take, as well as a free guide parents can download to help state an intervention.

1 in 4 High School Students and Young Adults Report Binge Drinking

Nov 22, 2010 

CDC Online Newsroom

60 percent of high school students who drink, binge drink

More than 1 in 4 high school students and adults ages 18 to 34 engaged in a dangerous behavior known as binge drinking during the past month, according to the findings from a report by theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC report found men are more than twice as likely to binge drink than women (21 percent compared to 10 percent). 
"Binge drinking, increases many health risks, including fatal car crashes, contracting a sexually transmitted disease, dating violence, and drug overdoses," said CDC Director Thomas R. Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. "Excessive alcohol use remains the third leading preventable cause of death in the United States and leads to a wide range of health and social problems."
"Alarmingly, almost 1 in 3 adults and 2 in 3 high school students who drink alcohol also binge drink, which usually leads to intoxication," said Dr. Robert Brewer, M.D., M.P.H., alcohol program leader at CDC and one of the authors of the report. "Although most binge drinkers are not alcohol-dependent or alcoholics, they often engage in this high risk behavior without realizing the health and social problems of their drinking. States and communities need to consider further strategies to create an environment that discourages binge drinking." (more...)

CDC Releases Two Reports on Excessive Alcohol Use and Related Harms

Nov 17, 2010
CADCA Resources & Research


Two reports posted on the American Journal of Preventive Medicine website show that states and communities can decide when and where alcohol can be sold by supporting laws that are proven to reduce excessive alcohol use and related harms to drinkers and others. Regulating the availability of alcohol, including maintaining limits on the number of days and hours when alcohol can be sold, as well as the number of places that sell alcohol, are strategies proven to reduce many of the harmful outcomes of drinking too much alcohol, even for non-drinkers.

Also detailed in the reports are evidence-based strategies coalitions can adopt in their communities, if they are not already doing so, to prevent binge and underage drinking such as: “dram shop” liability, increasing alcohol taxes, maintaining limits on days of sale, maintaining limits on hours of sale, regulation of alcohol outlet density, maintaining minimum legal drinking age laws, and enhanced enforcement of laws prohibiting underage sales.

Community and Campus Prevention and Intervention Reduces College Drinking

Nov 17, 2010
CADCA Resources & Research


Highly visible cooperative projects, in which colleges and their surrounding communities target off-campus drinking settings, can reduce alcohol use among college students, according to a report by researchers supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, part of the National Institutes of Health. 

Principal investigator Dr. Robert Saltz, conducted the “Safer California Universities” study of college and community alcohol prevention strategies at 14 large public universities in California.

Beginning in 2003, Dr. Saltz and his colleagues conducted random surveys of students from each of the participating schools. The survey documented that heavy drinking at off-campus parties was a common problem. The data, not surprisingly, showed that most problems campuses have occur at off-campus settings, where most of the students live. 

Policy and enforcement interventions were implemented in 2005 and 2006 at half of the universities, with the other half also monitored for comparison. Interventions included nuisance party enforcement operations, surveillance to prevent alcohol sales to minors, drunken driving checkpoints, social host ordinances, and use of campus and local media to increase the visibility of the interventions. (more...)

National Drug IQ Challenge

It's National Drug Facts week. Take the 10-minute National Drug IQ Challenge to see how much you know. Know a lot? You may get entered into the Brainiac Round.

Challenges of Evidence-Based Prevention Programs

Evidence-based programs are working, but according to Elizabeth Robertson, Ph.D., the most effective programs are not:

  • user friendly, 
  • implemented as designed or 
  • used by half of the schools in the U.S. 
Read the full article at Of Substance BLOG.

Reauthorize the Sober Truth on Preventing (STOP) Underage Drinking Act

From CADCA Newsletter:

Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-34) introduced bipartisan legislation on Wednesday to reauthorize and bolster federal underage drinking prevention programs under the Sober Truth on Preventing (STOP) Underage Drinking Act.

Congresswoman Roybal-Allard was joined by Congressman Zach Wamp (R, TN-3), Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D, CT-3), and Congressman Frank Wolf (R, VA-10.). U.S. Senator Chris Dodd (CT) plans to introduce the identical companion bill.

“We need to reinvigorate our message about the impacts of youth alcohol abuse and take the next steps in federal underage drinking prevention efforts,” Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard said. “The investment called for by the STOP Act reauthorization is a cost-effective strategy to reduce the estimated $53 billion toll on our nation each year from the suffering and death caused by underage drinking.”

In 2006, the 109th Congress passed the Sober Truth on Preventing (STOP) Underage Drinking Act authored by Congresswoman Roybal-Allard. The legislation authorized: the establishment of an interagency coordinating committee to address underage drinking; a parent-focused media campaign; federal research on underage drinking prevention; and the creation of community grants to fight underage drinking.

The STOP Act reauthorization (HR 6241) will continue the programs begun with the original STOP Act, and will build upon these public health efforts by increasing the authorized funding level for the Community-Based Coalition Enhancement Act Grants from $5 million to $9 million. The Community based Coalition Enhancement Act Grants was highly successful, with 266 applications submitted for the 23 grants that were available in FY 2009.

The STOP Act reauthorization would also:
• Double the original investment in a multimedia campaign to educate parents and communities about the dangers of underage drinking;
• Authorize an Institute of Medicine report on the literature about the influence of drinking alcohol on the development of the adolescent brain; and
• Establish grants to train pediatric health care providers in how best to screen and treat children and teens who have had alcohol exposures.

Blake McMeans' Message - Being popular is not worth risking your life

NE State, Blountville, TN. As one of the top tennis player in the nation, Blake McMean had dreams of being a world class competitor. But behaviors that started when he was just twelve years old, and continued until a bad decision made at seventeen, put a sudden end to that dream.

Though he had been able to hide his drinking from his family, Blake admitted that he began drinking from his parent's liquor cabinet. By the time he was in high school, he had established a pattern of drinking on weekends. Perhaps his ability to get to 5 AM practices during the week helped him hide his risky behavior. Those practices did lead to a full tennis scholarship, which led to being on the road and hanging out with older kids. The unexpected and early death of his father complicated his poor decisions about drinking. On the night of the accident, he only wanted to have a good time with his friends.

The documentary detailed the impact of his decision on Blake, his mother and his sister. It is told through interviews with family, the police officer on the scene and his doctors. After the documentary, Blake slowly made his way to the podium and delivered his message before taking questions. More information can be found at his website. He encouraged the audience to make a promise to themselves and to post their successes on his Friends of Blake McMeans Facebook page.

Survey Reveals 17 Million Americans Drive Drunk

Twenty percent of American drivers have gotten behind the wheel within two hours of drinking, and 8 percent have driven when they considered themselves drunk, Join Together reports.

The findings are the result of a 2008 survey conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The survey also found 8 percent of adults overall, and nearly one-quarter of men aged 21 to 24, accepted rides from someone they thought was drunk. This is in contrast to additional survey data indicating that four out of five Americans see drunk driving as a “major threat” to their own and their family's safety.

Complete survey results are available on the NHTSA website.

From CADCA.org

Sullivan County Participates in the First Take-Back Day

The Sullivan County Sheriff's Office is participating in the national prescription drug take-back day on Saturday, September 25. Expired, unused or unwanted prescription drugs can be taken to the Sheriff's Office at 140 Blountville Blvd., from 9 - noon.

Properly disposing prescription drugs that are no longer needed keeps them from luring children or teens to experiment or from entering the nation's water supply when flushed down toilets.

More information about the national effort can be found at DEA aims to collect unused medications.