San Diego CrystalMess

'Drug Store' a taste of deadly reality for kids

From the Modesto Bee. HUGHSON — Detention had nothing on Lucas Fisher's day at school.

The eighth-grader at Ross Middle School spent 15 minutes Tuesday polishing the shoes of his trash-talking cellmate in a simulated juvenile hall cell on his school's lawn.

"I was feeling really scared," Lucas said after bolting from the cell. "I thought I was going to be here the whole day."

Stanislaus County sheriff's deputy Bret Silveira fixed a deadly stare on Lucas' classmates as he gave them a small taste of what they could expect behind bars.

"This is my house and these are my rules," Silveira barked at the students, a pair of stained, jail-issued underwear hanging from the bars. "Punks like you are gonna take care of me forever."

..."She started crying, I started crying. As soon as they put the handcuffs on her I just couldn't handle it."

Read the the complete story here.

Underage drinking, marijuana targeted in Waterford

From the Modesto Bee. The City Council is poised to push adult-aided underage drinking and medicinal marijuana out of town.

At a meeting Thursday night, council members accepted an ordinance putting in place a fine of up to $1,500 for adults who let minors drink at private parties.

"I think we have to create a safe environment for our children in this community. You want carrots and sticks, and this is a stick," said Mayor William Broderick-Villa.

Adults guilty of allowing minors to drink at parties will pay $500 for the first offense, $1,000 for the second and $1,500 for the third if the infractions fall within a 12-month period.

The point is to encourage adults to supervise minors who may be drinking, and deter adults from tolerating or encouraging it, City Attorney Corbett Browning said in a report to council members.

Inspired by the death of his sister following a party nearly 25 years ago during which adults provided the alcohol, community activist Robert Stanford of Modesto has been urging cities to pass similar ordinances.

"I just wish it had more teeth and no clock," he told council members.

The ordinance will come back to the council for approval May 17. If adopted, it will take effect June 16.

At the May 17 meeting, council members also will consider an ordinance prohibiting medicinal marijuana dispensaries.

Modesto, Ceres and Patterson have banned them, and most cities in the county have moratoriums on dispensaries.

Council members were supposed to hear the ordinance Thursday, but Browning asked them to hold off so he could broaden its language.

Even without the ordinance, medical marijuana dispensaries are temporarily banned in Waterford. The temporary ban expires in July.

While people occasionally call the city asking about how to open a dispensary, no one has tried to do so, City Administrator Charles Deschenes said during an interview in March.

Driven out of No. 1

From the Modesto Bee. Finally, some progress. For the first time in three years, Stanislaus County is not the car theft capital of the country, according to statistics released today by the National Insurance Crime Bureau.

The Modesto area — encompassing all of Stanislaus County — dropped to No. 5 with 1,006 thefts per 100,000 residents.

NICB spokesman Frank Scafidi applauded the Modesto area's "dramatic improvement," adding that local efforts should set an example for neighboring communities struggling with high theft rates.

Despite the drop, not all local law enforcement officials are pleased.

"Nobody should breathe a sigh of relief," Modesto Police Chief Roy Wasden said. "We're still way too high. I'm happy we're not No. 1, but with all that effort and a 32percent reduction in the city, I wanted to be out of the top 10."

Officials also promised to target what they believe is the underlying cause of auto theft: methamphetamine abuse.

"Given the meth epidemic we have here, I'm not surprised we're still in the top 10," Sheriff Adam Christianson said. "In every property crime we investigate, there's always a meth element."

Wasden agreed, noting that even as auto theft rates continue to drop, other crimes, such as recyclable metal thefts, soar.

"It's like you squeeze the balloon here, and it expands over there," Wasden said. "We must deal with (methamphetamine) addiction. Ultimately, if we get people into treatment and get them drug free, that will affect property crime."

Sober up our kids by raising taxes on 'alcopop' beverages

From the Modesto Bee Community Opinion Page. In my youth we did Gallo White Port with lemon juice from lemons that we picked from the neighborhood trees and squeezed ourselves. For the sophisticate, we served up shoplifted sloe gin mixed with 7-Up. Then Boone's Farm and other juicified wines arrived. Mostly, though, we became drunks the same way our fathers and uncles had — on beer.
Today, alcohol corporations bombard our kids with a host of exotic beverages, given rock 'n' roll names with seductive-looking labels, at exorbitant prices. Today, boys are selectively seduced by rounds of alcoholic elixirs and girls are bewitched by brews and potions that promise endless excitement.
On May 7, the state Assembly will consider Assembly Bills 345, by Lori Saldaña, D-San Diego, and 346 by Jim Beall Jr., D-San Jose, which would establish that "girlie drinks," "alcopop," "cheerleader drinks," "starter drinks," "energy drinks," "Jell-O shots," "mists," etc., will be classified as malt liquor.
These are pop names for alcoholic beverages designed and marketed for entry-level drinkers, code for underage drinkers, especially girls. This legislation would remove alcopops from 15,000 convenience stores and reclassify them to a higher-taxed liquor category and, in turn, up their prices. The expectation is that they would be priced out of the youth market. Additionally, the higher tax classification might generate revenue, as much as $54 million, that could be directed to alcohol abuse treatment for youth.
The bills are part of a strategy against the liquor corporations that, like the tobacco giants, purposely target underage drinkers. Apparently, the logic is to hook kids early and establish their purchasing loyalty even if it means bad health, alcoholism, maiming or death for some. About 20percent (11 million) of America's alcohol consumers are underage.
The legislation is defense against an onslaught of sweetened, prettified alcoholic drinks. They're pimped under labels using fruit juice and cool jargon as a cover for their alcoholic character. They even contain "natural additives" such as ginseng and caffeine to make them appear like soft drinks.
Girlie drinks attract 12- to 14-year-olds more than 25- to 30-year-olds by a rate of 76 percent to 36 percent, according to national research done in 2004. The packaging for these drinks is designed with the underage drinker in mind, and labeling of alcohol content is purposely vague and difficult to read. Even the placement of these products in stores is done so that consumers have difficulty distinguishing them from soft drinks. Advertising is geared toward underage drinkers, using technology popular with youth, such as text messaging, music videos and stylish clothing with liquor logos.
Recently the Stanislaus County Children's Council was presented the opportunity to support passage of AB 345 and AB 346. Lee Honoré Means, executive director of Girl Scouts Muir Trail Council, serves on the Children's Council. Means proposed that the council send correspondence to seven San Joaquin Valley legislators, encouraging them to support these bills. The council did.

DEA: Flavored meth use on the rise

From USA Today. Reports of candy-flavored methamphetamine are emerging around the nation, stirring concern among police and abuse prevention experts that drug dealers are marketing the drug to younger people. Among the new flavors are strawberry, known as "Strawberry Quick," chocolate, cola and other sodas, Robertson said. One agent reported a red methamphetamine that had been marketed as a powdered form of an energy drink, he said

HBO Addiction

From HBO. The Addiction Project is produced by HBO in partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). Visit the website to view the documentry online.

New tool to fight teenage drinking

From the Modesto Bee. Modesto adults who let minors drink alcohol at private parties can be punished with up to $1,500 in new fines under an ordinance the City Council approved Tuesday night.

Police drafted the measure to help officers crack down on teenage binge drinking, which health officials say often occurs in the home.

Besides the fines, people who break the ordinance could face misdemeanor criminal charges.

"I'm glad that we finally have a tool so we can discourage this type of activity in the venues where underage drinking occurs," said Modesto police Detective Mike Hicks, who developed the law over the past few months.

The measure allows officers to punish party givers in ways that state laws do not by lowering the threshold for evidence that police must collect to build cases against adults who allow minors access to alcohol.

Under the city ordinance, officers can assume party hosts know when they let minors drink. It requires hosts to take steps to block minors from getting alcohol, such as by checking identification.

Under state law, officers would have to prove that adults knowingly provided alcohol to an underage person. Hicks said that often requires seeing the suspect hand a drink to someone younger than 21 or finding witnesses to identify those who give alcohol to minors.

Neighboring cities likely will face votes on similar measures soon. Linda Jue, coordinator for a Stanislaus County program that surveys teens about alcohol use, said she is preparing to take it to the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors and the Turlock City Council.

Read the complete story at ModBee.com

Social host ordinance will help plug keggers

From the Modesto Bee.

Several recent events should be a community wake-up to the extent and seriousness of underage drinking:

The death of a 19-year-old Modestan last weekend believed to be the result of alcohol poisoning. He had been drinking rum, celebrating a planned move to Colorado.

Charges pending against a Grayson woman accused of hosting parties for teens — and having sexual relations with two boys.

The police investigation of a Beyer High dad who allegedly bought kegs of beer for his 17-year-old son's party with friends.

Tuesday, the Modesto City Council will consider a Police Department proposal for a city ordinance that would fine people for hosting underage drinking parties. The timing is not coincidental. Authorities would like to have the law in place before the graduation season and end-of-the-school parties.

Many parents and other adults have developed a relaxed attitude about teenage drinking — that it's inevitable, that it's better than drugs, that it's something everyone does at that age.

Parents know their teens are drinking, suggests one 18-year-old, but they don't want to ask about it. Many teens don't consider their own drinking a problem because they only drink on weekends and don't drink alone.

But studies suggest binge drinking is frighteningly common. Just last week, the U.S. surgeon general spoke on the issue. "Too many Americans consider underage drinking a rite of passage to adulthood," said Dr. Kenneth Moritsugu. "Research shows that young people who start drinking before the age of 15 are five times more likely to have alcohol-related problems later in life. New research also indicates that alcohol may harm the developing adolescent brain."

Of particular concern locally and nationally is binge drinking — teens who consume four or five drinks within an hour or two. Some teens think nothing of it, not realizing they end up too impaired to drive and possibly put themselves at risk of alcohol poisoning.

Under the proposed Modesto ordinance, adults who host or permit gatherings at which minors are allowed to drink could be fined $500. The penalties would increase to $1,000 for the second and $1,500 for the third offense within 12 months. The ordinance is modeled after one used in other areas of California. The ordinance specifically excludes family gatherings.

A social host ordinance won't cure underage drinking, but it's one step to deter it. Adults who abet and condone something that is illegal and unhealthy should face some consequences.

The Modesto council will meet at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday in the basement of Tenth Street Place. The meeting is televised live on Comcast Channel 7.

Acting Surgeon General Issues National Call to Action on Underage Drinking

A Press Release from the U.S. Surgeon General's Office. In its first Call to Action against underage drinking, the U.S. Surgeon General's Office appealed today to Americans to do more to stop America's 11 million current underage drinkers from using alcohol, and to keep other young people from starting. Read more here.

Alcohol suspected in death at going-away party for teen

From the Modesto Bee. A 19-year-old Modesto man was found dead Sunday morning after friends say he drank nearly a pint of potent rum at a going-away party for him the night before.

Modesto police are investigating Sid Skibinski-Gonzales' death to determine whether to file criminal charges against adults at the party who were old enough to purchase alcohol, Sgt. Craig Gundlach said.

The coroner has not determined the official cause of death, said Gundlach, but police said they believe the young man died of alcohol poisoning.

Adults are in danger of dying from alcohol poisoning when their blood alcohol is 0.30 percent to 0.40 percent, which is four and five times higher than the level at which a person is considered too intoxicated to drive.

Young people who are binge drinking run a higher risk of alcohol poisoning because their bodies have not built up a tolerance for alcohol, said Madelyn Schlaepfer, associate director of Stanislaus County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services.

Skibinski-Gonzales was getting ready to move with his family this week to Cortez, Colo. He had plans to attend college and study architecture and communications in Boulder. He wanted to pursue a career in music.

Saturday, he attended a goodbye party early in the day with cousins, his grandmother and other family members.

"He had a lot of enthusiasm and he had a really big heart," said his cousin Victoria Jackson, 22, of Modesto. "He was very helpful for his mom. He was the man of the house." Read more here.

Stanislaus County Alcohol and Drug Prevention Plan Problem Statements

Click the link below to view the "Problem Identification" Power Point presented to the Prevention Partnership.

Stanislaus County
5-Year Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention Plan
Problem Statements

Prevention Tactics

How Communities Adopt Change

"No single policy or program measure will be effective. Rather, a broad mix of initiatives is required, with the interventions varying according to the circumstances of each country"–WHO (1999). What in the World Works? International Consultation on Tobacco and Youth.

A Comprehensive Community Approach to Methamphetamine Prevention

Methamphetamine can feel like a "larger than life" issue and trying to address the problem can feel even more overwhelming. That is why it is so important to approach the problem from a variety of fronts and with an arsenal of tactics. As with any good prevention effort, the approach must be comprehensive.

Underage Binge Drinking: A Community’s Problem, A Community’s Solution

September, 2002 marked the beginning of a new year for students of the elite high school in upstate New York known for its elevated test scores and affluent population. Like many other high schools across the nation, Scarsdale hosted its homecoming dance one Friday night that fall. Like many other high school students across the nation, Scarsdale students celebrated their homecoming by showing up to their school dance drunk.

The IOM Model: A Tool for Prevention Planning and Implementation

In recent years, prevention planners and policy makers have focused increasingly on identifying populations with differing prevention needs. Greater focus on diverse population needs will help meet multiple policy and planning objectives by better aligning need and services, and supporting more efficient allocation of resources. Importantly, it will also strengthen implementation and use of evaluation and evidence-based practice.

State Incentive Grant Survey Findings

Recent Modesto Bee news stories and editorials have highlighted the 2005 State Incentive Grant survey findings. Below is a link to a summary report of those findings.

Behavioral Health and Recovery Services
State Incentive Grant
Intervention Evaluation Report
September 2006
Harold Stanislaw, Ph.D.
Jamie McCreary, Ph.D.

"A Madness Called Meth:" The original series

From the Modesto Bee. A few years ago, a thin woman walked through the front doors of the Stanislaus County coroner's office in Modesto. She probably was in her 30s, but her wrinkled skin and gaunt appearance made her look far older; she was the unmistakable embodiment of methamphetamine life. Read more here.

Wreck points up proposal to punish adults

From the Modesto Bee. The Patterson car wreck that injured a dozen teens after they drank alcohol allegedly offered by an adult at a house party last week underscores a common theme in efforts to limit underage alcohol use:
Most Stanislaus County high school students who drink alcohol say they get alcohol from their homes. One in four say parents knowingly provide alcohol to minors, according to a 2005 survey. Read more here.

Police: Father bought beer for teen party

From the Modesto Bee. Authorities traced alcohol found at a teenage party in Hughson to a father suspected of buying kegs of beer for his 17-year-old son, Modesto police reported Friday. Read more here.

On the road with the Party Patrol

From the Modesto Bee. Up to 90 high school students are spending their Saturday night partying in a big workshop near Hughson, out in the country where they figure no one will notice. Most probably have told their parents they are going to a friend's grandparents' house for a birthday party. And that's sort of true, because the girl whose grandparents own the property and two classmates are celebrating their 18th birthdays. But the grandparents aren't around, and it's doubtful the kids really 'fessed up that they were going to a kegger, even though some of the kids apparently kicked in money to buy the beer.
Apparently at least one parent was complicit in all this. It's learned later that he purchased the kegs and helped load them into the back of a vehicle to be driven to the party by a minor.
These kids come from several Modesto high schools and include all ethnic groups, though most are white. A number are athletes. They are the kind we label "good kids." Read more here.

Adults who help teens drink

From the Modesto Bee. Stanislaus County is back in the media spotlight, this time because a Grayson mother allegedly bought alcohol for teens and had sex with two teenage boys. The latter is the element that has people talking and TV cameras rolling.
The frustrating thing about this sensational case is it diverts attention from a pervasive social problem — the growing number of adults who condone and even host underage drinking parties. Read more here.

CHP reports rise in holiday arrests

From the Modesto Bee. In the Modesto area, DUI arrests jumped to 26 this year from 16 last year. DUI arrests more than doubled to 19 in the Merced area this year, according to the CHP.

The trend of more arrests was seen statewide during the CHP's maximum-enforcement period this New Year's weekend. The CHP reported 1,481 DUI arrests this year, compared with 1,145 last year.

As part of its enforcement effort, the CHP had warned that it would look for drunken drivers and arrest those with blood alcohol levels over the legal limit of 0.08 percent.

There were fewer fatalities reported during the holiday: 28 people were killed in crashes within the CHP's jurisdiction, compared with 34 last year.

CHP officials credited the decline in deaths to the officers who worked the holiday weekend, increased public awareness and motorists who reported drunken drivers by calling 911, as directed by electronic highway signs.

Read the complete story here.