Drop the Drugs: Turlock

Event offers disposal of unused medicines
The latest national studies on drug abuse show prescription medicines are rapidly becoming the drug of choice for teenagers.In an effort to stem the tide of accessibility and to promote environmentally friendly practices, multiple law enforcement and social agencies are joining together for the Drop the Drugs event. Click here to read the complete story.

Teen Drinkers Often Intend to Get Drunk, Survey Finds

Most teens are not regular drinkers, but those who do drink on a monthly basis are frequently imbibing in order to get drunk, according to a major finding of the 2009 Teen Survey released today from The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA*) at Columbia University. Click here for complete story.

PEI Plan Implementation Status

BHRS received State approval for Stanislaus County’s Prevention and Early Intervention (PEI) Plan in May 2009. Initial steps towards implementation of the Plan include (1) Board of Supervisor approval to accept the funds, and (2) the development of a management team to execute the plan.

Current budget issues (both State & local) have slowed implementation, forcing BHRS to extend the anticipated implementation timeline described in the PEI Projects. This extension is unavoidable. Currently, BHRS continues to reorganize to accommodate budget cuts by restructuring all parts of the organization, re-assigning staff and, unfortunately, implementing reductions in force. For now, we have an approved budget that is "whole"; however, depending on what happens with the State budget that could change. BHRS does not have any reason to believe that MHSA-PEI funds are at-risk, and we are fortunate to have these new funds to establish community-based prevention and early intervention programs. PEI programs support the Board of Supervisors’ commitment to Healthy Communities, and BHRS has taken the community’s direction to ensure that outcomes are strongly incorporated into the Plan from the beginning. Our hope is that these programs become a lasting and valuable asset that continues the momentum of increasing our diverse communities' capacity to develop, support and strengthen emotional health and wellness for everyone.

When BHRS takes substantive steps to implement the PEI Plan, there will be clear announcements posted on this website, e-mails sent to all who have attended BHRS planning events and announcements/public notices placed in seven key newspapers in the County. It will be hard to miss the announcements!

In the meantime, we are preparing whatever we can prior to implementation.
Thank you for your patience, commitment and continued partnership. If you have any questions - please give us a call.

Setting Up a Neighborhood Watch Program

From Examiner.com - Launched in 1972, Neighborhood Watch is a crime prevention program joining citizens and law enforcement, with the citizens keeping a trained eye and ear on their communities to make them safe. The program, sponsored by the National Sheriff’s Administration (NSA), took off quickly: in just ten years, 12 percent of the population was involved in a Neighborhood Watch, according to NSA.

For valuable tips on how to start your own Neighborhood Watch Program click here.

Smoking Marijuana = Supporting Drug Cartels

As the drug war rages in Mexico, some antidrug advocates are using the occasion to jump-start a movement against marijuana.

From the Wall Street Journal - Every April 20, marijuana smokers around the country light up for an unofficial holiday celebrating pot that stems from the smoker slang "420." This year, as the drug war rages in Mexico, the festivities fall against an increasingly violent backdrop. Some antidrug advocates are using the occasion to jump-start a movement against marijuana not just for health and legal reasons, but on moral grounds. American pot smokers, they say, are unwittingly supporting drug cartels in Mexico.

Aaron Byzak, president of the North Coastal Prevention Coalition, an antidrug group in north San Diego County, says he'll focus on the Mexican drug war when he addresses 1,000 seventh- to 10th-graders at the group's annual antidrug festival, also held on April 20, at an amusement park in Vista, Calif. Mr. Byzak will urge the kids to think of Mexico's drug lords if they're offered a puff.

To read the complete story in the Wall Street Journal click here.

What do the numbers say about marijuana use by young people? Click here to find out from the latest Monitoring the Future survey.

Alcohol Related Services Act of 2009 (AB 1019)

From Marin Institute - The Alcohol Related Services Act (AB 1019) is a bill authored by Assembly Member Jim Beall (D - San Jose). The legislation establishes the Alcohol-Related Services Program (ARS) within the California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs.

WHY AN ALCOHOL FEE?

- Published research has shown that alcohol causes more than $38 billion in harm annually. Of this amount, approximately $8 billion is paid for by the California government (by both state and county agencies).
- The ARS Program is specifically designed to mitigate the enormous social and economic harm caused by alcohol sales in California. The bill would assess a mitigation fee (not a tax) on spirits, wine and beer, equivalent to 10 cents a drink for beer, wine, and spirits.
- Because the bill creates a fee program, only a majority vote of both houses is required, with the Governor’s signature. This mitigation fee, or charge for harm, will generate approximately $1.44 billion to pay for alcohol-related services in California.
- Currently, the alcohol industry bears no economic responsibility for the problems its products cause. California lags in charging for alcohol harm compared to the progress made in tobacco control over the last 40 years. Most of the fees will be paid by the heaviest alcohol producers, which are foreign corporations such as Anheuser-Busch InBev, SAB Miller, and Diageo.

For the complete story or to take action click here to visit the Marin Institute website.

Marin Institute Publishes New Guide For Regulating Alcohol Advertising

Critical Tool for Advocates and Policymakers to Protect Youth

From Marin Institute - Marin Institute, the alcohol industry watchdog, today released the country’s first guide to restricting out-of-home (OOH) alcohol advertising. The guide will help policymakers draft effective state and local laws to minimize youth exposure to ubiquitous alcohol advertising in the 21st Century.

“Decades of research and common sense tell us that the more often youth are exposed to alcohol ads, the more likely they are to drink,” stated Marin Institute’s Research and Policy Director Michele Simon. “Marin Institute’s new guide offers new tools to local and state advocates and lawmakers to enact legally-defensible policies to protect youth from harmful messages that lead to problem drinking.”

Out-of-home advertising encompasses traditional billboards, ads plastered on public transit vehicles, buildings and “street furniture” such as newspaper stands and kiosks, as well as new high-tech options like video display terminals, digital billboards, and ambient advertising. Spending on such advertising venues grew to over $8 billion dollars in 2008, with the alcohol industry being one of the largest purchasers.

To read the complete press release and to download a copy of the guide click here.

The NSDUH Report: Nonmedical Use of Adderall® among Full-Time College Students

Nearly 90% of the full-time college students who had used Adderall® nonmedically in the past year also were past month binge alcohol drinkers and more than half were heavy alcohol users.

From the Office of Applied Studies (OAS) - Among persons aged 18 to 22, full-time college students were twice as likely to use Adderall® nonmedically in the past year as those who had not been in college at all or were only part-time students.

Students under the legal drinking age who used Adderall® were also more likely to be binge drinkers or heavy drinkers than their underage counterparts who had not used Adderall® nonmedically.

For more interesting statistics from OAS and to read the National Survey on Drug Use and Health report click here.

To learn more about risks and consequences, signs and symptoms of the abuse of prescription drugs like Adderall and Ritalin click here to visit Parents. The Anti Drug.

Why are college students abusing stimulant drugs? For some insight to this question click here to visit the website of University of Miami's student newspaper The Miami Hurricane or click here to read an interesting article from Canada's McLean's Magazine.

Report: Alcohol Laws Save Lives

It is estimated that zero-tolerance and purchase/possession laws save 732 lives each year.

From Join Together - Laws that prevent alcohol purchases and possession by youth are the most effective at preventing drunk-driving fatalities, according to a new report that also praises as effective license suspensions for underage alcohol offenses and zero-tolerance laws for drivers under 21 found with alcohol in their system.

HealthDay News reported April 6 that researcher James C. Fell of the Pacific Institute on Research and Evaluation estimated that zero-tolerance and purchase/possession laws save 732 lives each year, and that another 165 lives could be saved annually if all states adopted the most effective laws.

'Use-and-lose' laws cut alcohol-related traffic crashes by 5 percent, according to the study, which looked at national databases on drunk driving and six state laws aimed at reducing underage drinking and four other laws that addressed drunk driving in general.

To read the complete story visit Join Together here.

New Study Reveals Snapshot of a Binge Drinker

CDC Says Typical Binge Drinker is White, Young, Relatively Affluent Male

From Join Together - A new study from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that binge drinking is most common among whites, men, individuals aged 18-24, and those with an annual income of more than $50,000 annually, HealthDay News reported April 2.

CDC researchers studied data on about 63,000 Americans and found that 17.5 percent of binge drinkers were white, 24.3 percent were male, and 27.4 percent were between the ages of 18 and 24 (24.4 percent were ages 24-34).

To read the complete story in Join Together click here.

What defines binge drinking? What are the risks? To learn more click here.

For more information on binge drinking specifically in adolescents and college students visit SAMHSA here.

For a variety of scientific research news about binge drinking visit ScienceDaily.

SAMHSA Report: Exposure to Substance Use Prevention Messages and Substance Use among Adolescents 2002 to 2007

Survey Finds a Decrease in the Percentage of Adolescents Seeing Substance Use Prevention Messages in the Media

SAMHSA News Release - A new national report issued during National Alcohol Awareness Month provides both discouraging and encouraging news about the state of efforts to inform young people about the risks of underage drinking and illicit substances.

The report, based on a series of national surveys, finds that a smaller percentage of adolescents (age 12-17) were exposed to substance use prevention messages in 2007 (77.9 percent) than in 2002 (83.2 percent). Similarly, a smaller percentage of adolescents are participating in out of school substance use prevention programs (from 12.7 percent in 2002 to 11.3 percent in 2007), according to the report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

However, the report shows a significant rise during this same period in the level of adolescents who engaged in substance abuse-related conversations with at least one parent (from 58.1 percent in 2002 to 59.6 percent in 2007). The report shows that these conversations are associated with lower rates of current substance use by an adolescent.

To view the complete SAMHSA press release and to access the full report click here.

Spring is in the Air: Underage Drinking Prevention in Stanislaus County

Programs take aim at teens:
Proms, grad nights can lead to drinking

From the Modesto Bee - Spring is when the weather gets warmer, the sun shines brighter and flowers blossom.

It's also a time for high school proms, senior trips and graduation, all occasions in which some teens celebrate with alcohol.

To combat the surge in teen drinking over the next few months, law enforcement and school officials have increased their efforts to educate students about the risks of underage drinking. High schools tackle the problem in a variety of ways, from guest speakers and health fairs to assemblies and the "Every 15 Minutes" program, where fake DUI deaths or car accidents are staged near campus.

To read the complete story in the Modesto Bee click here.

To learn more about what can be done by young people and their families to prevent risky behaviors during end of the school year celebrations visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Agency (SAMHSA) Health Information Network here.

For information about countywide Party Patrol efforts visit BHRS' Crowd Project website.

What Kids Need: Spiritual Development

Spiritual development involves core issues of meaning, purpose, belonging, and identity that give young people a sense that they matter and are part of something bigger than themselves.

From Search Institute - The Center for Spiritual Development in Childhood and Adolescence is a global initiative to advance the research and practice of this important and understudied domain of human development. Search Institute, with major support from the John Templeton Foundation, is designing the center to become an international hub of theory, research, and practice.

What Makes the Center Unique?
- The center integrates current understandings of human development with spiritual development.
- The center recognizes spiritual development as linked to, but not the same as, religious development. It seeks to engage both religious and secular thought leaders, scholars, and practitioners in examining and attending to young people’s spiritual development.
- The center is intentionally multi-faith, multicultural, and interdisciplinary, bringing together insights and perspectives from the social sciences, religious studies, and other fields.
- The center is international, seeking to examine spiritual development in a global context.

To learn more about Search Institute's approach, research, and commitment to spiritual development in young people click here.

Spiritual development is one of four innovations the Search Institute supports to help kids succeed. To learn more about what it takes to help young people grow up successfully click here.

Trend Alert: "Smoking" Smarties

Middle-school students have found a new use for Smarties candy -- "smoking" them.

From Join Together - The Wall Street Journal reported March 20 that students are crushing the sugary candy discs into a powder, tearing off one end of the cellophane wrapper, pouring the powder into their mouths, and then blowing the dust out of their mouths and nose.

Adults worry about the health ramifications associated with such behavior, but they are also concerned that it may lead to kids smoking cigarettes or marijuana.

To read the complete story on Join Together click here.

To view an instructional video posted on youtube for how to smoke smarties click here.

States Looking at Alcohol in a New Light

From Marin Institute - Legislative bodies in numerous states have introduced bills regarding alcohol advertising, alcopops, and/or taxes on alcoholic beverages. Also, a few governors have included alcohol taxes in recent state budget proposals.

To find out more or to take action on important issues related to alcohol click here to visit the Marin Institute's website.

Current information for California can be found by visiting the California State Legislature's website.

Report: Treatment Admissions for Prescription Pain Killers on the Rise

Largest share of treatment admissions is still for alcohol abuse, but a significant decrease seen over the past decade

Released March 17, 2009 from SAMHSA - Treatment admissions for prescription pain killer misuse has risen dramatically over the past decade – from constituting 1 percent of all admissions in 1997 to now representing 5 percent, according to a report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

The Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS) 2007 Highlights report also indicates that although alcohol-related admissions still account for the largest share (40 percent) of the 1.8 million treatment admissions occurring throughout the country during 2007, this reflects a reduction from 50 percent in 1997.

The TEDS 2007 Highlights report is the latest in a series of yearly reports, developed by SAMHSA, providing demographic and other information on substance abuse treatment admissions from state licensed treatment facilities (most of them publicly-funded) across the country. Although it does not include information on all treatment admissions, it is the largest, most comprehensive study of its kind and provides a vast array of specialized data on the characteristics of substance abuse treatment in the United States.

To read the complete release in the SAMHSA Newsroom click here.

Is it an epidemic? Click here to learn more about prescription drug abuse.

Study: Alcohol Images Increase Consumption

"Money, not morality, is the principle of commerce and commercial nations." -Thomas Jefferson

From Marin Institute - There have been numerous studies evaluating the media’s influence and portrayal of alcoholic beverages. But until now, there has never been research conducted on whether alcohol in commercials, television or the movies have an actual effect on drinking behavior.

A new study published in Oxford Journals: Alcohol and Alcoholism shows that alcohol images directly influence drinking. Participants of the study increased alcohol consumption when watching films and commercials featuring alcohol.

The study’s findings are timely, considering Absolut Vodka’s recent ad which ran during the Grammy Awards, reaching a primetime audience of underage youth. Paris-based, global alcohol giant Pernod Ricard was the first to disregarded the long-established voluntary liquor ad ban on U.S. TV.

The Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY) maintains an up-to-date gallery of print and television alcohol advertising. To view the gallery click here.

To view CAMY's recent report "Youth Exposure to Alcohol Advertising on Television, 2001 to 2007" click here.

Study: Investing in Prevention Yields Big Return for Society

$1 Spent on Prevention Saves $10, Study Says

From Join Together - Investing in addiction prevention programs yields a 10-1 return for society, according to researchers from Iowa State University (ISU) who studied the Iowa Strengthening Families Program and the Life Skills Training Program.

Researchers Richard Spoth, Ph.D., and Max Guyll, Ph.D. detailed findings from the "Prevention's Cost Effectiveness: Illustrative Economic Benefits of General Population Interventions" and "Prevention of Substance-related Problems: Effectiveness of Family-focused Prevention" studies for a conference sponsored by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the World Health Organization.

"Effective and efficient prevention promises to save possibly billions of dollars per year, provided we can learn how to effectively implement it on a larger scale," said Spoth, director of ISU's Partnerships in Prevention Science Institute (PPSI).

What is the economic cost of methamphetamine in the United States? To find out click here.

What is the economic impact of underage drinking? The numbers may startle you! Learn more here.

Obama's New Drug Czar: Calling for a Coordinated Comprehensive Approach

The challenge requires prevention, treatment, and enforcement - and it starts with our youth.

From Join Together - Seattle Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske has been officially announced as President Barack Obama's "drug czar" by the White House, but unlike his recent predecessors, he will not serve as a member of the president's Cabinet.

"With escalating violence along our Southwest border and far too many suffering from the disease of addiction here at home, never has it been more important to have a national drug control strategy guided by sound principles of public safety and public health," said Obama in a March 11 press release. "We must demonstrate to our international partners, the criminal organizations threatening to undermine stability and the rule of law in those nations, and the American people, that we take seriously our responsibility to reduce drug use in the United States. Gil Kerlikowske has the expertise, the experience, and the sound judgment to lead our national efforts against drug trafficking and use, and he will make an excellent addition to my administration."

In a White House ceremony, Vice President Joseph Biden -- who helped create the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) and has been a key architect of federal drug policy for decades -- said Kerlikowske "brings a lifetime of experience working on drug-policy issues. He has worked on the issue at all levels from the Department of Justice to the front lines as a major city chief. He understands that combating drugs requires a comprehensive approach that includes enforcement, prevention and treatment."

"What I find most appealing about [Kerlikowske] is that he says we can't operate in 'silos' -- with barriers thrown up between the criminal-justice system, the prevention and treatment community, and the recovery components of this problem ... He knows we need a comprehensive answer," said Biden. "And that's exactly what the vision we had in mind when we first ... created that office ... We know we needed tough laws, and we have tough laws. But that wasn't enough. We needed a balanced approach in combating drugs -- one that included prevention, treatment and enforcement."

Click here to read the complete story in Join Together.

To read the White House's May 11 release in the President's Briefing Room click here.

Shoulder Tap Operations: Think Twice About Buying Alcohol for Minors

25 arrested in Stanislaus County on suspicion of furnishing alcohol to a minor.

From the Modesto Bee - Authorities say some adults still are buying booze for minors, so more than 50 law enforcement officials hit the streets Saturday in Stanislaus County and 11 other Northern California counties in a coordinated effort to catch these people.

The officials participated in an undercover sting called a "shoulder tap," in which underage decoys stood outside stores and randomly asked adults to buy them a six-pack.

The entire operation, coordinated by Modesto police, was the largest ever such sting in Northern California, with officials from 17 law enforcement agencies working on the same day, said Modesto police Detective James Rokaitis.

For the complete story in the Modesto Bee click here.

Why is 21 the legal drinking age? Find out more here.