Cobb Alcohol Task Force - Mobilizing for Change                                 

MARCH 2014

Greetings to our Volunteers, Partners, and Friends! 

 

This month's news is coming to you from Callaway Gardens Resort and Conference Center in Pine Mountain, Georgia, where the Ninth Annual Georgia Summit on Youth Issues (formerly the Summit on Substance Abuse, Metal Health, and School Safety/Discipline) is being held During March 3-5.

 

Attendees representing the Taskforce (CAT) and our Coalition partners expect to bring back lots of ideas and best practices information about how to expand our work to reduce underage and youth binge drinking.

 

February was an amazing month-- and not just because of the weather! Internally, CAT Board volunteers are taking on challenges in areas of governance, finance, and development to help make the Taskforce a better organization. 

 

Externally, Coalition volunteers staged a successful Youth Summit at Cobb County Safety Village in Marietta. We also learned how to make our outreach and messages more effective at the Pro Social Norms Training event at NorthStar Church in Kennesaw and Acworth. Thanks to all of our volunteers and partners who coordinated these events!      


In March, we are proud to focus on Judicial Partners!

 

Our monthly General Meeting is set for Tuesday, March 11, 2014 from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM at the YWCA of Northwest GA, 48 Henderson Street SW, Marietta. Guest and speakers will include the Hon. Juanita P. Stedman, Judge at Cobb County Juvenile Court. Like all of our recent meetings, this discussion will be important and insightful.  

 

We have many reasons to be proud. But we also have many reasons to remain vigilant. Read the In The News section below to learn more about an important concern that needs our collective attention!         

           

Please visit the Cobb Alcohol Taskforce web site, www.cobbat.org, to find out more about program and activity updates. Thank you all for your support!

 

Peter I. Armstrong,

Executive Director

 

 

 

CALENDAR SNAPSHOT

 

MARCH

3-5 - GA SUMMIT ON YOUTH ISSUES 

11 - CAT General Meeting

11 - Policy Strategy Team Meeting

11 - We Are the Message: DFAA Webinar

12 - Development Committee Meeting

12 - Finance Committee Meeting

18 - Joint Meeting: Education Strategy Team 

18 - Joint Meeting: Youth Strategy Team 

19 - Governance Committee Meeting

21 - CAT Executive Committee Meeting 

27 - CAT Board of Directors Meeting

 

APRIL 

1-30 - ALCOHOL AWARENESS MONTH

8 - CAT General Meeting

8 - Policy Strategy Team Meeting

9 - Development Committee Meeting

9 - Finance Committee Meeting

15 - Joint Meeting: Education Strategy Team

15 - Joint Meeting: Youth Strategy Team

16 - Governance Committee Meeting

 

 

Please check the calendar page frequently at www.cobbat.org for updates about events, meeting times, and locations. 


MARCH HIGHLIGHT: 

JUDICIAL PARTNERS   


According to the U.S. Department of Justice, fifty percent of criminal cases (assault, traffic, theft, fraud, sex crime, etc.) in the juvenile justice system involve alcohol. Limiting youth access to alcohol is a key to the prevention of juvenile delinquency
.
 
When the full force of the justice system gets behind the resolution of public safety issues, population level change occurs. Reducing underage and youth binge drinking is a key to reducing and preventing crime.  
   
Here are some ways our judicial partners can help! Consistently enforce laws against adult providers and social hosts, as well as minors in possession. Establish agency and inter-agency policies and practices to support a community-wide zero adult providers approach, across the justice system: enforcement, courts, probation, and prison.   
For more information about how Judicial partners can continue to be proactive, see this link at the CAT web site.  

 

THANKS TO ALL OUR OUTSTANDING JUDICIAL PARTNERS.  Follow the "shout outs" to Judicial partners on Facebook and Twitter throughout March.

 

Taskforce Happenings 


The Current Nameplate Image Features . . .   Judicial Partners! The Judge can be seen in many CAT outreach publications including our web site and our brochures.

 

Meeting Reminders:  - Cobb Alcohol Taskforce (CAT) General Meetings are held on the Second Tuesday of each month from January-May and August-December. They begin at 11:30 AM. CAT Board Meetings are held on the Fourth Thursday in January, March, May, July, September, and November, and begin at 7:30 AM.  

We Are the Message Webinar on March 11 - The Youth Advisory Council of the Ohio Youth-Led Prevention Network (OYLPN) has developed the We Are the Majority message as a way for communities to combat the common "everyone is doing it" misperception and to empower youth to be more vocal about their choice to live a more healthy lifestyle. This free webinar will take place on Tuesday, March 11, 2014 at 2:00 PM. It is designed to help develop and strengthen youth-led substance abuse prevention efforts at local, state, and national  levels. To register, visit drugfreeactionalliance.org/upcoming-events; also contact Derek Longmeier for more information.     

 

March Begins Prom Season! - Prom Season for Cobb County high schools will begin in March. Please review these Prom Safety Tips that everyone should keep in mind as we see our youth celebrating. We also encourage everyone to visit the CAT website to read about Social Hosting and the important role parents play not only during prom season, but also for Spring Break and Graduation activities.      

  

Volunteers Needed for Team Meetings - Please see dates/times on calendar and plan to attend one of these meetings. These team meetings are where the action is; all are welcome!    

 

In The News

A Policy Sea Change in Cobb County has been enacted   
On February 25, 2014 the Cobb County Board of Commissioners voted to accept several amendments to the County Code, including Section 6.179(c). The amendment will permit the establishment of "adult concession areas" at family-oriented theme parks. This means that they can sell alcoholic beverages. The efforts of Coalition volunteers to educate Commissioners on why passing the amendment was not sound policy did not prevent or postpone its passage. But we have reached out to the Community Development Department, staff to the Commissioners, to work with them in crafting language the defines the new policies in ways that can reduce public safety risks. Two particular areas of concern are the age allowances of persons who work as concession staff and the capacities for underage drinking laws to be enforced. Please go to the Cobb County Commissioners web page for information on how to contact them and let them know that the final version of the policies MUST protect youth and families from the increased risks that having alcohol on park grounds will pose. 
  
About Us
Cobb Alcohol Taskforce is an alliance of individuals and organizations which mobilizes and challenges Cobb County adults to reduce underage drinking and youth binge drinking, by advancing strategic enforcement, policy and education goals.

 

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Contact Us
Cobb Alcohol Taskforce
3162 Johnson Ferry Rd., S-260
P.O. Box 823
Marietta, Georgia 30062
www.cobbat.org