Cobb Alcohol Task Force - Mobilizing for Change                                               

MAY 2014

Greetings to our Volunteers, Partners, and Friends! 
 
The 2014 School Year at Cobb County School District, a major Education Sector partner, is ending. Indeed, May is the month that many of our Coalition partners prepare for summer breaks that will be observed soon. In support of our partners, No CAT General Meetings will not be held during the months of June and July 2014. 
 
But the May General Meeting will be as informative and insightful as all of them have been this past year. In May, we are focusing on Business Partners! 

 

Our monthly General Meeting is set for Tuesday, May 13, 2014 from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM at the Central Office of the Cobb County Public Library System, 266 Roswell Street, Marietta, GA. Guests and speakers will include Michele and Kerry Stumpe, executives at the law firm of Taylor-English and certified trainers for Responsible Alcohol Sales and Service (RASS) programs. Free parking is available and arrangements are underway to provide lunch and refreshments.  

  

It's worth noting that this past National Alcohol Awareness Month (April 2014) was our most visible and memorable ever.  

  

We are proud to have partnered with Cobb County School District (CCSD) and its Prevention Intervention Center to observe Sources of Strength Week April 14-18. The visit from First Lady Sandra Deal and officials from the Governor's Office for Children and Families (GOCF) to Campbell Middle School in Smyrna to observe SoS activities was an historic highlight. Congratulations, Mary Hines-Bone! 

  

The CAT Youth Council held its End of School Year Celebration on Saturday, April 26 at Bells Ferry Park in Marietta. The Youth Council's leaders and Poster Contest winners were announced and recognized. Kudos to Amy Benson, Kysha Parker, as well as the Education and Youth Strategy Teams!       


CAT representatives shared alcohol awareness information at the Village Green during the Spring Jonquil Festival in Smyrna on April 26. Kudos to Laura Searcy, Irene Barton, and Pat Giuliani!!! 

 

CAT volunteers and staff were also at the Cobb County Government Safety Education Block Party on April 26 at 360 Six Flags Drive in Austell! Shout Outs to Annette and Jeffrey Hughes, Sr.!!

  

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

 

MAY

13 - CAT General Meeting

13 - Policy Strategy Team Meeting

14 - Development Committee Meeting

15 - Executive Committee Meeting

18-24 - NATIONAL PREVENTION WEEK

20 - Joint Meeting: Education Strategy Team  

20 - Joint Meeting: Youth Strategy Team

21 - Governance Committee Meeting 

22 - CAT Board Meeting 

 

JUNE 

*NO CAT MEETINGS SCHEDULED

9-12 - GEORGIA TEEN INSTITUTE

 

JULY

8 - Policy Strategy Team Meeting 

9 - Development Committee Meeting 

9 - Finance Committee Meeting

17 - Executive Committee Meeting

24 - CAT Board Meeting

 

* Most CAT committees and strategy teams will be on hiatus during this month.   

 

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


MAY HIGHLIGHT: 

BUSINESS PARTNERS   


According to a report by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, underage drinking costs Georgians about $1.5 billion, annually. Businesses share these costs indirectly through lost productivity and healthcare costs, and directly through government share of costs for enforcement, prosecution, and incarceration.
 
Businesses, especially those in retail and hospitality industries, can help reduce the possibility that alcohol legally sold to an adult will end up in the hands of an underage drinker. Effective business policies and practices have proven to be effective approaches that prohibit teens from buying alcohol from businesses.  
 
Be proactive! Hire, train, and supervise responsible staff to keep your business in compliance with alcohol sales and service laws. Develop comprehensive written policies that include requirements to ID everyone or at a minimum, patrons under the age of 40. Ensure all sellers and servers know how to verify properly a customer's age and will refuse to sell or serve alcohol to minors or intoxicated patrons.    
 
It's especially important to  learn and use business best practices for Responsible Alcohol Sales and Service by attending a RASS workshop. Find out more information at these links for Evindi and the Training Institute (T.I.R.V.)   
 
For more information about how Business partners can continue to be proactive, see this link at the CAT web site.  

 

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

 

Taskforce Happenings 


The Current Nameplate Image Features . . .   A Highlight from Sources of Strength Week! In this picture taken on April 15, 2014, Georgia First Lady Sandra Deal stands with Campbell Middle School (Smyrna) Principal Gail Johnson and  Sources of Strength (SoS) student leaders as she and representatives from the Governor's Office for Children and Families (GOCF) visited the school in to see SoS activities and posters. Thanks to Principal Johnson, Assistant Principal Chris Salter, and Mary Hines-Bone, Prevention Specialist for Cobb County School District, for hosting and coordinating that historic event. Also thanks to Pat Giuliani, Board Chair, for joining Peter Armstrong, executive director, to represent the Taskforce.

 

Congratulations, Amy! - Amy Benson recently accepted an offer to join the staff of the GA Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD), working for Generation Rx (Gen-Rx), the prescription drug abuse prevention and awareness program. Cobb & Douglas Public Health, along with the Taskforce, will miss Amy's contributions as a staff person. Fortunately for the Coalition, Amy's talents, experience, and insights will remain available to the Taskforce through her participation on the CAT Board.   

 

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.  

End of School Year Celebrations are in High Gear! - Prom Season for Cobb County high schools may be winding down, but now Graduation activities are beginning. 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 for 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

ToolKit for National Prevention Week is Available   
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) is encouraging prevention coalitions around the country to join in the observance of National Prevention Week during May 18-24, 2014.  The theme is "Our Lives, Our Health, and Our Future." 
 
SAMSHA is offering a Free Toolkit for organizations that want ideas about how to engage communities in prevention activities and promotions. It is available in either electronic or print (PDF) formats. 
 
You can read and download the 2014 Toolkit at this link: 
 
You can view a SAMSHA promotional video (YouTube) about National Prevention Week at this link:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5U9t-YUUoGc    
 
The SAMSHA Toolkit Page also provides links publications that discuss Issues, Conditions, and Disorders; Substances, Treatment, Prevention, and Recovery; as well Professional and Research Topics.
  
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