It's Alcohol Awareness Month!

Alcohol is the most misused substance in Connecticut and the country.
According to a 2019 study from National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, almost 15 million Americans had an Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). AUD is a medical condition characterized by an impaired ability to stop or control alcohol use and can be mild, moderate, or severe.

Alcohol Use in Connecticut
  • Alcohol consumption in Connecticut is higher than the national average and consumption in Southwest Connecticut is higher than the state and national average.
  • Binge drinking rates are also higher in Southwest Connecticut than the national average.
  • 8% - 10% of residents in our region feel the need to cut down on alcohol consumption according to a 2018 report.
  • In the state and country, 30% of teens reported using alcohol in the last 30 days.
  • In Southwest Connecticut, up to 50% of teens reported alcohol use in the last 30 days.
Know the Basics
When you have a drink, do you know how much you are actually drinking? The graphic above shows you what a standard drink is. However, when you order or make a cocktail with two or more ingredients, you are most likely getting more alcohol in one drink than the measurements above. In fact, some cocktails have as much as double the amount of alcohol, which means two cocktails is actually equivalent to four standard drinks.

Check out this cocktail calculator to see what you're actually consuming in your favorite drink.
How Do You Know You Have a Problem?

According to the CDC, about 90% of people who drink heavily don't meet the diagnostic criteria of an alcohol use disorder (AUD). Signs of an AUD include:
  • Inability to limit drinking.
  • Continuing to drink despite personal or professional problems.
  • Needing to drink more to get the same effect.
  • Wanting a drink so badly you can’t think of anything else.

Just because you don't meet the criteria of an AUD doesn't mean you don't have a problematic relationship with alcohol. Take this free screening to see if your behavior is considered at-risk of developing an AUD. This doesn't replace a professional opinion.

If alcohol begins to interfere with your personal or professional life, relationships or how you think and feel, it's time to consult a professional.

Visit our website to find a professional near you.
Follow Us on Social Media!

Events at a Glance
Weeding Out the Facts
About "Today's Marijuana", Vaping THC
and How to Talk to Your Kids About It
April 6th at 7 PM

Suicide: Risk Factors, Warning Signs and what to do if a child or teen may be at risk for suicide
April 6th at 7:30 PM


Practicing Equity:
Essential Tools for Effective Prevention
April 7th, 10 AM - 12 PM

In the Age of Anxiety: Nurturing Resiliency, Courage, & Independence
April 8th, 9 AM - 1 PM


Community Health Workers & Pharmacists: Their Frontline Role in the Response to COVID-19
April 8th, 3 - 4 PM


From Stigma to Empowerment: Supporting Women & Families Impacted by Trauma
and Addiction
April 12th, 12 - 5 PM


Understanding the Impact of the Pandemic on Alcohol Use
April 15th, 2 - 3 PM
NEW DATES/TIMES
Narcan Training from
The Hub on the 2nd & 4th Wednesday monthly!


Narcan Training from Liberation Programs Every Thursday, 11 AM - 12 PM
Support Groups
for a complete list of
support groups


Get Involved in Problem Gambling Prevention!
We have two Gambling Awareness Teams in our region that were created to raise awareness about the potential risks of and tips to ensure safe gambling.

Region 1 Gambling Awareness Team is one of 5 regional teams in Connecticut through the Department of Mental Health and Addiction services. Our team is comprised of behavioral health treatment providers, youth, prevention professionals, behavioral health agencies, athletic organizations, the recovery community and state agencies. The team is very active in annual planning for Problem Gambling Awareness month (PGAM), providing presentations on gambling and now gaming, hosting community forums (e.g. fantasy sports) and panel discussions. All are welcome to attend our quarterly meetings.

Caribe Gambling Awareness Youth Leadership Team is a group of high school teens working together on annual projects to increase awareness on gambling and gaming. They do presentations, create PSAs and recently hosted a community event for high school and college students. 

Do you want to learn more? Come to a quarterly Gambling Awareness team meeting! Next meeting is April 13th from 2 - 4 PM. For more information on either of these teams or to attend a quarterly meeting, email: Ingrid.Gillespie@liberationprograms.org. 
April 1 is #TakeDownTobacco National Day of Action
Take Down Tobacco National Day of Action

Our hilarious line-up of comedians and roasters from Last Comic Standing, America's Got Talent and MTV's Wild 'n Out... and our host, Kierra Wagstaff, from Dash Radio! Kierra Wagstaff, Host Da Kid Gowie Maddy Smith Harrison Greenbaum Tori Piskin...

Read more
www.takedowntobacco.org
Why This Is So Important
Check out these infographics. Download and share them.
Announcements

Did You Miss Our ACTION Line Lunch & Learn?
CROSS Mini-Grant Request for Applications
The CROSS Initiative is currently accepting applications from private and public non-profits. Up to 12 organizations will each be funded with awards of $10,000 in order to start:
  • A weekly SMART Recovery Peer-Support group for youth or young adults
  • An Alternative Peer Group (APG) for youth or young adults in recovery
  • A weekly SMART Recovery Family & Friends group for caregivers

Awarded sites will become members of the Statewide Youth Recovery Support Network and attend monthly CROSS network meetings. CROSS Network members receive free SMART Recovery facilitator training, ongoing support, networking opportunities, and help with advertising and promotion peer-support meetings and APGs. Learn more.
HIRING: Program Manager Recovery Friendly Workplace (RFW) Initiative in Region 1*
This is a half time position with RYASAP’s thehubCT; Regional Behavioral Health Action Organization (RBHAO) division.
Program manager will work closely with: ThehubCT staff, Department of Labor’s (DOL) Workplace peer navigators and Connecticut Community for Addiction (CCAR) 

Job responsibilities include but are not limited to:
  • Recruiting medium size workplaces* within Region 1
  • Develop detailed work plan for each identified workplace consistent with RFW Toolkit
  • Procure resources necessary to support worksites 
  • Monthly data entry on all recovery friendly activities 
  • Complete a checklist of all activities completed by a workplace for final designation
  • Attend all meetings and trainings requested by RYASAP and/or DMHAS
In the News
Teens' Heavy Drinking May Lead to Changes in the Cerebellum

Teens who drank heavily showed lower gray matter volume in a cerebellum subregion compared to light drinkers when their brains were scanned in their 20s. The Crus II subregion is involved in social cognition, research suggests. Past research...

Read more
www.psychologytoday.com
Teen Brains Especially Vulnerable to Marijuana & Other Drugs

Teenagers are more likely to get hooked on marijuana, stimulants and other recreational drugs than college-aged or older adults. Adolescents and teenagers who experiment with marijuana and prescription drugs are more likely to get hooked on them...

Read more
www.nytimes.com
Post-lockdown consumers reach for alcohol-free drinks

Restaurants and bars in the U.S. are reopening and Americans who have been cooped up for more than a year are relishing socializing in person again. What's different, though, is that watering-hole patrons are increasingly consuming alcohol-free...

Read more
www.cbsnews.com
The Hub: Behavioral Health Action Organization for Southwestern CT
A division of the Regional Youth Adult Social Action Partnership (RYASAP) 
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