December 2019
December 2019
Happy Holidays!

Unplug for the Holidays
The holidays give us a great opportunity to re-connect with our families. We all know how hard this can be with a phone in our hands, or another screen in front of us. Couple this with our vision of a perfect family holiday, and you've got a recipe for a stressful time. This year, try to set some simple limits--like a device-free time around family meals--to really work on strengthening those family bonds. And remember, our kids can usually figure out that new piece of technology we got for Christmas, so let them guide the way as you watch and learn.
For more tips on an un-plugged holiday, click here

The ROADD (Reducing Ottawa Area Drunk Driving) subcommittee just released a PSA campaign aimed at our young adults age 18-25. It focuses the impairment that taking any substance can have; if you feel different, you drive different. To hit this age group, the PSA is running as an ad on YouTube.
Ho Ho Hosting this year??
A FUN party is a SAFE one!
Create a safe atmosphere for your children, younger relatives, and friends by NOT providing them with alcohol! SUPERVISION does not mean SAFE!
Even for adults over the age of 21, know your guests’ ages and be able to gauge their blood alcohol levels to know if they are okay to drive.
AS A REMINDER: As a social host, you have the following responsibilities…
Refusing to supply alcohol to anyone underage anywhere on your property
Being visible when there are parties on your property
Hiding, tracking, and properly locking away any alcohol on the premises
AND remember- Drunk driving is dangerous and illegal in all 50 states. This holiday season, remember: Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving! 


Thriving Families Campaign
Do you know what the biggest influence is on your kids?
It could be peers, social media, television, or YOU! The Ottawa Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition Northwest Quadrant Committee is releasing their first Thriving Families campaign video. This campaign is all about building strong and thriving families. The first step in building this type of family is being the biggest influence on your children and teens. This influence requires connection and communication.
“Pre-teens and teens will get their information from somewhere,” say Leigh Moerdyke Prevention and Advocacy Program Manager, “they will either get if from their parents or from somewhere else. As parents, we want the information to come from us. And even though it doesn’t feel like it most days, our pre-teens and teens are listening to us.” Research shows that parents still have a strong influence on their children, even though it may not always seem or feel that way.   
The new Thriving Families page on the Talksooner.org website is an easy-to-navigate page filled with tips and ideas on how to increase communication, connection and influence with your youth. The first stage of the Thriving Families Campaign will run through mid-February, reminding all parents that your kids are under the influence of something, and it should be YOU. 


Screenagers: Next Chapter
The director of SCREENAGERS: Growing Up in the Digital Age has a new film: Screenagers NEXT CHAPTER: Uncovering Skills for Stress Resilience. This documentary focuses on helping young people thrive in our screen and stress-filled world.
Filmmaker and physician Delaney Ruston uses a personal lens and professional eye to help us all flip the script on stress, anxiety, and depression. We follow Delaney as she finds herself at a loss on how to help her own teens as they struggle with their emotional wellbeing. Ruston sets out to understand these challenges in our current screen-filled society, and how we as parents and schools empower teens to overcome mental health challenges and build emotional agility, communication savvy, and stress resilience .
Come to a FREE screening of this impactful new film on Tuesday, 1/21 at 6pm at the Hudsonville Freshman Campus. For more information, click here

From the entire OSAP coalition, we wish you and your family the happiest of holidays!
Ottawa Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition
Contact Leigh Moerdyke at [email protected]

http://www.arborcircle.org/community-youth-development http://www.arborcircle.org/community-youth-development


Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/OSAPCoalition
Talk Early. Talk Often. Learn How.  www.talksooner.org