Newsletter Special Edition:
April is Alcohol Awareness Month!
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Allen Lomax, Emma Beall, Noraine Buttar, Hope Sievers, and Courtney Ballantine. |
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City of Alexandria Recognizes April as Alcohol Awareness Month
On April 11, the City of Alexandria presented a proclamation recognizing April as Alcohol Awareness Month. It takes a community to teach prevention -- join our community this month in recognizing and participating in Alcohol Awareness Month by:
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Checking out SAPCA's "I don't drink because..." campaign. Alexandria City High School (ACHS) students created videos to encourage youth to be alcohol free and reinforce the social norm that the majority of youth in Alexandria do not drink alcohol-- a trend to get behind.
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Spreading the word about the Titan Takeover Teen Night on April 28 from 7 p.m. – 10 p.m. at William Ramsay Recreation Center, a safe and free event for Alexandria youth featuring a DJ, photo booth, dinner, gift card raffles, games, DIY self-care kit stations, and a Denim Day activity.
- Learning the facts and consequences of youth alcohol use, including the legal consequences of providing alcohol to people under 21.
- Making your values clear: Talk with your children about your expectations for them to not drink alcohol.
- Focusing on safety at youth and adult gatherings.
- Knowing that anyone can develop a substance use disorder -- treatment is available and recovery is possible.
Together, we can ensure that youth in Alexandria have the information and tools to make informed choices about their health and future so they can thrive today, tomorrow and in the future.
To learn about other ways to support local efforts to prevent youth substance use and misuse, contact Emma Beall at [email protected]
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Spread the Word: Project Sticker Shock Campaign Kicks Off April 22
This Saturday, April 22, the City of Alexandria will “shock” local shoppers by hosting the Project Sticker Shock Campaign, a youth-led event that promotes the importance of preventing access to alcohol by underage youth. Take a picture of stickered items at your local store and post/tag SAPCA on Facebook @SAPCAlexandria or Twitter @SAPCA_AlexVA to spread the word about the legal consequences of providing alcohol to people under 21. Learn more here.
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Meet SAPCA's New STOP Grant Coordinator!
Hope has a background in health and wellness serving the Northern Virginia area in a functional medicine practice for over 15 years. She has two children at home (Sebastian, 14 and Scarlett, 14 months). She recently interned with the Fairfax County Opioid and Substance Use Task Force exploring best practices for treatment, education and family support. She advocates within her community for substance use prevention within local government and public school settings.
Hope is expected to graduate with her Master's in Public Health with a concentration in Community Health Promotion from George Mason University in May of 2023. She completed her undergraduate degree in Global and Community Health from George Mason University in 2020. She has volunteered with the National Alliance for Mental Illness providing national and local resources assisting individuals to meet their recovery goals. She has also worked closely with Shatterproof, a national addiction grassroots advocacy group educating the community on treatment and harm reduction techniques.
Hope believes that substance use prevention is a matter of community education and interventions aimed at close ties with families, community members and key stakeholders to make the greatest impact. She lives by the motto "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." She's excited to support efforts to reduce underage drinking and its associated harms in our community. Welcome, Hope!
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Calling all Volunteers: Help Plan SAPCA's 15th Anniversary
This spring, SAPCA is excited to celebrate our 15th anniversary and we need your help to plan a fun, family-friendly event! SAPCA invites youth and adults of all ages to help plan this milestone event -- no previous experience is required.
Join us for the first planning committee meeting on Monday, April 24 from 6 - 7:30 p.m. via Zoom to brainstorm and plan for this exciting celebration. Click here to join the meeting and enter the passcode 440521. We hope to see you then!
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Daniela Perez-Bravo, Honey Lopez, Tasnia Rahman, Emma Beall and Fredy Martinez.
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City and School Partners Recognize Poster Contest Winners
“Celebrate Life: Live Drug Free” is the message Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) students portrayed in their winning entries for this fall's Red Ribbon Week Poster Contest. Though Red Ribbon Week is observed each October, the campaign’s message resonates all year long. The poster contest winners are:
- Elementary school winner: Tasnia Rahman (fifth grade, William Ramsay Elementary School)
- Middle school winner: Honey Lopez (seventh grade, Jefferson-Houston PreK-8 IB School)
- High school winner: Sarah McBurney (tenth grade, Alexandria City High School)
The students were recognized during a substance abuse workshop hosted by the ACPS Family and Community Engagement Center (FACE) at Francis C. Hammond Middle School. In addition to receiving a $100 gift card and a certificate, the students’ winning posters will be featured as part of the next Red Ribbon Week campaign. Congratulations Tasnia, Honey and Sarah!
The Red Ribbon Week contest is hosted in collaboration with SAPCA, the ACPS FACE Center, SCAN of Northern Virginia and the Mayor’s Campaign to End Bullying. Click here to view all three winning posters for this year's contest.
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Poster designed by Sarah McBurney. |
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Celebrating Safely
Please choose to celebrate safely this spring and encourage friends and family members to do the same by ensuring youth celebrations are substance free.
Learn more about the facts and consequences of alcohol here.
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Supportive Adults Are the Best Role Models
Children and teens notice what adults say and do -- even if it seems like their attention is focused elsewhere. In addition to discussing the facts and consequences of youth alcohol use, it is important that parents and caring adults model healthy decision-making. Today is the day to begin having conversations with the youth in your life to prevent youth alcohol use, together.
- Tell the truth about the risks of youth alcohol use to set youth up for success. Since the brain is not fully developed until age 25, teens that use alcohol are more likely to develop an alcohol use disorder. Additionally, individuals with a family history of alcohol use disorder are five times more likely to develop a substance use disorder themselves.
- Remind youth that when they go to a friend's house, you expect them to say "no" if offered a drink that contains alcohol.
- Think about what you'll say if a teen asks, "Can I have a sip of your drink?" Consider talking with other adults in your life, including family and friends, to make sure you are all in agreement about how to respond to this question.
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COVID-19 Reminders
The City of Alexandria and the Alexandria Health Department (AHD) strongly urge everyone to help end the pandemic by wearing a mask over both your nose and mouth, washing your hands frequently, and getting vaccinated. Your neighbors and loved ones are counting on you to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Every Alexandrian can take precautions to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. Learn more about how to protect yourself and those around you at
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Emma Beall, MPH
SAPCA Coordinator
O: 703.746.3670
C: 571.302.1022
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Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition of Alexandria
123 N Pitt St, Suite 225
Alexandria, VA 22314
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