January 2025 News & Resources

Next Stamford Prevention Council Meeting

January 24th, 12 - 1:30 PM, Hybrid

Stamford Government Center, 6th floor

Join on zoom. Meeting ID: 843 4393 4955

January Observances

Dry January
Substance Use Disorder Treatment Month

Reports & Data

"Treatment Episode Data Set 2022- Admissions to and Discharges from Substance Use Treatment Services Reported by Single State Agencies" - . Read report.

It's Dry January

Every January, millions of people participate in Dry January—a month dedicated to taking a break from alcohol and focusing on health, wellness, and building meaningful connections. The benefits of going alcohol-free for the month include improved sleep, enhanced focus and energy, a stronger immune system, and potential financial savings.

The popularity of Dry January and the broader sober or low-alcohol movement continues to grow each year. More individuals are taking part, and businesses are increasingly catering to the demand for alcohol-free beverages and sober social spaces, fostering new opportunities for connection and enjoyment without alcohol.

Dry January offers a valuable opportunity to practice mindfulness and reflect on our relationship with alcohol. It encourages us to explore healthier habits and discover fresh ways to socialize and connect.

As booze alternatives take off, more nonalcoholic drink makers promote health benefits as the next buzz

How much alcohol is too much? What to know as officials push for cancer warnings on labels

The Office of the Surgeon General recommended adding cancer warnings to alcoholic drinks. How many drinks is too much?

What's driving the growth of no-alcohol in the US? - IWSR

The buoyant no-alcohol category in the US is poised for continued strong growth in the years ahead, fuelled by a combination of moderation trends, a well-established but expanding no-alcohol beer segment, recruitment of new consumers, and dynamic growth for zero-alcohol spirits, RTDs and alcohol adjacents. No-alcohol enjoyed a strong year in the US in [...]

Events

Click images to learn more and register

Region 1 Quarterly Gambling Awareness Team Meeting

Tuesday, January 21st, 2025, 2:30 – 4:00 pm via Teams

Agenda

Introductions & Community Partner Shakeouts
Focus Group to inform the Priority Report
Monthly Community Conversations About Gambling
Plans for PGAM in March – Problem Gambling Awareness Month
Reminders: Certificate Of Competency 25 hours

Here is the Meeting Link. Meeting ID: 213 026 313 639, Passcode: Xhvgnw

It's on all of us to support each other. Join us for a QPR suicide prevention training to learn early warning signs, how to identify if someone needs help, and how to take action. Upcoming trainings will be held at Ferguson Library on January 14 and 16 and February 4 and 13. Sign up on the library website.

Fun Family Events

In the News

Stamford residents want permanent ban on drinking alcohol on city sidewalks

A temporary ban was put in place and extended by the Board of Representatives so the city could test them before making them permanent. It expired Dec. 10.

Stamford PD, Community Partners Collaborate To Combat Drug Overdoses

Stamford PD, Community Partners Collaborate To Combat Drug Overdoses - Stamford, CT - Stamford police and various community partners have embarked on a collaborative effort to help bring down overdose deaths in the city.

Open alcohol containers are allowed in Connecticut vehicles in the hands of passengers

Connecticut is one of only 11 states that allow motor vehicle passengers to drink alcohol from open containers.

Smoke shops, parents and bathroom sensors: Stamford's ongoing fight against vaping in schools

Smoke shops, parents and bathroom sensors: Stamford's ongoing fight against vaping in schools includes all these and other measures.

Resources

RecoverMe: My Recovery, My Journey

Recovery is a process, a journey, and is about getting the support you need to keep living a life that feels authentically you. It's about your mental health, managing your relationship with drugs and/or alcohol, and finding joy and connection in the face of life's ups and downs.

MADD and Smart Start Partner to Prevent Impaired Driving Through The MADD Network - MADD

Smart Start Joins The MADD Network During Impaired Driving Prevention Month, Amplifying Awareness and Accelerating MADD's Lifesaving Efforts (Irving, Texas - December 18, 2024) Mothers Against Drunk Driving® (MADD) is... Continue reading MADD and Smart Start Partner to Prevent Impaired Driving Through The MADD Network

Legislative Updates

Changes in hemp and cannabis laws

While hemp, the non-psychoactive relative of cannabis, has levels of the chemical compound CBD that do not come under the state's marijuana law, when it is processed for various products, small concentrations of THC can accumulate. The new hemp and cannabis law creates a new version of “moderate-THC hemp product” and puts restrictions on sales of hemp with THC levels between half a milligram and 5 milligrams.
On Jan. 1 the new law will require moderate-THC hemp products to be sold in licensed cannabis companies or people licensed by the Department of Consumer Protection.
"All hemp growers make these products," said state Rep. David Rutigliano of Trumbull, a ranking Republican on the legislative General Law Committee, where the new law originated. "When hemp is harvested there is no THC, but when it gets processed and can get an intoxicating property. If it is hemp-derived THC, the legislature says it needs to be segregated and regulated.
Last month, smoke shop owners in the state filed a federal lawsuit against Attorney General William Tong charging that a redefinition of hemp statutes in Connecticut violates federal law because it conflicted with a 2018 federal legalization of hemp.

Stamford Prevention Council StamfordPreventionCouncil.org