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SAPCA Members,
Come out for the Sticker Shock campaign kick-off on Saturday October 22nd at 10am at 720 N Saint Asaph St. Support our youth volunteers as they place "STOP" stickers on multi-packs of alcohol to discourage adults from purchasing alcohol for minors. You'll get a free t-shirt!
Noraine
* Outlook users, click on the link next to "Having trouble viewing this email" to utilize the table of contents. |
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Community Chat Group Held at Ruby Tucker (09/20)
Over twenty parents, grandparents, and interested community members participated in a community chat group at the Ruby Tucker Family Center. SAPCA, the Alexandria Campaign on Adolescent Pregnancy (ACAP) and the Gang Prevention task force hosted a chat group about substance abuse, teen pregnancy and gang involvement prevention. Attendees played a "Preventing Risky Behaviors" version of Family Feud. Participants raced to answer questions such as, "How can an adult communicate well with a child?" and "How do you help a child develop skills?" To attend a chat group, contact Noraine at noraine.buttar@alexandriava.gov. |
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Alcohol and Drug Recovery Talent Showcase Draws Full House at Metro Stage (09/26)
Performers showed off their talent to a packed house of over 120 people at the Alcohol and Drug Recovery Talent Showcase on September 26 at Metro Stage in Alexandria. Audience members swayed and clapped to "Lean on Me". They cheered on singers, rappers, musicians, and poets. The event was sponsored by SAPCA, the Alexandria Mental Health Anti-Stigma HOPE Campaign, the Alexandria Community Services Board (ACSB), and Friends of the Alexandria Mental Health Center.
Jamielle and Whitney Patrick wow the crowd. |
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SAPCA Members Attend Drug Free Awards Dinner (09/27)
SAPCA board members, Allen Lomax, Tricia Bassing, and Shelly Morgan, SAPCA Coordinator Noraine Buttar, and Alexandria Community Service Board (ACSB) Peer Advisors and SAPCA youth members, Derek Bibbs, Olga Alvarado and Nancy Martinez attended the 13th annual Drug-Free Kids Campaign awards dinner on September 27.
Nearly 400 corporate leaders from across the country came out to celebrate community coalitions and young people who are helping to prevent and reduce substance abuse at the dinner in Washington, D.C. The theme of the night was "Celebrating Everyday Heroes," highlighting the efforts that various coalition and youth leaders are doing to improve their communities. |
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SAPCA Host International Visitors (09/29)
More than 40 representatives from the Inter-American Drug Abuse Commission met at City Hall with the board of SAPCA to learn about the Coalition's activities to prevent youth substance abuse in the City of Alexandria.
The meeting was held at the request of the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy, which brought the delegation to Alexandria for the meeting with SAPCA. The Inter-American Drug Abuse Commission, consisting of representatives of member countries of the Organization of American States, was holding meetings in Washington, D.C., to explore "Enhancing Community Participation in Substance Abuse Prevention, Treatment, Rehabilitation and Social Integration in the Hemisphere."
"We were pleased to be asked to meet with the delegation to share our mission, activities and accomplishments," said Allen Lomax, SAPCA chair. "The issue of involving the community in substance abuse prevention is a challenge shared by countries throughout the Americas. There is much we can learn from one another during this type of exchange." |
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SAPCA'S UPCOMING MEETINGS | |
SAPCA Board Meeting:
Thursday, October 6, 6-7:30pm, 720 North Saint Asaph St, 4th floor |
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SAPCA/ACPS Substance Use Regulation Review:
Wednesday, October 26, 4:00pm, TC Williams Rotunda, 3330 King St. |
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Oppose the Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2011
Congressmen Barney Frank (D-4th/MA) and Ron Paul (R-14th/TX) recently introduced H.R. 2306, the Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2011. If passed, this legislation would remove marijuana, not just from Schedule 1 of the Controlled Substances Act, but it would remove it from the list of controlled substances completely, thereby effectively legalizing it.
Fax your Representative to strongly encourage him/her to oppose H.R. 2306, which would remove marijuana from the list of federally controlled substances altogether. To send faxes to your legislators, go to http://capwiz.com/cadca/home/.
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Project Sticker Shock (10/22)
SAPCA's Sticker Shock campaign will kick-off with a press conference at the ACSB, 720 North Saint Asaph St., at 10am on Saturday, October 23. Speakers will include William D. Euille, Alexandria Mayor; Deputy Chief Aden, Alexandria Police Department; Tina Leone, Alexandria Chamber of Commerce President, Charlotte Clinger and Nancy Martinez, SAPCA youth members.
During the campaign, teams of youth and adults will visit stores in Alexandria to place "warning" stickers on multi-packs of beer, wine coolers and other alcoholic products, highlighting the penalties for furnishing alcohol to minors.
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Community of Concern Dinner at GWMS (10/25)
George Washington Middle School 7th and 8th grade students and their parents are invited to a Community of Concern Dinner on Tuesday October 25, from 6:30pm to 8:30pm in the cafeteria. The evening will be one of dialogue and education relating to underage drinking prevention. Contact Beth Lovain at blovain@hotmail.com or 703-549-1441. Click here for the flyer in English and Spanish. |
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National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day (10/29)
SAPCA is partnering with local law enforcement for National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday October 29 from 10am to 2pm. Drop off locations to be announced soon. Please plan to drop off your unused prescription drugs! |
Meaningfully Engaging Law Enforcement in Coalition Efforts (10/20)
This workshop will help coalitions overcome the challenge of engaging law enforcement partners in a meaningful way and help law enforcement officers determine their role in a local coalition. Join the Underage Drinking Enforcement Training Center as they discuss the keys to engaging and sustaining a successful partnership between coalitions and law enforcement. You will learn the "do's and don'ts", the culture, and some of the best practices from successful community and enforcement practitioners.
The program will air on Thursday, October 20, 3-4:15pm. Click here to register. |
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Several restaurant chains that recently added alcohol to their menus have decided it causes more problems than it's worth. Customers aren't buying as many drinks as expected, and selling alcohol is causing many logistical problems. A restaurant that decides to sell alcohol must obtain permits, train its staff, check ID-which slows down service-and find a stand-alone area for serving alcohol, according to The New York Times.
Sonic, which added beer and wine to the menu in Homestead, Florida, has had to hire security guards to keep underage drinkers away. The company expects its insurance rates will rise. Burger King started selling beer at its Whopper Bars encountered issues with liquor licenses at some locations, the article notes. |
Parents who drink, even moderately, may increase the risk their children will grow up and drive under the influence as adults. A new study published in the journal Accident Analysis and Prevention finds that about 6 percent of adolescents whose parents drank even sporadically reported driving under the influence at age 21, compared with just 2 percent of those whose parents did not imbibe. The likelihood of a subject having driven while drunk increased if they had friends who consume alcohol, as well as parents who drank. |
Results from the annual National Survey on Drug Use and Health, released today, have found marijuana use is on the rise. USA Today reports the survey, sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), found 8.7 percent of Americans say they regularly use illegal drugs recreationally, the same rate as 2009, but above the 2008 rate of 8 percent. The most popular drug is marijuana, with 17.4 million regular users. In 2007, 14.4 million Americans said they used marijuana. Among 12- to 17-year-olds, 7.4 percent said they had used marijuana in the previous month in 2010, about the same percentage as 2009. Among 18- to 25-year-olds, 18.5 percent said they used marijuana in 2010, up from 16.5 percent in 2008. |
More than 500 college campuses around the nation are smoke free or tobacco free as of July 1, CNN reports. Most of the policies ban smoking on campus grounds, including restaurants, athletic stadiums and parking lots. The list of schools that ban smoking, compiled by the American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation, includes 120 schools that were added in the past year. According to the American College Health Association, 4.4 percent of college students surveyed said they smoked every day in the past 30 days. |
Children Living With Smokers Miss More School Due to Illness
Children who live with smokers miss more school days due to illnesses including ear infections and chest colds compared with those who live in smoke-free homes, a new study suggests.
CNN reports the new study looked at how many days of school children ages 6 to 11 missed, and the reasons they were absent. Children who lived with at least one smoker missed an average of one to two more days of school each year, compared with those who did not live with any smokers. Children living with two or more adult smokers had more ear infections per year than those who lived with one smoker or no smokers.
In the journal Pediatrics, the researchers conclude families could reduce their children's school absenteeism by 24 to 34 percent if smokers in the home quit. The study notes about one-third of children in the United States live with a smoker.
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