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SAPCA Members,
Mark your calendars for three upcoming events!
Recovery Month - September 25, 4 - 7 p.m., Lee Center, 1101 Jefferson St.
Sticker Shock Kick-Off, October 19, 10 a.m., 720 North Saint Asaph St.
Prescription Drug Take Back Day, October 26, 10 a.m - 2 p.m., Del Ray Pharmacy, 2204, Mt Vernon Ave; Alexandria Police Department, 3600 Wheeler Ave, First Baptist Church, 2932 King St.
Noraine
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SAPCA Celebrates National Night Out in Alexandria
On Tuesday, August 6, SAPCA partnered with the Alexandria Campaign on Adolescent Pregnancy (ACAP) and the Gang Prevention Community Task Force to celebrate the 30th Annual National Night Out. Over 20 volunteers visited neighborhood block parties and cookouts throughout the City to share information about mentoring, youth substance abuse prevention and teen pregnancy prevention initiatives. Thank you to all those who volunteered!
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SAPCA and ACAP Host Youth Leadership Conference
by Leia Moran, TC Williams Senior, SAPCA Social Media Intern
On August 29th and 30th, twenty-three teenagers chose not to sleep in on those last precious days of summer and instead attended the second annual Alexandria Youth Leadership Conference. Hosted by SAPCA and ACAP this two-day conference gave youth an introduction to leadership skills, social media, graphic design and public speaking. The conference participants were welcomed by Mayor Bill Euille and SAPCA board chair Allen Lomax, who both participated in an engaging icebreaker game.
Throughout both days of the conference, the students heard presentations from guest speakers including Special Assistant to the City Manager Jerome Fletcher II, Deanna Schmidt, Graphic Designer, Maggie Lemere of Ashoka, City Attorney, James L. Banks and Stefani Boltz of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy.
The youth were eager to ask questions regarding leadership development, the importance of mentors, and how to get a start in the business world. High school senior JoAnn Michel gained helpful advice from James Banks on making connections to get an internship. Junior Haydi Torres felt more confident about expressing herself to others after hearing Maggie Lemere's tips on storytelling. All of the teens were enthusiastic about playing a round of Social Media Catchphrase and comparing ideas about the blogs Stefani Boltz brought in to share. Several exciting raffles were conducted between each workshop. Several lucky teens were thrilled to win gift cards to Chipotle, Regal Cinemas, Starbucks, and Target.
At the close of the conference, each participant received a certificate of completion along with information on how they can be a part of the SAPCA and/or ACAP's Teens Talk club at T.C. Williams High School. The youth also left with countless new friends that are equally as passionate about becoming a leader in the community and making an impact on the lives of others.
Check out the pictures from the conference!
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SAPCA'S UPCOMING MEETINGS
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Board Meeting (9/26)
Thursday, September 26, 6:00-7:30 p.m., 421 King St. 4th floor Conference Room
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Recovery Month Event (9/25)
Join us for a free Alcohol and Drug Recovery Month Celebration on Wednesday September 25, 4-7 p.m. at the Lee Center, 1108 Jefferson St. There will be live music, barbecue, information and resources about prevention, recovery, supporting someone in recovery or helping someone enter recovery and much more!
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Sticker Shock Kick-Off (10/19)
SAPCA's Sticker Shock campaign will kick-off with a press conference at 720 North Saint Asaph St., at 10 a.m. on Saturday, October 19.
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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Prescription Drug Take Back Day (10/26)
SAPCA is partnering with local law enforcement for National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday October 26, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Drop off locations are the Alexandria Police Department, 3600 Wheeler Avenue; the Del Ray Pharmacy, 2204 Mount Vernon Ave and First Baptist Church, 2932 King St. Please plan to drop off your unused prescription drugs!
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UPCOMING PARTNERS' EVENTS
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Darkness to Light: End Child Sexual Abuse (9/13)
The Center for Alexandria's Children will host a Stewards of Children training on Friday, September 13, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Stewards of Children is a prevention training program that teaches adults how to prevent, recognize, and react responsibly to child sexual abuse. To register for this free training, contact Susan Britton at 703.746.6018.
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ACAP Quarterly Meeting (9/24)
The meeting will take place on Tuesday, September 24, 6 to 8 p.m. at the Durant Center, 1605 Cameron St.
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The Myth of "Study Drugs": The Problem of Prescription Stimulant Misuse (9/26)
During the hour-long program, The Myth of "Study Drugs": The Problem of Prescription Stimulant Misuse, you will hear about the scope of this problem and how it spreads from middle school, to high school, to college. Learn what the research shows about the young people who use these pills, their likelihood to participate in similar risky behaviors, and other consequences. One girl and her family will share their story about how taking pills in order to do better in school changed their lives forever.
The webinar will take place on Thursday, September 26, 1 to 2 p.m. Click here to register.
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Molly, also known as MDMA, is usually sold as a white powder in a capsule and acts as a purer reboot of ecstasy, NBC News reported. According to records obtained by News4's I-Team, Virginia's Health Department says ecstasy was present in at least five drug-related deaths in the state during the past two years.
Washington, D.C. Health Department officials did not provide specific numbers, either, but say students as young as sixth graders have reported experimenting with amphetamines, the class of drugs ecstasy falls into.
Last weekend, New York City dance music festival "Electric Zoo" was canceled after two concert-goers in their 20s died from apparent molly usage. This week, police say the death of a U.Va. student who collapsed at a D.C. club may also be linked to Molly usage.
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CADCA Issues Statement on DOJ Decision Regarding State Marijuana Legalization Laws
The Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) issued a statement last week in response to a decision by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to not challenge marijuana legalization laws in Colorado and Washington.
In their statement, CADCA Chairman and CEO Gen. Arthur T. Dean said: "CADCA and its more than 5,000 community coalitions across the country have been anticipating a response from the Administration that would reaffirm the federal law and slow down this freight train. Instead, this decision sends a message to our citizens, youth, communities, states, and the international community at large that the enforcement of federal law related to marijuana is not a priority. The fact remains that smoked marijuana is not medicine, it has damaging effects on the developing adolescent brain, and can be addictive, as evidenced by the fact that 1 in 6 youth who use it will become addicted."
Click here to view the full statement.
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Excessive alcohol use costs the United States $223.5 billion annually, according to a new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Binge drinking accounts for more than 70 percent of these costs.
CBS News reports the median state cost associated with excessive alcohol use was $2.9 billion; about $2 of every $5 was paid for by the government.
The authors concluded costs due to excessive drinking largely came from losses in workplace productivity, healthcare expenses and costs resulting from criminal justice expenses, motor vehicle crashes and property damage. The report found underage drinking accounted for $24.6 billion, or 11 percent, of the total excessive drinking costs.
The CDC recommends a number of strategies to reduce alcohol-related costs, including increasing alcohol taxes, limiting the number of alcohol retailers in certain areas and holding retailers liable for selling alcohol to obviously intoxicated people or minors who cause death or injury to others.
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Almost one-fourth of Billboard Magazine's most popular songs from 2009 to 2011 mentioned alcohol, a new study finds. Of the 167 songs, 46 referenced a specific brand, such as Patron, Hennessy, Grey Goose and Jack Daniel's.
Nearly 38 percent of rap, hip-hop and R&B songs mentioned alcohol, compared with 21.8 percent of country songs and 14.9 percent of pop songs, according to Time.com. Tequila, vodka, champagne and cognac were most frequently mentioned in hip-hop, rap and R&B, while whiskey and beer were more often referenced in country and pop songs. Alcohol was not mentioned in top rock hits, the study found.
"Given the heavy exposure of youth to popular music, these results suggest popular music may serve as a major source of promotion of alcohol use among youth," study co-author David Jernigan, PhD, Director of the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth at Johns Hopkins, said in a news release.
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