SAPCA's June 2023 Newsletter

June 2023

Announcements

Dear Fellow Alexandrians,

I am writing to ask a favor of you. The State has asked all Virginia substance use prevention coalitions to have their coalition members and other community members complete a survey on the coalition's effectiveness in addressing youth substance use prevention. This survey will take between 15-20 minutes to complete.

Believe me, I know this is a major investment of your valuable time. I promise that your investment will pay off for Alexandria's children and youth. The SAPCA Board will use the information you provide to continue the initiatives and work you think are effective and revise or eliminate any initiatives and work you indicate are not effective. They will also use your information to determine what new initiatives and work should start. The State will use the information to assess the overall effectiveness of coalitions across the state and make any changes needed as well as share trend information with coalition leaders.

Please complete this survey from start to finish in one sitting because you will not be able to return to finish a partially completed survey. Also, to provide the best information for us, please complete all questions. Please complete the survey no later than June 15, 2023.

The survey link is: bit.ly/3adSZ8s
Note: Please do not click on/launch the survey until you are ready to complete it in one sitting
The name of our CSB is: Alexandria CSB. Please select the correct name from the drop down list in the survey.
The name of the Coalition you are assessing is Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition of Alexandria. You will need to enter this in the survey.
If you wish to preview the survey before you start, please click here to see the paper version of the tool.

Thank you very much for sharing your invaluable input and helping SAPCA.

Best Wishes,

Allen Lomax

Chair, Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition of Alexandria

SAPCA Recognizes Alexandria Retailers' Commitment to Preventing Youth Alcohol Access

On Saturday, April 22, teams of youth and adults "shocked" local shoppers by hosting the Project Sticker Shock Campaign. During this youth-led event, teams of youth and adults placed stickers on multi-packs of alcohol to highlight the legal consequences of providing alcohol to persons under 21. This event was hosted by SAPCA in collaboration with the Alexandria Police Department; the Alexandria Sheriff’s Office; the Department of Community and Human Services; the Department of Recreation, Parks & Cultural Activities; and the ACHS U.S. Army JROTC program.

Please join SAPCA in recognizing the 55 Alexandria retailers that participated in this important event!

April 2023 Drug Take Back Day Recap

On April 22, the City of Alexandria collected and safely disposed of 335 lbs. of unused, expired and unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medication collected during National Prescription Drug Take Back Day

SAPCA thanks and recognizes our community partners for their efforts to dispose of unused and expired medication safely:

Alexandria Police Department
Alexandria Sheriff's Office
Neighborhood Pharmacy of Del Ray
Fire Station 210
Woodbine Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center
Alexandria Opioid Work Group
Alexandria Medical Reserve Corps

We are also thankful for the wonderful volunteers that supported outreach efforts during drug take back day. Please join us in recognizing Les Leinawaver, Suzette Manduley, Amy Milyko, Carrasco Noheli, and Louise Van Diepen for their help distributing free at home drug disposal kits and sharing resources about the importance of safe medication disposal during this event.

Needles are not accepted in the permanent medication drop boxes. Dispose of needles and syringes at a separate permanent drop box specifically for these items located inside the visitor's entrance at Inova Alexandria Hospital. The box is accessible at the same location and hours as the hospital’s drop off box for medications.

Visit alexandriava.gov/Opioids for more information about safe medicine disposal and to learn about Alexandria’s efforts regarding the opioid crisis.

City of Alexandria Recognizes National Fentanyl Awareness Day

The City of Alexandria joined communities around the nation on May 9 to recognize National Fentanyl Awareness Day and raise awareness about the dangers of fentanyl. SAPCA reminds youth and adults of the serious dangers of fentanyl poisoning from counterfeit (fake) pills and other illicit drugs.

Here is what you need to know about fentanyl:

Fentanyl is a very strong synthetic opioid that is tasteless and odorless.
Fentanyl is 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine.
Street drugs can be laced with fentanyl without the user's knowledge. These may include unregulated marijuana, vaping e-liquids, fake pills purchased online, and cocaine.
It may only take a small amount of fentanyl, the equivalent to a few grains of salt, to cause an opioid overdose.
If given in time, Narcan (also known as Naloxone) can save the life of someone who is experiencing an opioid overdose.

Help spread the word in our community:

Looks are deceiving -- fake pills look real.
If medication has not been prescribed to you, it runs the risk of being laced.
Only take medication prescribed by a doctor or purchased at a pharmacy.
Narcan is available for free from the Alexandria Health Department and the Teen Wellness Center.

Learn more about fentanyl and help raise awareness about the dangers of fentanyl by sharing these flyers for youth and adults, available in English, Spanish, Amharic, and Arabic.

Celebrating Graduating Seniors

Please join SAPCA in recognizing the graduating Alexandria City High School (ACHS) seniors that have dedicated their time, ideas, and creativity to supporting prevention efforts in our community:

SAPCA Board Member Kate Harbour will be attending Elon University.
Keep It 360 Peer Advocate Yanelvis Gomez will be attending Georgetown University.
Keep It 360 Peer Advocate Nathan Desta will be attending George Washington University.
Keep It 360 Peer Advocate Lenhle Vilakati will be attending Virginia Commonwealth University.
Keep It 360 Peer Advocate Chelsea Waruzi will be attending University of Richmond.
Keep It 360 Peer Advocate Amel Mohdali will be attending Spelman College.
Keep It 360 Peer Advocates Andrea Funes Quinones and Alayit Berhanu will be attending Virginia Tech.

Kate, Yanelvis, Nathan, Lenhle, Chelsea, Amel, Andrea, and Alayit, congratulations! We wish you the best as you start this next chapter!

The SAPCA Board of Directors meets on the fourth Monday of each month to discuss and develop policies and monitor the implementation of the Coalition's strategies and tactics.

The Keep It 360 Peer Advocates are a group of Alexandria youth that work closely with SAPCA, the Alexandria Campaign on Adolescent Pregnancy (ACAP) and the Alexandria Sexual Assault Center to support prevention and outreach efforts.

Fact of the Month: Celebrating Safely

Each month, SAPCA will be highlighting a key fact to support our community to prevent youth substance use. This month, we will be highlighting the importance of celebrating safely.

With the school year coming to a close, many students are ready to celebrate the end of school and the start of summer -- and for some, the beginning of the next chapter. While there is certainly cause to celebrate the academic achievement of graduating seniors, there are serious legal consequences for adults that provide alcohol to minors for any kind of party.

Please choose to celebrate safely and encourage friends and family members to do the same by ensuring youth celebrations are substance free. Under Virginia's Social Host Law, individuals who purchase for, or otherwise give, provide, or assist in the provision of alcoholic beverages to another person when they know or have reason to know that such person was less than 21 years of age can face several consequences. These include losing their driver's license for one year, receiving up to one year in jail and paying $2,500 fine for each young person who was provided alcohol.

Learn more about the facts and consequences of alcohol here.

Alexandria Chamber of Commerce Recognizes Community Leaders

The Alexandria Chamber of Commerce has announced the 2023 40 Under 40 honorees, a program that recognizes adults age 40 and under who are shaping Alexandria for the future. The Chamber is also recognizing Alexandria's youth with the selection of two additional student honorees.

These youth honorees are:

Chloe Yokitis, a junior at ACHS, SAPCA Board Member and Keep It 360 Peer Advocate
Emily Milton, a senior at ACHS

Please join us in congratulating Chloe and Emily for receiving this extraordinary honor and thanking them for the positive impact they have made for our community.

SAPCA Delivers Facts and Consequences

Assemblies to Middle School Students

Last month, SAPCA visited health classes at George Washington Middle School and Patrick Henry K-8 School to deliver Facts and Consequences presentations to 982 7th and 8th grade students. This interactive presentation highlights the consequences of using alcohol, e-cigarettes, cannabis, and prescription and over-the-counter medication; ways to respond to peer pressure; and healthy ways to cope with stress.

SAPCA is appreciative of the opportunity to share important information with students in our community and looks forward to continuing to collaborate with our middle school partners in the future.

Interested in supporting SAPCA to deliver Facts and Consequences Presentations? Contact Emma Beall at [email protected]. No previous experience is required and all volunteers receive training before presentations take place.

Community Cookouts Recap

This spring, SAPCA partnered with ACAP, the Sexual Assault Center, the Keep It 360 Peer Advocates and volunteers to conduct outreach at six community cookouts hosted at sites throughout the City.

During these events, team members shared information about the Developmental Assets, key factors that support healthy youth development, and distributed English and Spanish copies of the Parent Handbook, a resource guide created by Operation Parent that raises awareness about the latest trends, warning signs, and tips for effective parent/child communication.

We are thankful for the wonderful volunteers that supported outreach efforts during these events. Please join us in recognizing Deborah McGhee, Lynn Blandford, Bridget Donohue, Elizabeth Williams, Caroline Akujoby, and James Maslanka for their help engaging with families.

Interested in volunteering to support outreach efforts? Contact Emma Beall at [email protected] to learn about upcoming opportunities to get involved.

Pain in the Nation: The Epidemics of Alcohol, Drug and Suicide Deaths.

According to "Pain in the Nation: The Epidemics of Alcohol, Drug and Suicide Deaths," U.S. deaths due to alcohol, drugs, and suicide climbed 11 percent between 2020 and 2021. This annual report from Trust for America's Health found that increases in death rates due to substance misuse and suicide occurred among all ages, races, and geographic groups, but were particularly high for youth suicides and drug overdose among certain populations of color and in rural parts of the country. The report also provides several recommendations to address substance misuse and suicide deaths, noting that:

"In response to the growing deaths of despair crisis, a multifaceted approach to improving mental health and well-being in every community is needed."

These recommendations include:

Invest in prevention programs and conditions that promote health including programs that prevent or reduce adverse childhood experiences and provide trauma-informed services, student mental health services in schools, and strengthened crisis intervention programs, including the 988 crisis lifeline.
Prevent substance misuse and overdose by supporting syringe service programs, increasing naloxone and fentanyl test strips availability, and expanding funding for the Drug-Free Communities Support Program to bolster prevention programs for youth.
Transform the mental health and substance use prevention system by increasing access to mental health and substance use healthcare through full enforcement of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, integrating mental health and substance use treatment with other healthcare services, and expanding culturally and linguistically appropriate care for populations of color and other underserved populations.

Click here to read the full report.

CivicTREK Showcase Recap

Earlier this year, 8th grade students at George Washington Middle School participated in a Civic Engagement Fair as part of Project Citizen, an interactive project-based learning model. Through this project, students work together to identify and study a public policy issue, research and evaluate options, select a solution to the problem, and develop an action plan to address this issue.

Last week, students presented their service-learning projects to teachers, community partners, and school leadership at the CivicTREK showcase. Students shared how they learned academic skills and and knowledge while responding to a community need. Project topics included substance use prevention, mental health, and climate change.

Please join us in recognizing and celebrating these students' hard work and commitment to creating community change!

Community Health Improvement Plan Progress Report Released

The Alexandria Community Health Improvement Plan 2025, Spring 2023 Progress Report and the Alexandria Community Health Improvement Plan 2025, Spring Progress Report, Appendix were released at the end of May.

The Alexandria Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) is a comprehensive, five-year plan that includes 80 tactics designed to address policy and programmatic needs in Alexandria. Almost 75% of the CHIP tactics are in progress and 76 organizations are actively working together to fully implement this plan.

The Plan’s three priority areas--housing, mental health and poverty--were selected by the community from among the top 10 health issues identified in Alexandria’s 2019 Community Health Assessment.

The 2025 Plan builds upon the successes and lessons learned from the development and implementation of the prior five-year plan and was created through extensive community conversations, forums and direction.

Please reach out to Allen Lomax, Chair of the Partnership for a Healthier Alexandria at [email protected] with any questions.

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Upcoming Events & Resources

Save the Date: Class of 2023 All-Night Grad Party

This year's All Night Grad Party (ANGP) will take place on June 3 from 10:30 p.m. - 3:30 a.m. at Alexandria City High School. During this drug and alcohol free party, ACHS graduates will enjoy activities, food, and lots of prizes. Tickets for this event are $25 if purchased in advance and $30 if purchased at the door. Click here to purchase tickets now.

This annual tradition, sponsored by the ACHS PTSA, is made possible by the generous support of local businesses, citizens, community organizations, and alumni and sends a clear message that the Alexandria community values the academic achievements of our students and cares deeply about their safety and well-being. Since our community began this tradition in 1989, there have been no drug or alcohol-related graduation night fatalities.

Interested in supporting this important event? Sign up here to volunteer.

To learn more about ANGP, including how to get involved, email [email protected].

Click here to learn more.

Supercharge Your Summer: Free Planet Fitness High School Summer Pass '23

Now through August 31, teens between the ages of 14-19 can work out at Planet Fitness for free all summer long! Follow these easy steps to register for your free High School Summer Pass membership and get started supercharging your summer.

Register here.
Download the Planet Fitness App to get your digital club pass.
Visit your home club now through August 31 for free!

Teens who register can also help win a grant for their school and participate in a video contest for a chance to win a scholarship. Learn more here.

From June through August, visit Alexandria Library locations in person and online to participate in SummerQuest. Through this free reading program, participants of all ages, including teens and adults, can earn prizes for reading and completing activities, including free books and tickets to a Washington Nationals game.

Click here to view the full brochure, available in English, Spanish, Amharic, Arabic, and Dari/Farsi.

Volunteer Opportunity: Breaks with Impact

Breaks with Impact (BWI), a service-learning program where middle and high school students perform community service and learn about issues in their community, is returning this summer. BWI participants will engage in efforts to combat food insecurity, clean up local parks, remove invasive species, serve local nonprofits, and more.

Tentative dates for half-day programming are as follows:

Tuesday, July 11
Thursday, July 13
Tuesday, July 18
Thursday, July 20
Tuesday, July 25
Thursday, July 28
Saturday, July 29
Saturday, August 12

There are also three-day programs for middle school students (August 1-3) and high school students (August 15-17). Dates and topics are subject to change. Past participants said their experiences were impactful, and persuaded them to volunteer more. Learn more here.