1)
PARENTS IN THE DARK ON TEEN ECSTASY USE, STUDY FINDS
A new study finds
that only one percent of parents think their child has taken Ecstasy,
even though nearly three million of America's teens have tried the drug.
The Partnership for a Drug-Free America's (PDFA) annual study also found
that while 92 percent of parents were aware of the drug, nearly half
would not recognize its effects on their kids. Nearly half of the parents
surveyed were unclear about the effects of Ecstasy use.
PDFA also launched
new spots on television, radio and the Internet as part of an ongoing
national Ecstasy campaign.
To view the campaign
ads, or to read more about the Ecstasy study, visit www.drugfreeamerica.org.
2)
RESEARCHERS FIND ECSTASY CAUSES NEW KIND OF BRAIN DAMAGE
Club-goers who take
what may seem like a "small" dose of ecstasy on a regular
basis may be increasing their chances of developing symptoms of Parkinson's
disease, a new study reports. Researchers from Johns Hopkins say those
who use ecstasy could develop parkinsonism in later years, since ecstasy
damages brain dopamine neurons, and brain dopamine declines in advancing
age.
Experts also say
that a large number of teens are using Ecstasy because of the widely
held misbelief that the drug is safe, and users don't perceive any immediate
harmful effects. Doctors say they are gathering more evidence to prove
that Ecstasy users may experience serious, long-term effects in their
later years.
Registered readers
of Science Online can access the article at http://www.sciencemag.org/content/vol297/issue5590/index.shtml.
3)
REPORT: MILLIONS FROM TOBACCO INDUSTRY GIVEN TO CANDIDATES
A report from the
Campaign For Tobacco-Free Kids Action Fund and Common Cause reveals
the tobacco industry has contributed more than $7.3 million in soft
money and political action committee (PAC) contributions to federal
candidates, political parties and political committees so far this election
cycle. Since 1997, the tobacco industry has contributed more than $23
million. More than $44 million has been spent on lobbying Members of
Congress since 1999.
The report details
contributions to the sponsors and cosponsors of ineffective FDA legislation
supported by Philip Morris and documents how the tobacco industry's
contributions are used to thwart public health policy,
You can access more
information on the tobacco industry's political contributions at http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/reports/contributions.
4)
DOCTORS URGE PREGNANT WOMEN TO STAY AWAY FROM ALCOHOL
A new study shows
children born to mothers who drink even small amounts of alcohol early
in pregnancy are shorter and weigh less at age 14 than children born
to mothers who do not drink alcohol. The study appears in the October
issue of Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.
Nancy Day, the principal
investigator, began tracking the effects of alcohol on 565 children
in 1982 and tracked their progress at various ages. Researchers found
that the growth deficits continued well past puberty in teens whose
mothers drank during pregnancy.
You can view more
details at http://www.alcoholism-cer.com
if you are registered on the site.
5)
SENATE CONFIRMS McCLELLAN AS FDA CHIEF
The Senate unanimously
confirmed Mark B. McClellan as the new head of the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA). The FDA had been without a commissioner for two years. The Senate's
health committee had earlier approved Dr. McClellan unanimously for
the job.
The agency is responsible
for all medical products and 80 percent of America's food products.
President Bush nominated Dr. McClellan, a 39-year-old physician and
an economist three weeks ago.
6)
DEPT. OF DEFENSE CELEBRATES RED RIBBON WEEK
In an ongoing effort
to acknowledge its commitment to community drug awareness efforts, the
Department of Defense (DOD) took part in anti-drug activities during
Red Ribbon Week at the Pentagon. During the event, the DOD recognized
outstanding anti-drug awareness programs and sponsored numerous displays
highlighting worldwide community efforts in the defense community.
Special guests included
Miss USA, Shauntay Hinton, former Washington Redskin Ken Harvey and
Miss Virginia, Julie Laipply. To find out more about Red Ribbon week
activities in your area, visit www.redribbon.org.
7)
EXPERTS TESTING EFFECTIVENESS OF DATE-RAPE DRUG COASTERS
A coaster that manufacturers
claim can tell whether a drink has been spiked with a date-rape drug
is being tested for the accuracy of its results. The Michigan State
Police Crime Lab found that the coasters failed to react clearly to
drinks spiked with GHB, a major date-rape drug. Scientists tested red
wine, cola, whiskey and orange juice, and could hardly decipher a color
change. More than 50 million of the coasters have been sold since March,
primarily to colleges and convenience stores.
Francisco Guerra,
president of the company that manufactures the product, believes that
while it is not 100 percent accurate, it is a good prevention tool.
You can find out more about the products at www.drinksafecoaster.com.
8)
HIT US WITH YOUR BEST SHOT CONTEST WINNER #15; VIEW PHOTO AT www.cadca.org
This week's winner
of CADCA's "Hit Us With Your Best Shot" photo contest is Skagit
Prevention Council of Mount Vernon, WA. The photo was submitted by Karen
Peterka.
The winning picture's
caption reads: " The Skagit Prevention Council addresses substance
abuse issues with many innovative programs. One of these is the Skagit
Players, a group of talented young people who possess a strong belief
in the influence of educational theatre. We practice in the art of posing
questions through acting and leaving the audience deep in thought. Part
of our program consists of audience interaction. We have a vast supply
of warm-up games and activities to make the audience feel comfortable
with us. Once they are feeling comfortable, we begin with more complex
activities which provoke thought on many controversial and personal
topics, especially substance abuse." Check out the photo now by
visiting our website at www.cadca.org.
Why not enter your
photo in CADCA's "Hit Us with Your Best Shot" Photo Contest?
Submit your photo today and be eligible to win a Sony Digital Camera
and $250 cash!! Send your photos to photocontest@cadca.org.
You must be a current CADCA member with all dues paid in full to be
eligible.
9)
MARIJUANA EDUCATOR GUIDE AVAILABLE ONLINE
A free drug-prevention
guide is now available online for middle and high school educators.
Created by The New York Times Newspaper in Education program with sponsorship
from the Office of National Drug Control Policy, "Anti-Drug Education
with The New York Times: Focus on Marijuana" is available for download
online at
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/NIE/focusonmarijuana.
By combining anti-drug
lessons with standards-based academic instruction, the guide is designed
to help teens recognize the risks of marijuana use and develop skills
to resist using illicit drugs.
Other than containing
news articles previously published in The New York Times, this guide
did not involve the reporting or editing staff of The New York Times.
For additional drug prevention education resources, visit www.TeachersGuide.org.
Community
Anti-Drug Coalitions of America and CADCA are registered trademarks.
Use by permission of CADCA only.
