1)
MADD STEPS UP APPEAL FOR SAFE HOLIDAY DRIVING
Hoping to keep families
safe on the roadways during the holiday season, MADD has begun its annual
"Tie One on For Safety" campaign. Now in its 16th year, motorists
are asked to tie a red MADD ribbon on their vehicle as a pledge to drive
safe and sober, and remind others to do the same. Saturn retailers across
the country are distributing free MADD ribbons throughout the rest of
the year.
In addition, MADD
is encouraging the public to follow several simple rules when driving
and hosting holiday parties, such as offering non-alcoholic beverages
and not letting guests mix their own drinks.
To read more about
their holiday safe driving campaign and for more tips, visit http://www.madd.org/news/0,1056,5637,00.html.
2)
BIDI TASTES LIKE CANDY, LOOKS LIKE A JOINT, AND VERY POTENT
A growing number
of teens across the country are going to "head shops" and
health food stores to purchase bidi, an Indian cigarette that is hand-wrapped
in leaf, looks like a joint, and tastes like candy. Time magazine reports
bidi is cheaper than cigarettes, come in flavors like root beer, grape
and cherry, but officials say, they could be more dangerous than regular
tobacco. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) conducted a study
and found that volunteers who smoked bidi had higher nicotine levels
in their blood than those who smoked regular cigarettes. In fact, the
dark Indian tobacco contained as much as three times the nicotine concentration
of American grown tobacco.
You can read more
about bidi in the current issue of Time, on newsstands now.
3)
TEENS GETTING HIGH OFF COLD MEDICATION, OFFICIALS SAY
Teens are often
looking for new ways to get high, and are now turning to over-the-counter
cold remedies, such as Robitussin to get a buzz, the Associated Press
reported earlier this week. In fact, police in New Hampshire have called
the problem a "mini epidemic" in their state. Fourteen people
died last year in the United States by overdosing on cold medicine.
Experts say the most dangerous cold medicine abused by teens goes by
the brand name Coricidin "Cold and Cough"; abusers call it
"Triple C's" or "Candy."
Users can experience
psychedelic effects when they take drugs that contain DXM, dextromethorphan,
in large doses. Those who misuse medication that contains chlorpheniramine
maleate could suffer brain damage, or even die, when it is taken in
large doses.
4)
EVIDENCE MOUNTS THAT MARIJUANA USE LEADS TO SCHIZOPHRENIA
Two foreign studies
add further evidence that sustained marijuana use can increase the risk
of developing depression and/or schizophrenia later in life. Researchers
in Britain reanalyzed a 1970 Swedish study, and found men who used marijuana
more than 50 times had a 300 percent increase in risk compared to non-users.
The risk dropped to a 40 percent increase in those who had used it less
than 10 times.
Additionally, an
Australian study confirmed marijuana use increased the risk of schizophrenia
later in life in a group of New Zealand adolescents who ranged in age
from 15 to 18. Similar to the other study, the participants' marijuana
use preceded the onset of the mental disorder.
Find out more at
http://bmj.com/cgi/content/full/325/7374/1183.
5)
AMA REPORT REVEALS HOW ALCOHOL AFFECTS YOUTHS' BRAINS
Youth are not more
resilient to alcohol, and in fact, are at a higher risk of brain damage
than adults, according to a new report released by the American Medical
Association (AMA). The report is a compilation of two decades of scientific
research on how alcohol affects the developing brain and causes potentially
irreversible damage. The AMA found that drinkers between 14 and 21 years
of age had only about 10 percent small hippocampi-the area of the brain
that handles memory and learning. The findings indicate that adults
would have to consume twice as many drinks as adolescents to suffer
the same damage to the brains in adolescents.
To read more, visit
http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/article/2403-7056.html.
6)
AMA ASKS TV NETWORKS TO STOP AIRING PRIME-TIME LIQUOR ADS
The AMA is calling
on television networks and cable outlets to keep all liquor commercials
off the air before 10 p.m. The group made their recommendation at the
AMA house of delegates meeting in New Orleans this week. The AMA says
broadcasters should also stop running alcohol commercials that use mascots
and cartoon characters appealing to children.
The AMA, in collaboration
with the Center for Science in the Public Interest, MADD, CADCA, and
other national organizations, were successful in convincing NBC to stop
airing hard liquor ads last December.
7)
HARVARD'S COLLEGE ALCOHOL STUDIES TACKLE SPORTS & ALCOHOL CONNECTION
The College Alcohol
Studies (CAS) program at Harvard's School of Public Health has begun
tackling the long-standing connection between drinking and college sports.
Researchers studied athletes, fans and alcohol consumption and found
that college athletes are more likely to binge drink than non-athletes.
In addition, sports fans are more likely to engage in binge drinking
than students who do not attend college games. Their research shows
schools with a higher proportion of sports fans are more likely to have
higher rates of binge drinking.
The study will appear
in the January/February 2003 issue of the journal, Addictive Behaviors.
To find out more about Harvard's CAS, visit http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/cas/Home.html.
8)
DEADLINE FOR SUBSTANCE ABUSE INITIATIVE IS JANUARY 31, 2003
The Office of Juvenile
Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) is looking to test the effectiveness
of two school-based substance abuse prevention programs: Project ALERT
and Project SUCCESS. Officials want to find out whether the positive
outcomes achieved in prior evaluations can be replicated at other sites.
In order to achieve that, OJJDP has extended the application deadline
to January 31, 2003.
Public and private
agencies, organizations, institutions and individuals are all invited
to apply. Funding would last five years, with up to $2 million available
for the initial 24-month period.
To find out more,
visit http://ojjdp.ncjrs.org/grants/current.html
or email Janet Chiancone at chiancoj@ojp.usdoj.gov.
9)
NATIONAL STUDENT ASSISTANCE CONFERENCE HITS "THE BIG EASY"
The National Association
of Student Assistance Professionals will hold its annual conference
March 20-23, 2003 at the Sheraton Hotel in the heart of New Orleans.
The four-day event will provide attendees with up-to-date training,
research and information regarding school-based performance and behavior
as affected by violence, substance use and behavioral health issues.
The conference will
feature over 20 workshops and general sessions, presented by experts
and motivational speakers from across the country, including CADCA Public
Policy Consultant Sue Thau.
To find out more,
visit www.nsac.info, or call 1-800-453-7733.
10)
ALCOHOL POLICY CONFERENCE IN BOSTON, MARCH 13-16, 2003
The 13th Alcohol
Policy Conference, entitled "Preventing Alcohol Problems Among
Youth: Policy Approaches" will take place March 13-16, 2003 in
Boston, MA at the Royal Sonesta Hotel. The series has been a forum for
researchers, community advocates and public officials to learn and exchange
the latest findings, explore evidence-based solutions and consider adoption
of laws aimed at minimizing risks associated with underage alcohol use.
The conference will offer a variety of plenary sessions, including "Marketing,
media, new products, and youth drinking" and "Preventing alcohol
problems."
To find out more,
visit http://www2.edc.org/alcoholpolicy13/index.html.
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