1.)
INTERESTED IN HELPING OTHER COALITIONS? APPLY FOR CADCA’S LEADER/MENTOR
PROJECT
Mentors
are an important link in the knowledge-sharing process, and can be a
critical element of what allows coalitions to grow and succeed. That’s
why CADCA’s National Community Anti-Drug Coalition Institute is
seeking experienced coalition leaders with proven skills to apply for
a new mentoring project. The Coalition Leader/Mentor Project is an innovative
effort to help grow and develop new coalitions with the assistance of
these mentors. The Institute will organize and support those who have
spearheaded successful coalitions to become even better leaders while
they are mentoring. Leader mentors do not necessarily need to be coalition
directors, however, they should have a solid coalition track record.
Some
leader/mentors will be selected to mentor Greenhouse Coalitions. During
this year-long Greenhouse project, 30 coalitions without significant
funding that are less than one year old and located in economically
disadvantaged areas, including rural areas, will be selected for intensive
four-day training sessions and hands-on mentoring over a one-year period
as part of the Greenhouse effort to “grow” strong coalitions
and prepare them to compete for funding and achieve results.
If
you are an experienced coalition leader that would like to serve as
a mentor and work with emerging coalitions, visit http://cadca.org/CoalitionInstitute/LeaderMentor/LeaderMentor.htm
for more information. The application will be available March 14 in
the Coalition Institute section of www.cadca.org.
Stipends and travel costs will be available.
If
you are a new coalition that would like to participate in the Greenhouse
Project, look for our applications, which will be available April 1.
If
you have questions about becoming a mentor coalition or greenhouse coalition,
please call Eduardo Hernandez, Deputy Director of Training and Research
at 800-54-CADCA, ext. 222 or email Ehernandez@cadca.org.
2.)
OPEN LETTER TO PARENTS AD REVEALS DANGERS OF MARIJUANA USE
Seven national organizations have
signed on to a letter to educate parents about the serious risks of
teen marijuana use. The open letter ad, which is part of ONDCP’s
National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign, began appearing in hundreds
of newspapers nationwide on March 11, including the New York Times and
the Washington Post. The ad warns about the harmful effects of marijuana
use such as causing lung damage, provoking panic attacks, leading to
violent and aggressive behavior, and increasing chances of pregnancy.
The
signatories include the American Medical Association, the American Lung
Association, the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, the American
Psychiatric Association, the American Automobile Association, the National
Education Association, and the National Crime Prevention Council.
To
read the letter, visit http://cadca.org/WhatsNew/OpenLetter_2.25.03.pdf,
or to find out more information about it, visit http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/news/press03/031003.html.
3.)
DRUG TREATMENT PROGRAMS YIELD BETTER OUTCOMES, CASA STUDY SAYS
Non-violent felons with a pattern of drug
abuse achieved significantly lower recidivism rates and higher employment
rates after completing a drug treatment program compared to similar
offenders who were sent to jail, according to a new study from Columbia
University’s National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse.
In addition, drug treatment programs came in at half the cost of prison
terms. Researchers said prosecutors can help repeat felony offenders
become responsible citizens through a combination of treatment and vocational
training, coupled with the threat of punishment for noncompliance.
The
five year study, funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, found
participants who completed the Drug Treatment Alternative-to-Prison
(DTAP) program were 33 percent less likely to be rearrested, 45 percent
less likely to be reconvicted, and 87 percent less likely to return
to prison than those incarcerated. In addition, DTAP graduates were
three and a half times more likely to be employed after graduation than
before their arrest. Of those who successfully completed the DTAP program,
92 percent found employment.
To
read more about the findings, visit http://www.casacolumbia.org/newsletter1457/newsletter_show.htm?doc_id=155061.
4.)
SECONDHAND SMOKE MAY GIVE KIDS CAVITIES, STUDY SAYS
Children
who are repeatedly exposed to secondhand smoke face nearly double the
risk of having more cavities, a new study reveals. Researchers from
the University of Rochester (NY) found that children subjected to environmental
cigarette smoke developed higher levels of cotinine, a byproduct of
nicotine, and those children tended to have more cavities. Scientists
studied 3,500 children between the ages of 4 and 11, and found a quarter
of them would not have developed cavities in their primary teeth if
they had not been exposed to secondhand smoke.
The
study appeared in yesterday’s Journal of the American Medical
Association. To read the study abstract, visit:
http://jama.ama-assn.org/issues/current/abs/joc21865.html.
5.)
UPCOMING NATIONAL AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS: INHALANTS, TEEN PREGNANCY
·
National Inhalants and Poisons Awareness Week will take place
March 16-22. The campaign educates the public about dangers of everyday
items kids use to get high. Recent studies show that one out of five
students in America get high inhaling various legal substances. The
program involves youth, schools, media, police departments, health organization,
civics groups and more. More than 800 organizations from 46 states participated
in the last NIPAW campaign.
The
National Inhalant Prevention Coalition has developed a local coordinator’s
kit, which includes a how-to guide to conduct a local media awareness
campaign, brochures, sample copies of letters to the editor, and other
items. The kit is available in English and Spanish. Contact 1-800-269-4237
or email nipc@io.com for more information
and kit pricing.
·
CADCA, along with dozens of other national organizations signed
on to support the 2003 National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, taking
place May 7, 2003. As part of the event, teens are encouraged to take
a quiz that asks them about several real life scenarios involving sex
and asks them to choose a course of action. The quiz will be posted
on various partners’ web sites, and on Teen People Online. New
partners for this year include the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the Association
of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), BET.com, and LAUNCH,
Your Yahoo! Music Experience.
To
find out more information about teen pregnancy prevention, or to order
materials online, visit http://www.teenpregnancy.org/national/default.asp.
6.)
EDUCATION DEPARTMENT TACKLES COLLEGE HIGH-RISK DRINKING
The Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools
has $2.25 million available to tackle high-risk drinking and violent
behavior on college campuses across the country. Up to 18 school or
community-based projects will receive grants between $100,000 to $150,000
for projects that focus on either drinking or violence. Colleges, universities,
public and private organizations, and individuals are invited to apply.
Applications
must be received by March 31, 2003. If you have any questions, contact
Richard Lucey, Jr., Program Analyst at (202) 205-5471, or email Richard.lucey@ed.gov.
To find out more information, visit http://www.edc.org/hec/grants/ed/high-risk/0302/grant.html.
7.)
TAKE PART IN RECOVERY MONTH WEB CHAT MARCH 19
SAMHSA will hold its first Web Chat for this year's
Recovery Month, on Wednesday March 19, from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. EST. The
online discussion, entitled "When Addiction and Mental Disorders
Co-Occur," is with Thomas A. Kirk, Jr., Ph.D., Commissioner of
Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. Organizers
invite you to take part in an exchange with one of the country's foremost
authorities on services for persons with addiction and mental disorders.
You
can post any questions in advance using the box at http://www.recoverymonth.gov/2003/multimedia/chatformsubmit.aspx
or any time
during the live chat. A transcript of the chat will be posted within
48 hours after the chat is conducted; to view it, follow the link from
http://www.recoverymonth.gov/2003/multimedia/.
8.)
STIMULANTS MAY PROTECT CHILDREN WITH ADHD FROM LATER SUBSTANCE ABUSE
Stimulant medications such as methylphenidate
used to treat children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder
(ADHD) may reduce their risk of developing substance abuse problems
later in life, according to a Harvard University study. Youth subjects
were followed in six long-term studies. Researchers found that youths
with ADHD who were treated with stimulants had an almost two-fold reduction
in the risk for developing substance use disorders (SUD) when compared
with youths with ADHD who did not receive stimulants, leading researchers
to suggest that those medications may safeguard against SUDs.
You
can read an abstract of the study at http://www.pediatrics.org/cgi/content/abstract/111/1/97.
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