Underage drinking crackdown shifts from bars to parties

Law enforcement agencies in Douglas County are shifting their efforts to crack down on underage drinking this spring from bars to neighborhoods and house parties.
Read more:
http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2012/may/01/underage-drinking-crackdown-shifts-bars-parties/

KCTV5 investigates license to hide - KCTV 5

Fake ID's are easy to get but may have serious consequences.

KCTV5 investigates license to hide - KCTV 5

OVER THE COUNTER DRUGS STILL A PROBLEM

Prescription Drug Abuse is still a major concern throughout the state of Kansas. A recent incident involving high school students in Northeast Kansas is good reminder that work needs to continue to educate Kansans on the risks involved. To read more about about the incident, click here. 

NEW COALITION NAME as of JANUARY 2012

The New Tradition Coalition is changing its name to New Coalition Name as of January 2012 to:

Draw the Line Lawrence

 We will be changing our web and blog sites to reflect the name change soon. Stay tuned.


Meeting Minutes

December 14, 2011

 Welcome and Introductions/agency updates

Peggy Nelson, Diane Ash, Rob Neff, Steve Lewis, Elizabeth Schieb, Phil Bradley, Janelle Martin, Nancy Renfro, and Kelli Flanner were in attendance.

 DFC Grant Update- Youth Coalition Reports

MADD Power of Parents had low attendance. There was some discussion of how to reach out to parents with PoP. Ideas included: getting on the agenda for PTA meetings, brown bag lunches at large employers, connecting with athletic directors/coaches, connecting with parents of music group participants.

Youth Coalition activities have been wide ranging in October and November, including many presentations for Red Ribbon week and Students Talking about Tobacco, a successful talent show that engaged over 400 youth and raised money for prevention scholarships, and Great American Smokeout celebrations.

 Fake ID 101 Enforcement update

Bar owners will attend the next FAKE ID 101 meeting. Issues that will be discussed include whether to reapply for funds (this is the conclusion of the third funding cycle), sources of IDs that youth are using, and where to go next with this project.

 Media/Marketing Update

The first website draft from Kern was presented to the coalition and discussed. We are awaiting a second draft concept and will select one to move forward with. Some website content will need to be provided by coalition members and will be edited for space by the marketing committee. We anticipate this happening in the next couple of months.

 Report on the Prescription Drug Take-Back Event-Oct. 29th

There will be another Prescription Drug Take-Back on April 21st. A permanent solution to the problem of what to do with old prescriptions is in the works, but awaiting DEA recommendations for how to proceed.

 Parent Surveys

Results of the spring/fall parent surveys were shared with the coalition. All the results show awareness of Those Who Host Lose the Most and other campaigns increasing and acceptability of social hosting decreasing. Numbers of surveys in the fall were more than twice the spring

responses, which is expected as many more parents attend parent/teacher conferences in the fall than spring.

 Elections

We need to elect new officers for the coalition. Paid staff is not eligible. There was discussion of a need to bring new people to the table, and Diane Ash and Peggy Nelson agreed to send letters to the parents of their Youth Coalition members inviting them to the January meeting. We hope to get new people to the table in January and hold elections for Chair, Vice Chair, and Secretary in February.

**Next Meeting- January 4th **

PARENT TIPS ON SOCIAL HOSTING IN LAWRENCE

Don’t invite Trouble

into your House ...

Most parents worry whether their teenager is safe at parties. Some parents mistakenly think it’s safer

to allow teens to hold underage drinking parties in their homes. This is called “social hosting” and in Kansas, it’s illegal. If charged and convicted, it’s a

Class A misdemeanor and a $1000 fine. You may be held liable even if you are not home.

Teens can still have fun and be legal.

Take these steps if the party is at your house:

• Help your teen plan the party.
• Invite only a certain number of people.

• Pass out personalized invitations and don’t invite people via e-mail to avoid “open” parties.

• Put your phone number on the invitation and welcome calls from parents.

• Make and enforce a rule against any use of alcohol, drugs and tobacco.

• Call parents if a teen arrives with alcohol or is under the influence.

• Designate a start and end time for the party.

• Secure all forms of alcohol, firearms and other dangerous items in your home.

• Let neighbors know that a parent supervised party has been planned.

When you are out-of-town ...

• Set a “no party” rule for your house while you are gone.
• Have a responsible adult stay at your house or ask a neighbor to keep watch.
• Ask the police to drive by your house.
• Tell your teen you asked the police to do this.

If your teen attends a party... 

Remind teens that their actions have real consequences.

Know where the party is being held and verify with an adult who will be supervising.

Make sure alcohol will not be served.

Find out how your teen is getting to and from the party.

.

Remind teens to never ride with anyone who’s been drinking or doing drugs.

Tell teens to check in with you first from a land line telephone if they plan to leave the party and go somewhere else.

Assure your teen that they can phone you anytime to be picked up.

Set and enforce a curfew.

A program of

Kansas Family Partnership

5942 SW 29th Street, Topeka, KS 66614

785-266-6161 or 1-800-206-7231

For more information, visit

www.KansasFamily.org.

TEENS, PARENTS & DRIVING

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration just released a report that may influence the way some parents drive.  Read more at the link below.

SAMHSA News Release

Date: 12/6/2011 12:05 AM
Media Contact: SAMHSA Press Office
Telephone: 240-276-2130

New report shows that adolescents are far more likely to drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs if they live with a parent that drives under the influence

http://www.samhsa.gov/newsroom/advisories/1112050724.aspx

TEEN DEPRESSION

Many teens who are depressed turn to drugs or alcohol to self medicate and relieve the symptoms.  We as adults need to be aware of the symptoms of depression and know when to get help.  Bert Nash, the Lawrence Community Mental Health Center is a great resource. 


How to Tell if Your Teen is Depressed

Depression can affect people of any age, race, ethnic or economic group. There are two kinds of depressive illness: the sad kind, called major depression, and manic-depression or bipolar disorder, when feeling down and depressed alternates with being hyped-up and sometimes reckless. You need to have your teen evaluated by a professional if they have several of the following symptoms for more than 2 weeks or if any of these symptoms cause such a big change that your teen can't keep up their usual routine:          Feels sad or cries a lot and it doesn't go away. Feels guilty for no reason; feels like they're no good; lost their confidence. Life seems meaningless or like nothing good is ever going to happen again. They have a negative attitude a lot of the time, or it seems like they have no feelings. Don't feel like doing a lot of the things they used to like music, sports, being with friends, going out and they want to be left alone most of the time. It's hard to make up their mind. They forget lots of things, and it's hard to concentrate. Get irritated often. Little things make them lose their temper and/or over-react. Sleep pattern changes; start sleeping a lot more or have trouble falling asleep at night. Wake up really early most mornings and can't get back to sleep. Eating pattern changes; lost appetite or eat a lot more. Feel restless and tired most of the time. Think about death, or feel like they're dying, or have thoughts about committing suicide. Manic Symptoms:           Feel high as a kite...like they're "on top of the world." Have unreal ideas about the great things they can do...things that they really can't do. Thoughts go racing through their head and jump from one subject to another and talk a lot. They are a non-stop party, constantly running around. Do too many wild or risky things: with driving, with spending money, with sex, etc. So "up" that they don't need much sleep. Rebellious or irritable and can't get along Approximately 4 percent of adolescents get seriously depressed each year. Clinical depression is a serious illness that can affect anybody, including teenagers. It can affect thoughts, feelings, behavior, and overall health. Teens with depression can be helped with treatment.

FAKE ID 101 INITIATIVE

Open this University Daily Kansan newspaper article to find out how the FAKE ID 101 initiative worked in  Lawrence this past semester.  Congratulations to our law enforcement community for targeting minors using fake ID's.
http://www.kansan.com/news/2011/dec/06/lawrence-bars-patrolled-underage-drinking/?news

FREE STATE HIGH YOUTH COALITION

Dear Blog Readers,

I just thought I’d share with you an example of the positive things the New Tradition's youth coalition is doing.  Free State Youth Coalition created and donated a Christmas tree that was in the Festival of Trees.  Their theme was:  "Stay on Track --- Say NO to Drugs".  What a great job and a great message! 

ALCOHOL AND THE TEENAGE BRAIN

Here is a quick story from NPR on what the researchers have to say about alcohol use and the teenage brain. 
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122765890

SURVIVING THE HOLIDAYS WITH A TROUBLED TEEN

The holiday season is often portrayed as a time for happy families to come together but if your family includes a troubled teen the holiday season may be anything but happy.
Here are a few guidelines that may help everyone.

http://parentingteens.about.com/od/parentingtroubledteens/a/Holidays-With-Troubled-Teens.htm?nl=1

RED RIBBON WEEK

The Traffic Safety Resource Office announces two competitions.  Pass it on and win!

Seeking Red Ribbon Week Awards Nominations: Did you or your community or school organize any kind of celebration of Red Ribbon Week?  If so, you may have the opportunity to win an award to recognize your achievements! Hurry - the deadline to submit is Friday, November 18, 2011.

To download the nomination form, go here.

Act Out Loud 2012 is Here! From October 14, 2011 - January 13, 2012, teams are invited to enter the contest to participate in three different activities that focus on stronger teen driver safety laws. Teams that complete all three activities will be eligible for the $10,000 grand prize.

For all contest details, go here.

 

LAWRENCE HIGH STUDENTS FOR PREVENTION

We have an amazing group of students from Lawrence High.  The New Tradition Youth Coalition called the FYI Club is dedicated to working within their peer group to encourage drug and alcohol free lifestyles.  Please support these students by grabbing the family and attending the Lawrence High Talent Show on November 2nd. 

The 7th Annual LHS FYI Talent show will be in the Lawrence High auditorium on Wednesday, Nov 2, 2011 at 7:00pm!

FYI Youth Coalition sponsors a Talent Show to provide an opportunity for students to participate in a performance event, even if they do not participate in choir, orchestra or band. The proceeds from this show will benefit students in 2 ways:  first, half of the proceeds will help LHS students with financial needs throughout the rest of this year, and second, half of the proceeds will provide a scholarship for students who have worked in prevention. Tickets may be purchased at the door before the event: adults-$4, students K-12-$3 and children ages 4 and under are free. Local businesses support this event by donating dozens of prizes used for the contestants as well as door prizes for the audience. Join us as we celebrate the voices and talents of our local youth!

Diane Ash

Prevention Specialist/Team Leader

Lawrence High School

1901 Louisiana

Lawrence, Kansas 66044

785-832-5050 ext 1449;785-832-5054 fax

dash@usd497.org

HOW TO TALK TO YOUR TEENS ABOUT SMOKING

Denise Whitmer is an author and has a very informative web site for parents.  Here is some help for parents when talking to teens and preteens about smoking.  Read the article below:
http://parentingteens.about.com/bio/Denise-Witmer-403.htm?nl=1

RED RIBBON WEEK OCT 22-30

Red Ribbon week gives parents and teachers a chance to talk about drugs and drug use in our community.  Talking to our youth and listening to what they have to say is a most important step we can take to keep our youth healthy.

From the National DEA:  A little History

Drug Enforcement Administration
Office of Public Affairs
202-307-7977

	Red Ribbon Anti-Drug Campaign
	Red Ribbon Week is the nation’s oldest and largest drug prevention program in the nation reaching millions of Americans during the last week of October every year. By wearing red ribbons and participating in community anti-drug events, young people pledge to live a drug-free life and pay tribute to DEA Special Agent Enriqué “Kiki” Camarena. Special Agent Kiki Camarena: Special Agent Camarena was an 11-year veteran of the DEA assigned to the Guadalajara, Mexico, office where he was on the trail of the country’s biggest marijuana and cocaine traffickers. In 1985, he was extremely close to unlocking a multi-billion dollar drug pipeline. On February 7, 1985, he was kidnapped, brutally tortured, and murdered by Mexican drug traffickers. His tragic death opened the eyes of many Americans to the dangers of drugs and the international scope of the drug trade.  History of Red Ribbon Week: Shortly after Kiki’s death, Congressman Duncan Hunter and Kiki’s high school friend Henry Lozano launched “Camarena Clubs” in Kiki’s hometown of Calexico, California. Hundreds of club members pledged to lead drug-free lives to honor the sacrifice made by Kiki Camarena. These pledges were delivered to First Lady Nancy Reagan at a national conference of parents combating youth drug use. Several state parent organizations then called on community groups to wear red ribbons during the last week of October as a symbol of their drug-free commitment. The first Red Ribbon Week celebrations were held in La Mirada and Norwalk, California In 1988, the National Family Partnership (NFP) coordinated the first National Red Ribbon Week with President and Mrs. Reagan serving as honorary chairpersons. How to Celebrate Red Ribbon Week: The NFP estimates that more than 80 million people participate in Red Ribbon events each year. The campaign is a unified way for communities to take a stand against drugs and show intolerance for illicit drug use and the consequences to all Americans. Schools, businesses, the faith community, media, families, and community coalitions join together to celebrate Red Ribbon Week in many ways, such as: sponsoring essay and poster contests; organizing drug-free races; decorating buildings in red; handing out red ribbons to customers; holding parades or community events; and by publicizing the value of a drug-free, healthy lifestyle. DEA joins with community coalitions and prevention groups to plan and carry out Red Ribbon activities, ranging from classroom events to stadium-sized rallies.

CELEBRATE FAMILY DAY

Celebrate Family Day-A day to eat dinner with your children on September 26, 2011
The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse  (CASA) created Family Day – A Day to Eat Dinner with Your Children™ in 2001, as a national effort to promote family dinners as an effective way to reduce substance abuse among children and teens. Family Day is celebrated on the fourth Monday in September.  Plan your family dinners as often as you can for a healthy community.  Make it special (and more enticing) by occasionally inviting your child's friend.

GOT DRUGS? JOIN LAWRENCE TAKE BACK DAY

Help stop the abuse of perscription drugs.  There is a new trend in Lawrence.  Six of the top ten drugs used by high school seniors were either perscribed or purchased over the counter.  Check your homes for any unused or outdated medications.  Bring to the Law Enforcement Center at 111 E 11th St. (11th and New Hampshire).  Sponsored by the Douglas County Sherrif's Department, Lawrence Police Department and the DEA.  Officers  will be outside collecting and will safely dispose of these potentially harmful medications.  Let's keep these drugs out of the hands of Lawrence youth.

If you cannot come on October 29th, then follow the Kansas Department of Health and Environment disposal recommendations for pharmaceuticals. Prepare excess medications as follows: crush or dissolve pills in water, coffee, or another liquid. Make a paste of the dissolved pills or liquid medication by adding it to kitty litter or coffee grounds. Put the paste in a closed container, making sure any personal markings are removed. Then put the closed container in the trash.

CENTER FOR ADDICTION AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE REPORT

CASA Columbia Releases 2011 Teen Survey: National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse XVI: Teens  and Parents
Last week, The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University released the National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse XVI: Teens and Parents.  Click for the summary.

LAWRENCE SERVER TRAINING FOR BARS & RESTAURANTS

On August 28th, at Lawrence Arts Center  representatives from local agencies provided training, including on how to detect fake IDs, for local alcohol servers and retailers. More than 150 staff members from 31 bars and restaurants and three liquor stores attended. Jen Jordan ofDCCCA said organizers were pleased with the turnout, even though they wished more retailers would have attended.

NEW TRADITION COALITION INITIATIVES

The New Tradition Coalition is involved im three initiatives to help stop underage drinking in Lawrence.  read the Lawrence Journal World article for more info.
http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2011/aug/29/local-efforts-will-target-underage-drinking/