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News of Hope email. |
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Welcome
to October, 2007 "News of
Hope"
WELCOME
to October, 2007 - 'NEWS OF
HOPE'
Alcohol is an issue which now,
more than ever, needs to be at
the center of prevention
efforts. Studies show that even
though more money and resources
are being devoted to drug and
alcohol prevention, our children
are being introduced to and
experimenting with alcohol at
younger and younger ages.
In fact, recent studies report
that 1 in 10 4th graders
have had more than a sip of
alcohol and 7 percent have had a
drink during the past year!!!
In addition, current statistics
state that 1 in 4 young people
are growing up in a home where
someone has a drinking problem
or is an active alcoholic.
Staggering to think how many
children are being impacted by
the critical or negligent
behaviors of the disease of
alcoholism. And it does, then,
impact the children's focus in
school, self-worth, own choices
to escape into alcohol/drugs.
Certainly, there are a many
factors out of our control which
contribute to our children being
exposed to alcohol, drugs,
sexuality and violence options
at a much younger age than we
ever were. That’s why it is so
important for us to do whatever
we can to communicate, guide and
emotionally support our kids so
their cortex may develop
properly and their hopes and
dreams flourish.
This month’s newsletter will
educate you on some of the
newest and latest issues to help
parents win the fight over
alcohol and our kids.
October’s Issue:
*Report on Prevention Education
in America
*Young Drinking is
Underestimated
*Lowering Drinking Age to 18
Gets Consideration
*Crack Down on Parents Who Let
Kids Drink
*SPECIAL FEATURE: Kids & the
Law - Alcohol
*Ads Promoting Alcohol
Overshadow Those on Prevention
***************************************************
NEW!!!
Our college intern, Steven
Taylor, begins a new offering of
insider EDITORIALS!
Well worth a read! As a young
adult/older teen, Steve offers
some interesting perspectives
you won't want to miss!
Topics this month include
insights into Adderall abuse
by high-achievers and teen
isolation and depression due to
technology
Check it all out including
Susie's answers to more teen and
parent questions on our BLOG www.susievanderlip.blogspot.com
We invite your feedback! THANKS!
***************************************************
Pictures above: Pics 1
thru 3: Wonderful coordinators
and participants of the Dallas,
Texas CONTACT Crisis Line and
inaugural Sept conference! A
superior hotline resource:
www.contactcrisisline.org -
Above in pic 1 (2nd from rt) is
Diana Weaver- Sr. Dir of
Marketing and Philanthropy, pic
2 -Exec Dir Benaye Rogers, pic 3
- teen participants having fun!
Pic 4: Intern and conf
coordinator Kim Lee Alvardo with
Susie at the Cultural Adjustment
and Trauma Services Program
conference for the International
Institute of New Jersey.
Culturally rich and informative
event!
Check
out new EDITORIALS and
PERSPECTIVES
|
|
| Ground
Breaking Report on
Prevention Education in
America
 It's
back to school time, and
I'm writing to announce
a brand-new
report on prevention
education in America's
schools from Join
Together. But it may not
be the report you'd
expect.
We ask our schools to do
a lot of things besides
prepare our kids to
compete in the global
economy – including
teaching them to stay
healthy and safe.
Teaching about the
dangers of alcohol and
drugs is included in the
education requirements
of 37 states.
But what is really
happening when alcohol
and drug education gets
squeezed in with an
ever-growing list of
requirements in
thousands of schools
across the nation?
Join Together asked
3,500 teachers, school
administrators, and
other educators to give
feedback. The result is
the report Prevention
Education in America's
Schools: Findings and
Recommendations from a
Survey of Educators.
Join Together's
survey found that:
* Schools can't do it
alone. Parental and
community involvement,
solid environmental
strategies, and public
policy are vital to
preventing alcohol and
drug use among children
and adolescents.
* Schools and teachers
have very limited time
and resources to teach
prevention effectively,
regardless of what
state-mandated standards
say; and
* Schools should adopt
specific prevention
education strategies to
help them make the most
of their time and stop
wasting money on
strategies that have
been proven ineffective.
Too often, reports on
prevention education
conclude that schools
simply must do more.
This one is different.
--David Rosenbloom
Director, Join Together
Download
the report now, and tell
a friend about this
important new
publication.
|
|
|
___________________________________________________________
| Study
Says Young Drinking
Underestimated
 About
one in 10 4th-graders
have had more than a sip
of alcohol and 7 percent
have had a drink during
the past year,
according to researchers
who say that prevention
programs, parents and
teachers should not
overlook drinking among
elementary-school
children.
A research review by
John E. Donovan, Ph.D.,
of the University of
Pittsburgh Medical
Center revealed that,
"While the numbers
are small in the 4th
grade, the surveys show
that the percent of
children who have used
alcohol increases with
age, and doubles between
grades four and
six."
"The largest jump
in rates occurs between
grades five and
six," according to
Donovan.
Donovan did say that the
numbers of young
drinkers has been
declining, "but the
numbers are still
alarming because of the
connection between early
alcohol consumption and
negative outcomes later
during both adolescence
and young adulthood. It
is this linkage that
argues most strongly for
preventing alcohol use
prior to
adolescence," he
said.
While alcohol use among
adolescents gets a lot
of attention, Donovan
said that research on
drinking by younger
children often goes
unpublished or is
overlooked.
"Knowing how many
children have had
experience with alcohol
would serve as an
indicator of the number
potentially at risk for
later use of marijuana
and other illicit
drugs," he said.
"Childhood use of
alcohol also predicts
involvement in alcohol
problems, alcohol abuse
and dependence in both
adolescence and
adulthood. And early
drinking relates to a
variety of other
problems, including
absences from school,
delinquent behavior,
drinking and driving,
sexual intercourse and
pregnancy."
The report was published
in the September 2007
issue of the journal
Prevention Science.
--www.jointogether.org
Reference:
Donovan, J.E. (2007)
Really Underage
Drinkers: The
Epidemiology of
Children's Alcohol Use
in the United States.
Prevention Science, doi:
10.1007/s11121-007-0072-7.
This article summarizes
a mainstream media
report of research
published in a
scientific journal. It
is not an original
analysis of the source
material, which is cited
in the reference above.
Learn
more about teen issues
from Susie's book - 52
Ways
|
| We
want YOUR OPINION
 Give
us YOUR OPINION on at
www.susievanderlip.blogspot.com
Lowering Drinking Age
to 18 Gets Consideration
Several states,
including Florida,
Wisconsin, Vermont and
Missouri, have studied
the idea of lowering the
drinking age from 21 to
18, as some experts are
suggesting, MSNBC
reported Aug. 14.
The National Youth
Rights Association has
launched a petition
drive to lower the
drinking age, and some
Missouri advocates are
organizing a ballot
initiative. John
McCardell, former
president of Middlebury
College in Vermont, has
become the most visible
advocate for the change.
“The law was changed
in 1984, and the law had
a very specific purpose,
and that was to prohibit
drinking among those
under the age of 21,”
McCardell said. “The
only way to measure the
success of that law is
to ask ourselves
whether, 23 years later,
those under 21 are not
drinking.” “The
evidence is very
clear,” McCardell
said. “It has had no
effect.”
Backers believe the rise
of binge drinking among
adolescents and college
students can be directly
traced to raising the
drinking age to 21.
“Just like during
national Prohibition,
the law has pushed and
forced underage drinking
and youthful drinking
underground, where we
have no control over
it," said David J.
Hanson, an alcohol
policy expert at the
State University of New
York-Potsdam.
Opposition to the
proposal remains strong,
however. “Why would we
repeal or weaken laws
that save lives? It
doesn’t make
sense," said Mark
Rosenker, chairman of
the National
Transportation Safety
Board. The age-21 laws
adopted by all 50 states
-- under threat by
Congress of losing their
federal highway funds --
have been credited with
lowering the rate of
drunk-driving
fatalities. But critics
also question the
studies used to link the
age-21 law and lower
alcohol-related traffic
fatalities.
McCardell's group,
Choose Responsibility,
would like to see the
drinking age lowered to
18 but also wants
"drinking
licenses" issued to
those ages 18 to 21.
McCardell also wants
youths to receive more
education on responsible
alcohol consumption.
However, 77 percent of
Americans recently
surveyed by Gallup said
they opposed lowering
the drinking age.
--www.jointogether.org
Don't
wait! Please share your
views now!
|
| What
do YOU THINK about this
one?
 Illinois
Cracks Down on Parents
Who Let Kids Drink
Parents who allow
underage youth to drink
alcohol in their homes
could be charged with a
felony under a new
Illinois law, the
Chicago Tribune reported
Sept. 1.
Felony charges could be
filed against adults who
knowingly allow underage
drinking and someone is
killed or injured; the
measure was prompted by
the death of a Deerfield
High School student and
a recent graduate at an
underage-drinking party
last fall.
The new social-host law
calls for 1 to 3 years
in prison and up to
$25,000 in fines for
offenders. "We have
to do everything we can
to educate parents and
teens, but we also have
to put some deterrent
out there to ensure that
these types of tragic
accidents don't continue
to happen over and over
again," said bill
sponsor Sen. Susan
Garrett (D-Lake Forest).
The measure was signed
into law by Gov. Rod
Blagojevich.
--www.jointogether.org
Share
what you think about
parents giving their
children alcohol... |
__________________________________________________________________________ |
|
| Check
this out...
The
Partnership for
a Drug-Free
America is
launching Time
to Talk — a
family-centric
campaign for
parents and
caregivers.
Time to Talk empowers
parents by
providing them
with practical
tips and
information
needed not only
to start, but to
keep the
conversations
about drugs and
alcohol going
over the long
haul.
Time
to Talk
Another
section of Kids
and the Law...
 Alcohol
and Kids
--A
publication of
The State Bar of
California.
Permission
granted to
reproduce for
educational use
only.
In a 2006
California
survey, nearly
one in two 9th
graders reported
they had
consumed at
least one
alcoholic drink
at some point.
Forty percent of
the 11th graders
surveyed
admitted
drinking enough
alcohol to
become “drunk
or sick.” And
in a national
survey, one in
four high school
students said
they were under
age 13 when they
drank alcohol
for the first
time.
The legal age
for drinking
alcohol in
California,
however, is 21.
This means that
providing
alcoholic
beverages to
anyone under
that age is
prohibited. In
California, an
alcoholic
beverage is any
beverage that
contains at
least one-half
of 1 percent of
alcohol.
Those under 21
are not even
permitted to
possess alcohol
in public
places,
including state
highways or in
and around
schools. Minors
also must abide
by city and
county
ordinances that
prohibit
everyone from
consuming
alcoholic
beverages in
public parks or
recreation
areas. Anyone,
adult or minor,
who possesses an
open container
of alcohol in a
prohibited area,
is guilty of an
infraction.
Also, with some
exceptions,
individuals
under the age of
21 are
prohibited from
being in bars or
other
establishments
where liquor is
being served.
The law makes it
illegal to
possess false
identification
or use a fake
I.D. to purchase
(or for attempt
to purchase)
alcohol or to
enter an
establishment
where alcohol is
being served.
While it is
legal for those
under 21 to be
present in a
home where
adults over 21
are drinking
alcohol, it is
illegal to
provide alcohol
to anyone under
21. Parents and
others providing
the alcohol can
be held
criminally
liable for
contributing to
the delinquency
of a minor.
If someone under
age 18-or the
child’s
underage
companion-causes
a traffic
collision after
drinking alcohol
at home, his or
her parent could
face a
misdemeanor
charge, a year
in jail and a
$1,000 fine. The
law would apply
if the parent
permitted the
child to consume
alcohol or use a
controlled
substance and
then allowed the
child to drive
(with a
blood-alcohol
concentration of
at least 0.05
percent).
Driving under
the influence of
alcohol is a
very serious
crime that often
requires the
payment of a
large fine, a
mandatory jail
sentence and the
suspension or
revocation of a
driver’s
license,
particularly if
the young person
has been
convicted of the
same offense in
the past.
Are there
laws that
address underage
drinking at
parties?
Yes. A police
officer (who
lawfully enters
the gathering)
can seize
alcoholic
beverages from
anyone under 21
at an
unsupervised
social
gathering. Under
California law,
an unsupervised
social gathering
is a public
party or event
that is attended
by 10 or more
people under the
age of 21, and
is not
supervised by a
parent or
guardian of any
of the
participants.
The punishment
for violating
liquor laws
varies. The
offender may be
found guilty of
an infraction or
a misdemeanor.
In addition,
young people
between the ages
of 13 and 21 who
violate the law
may have their
driver’s
licenses
suspended,
revoked of
delayed for up
to one year for
each offense
related to the
possession,
consumption or
purchase of
alcohol. This is
true even if the
offense does not
involve an
automobile.
Also, for their
first offense,
young people may
be asked to pay
up to $250 in
fines or perform
community
service. A young
person convicted
of a second or
subsequent
offense will be
fined up to $500
or required to
perform more
community
service.
At least one
county also has
enacted a Social
Host
Accountability
Ordinance to
help curb
underage
drinking. Under
Marin County’s
ordinance,
social hosts of
any loud or
unruly gathering
can be fined
$750 if any
underage guests
possess or drink
alcohol. After
three or more
violations, the
fine would jump
to $2500. In
addition, such
hosts would have
to pay the costs
of responding to
the party or
breaking it up.
|
AVAILABLE
ONLY AT
LEGACY...
LEGACY offers
more support to
parents and
teens --
* 52 Ways
to Protect Your
Teen -
this book by
Susie Vanderlip
is filled with
insights,
conversations
and
down-to-earth
suggestions that
improve
parent-teen
relations and
communication
* LESSONS
FROM THE ROAD
- Book by an
amazing group of
speakers to
education.
Includes Susie's
Chapter on
'Emotional
Wisdom' - part
of her message
as she speaks to
youth and adults
about making
good choices and
taking
responsible
action in life.
* LEGACY
OF YOUTH
Skincare
- In response to
requests from
audience
members, I now
have the same
pharmaceutical
grade, high
potency skincare
line that I use
AVAILABLE ON OUR
WEBSITE. For
more supple,
youthful, smooth
skin - try BENEV.
Learn more on
our sight...
* LEGACY
OF HOPE DVD
- an hour and a
half of Susie's
live theatrical
program to share
and discuss with
your children or
students in a
classroom.
Undeniably
unique,
emotionally
moving, and
thought-provoking
All
LEGACY PRODUCTS
available here |
| Alcohol
Companies'
Product
Advertising on
TV Dwarfs
'Responsibility'
Ads
 Join
Together shares
more important
information:
Youth are 239
times more
likely to see
ads promoting
alcohol products
than industry
spots
discouraging
underage
drinking
Washington, DC -
Alcohol industry
"responsibility"
advertisements
comprised less
than three
percent of the
nearly 1.5
million alcohol
industry
television
advertisements
that aired from
2001 to 2005,
according to a
new study
released by the
Center on
Alcohol
Marketing and
Youth (CAMY) at
Georgetown
University.
The report,
titled DROWNED
OUT: Alcohol
Industry
"Responsibility"
Advertising on
Television
2001-2005,
analyzed the
industry's
"responsibility"
advertising
because it is
the largest
source of such
advertising.
In addition to
looking at the
number of ads,
the study
analyzed
spending and
found that of
the $4.9 billion
spent to
advertise
alcohol on
television from
2001 to 2005,
just 2% (or $104
million) was
spent to air
41,333
"responsibility"
advertisements.
The CAMY report
showed that from
2001 to 2005,
underage youth
were 239 times
more likely to
see an
advertisement
selling alcohol
than one of the
industry's
"responsibility"
advertisements,
designed to
educate about
the dangers of
underage
drinking.
Additionally,
during that same
period underage
youth were 32
times more
likely to see an
advertisement
selling alcohol
than a
"responsibility"
advertisement
about
drinking-and-driving
and drinking
safety.
"The
primary messages
kids get about
alcohol on
television are
from alcohol
product ads that
not surprisingly
promote their
use and
enjoyment,"
said David
Jernigan, CAMY
executive
director.
"To look
just to the
industry for
messages on
responsibility
is clearly not
smart public
policy."
The CAMY
analysis also
found that:
* In 2001, youth
ages 12 to 20
who saw alcohol
advertising on
television
viewed an
average of 217
alcohol product
advertisements
and 11
"responsibility"
advertisements
on television.
By 2005, they
saw an average
of 309 alcohol
product
advertisements
and 21
"responsibility"
advertisements.
* Only 8 of 109
alcohol
companies that
bought
television
advertising time
ran
"responsibility"
ads on
television from
2001 to 2005
(and 6 of 56 in
2005). All the
other companies
ran product
advertisements
only.
* More alcohol
brands aired
"responsibility"
advertisements
in 2005 than in
any prior year.
Of the 174
brands that
placed product
advertising on
television in
2005 at a total
cost of $1
billion, 19
brands sponsored
"responsibility"
advertisements
on television at
a total cost of
$28 million.
*
"Responsibility"
advertising
spending varied
widely among
companies who
ran such ads. Of
the 8 companies
that ran
"responsibility"
ads, Diageo
invested the
most in these
advertisements
over the
2001-2005
period, both in
terms of dollars
spent (nearly
$66 million) and
percentage of
advertising
dollars (18%
over the
five-year
period). Over
the same period,
Anheuser-Busch
Companies spent
the second
largest dollar
amount (almost
$20 million) on
"responsibility"
ads. This
constituted
about 1% of
A-B's television
advertising
budget for the
period.
Alcohol is the
drug most widely
used by
America's young
people ages 12
to 20, and
underage
drinking is
responsible for
5,000 deaths per
year in this age
group, according
to the U.S.
Surgeon General.
In 2006, the
Sober Truth on
Preventing
Underage
Drinking Act
(STOP Act) was
signed into law
and authorized
$1 million for a
national media
campaign on
underage
drinking. It
also requires
the Department
of Health and
Human Services
to report
annually to
Congress on
underage
drinking,
including the
rate of exposure
of youth to
advertising and
other media
messages
encouraging and
discouraging
alcohol use. The
STOP Act,
however, is only
authorizing
legislation, and
Congress is
considering this
year whether it
will fund these
activities.
"Our
findings clearly
show that the
alcohol
industry's
efforts to fight
underage
drinking through
television
advertising are
never going to
match its
product
advertising,"
said Jernigan.
"We need a
substantial
national
commitment if we
expect our
children to get
a balanced
message from
television."
--www.jointogether.org
For
more
up-to-the-minute
prevention news,
check out
www.jointogether.org |
| Other
NEWS OF HOPE
issues on
related
subjects...
Feb, 2007
- Underage
Drinking
July, 2006 -
Sobriety High
Schools,
Recovery
| | | | | | | |
