Thursday morning links

Our own Jo Morrissey was featured yesterday on Good Day Maine talking about tomorrow's Chalk it Up to Prevention (wish hard with us to keep the rain away--and check our website after 9am on 10/1 if you're uncertain if the event will be held):

And the Brunswick Times-Record featured an excellent opinion piece about the risks of alcohol use by young people--and what we can do to prevent it:

• Involve all segments of the community — youths, parents, lawmakers, law enforcement, health care, schools and the media.
• Determine specific community norms that permit or encourage teen drinking and target our efforts toward changing those norms.
• Provide facts about the potential dangers of drinking — sugar-coating the realities is not effective, any more than over-dramatizing them.
• Provide youth-driven, safe, healthy and fun alternatives to drinking alcohol.
• Present clear NO-USE messages regarding underage drinking.
• Continue talking with (not at) our youth about the pressure to drink, offer skills to resist the pressure and have an open door for dialogue when the issue arises.
• Educate adults about the warning signs of alcohol use by youth, the effects of their own attitudes about alcohol use and where to go for help if needed. 
• Support law enforcement officials in enforcing the 21-year-old drinking age, in enforcing the laws that exist to deter adults from purchasing alcohol for minors, in adopting policies for detecting and terminating underage drinking parties and in strengthening compliance check programs in retail outlets.
• Utilize existing key resources to learn what has and has not worked. The realities of underage drinking have multiple layers and need a multi-layered approach.

Looking for more news? You can find lots more links to local, national, and international news about underage drinking and its prevention and enforcement at our Delicious page.

21 Reasons Survey

In order to serve you and our community better, we are asking you to provide us some feedback on our performance.

How do you think 21 Reasons is doing? Are there things you think could be improved upon? Are there things we should consider? Or, are there things we are doing very well and should keep up?

This is your chance to let us know your thoughts so that the staff of 21 Reasons may serve you and our community better. Please take a moment (about 10 minutes) to fill out our Annual Coalition Member Survey and let us know what you think.

The survey will be open until Friday, October 8th. We value your opinion

Family Dinners Can Make a Difference

As the new school year begins, it is important to keep in mind how meaningful and effective talking to your kids really is. Even as schedules become more hectic and conflicting, we want you to remember that even the small stuff can make a difference.

A recent study done by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University has found that having regular dinners as a family will in fact put your child at less risk of using alcohol or drugs even as they are confronted with the pressure to do so in and outside of school.

If you haven’t been having family dinners lately, September 27, 2010 would be a great day to start. It’s the annual Family Day created by CASA, and it will be held across the nation. We urge you to participate! Family Day was created in 1992 by Joseph A. Califano Jr. in an effort to prevent the abuse of illegal drinking and drug abuse. Since its instillation CASA has done research that proves having a meal with your kids, listening and being interested in their lives, and informing them about the dangers of alcohol and drugs can have an impact.

Whether it’s a family dinner, a family breakfast, or even a game night, doing family activities is a simple prevention method.

And if you get a chance during dinner, you can talk to your kids about your expectation that they stay drug and alcohol-free.

Also check out The Partnership for a Drug-Free America for a guide to the Teen Brain and tips for parenting a teenager.

Chalk It Up to Prevention

Call for Artists, Businesses, Galleries, Youth, Parents, YOU!

Portland, ME- 21 Reasons is hosting our first annual, “Chalk It Up to Prevention.” On Friday, October 1 Portland’s sidewalks will illustrate ways to prevent underage drinking.

Community members will draw on the sidewalk between Monument Square and Congress Square, from 11 -3, illustrating the many ways we all can prevent underage drinking. These chalk artworks will be visible throughout the First Friday Art Walk that evening.

Participants needed! We need artists, business participants, setup and cleanup help.

The rain date is October 8.

FMI:

Call: 207-773-7737

Email: 21reasons@mcd.org

Visit: www.21reasons.org