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7/9/2007
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SUCCESS STORY Alcohol Fund NEW FUTURES NEWS a. US Surgeon General to attend the 9th Annual Leadership Recognition and Awards Celebration This year’s Leadership Recognition and Awards Celebration will be held on Tuesday, October 9 at the Manchester Country Club in b. Seeking Tom Fox Scholarship Nominees Please help nominate someone for one of two Tom Fox Scholarships. The Tom Fox scholarships recognize two individuals for exemplary contributions to the delivery of alcohol and other drug services in LEGISLATIVE UPDATE a. Update on the State Budget The 2008/2009 State Budget passed by the House and Senate on June 27, 2007 more than doubles the biennial funding for the Alcohol Fund from $4.6 million (2006/2007) to $9.7 million (for the 2008/2009 biennium that began on July 1, 2007) and restores full funding for the Alcohol Fund in 2009. It is expected that Governor Lynch will sign the Budget. Many thanks to the legislators who voted to support the Budget, New Futures Leadership Partners and many others for their advocacy in support of the Alcohol Fund. There is no doubt that this advocacy throughout the entire budget process was critically important to this historic outcome. b. Update on Policy Bills In addition to the Budget, New Futures followed more than thirty bills that had a direct or indirect impact on alcohol or other drug prevention, intervention, and treatment. The outcome of this legislative policy work includes: · Defeat of bills that would have increased access to alcohol by underage youth o HB 567 (which would have reduced the legal drinking age from 21 to 18) o HB 334 (which would have increased from 1:00 AM to 2:00 AM the hours for on premises sale of alcoholic beverages) o SB 233 (which would have more than doubled the permissible alcohol content of “flavored malt beverages” such as hard lemonade and flavored teas sold in grocery and convenience stores) · Creation of opportunities to further study important issues related to alcohol and other drugs o HB 323 (study committee to examine liquor commission revenues, enforcement and server training) o HB 373 (further House committee review of the regulation of unlawful possession of alcohol by a minor) o HB 432 (further House committee review of age requirements for admission to cocktail lounges) o HB 543 (study committee to examine the licensure process for licensed addiction counselors) o SB 233 (study committee to examine the sale of flavored malt beverages) RESOURCES a. Help The cigarette tax in is going up by another 28 cents per pack – to a rate still below that of neighboring states. The American Cancer Society is interested in tracking the impact on the price per pack. If you are interested in helping, please contact Krysten Evans at 471-4112 or Krysten.Evans@cancer.org b. Combating underage drinking with the 6Gs An article in the June 27 edition of Contemporary Pediatrics proposes a new and time-saving approach to guide pediatricians as they formulate office-based strategies aimed at the prevention and assessment of alcohol use, and education of patients and families about its dangers. Read it on-line and share it with your pediatrician friends: www.contemporarypediatrics.com/contpeds/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=436757 c. Coalition TA Request Now On-Line National Coalition Institute and CADCA have launched an online Technical Assistance Request System that anyone can access in order to seek technical assistance related to coalition issues. Coalitions are invited to use the system for requests related to coalition development, capacity, planning, implementation, evaluation and sustainability. You can access the system at the following web address: www.coalitioninstitute.org/Technical_Assistance/TechnicalAssistanceHome.asp. d. Recovery Month PSAs Now Available The Road to Recovery 2007 Public Service Announcements are now available. To request these radio or television PSAs, email recoverymonth@iqsolutions or call (240) 221-4062. Indicated medium, length, language and whether you want it open-ended or tagged by SAMHSA. Local Public Access channels may be able to play these, so don’t be shy. e. Join SAMHSA’s e-Network 5 minutes is all it takes to join SAMHSA’s eNetwork - your personal link to SAMHSA for the latest news about grants, publications, campaigns, programs, and statistics and data reports. For more information, and to sign up, visit: http://www.samhsa.gov/enetwork/ f. Ten frequently asked questions about the minimum legal drinking age inform and support efforts to provide research-based, effective alcohol and other drug abuse prevention programs. They also help campus and community prevention professionals create informed responses to questions regarding the effectiveness of the MLDA. www.higheredcenter.org/ta/faq/age21.html IN THE NEWS a. Fewer Employers Offer Full Coverage for Substance Abuse Treatment Employer-sponsored health plans in 2006 provided limited coverage for substance-abuse treatment and did not provide the same level of benefits for substance abuse as those given for medical and surgical benefits, according to a new study published in the Journal of Health Affairs. For more information, visit: http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=45449 b. U.S. survey tracks sex behavior, illegal drug use Twenty-six percent of c. Access to alcohol among middle school children: there is no place like home New research suggests that if parents want to keep alcohol away from their middle school children, the best place to start is at home. The study, reported in the June issue of Preventive Medicine, shows that of 11-14 year olds who choose to drink, only a small fraction obtain alcohol from commercial venues. More than one-third of the alcohol consumed by these children came from their own or a friend's parents or guardians. For more information, visit: http://www.reedelsevier.com/index.cfm?articleid=2083 d. Young Men Most Likely to Buy Alcohol on Request from Minors A recent study found that 8% of people asked outside a liquor or convenience store agreed to buy beer for people who looked underage. But 19% of men who appeared to be under 30 were willing to buy. This may indicate a population in need of more education about laws regarding providing alcohol to minors. Read the research at: http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1530-0277.2007.00420.x UPCOMING EVENTS See all this and more at: www.new-futures.org/calendar a. Involving Youth in Your Substance Abuse Prevention Program July 16 - July 20 On-Line Offers the information and tools practitioners need to involve youth in all aspects of their prevention programs. It describes the many benefits associated with youth involvement in prevention programming and strategies for recruiting young people and creating meaningful activities that will keep youth engaged, over time. Learn more and register at: www.northeastcapt.org/registration b. Prevention Ethics for the New Millennium July 18, 2007 at the Manchester Health Department Through interactive discussion and exercised, participants will gain an increased understanding of the Code of Conduct for Prevention Professionals, and how to use the code through a decision-making model that addresses dilemmas as they arise. Call 622-6116 or email deborah@makinithappen.org for a registration form before July 13. c. The ABC’s of Effective Advocacy July 26, 2007 1:00 – 2:00 PM by Satellite & Webcast Learn the “ABC’s of Effective Advocacy;” Find out how to get your substance abuse prevention issues on the radar screens of key policymakers; Gain the true definitions for advocacy, education and lobbying; Find your “inner advocate” and prepare to become a trusted source of information for key decision-makers. For details on how to participate, go to: www.dlnets.com/cadca_26Jul07.htm d. The 9th Annual National Leadership Conference: Empowering Leadership to Enhance What Works August 2-4 at the Rosen Centre Hotel in Reservation information and the call for presentations are now available. Go to go to www.udetc.org for the most current developments and information. e. August 20-23, The New England Institute of Addiction Studies is pleased to announce the fifteenth annual clinical and administrative skills program for people working in the treatment system. www.neias.org/BP/SATBPCATcover07xSTD.html f. Addiction: The September 20-21 at UMASS The New England Association of Drug Courts’ Annual Meeting will feature HBO Addiction Series' Executive Producers John Hoffman and Susan Froemke, as well as featured experts Dr. Kathleen Brady, Dr. Douglas Marlowe, and many other field professionals, as they discuss the latest advancements in addiction treatment and research. For more information, please contact Kerin Raymond at (978) 772-1846 or kraymon@advocatesinc.org | |||
