REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!

“Using Environmental Strategies to Reduce High-Risk Drinking Among Adolescents and College Populations” 

Facilitated by Mark Schwarze, PhD, LPC, NCC, LCAS, CCS

Wednesday, Feburary 15 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM

PROPOSAL DEADLINE EXTENDED TO MARCH 12^th!

The National Prevention Network (NPN) – the prevention component of the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors (NASADAD) – has announced a Call for Proposals for the 25th Annual NPN Prevention Research Conference. The planning committee is seeking proposals from high-quality prevention programs that have combined research, data, and practical application.  The conference is scheduled to take place in Pittsburgh, PA, September 19 through 21, 2012.  The conference theme is “Prevention:  The Keystone for America’s Health”. Last year over 750 people attended the conference in Atlanta, GA. The increased number and diversity of prevention presentations resulted in expanded audiences attending the conference.

The 25^th Annual Prevention Research Conference will incorporate National, State, and Regional prevention presentations.  The conference brochure, available in June, will give further details on the specific content of the conference.  Planners anticipate another high quality, well-attended conference.  For each proposal accepted, one (1) presenter will receive a conference registration scholarship (all co-presenters will need to register and pay); all other expenses such as travel, lodging and per diem will be the responsibility of each presenter.

For more information on the “Conference Proposal” submission process, CLICK HERE.

Have you visited the 2012 Town Hall Meeting website yet?  There is lots of great information and resources for any community interested in directing community efforts towards preventing underage drinking including media tool-kits, talking points, handouts and how to connect to larger nation wide efforts.  Also check out their great articles including: A Healthy Return on Your Town Hall Meeting Investment | Getting to Outcomes: Alcohol Compliance Checks.

In December 2011, the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s Monitoring the Future survey posted some fantastic news: Underage drinking by 8th, 10th, and 12th graders has reached historical lows. Among 12th graders, for example, past-month alcohol use dropped to 63.5 percent in 2010, down from a high of 74.8 percent in 1997. While this decrease is heartening, it also signals a need to step up our prevention game on college campuses. Underage college students drink often and excessively. How can we help maintain our progress in reducing underage drinking as today’s high school students enter college? How can we help current college students who drink make healthier choices?

Please join the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) on February 6, 2012, from 1:45 to 3:00 p.m. (EST), as it hosts Making the Grade on College Drinking Prevention, a live Webcast of a national 2012 Town Hall Meeting on underage drinking prevention. Dr. William DeJong, Boston University School of Public Health, will moderate a panel that will include Dr. Ralph W. Hingson, director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism’s Division of Epidemiology and Prevention Research, and representatives from campus communities. The panel will discuss both challenges and successes in preventing alcohol use by college students, with a focus on proven environmental prevention approaches, and answer questions from a live audience and from people posting via the Web. For more details and login information, visit http://www.stopalcoholabuse.gov/townhallmeetings/resources/trainings/webcasts/making-the-grade/default.aspx. Follow us on Twitter @SAMHSAgov, #THM2012, for meeting highlights before, during, and after the event.

Underage drinking prevention on college campuses requires use of the latest prevention science. This Town Hall Meeting will focus on environmental prevention, a proven approach to making alcohol less available and appealing to young people. Some goals of environmental prevention are to change social norms or attitudes relating to the use of alcohol, to control the availability of alcohol, and to strengthen enforcement of laws and regulations governing its use. The meeting also will identify free resources that campus communities can use in holding similar events as part of SAMHSA’s 2012 Town Hall Meeting initiative.

As the mother of a college-age daughter, I believe that this Town Hall Meeting focuses attention on a critical public health issue. Underage drinking at the college level has severe consequences. Each year, nearly 6,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are injured under the influence of alcohol and over 1,800 students die from alcohol-related causes. More than 150,000 students develop an alcohol-related health problem, while as many as 1.5 percent of students report a suicide attempt due to drinking or drug use. About 25 percent of students who drink report academic consequences, such as missing classes and falling behind. All parents want their children to succeed academically and in life.  Mixing alcohol with the stressors of college life is a recipe for trouble.

During 2012, hundreds of communities nationwide will host Town Hall Meetings to encourage greater use of environmental prevention approaches in achieving measurable reductions in underage drinking. I urge you to join this national grassroots effort as well as participate in our Webcast event. Please share this information with others who can help make the grade on college drinking prevention.

Please join the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

February 6, 2012 from 1:45 to 3:00 p.m.

for

Making the Grade on College Drinking Prevention

A Live Webcast of National 2012 Town Hall Meeting on Underage Drinking Prevention

Dr. William DeJong, Boston University School of Public Health, will moderate a panel that will include Dr. Ralph W. Hingson, director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism’s Division of Epidemiology and Prevention Research, and representatives from campus communities. The panel will discuss both challenges and successes in preventing alcohol use by college students, with a focus on proven environmental prevention approaches, and answer questions from a live audience and from people posting via the Web. For more details and login information, visit http://www.stopalcoholabuse.gov/townhallmeetings/resources/trainings/webcasts/making-the-grade/default.aspx. Follow us on Twitter @SAMHSAgov, #THM2012, for meeting highlights before, during, and after the event.

North Carolina Centers for Prevention Resources

2011-2012 Webinar Series

Upcoming Workforce Development Opportunities…

Mark your calendars for these free web-based training events!

CLICK HERE for the 2012 Schedule

North Carolina Centers for Prevention Resources

Upcoming Webinar…

Nicotine Awareness and Education

Facilitated by:  Donna Dayer

Wednesday, February 1st     10AM – 12 Noon

Click Here to Register NOW

About the Webinar

This presentation provides an understanding of the health and economic burden of tobacco use in North Carolina, and the US, including secondhand smoke, and a brief review of the 2010 Surgeon General’s Report, How Tobacco Smoke Causes Disease. The training discusses tobacco dependence in disparate populations and describes systems changes for brief intervention based on the Public Health Service’s evidenced-based guidelines for treating tobacco dependence including the 5A’s, QuitlineNC, pharmacotherapy, and motivational tools. Fax referral to QuitlineNC and other evidence-based resources for treatment are discussed as well as a review of provider resources and training options.

Registration Information

The deadline for registration is:  Monday, January 30th , 2011

Click Here to Register

You will receive an email confirmation of your registration. Please save this email and use it to connect to the session at least 10 minutes prior to the official start time of the webinar.

Please note:  even if you plan to share a line with colleagues, you will need to register for this training.
This webinar is sponsored by The North Carolina Centers for Prevention Resources (NCCPRs). There is no charge for this session, however charges through your telephone service provider may apply. You must have Internet access in order to participate in this session.

This webinar is approved for 2 hours of NCSAPPB SS Certification.

Underage drinkers have made a dramatic shift in the last decade. Beer, once the beverage of choice for young people, is being replaced by distilled spirits, particularly “white” drinks including vodka, tequila and rum. Why did this shift occur and what implications does it have for public health and safety? The January 2012 edition of the American Journal of Public Health has published a new study – “Joe Camel in a Bottle: Diageo, the Smirnoff Brand, and the Transformation of the Youth Alcohol Market” – addressing these questions. It focuses specifically on the successful marketing tactics of Diageo, a British company and the world’s largest distilled spirits producer.

The British multinational had daunting obstacles to overcome in reversing the steady decline of distilled spirits among young people in the U.S. Beer producers have three key regulatory advantages over distilled spirits domestically: lower taxes, easier availability and access to electronic media advertising. These advantages had contributed to a steady decline in distilled spirits popularity, particularly among younger generations. Diageo was nevertheless determined to reverse this trend and take distilled spirits to a dominant position in the U.S. market.

As a first step, Diageo introduced Smirnoff Ice, an alcopop treated as a beer for regulatory purposes. Gaining “beer” status was key to the strategy and appears to violate most state laws because a product that mixes distilled spirits and beer is usually classified as a distilled spirit. Alcopops contain distilled alcohol, and their beer base is transformed through a chemical process so that they lack any beer characteristics.

Having succeeded in convincing regulators to allow the new beer classification, Diageo gained the regulatory advantages associated with beer when it introduced Smirnoff Ice in 2001. It embarked on an ambitious marketing campaign that combined youth-oriented advertising, placement in youth-oriented media outlets, and a new product design that catered to youthful tastes. Smirnoff Ice and other alcopops became popular among young people, particularly girls, transforming Smirnoff from a dated and stodgy brand to a youthful, hip drink.

Diageo coordinated its Smirnoff Ice and Smirnoff Vodka marketing strategies (using similar sweet flavors, containers and marketing strategies), and the buzz created with Smirnoff Ice energized Smirnoff Vodka, resulting in a dramatic increase in its sales.

Diageo launched a sophisticated public relations campaign that coincided with the introduction of Smirnoff Ice to convince regulators, policy makers, and the public that it was committed to preventing underage drinking. The company built partnerships with medical and public health organizations and government agencies, touted its self-regulation code, funded prevention programs that did not interfere with its marketing strategies, engaged lobbyists to fight public health-oriented regulatory proposals, and broadcast “responsibility” advertisements. These tactics were all designed to shield the company from criticism and investigation.

Although the shift in youth preference from beer to distilled spirits and Diageo’s marketing tactics can be documented based on government surveys, industry data and marketing studies, the role marketing played in this shift and its impact on youth alcohol problems remains unclear. As noted in the article, data on youth brand preferences is scarce despite being a key variable in determining the impact of particular marketing campaigns on youth consumption and problems. Brand data is routinely collected for youth tobacco use. The Joe Camel youth brand studies of the 1980s provided an important impetus for more focused studies on tobacco marketing and for significant changes in tobacco control. A similar focus on youth brand preferences, alcohol marketing and alcohol policy reform should be top priorities for the public health field.

James F. Mosher, J.D., is a consultant for Alcohol Policy Consultations.

The Office of National Drug Control Policy, in partnership with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), is pleased to announce the release of the FY2012 Drug Free Communities Request for Applications (RFA). The DFC RFA provides the guidelines for meeting statutory eligibility requirements, completing the application, the questions that must be answered and guidelines for assembling the budget. Applicants must follow the FY2012 DFC RFA explicitly and be deemed statutorily eligible before moving onto the peer review process for scoring. The following timeline will be adhered to for the FY2012 DFC funding cycle:

DFC RFA Released:  Tuesday, January 17, 2012
DFC RFA Due Date:  March 22, 2012
Peer Review:  End of May/Early June 2012
Announce New DFC Awards:  End of August 2012

To access the FY2012 DFC RFA, click here*.

*The Word version of the FY2012 DFC RFA can be used to recreate the templates necessary to complete the budget and Attachments.

For Frequently Asked Questions on the FY2012 DFC RFA, click here.

For a checklist for the Appendices & Attachments, click here.

Technical Assistance Resources for Completing the FY2012 DFC RFA

With the release of each RFA, the DFC Program has offered workshops for potential applicants. This year, the DFC Program will host Applicant Workshops in the following locations

Portland, OR: January 31, 2012
Austin, TX: February 2, 2012
National Harbor, MD: February 10, 2012*

Each workshops begins with registration at 8AM. Workshops content begins at 8:30AM and concludes at 1:00PM. Each workshop solely focuses on the FY2012 DFC RFA. Attendees should come to the workshop having read the FY2012 DFC RFA several times and be prepared.

TO VIEW THE REST OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT GO TO:  http://www.whitehouse.gov/ondcp/information-for-potential-applicants