April Is Alcohol Awareness Month
Held every April and founded by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. (NCADD); Alcohol Awareness Month was designed to increase public awareness and understanding aimed at reducing the stigma associated with alcoholism that too often prevents individuals and families from seeking help. Click HERE to find out more
NIDA’s Dr. Nora Volkow Discusses Marijuana’s Effects on the Brain, Body & Behavior
Hear a fascinating presentation by Dr. Nora Volkow, Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, about the effects of marijuana use on the brain, body and behavior. Dr. Volkow’s remarks were given on Feb. 4th at CADCA’s 24th National Leadership Forum.
Forum 2014: The Power of the Movement
It’s time to start planning for the 24th National Leadership Forum, the premier and largest training conference for community prevention leaders, treatment professionals and researchers, and SAMHSA’s 10th Prevention Day which is taking place February 3-6, 2014! CADCA’s National Leadership Forum is a four-day event packed with opportunities to learn the latest strategies to fight substance abuse and hear from nationally-known prevention experts, federal administrators, and concerned policymakers. The Forum brings together over 2,700 participants representing coalitions from all regions of the country and internationally, government leaders, youth, prevention specialists, addiction treatment professionals, addiction recovery advocates, researchers, education institutions, law…
Colorado: Marijuana Legalization and School Disciplinary Problems
(The Denver Post) — In two years of work as an undercover officer with a drug task force, Mike Dillon encountered plenty of drugs. But nothing has surprised him as much as what he has seen in schools lately. There are no hard numbers yet because school disciplinary statistics do not isolate marijuana from general drug violations. But school resource officers, counselors, nurses, staff and officials with Colorado school safety and disciplinary programs are anecdotally reporting an increase in marijuana-related incidents in middle and high schools. “We have seen a sharp rise in drug-related disciplinary actions which, anecdotally, from credible sources,…
Law Enforcement Utilizes New Techonology to Improve Community Ownership Among Youth
Our neighbors in Virginia are trying out the use of a new texting and email system to address the issues of substance abuse and crime in their community. One county has implemented this system for students in the county’s middle and high schools to send anonymous emails or text messages. Local County Sheriff Count Lane Perry say, “Emailing and texting are big things to the youth of today, and now, if a students sees something that really bothers them,” he said authorities can help before a situation “gets out of hand.” “Part of this effort also is to try to keep drug…
Supporting Prevention Under Health Reform
The National Prevention Strategy identifies four Strategic Directions. Healthy & Safe Environments Clinical and Community Preventive Services Empowered People Elimination of Health Disparities These Strategic Directions are the foundation for all prevention efforts and form the basis for a prevention-oriented society. Each Strategic Direction can stand alone and can guide actions that will demonstrably improve health. Together, the Strategic Directions create the web needed to fully support Americans in leading longer and healthier lives. Additionally the National Prevention Strategy has identifed seven priority issues: Tobacco Free Living Preventing Drug Abuse and Excessive Alcohol Use Healthy Eating Active Living Injury and…
Guidelines for Advocacy
There is significant evidence that the most effective approaches to the prevention of alcohol and other substance abuse problems are those that seek to change the environment within which these problems take place. It should not be a surprise that these approaches often involve advocating for legislative public policy changes. Strategizer 31 clarifies what constitutes lobbying activities for nonprofit organizations and to what extent these organizations can participate in lobbying activities in particular and the legislative process in general.
Building Public Awareness and Community Support
SAMHSA offers webcast focused on examining the strategies and messages for building public awareness and community support around substance use disorders and mental illness, including the impact of health reform and the integration of behavioral health care into the primary health care setting. Check it out…
Prevention and Promotion Call to Action and Planning Guide
Have you seen the Prevention and Promotion Call to Action and Planning Guide This 174 page document is a month-by-month interactive substance abuse and mental health promotion planning guide for communities. This is an amazing community planning guide with all the resources you need to promote wellness in your community.