E-update - November 2005

In this e-Update:

This Month's Success Story

1. The Good News

New Futures News

1. New Hampshire's State Strategy to Reduce Underage Alcohol Problems
2. Congratulations Al Robichaud, Jacqui Abikoff, and Tim Lena
3. Upcoming Community Leadership Initiative Dates Announced

Legislative Update

1. What's Happening on the Legislative Front?

Resources

1. The NH Public Health Network
2. Attorney General Announces Jail-Based Substance Abuse Treatment Program
3. The Exchange on NH Public Radio covers Underage Drinking
4. Underage Drinking on NH Outlook
5. Improving the Quality of Health Care for Mental and Substance-Use Conditions
6. JOIN TOGETHER: Treatment Teens in Trouble with Drugs, Crime
7. JOIN TOGETHER: Updated Indicator Handbook Now Available
8. The Importance of Family Dinners
9. Alcohol Remains the Most Commonly Abused Substance in America
10. CAMY: Alcohol Ads Could Focus on Adults: Avoid Kids
11. New collection of research on alcohol marketing and youth
12. JOIN TOGETHER: Ending Stigma Would Save Millions
13. Teen Drinking Influenced by Environment, Not Family History
14. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
15. Kids Who Drink Early In Life: What does it Mean for Their Future?
16. Alcoholics Anonymous and Treatment Seem to Work Best Together
17. Alcohol Treatment More Valuable Than Wireless Email Devices
18. CAMY : Alcohol Industry's Marketing Overexposes Hispanic Teens
19. www.projectcork.org

Upcoming Events

1. NAMI NH: Integrated Health Conference - Nov 17
2. Judiciary Guidance in Addressing Underage Drinking in Communities UDETC - Nov. 17
3. NHADACA Annual Meeting - Nov 18
4. Adolescent Issues- Dec 2
5. Free Technical Assistance from Empowering Communities- Dec 9
6. Governor's Commission Meeting- Jan 13
7. Building on Success: Providing Today's Youth with Opportunities for Tomorrow- Jan 9-13, 2006

SUCCESS STORY

The Good News

This month's Success Story is a compilation of many “success stories” that are occurring all over the state.

New Futures Annual Leadership Recognition and Awards Celebration has a tradition of highlighting the “Good News” happening in New Hampshire to reduce underage alcohol problems and increase access to treatment. While just the” tip of the iceberg”, the list reminds us that success is being achieved everyday, everywhere. To read this year's Good News , please visit: http://www.new-futures.org/news-events/local-success.asp

New Futures News

1. New Hampshire's State Strategy to Reduce Underage Alcohol Problems
   To cut down on the problems of underage alcohol use it will take a collective effort from all corners of society. Judge Edwin Kelly, Health and Human Services Commissioner John Stephen, Attorney General Kelly Ayotte, First Lady Dr. Susan Lynch, and Dover Youth to Youth member Kaitlyn Reily joined John Bunker of New Futures to release the report a few weeks ago. The report, “ Recommendations for Success: New Hampshire's Strategy to Reduce Underage Alcohol Problems ,” contains close to fifty recommendations for individuals, communities, and the state as a whole, and makes New Hampshire one of the first states in the nation to lay out a single state strategy on the subject. The document breaks the recommendations down into five categories: public information, education, opportunities for limiting access, coordination, and research and evaluation. To view a copy of the document and other supporting resources, visit: http://www.new-futures.org/reducing-underage-alcohol-problems/state-strategy.asp.
   
   
2. Congratulations Al Robichaud, Jacqui Abikoff, and Tim Lena
   Thank you to all who attended the 7 th Annual Leadership Recognition and Awards Celebration on September 21 in Concord - an annual celebration recognizing exemplary contributions to reduce underage alcohol problems and increase access to treatment in the state. Congratulations to Alan Robichaud from the Belknap County Citizens Council who received the 2005 Tom Fox Award for Excellence; Jacqui Abikoff from Horizons Counseling who received the Tom Fox Scholarship for Treatment; and Tim Lena from Timberlane Regional School District, who received the first award for the Tom Fox Scholarship for Prevention. Congratulations and thank you to our award recipients and all those in attendance!
   
   
3. Upcoming Community Leadership Initiative Dates Announced
   New Futures Community Leadership Initiativecontinues to build a network of advocates in New Hampshire to reduce underage alcohol problemsand increase access to treatment. The 2005-2006 Community Leadership Initiative retreats include:

   December 1, 2005 Lebanon, NH
   February 14, 2006 Laconia, NH
   March 7, 2006 Portsmouth, NH

   Interested in learning more about this leadership development opportunity? Please contactLinda King at lking@new-futures.org or by phone at 431-1770. You can also visit the New Futures website at www.new-futures.org for more information.

Legislative Update

1. What's Happening on the Legislative Front?
   The second year of the legislative session starts in January 2006. Legislators have already put forward their ideas for legislation for the year – there are more than 1,000 LSRs. What is a LSR? A LSR is an acronym for Legislative Service Request. A Legislative Service Request is when a legislator makes a request for the drafting of a bill. There are many LSRs that pertain to alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, and below you will find just a few highlights. You can expect more information in the coming months.
• LSR 2092, sponsored by Representative Splaine, relative to lowering the drinking age for members of the armed forces.
• LSR 2129, sponsored by Senator Roberge, relative to the penalty for unlawful possession of alcohol by a minor.
• LSR 2332, sponsored by Representative Knowles, relative to revocation of a minor's drivers' license for drug or alcohol involvement.
• LSR 2417, sponsored Representative Scanlon, relative to liability for the sale of liquor to an intoxicated individual.
• LSR 2472, sponsored by Representative Butcher, allowing municipalities to adopt and enforce ordinances on smoke free workplaces.
• LSR 2545, sponsored by Senator D'Allesandro, relative to liquor licensees.
• LSR 2983, sponsored by Representative Butynski, relative to vertical drivers' licenses for persons under 21 years of age.

In addition, there are a number of bills that address increasing the tobacco tax and the manufacturing and sale of methamphetamine.

To learn more about these LSRs, please visit: http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/ie/lsrsearch/default.asp.

What are the next steps? Between now and the beginning of January, New Futures will be learning more about the specifics of these LSRs. We will keep you updated. In December, the bills will be assigned to committees in the NH House and Senate, and committee hearings will most likely begin very early in January. Remember, at any time you can get an update on a bill by visiting the state's website at: http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/ie/

Resources

1. The NH Public Health Network
   Visit www.nhphn.org for the new website of the NH Public Health Network. The mission of the 14 current Public Health Networks is to bring together a broad range of public health system stakeholders in their regions to develop and improve the capacity to ensure the 10 Essential Public Health Services are available to residents in those communities.
   
   
2. Attorney General Announces Jail-Based Substance Abuse Treatment Program
   In an effort to provide offenders with substance abuse resources and treatment, New Hampshire Department of Justice has awarded five counties with federal grant funds to implement jail-based substance abuse treatment programming. This program stems from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance's Residential Substance Abuse Treatment for State Prisoners (RSAT) programs. For more information, visit: http://doj.nh.gov/publications/nreleases/100405residential.html
   
   
3. The Exchange on NH Public Radio covers Underage Drinking
   Listen to John Stephen, Commissioner of NH's Department of Health and Human Services, Judge Ed Kelly of the Governor's Commission, Kaitlyn Reilly from Dover Youth to Youth, and Jennifer Wierwille Norton on The Exchange from a program on Oct 4. To hear the segment, visit: http://www.nhpr.org/node/9723
   
   
4. Underage Drinking on NH Outlook
   In case you missed it, you can still view NH Outlook's segment on Underage Drinking in New Hampshire, featuring Kendree Parker from the Oyster River Community for Healthy Youth, Paul Dean from UNH Police Department, a youth from Teen Institute, and Jennifer Wierwille Norton. For more information or to watch the program, visit: http://www.nhptv.org/outlook/sprogramdate.asp?prog_num_id=1156
   
   
5. Improving the Quality of Health Care for Mental and Substance-Use Conditions
   This report from the Institute of Medicine, presents a strategy to address issues pertaining to health care for both mental and substance-use conditions and the essential role that health care for both plays in improving overall health and health care. In doing so it details the actions required to achieve those ends-actions required of clinicians; health care organizations; health plans; purchasers; state, local, and federal governments; and all parties involved in health care for mental and substance-use conditions. For more information, visit: http://www.iom.edu/report.asp?id=30836
   
   
6. JOIN TOGETHER: Treatment Teens in Trouble with Drugs, Crime
   The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has provided grants to ten communities across the nation- including New Hampshire- to help teenagers stay out of the juvenile justice system by implementing the Reclaiming Futures model. For more information, visit: http://www.jointogether.org/sa/action/dt/news/reader/0%2C2812%2C578326%2C00.html
   
   
7. JOIN TOGETHER: Updated Indicator Handbook Now Available
   Join Together announced the release of the 2005 edition of its popular publication, How do we know we are making a difference? A community alcohol, tobacco, and drug indicators handbook . Since the handbook was first released in 1997, thousands of community leaders have developed indicator reporting programs to identify their most important local substance use problems, boost fundraising efforts, focus community prevention and treatment strategies, and measure the impact of new policies and programs. For more information, visit: www.IndicatorsHandbook.org.
   
   
8. The Importance of Family Dinners
   How often a family eats dinner together is a powerful indicator of whether a teen is likely to smoke, drink or use drugs and whether the teen is likely to perform better academically, according to a new report from The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University. For more information, visit: www.casacolumbia.org.
   
   
9. Alcohol Remains the Most Commonly Abused Substance in America
   The annual National Survey on Drug Use and Health released its findings last week and revealed that over 22 percent of the American population (55 million people) ages 12 and older were binge drinkers in the past month. Binge drinking is defined as having five or more alcoholic beverages on the same occasion. More than 7 million binge drinkers were under the age of 21. For more information, www.stopaddiction.com.
   
   
10. CAMY: Alcohol Ads Could Focus on Adults: Avoid Kids
    Alcohol companies could change their advertising practices to avoid appeals to children without losing their adult audience, according to a white paper from the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth at Georgetown University. For more information, visit: http://camy.org/research/striking/
    
    
11. New collection of research on alcohol marketing and youth
    For free online access to the Journal of Public Health Policy's Special Section, Global Alcohol Marketing and Youth- Public Health Perspectives, please visit http://www.palgrave-journals.com/jphp/journal/v26/n3/index.html
    
    
12. JOIN TOGETHER: Ending Stigma Would Save Millions
    Reducing discrimination against people with addictions and those in recovery would not only reduce barriers to treatment, but would also save society millions, perhaps billions of dollars. A panel of the American Bar Association's (ABA) Standing Committee on Substance Abuse appeared at a Capitol Hill briefing called by the Congressional Addiction, Treatment and Recovery Caucus and detailed for lawmakers a series of recommendations for reducing stigma against people with alcohol or other drug addictions. To read story, go to: http://www.jointogether.org/sa/news/features/reader/0%2C1854%2C578485%2C00.html.
    
    
13. Teen Drinking Influenced by Environment, Not Family History
    When a child has his first alcoholic drink may depend much more on his own behavior and environment than a family history of alcohol problems. To read the entire article, visit http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,172192,00.html.
    
    
14. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
    SAMHSA's National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 1-800-273-TALK (8255), provides immediate assistance to individuals in crisis by connecting them to the nearest available suicide prevention and mental health service provider through its toll-free telephone number. For more information, visit: www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org
    
    
15. Kids Who Drink Early In Life: What does it Mean for Their Future?
    An early age of first drink is associated with a variety of negative outcomes. A study in the October issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research looks at variables that may precede or predict age of first drink, with a focus on four areas: child characteristics, family demographics, family psychopathology, and child behavior problems. Aspects of the child and the child's environment seemed to affect their age of first drink more than family history of alcohol dependence. For more information, visit: http://www.nattc.org/asme/details.asp?ID=0511c
    
    
16. Alcoholics Anonymous and Treatment Seem to Work Best Together
    A study in the October issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research tracks individuals for 16 years who have first acknowledged their alcohol-use problems and then chosen Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), treatment, or both. Findings indicate that people who become involved in both AA and treatment fare better than those who obtain only treatment. For more information, visit: http://www.nattc.org/asme/details.asp?ID=0511b
    
    
17. Alcohol Treatment More Valuable Than Wireless Email Devices
    New Web Tool Calculates Benefit of Screening and Treating Employees with Alcohol Problems. Encouraging health plans to screen and treat employees with alcohol problems can yield, on average, more than $2 in health care savings for every dollar invested by a company, according to Ensuring Solutions to Alcohol Problems. Alcohol problems contribute more than $35 billion to the cost of health care coverage provided by American employers. Investing in efforts to identify and treat alcohol problems can significantly reduce this cost. Employers can realize a 215 percent return by investing in screening and treatment of employees with alcohol problems. This return on investment ratio is comparable to the returns achieved through employer investments in heart disease management (278 percent) and BlackBerry® wireless e-mail devices (162 percent). For more information, visit: ensuringsolutions.org.
    
    
18. CAMY: Alcohol Industry's Marketing Overexposes Hispanic Teens
    The latest report from the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY) finds that underage Hispanic youth are being significantly overexposed to the alcohol industry's advertising, often to an even greater extent than underage youth in general. Hispanic 12- to 20-year-olds in the United States saw 20 percent more alcohol advertising per capita in English-language magazines in 2004 than did all young people in this age group. For more information, visit: http://camy.org/research/hispanic1005/.
    
    
19. www.projectcork.org
    Cork's mission is to assemble and disseminate current, authoritative information on substance abuse for clinicians, health care providers, human service personnel, and policy makers. Project Cork produces a bibliographic database, offers current awareness services, produces resource materials, responds to queries, and collaborates in professional education efforts. The CORK database of more than 69,000 holdings is searchable online. For more information, visit: www.projectcork.org.
    

Upcoming Events

1. NAMI NH: Integrated Health Conference- Nov 17
   This annual conference will be at the Marriot Grappone Center in Concord on November 17. This year the theme will be on co-occurring medical and behavioral disorders for older adults. More information, including conference Registration is available on line at www.naminh.org or call 225-5359.
   
   
2. Judiciary Guidance in Addressing Underage Drinking in Communities- Nov. 17
   Learn how judicial partners can provide guidance to community organizations, enforcement officials, and other judicial leaders to create a strong social norm against underage drinking and a safer environment for youth and the communities in which they live. Audio teleconference will be held from 3:00- 4:15 pm. To register visit: http://www.udetc.org/Registration.asp.
   
   
3. NHADACA Annual Meeting- Nov 18
   The New Hampshire Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors Association's Annual Business Meeting will be on Nov 18 from 8:00AM-12:30PM at the Manchester Country Club. Association business will include professional and community recognition awards and board of director elections. Following the meeting will be a two-hour keynote address by Lisa Remick on Methamphetamine in New Hampshire. Registration- members $5.00 and non-members $20.00. For registration information contact: Dianne Pepin, 271-6101 or dpepin@dhhs.state.nh.us
   
   
4. Adolescent Issues- Dec 2
   This special 1-Day Conference, co-sponsored by UNH Professional Development & Training and the UNH Center for Adolescence is for Teachers, School Administrators, Guidance Counselors, Mental Health Professionals, and Related Professionals on Friday, December 2 from 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. For more information, visit: http://www.learn.unh.edu/adolescent/details.html
   
   
5. Free Technical Assistance from Empowering Communities- Dec. 9
   The Empowering Communities Project is offering a Technical Assistance (TA) Day on Friday, Dec 9. State and community leaders can make a one-hour appointment with Amy Costello from the NH Health Information Center to discuss specific community health related questions. To sign up for an appointment, c ontact Amy at 862-1241, email: amy.costello@unh.edu.
   
   
6. Governor's Commission Meeting- Jan 13
   Mark your calendar for the next quarterly meeting of the Governor's Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention, Intervention and Treatment. The meeting will take place on Friday, Jan 13, from 9:30-11:30AM at the Legislative Office Building at 33 North State Street in Concord, Rooms 201-203.
   
   
7. Building on Success: Providing Today's Youth with Opportunities for Tomorrow- Jan 9-13, 2006
   The Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention will sponsor a national conference, "Building on Success: Providing Today's Youth With Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow," in Washington, DC, on January 9-13, 2006 at the Hilton Washington Hotel. For more information, visit : http://www.juvenilecouncil.gov.

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