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National Prevention Week is a new annual health observance supported by SAMHSA that celebrates the work that community organizations and individuals do year-round to prevent substance abuse and promote mental, emotional, and behavioral well-being.

National Prevention Week will take place May 20-26, 2012 and this year’s theme is We are the ones. How are you taking action?

Learn more about National Prevention Week!

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For immediate release
April 25, 2012

Contact
Betsy Ross
Phone:802-241-5511
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

As prom and graduations ramp up for high schools, the Governor’s Highway Safety Program (GHSP) is reminding parents, teens and others of the dangers of underage drinking, and the legal consequences of providing alcohol to minors.

Make sure prom night is a positive experience you’ll always remember; don’t drink alcohol or use any other substances that will compromise your ability to make good decisions.

“Proms and graduations are a time for celebration, but please be safe and make smart choices,” said Keith Flynn, Commissioner of Department of Public Safety. “Remember: it is illegal for anyone under the age of 21 to possess or consume alcohol, and NEVER drink alcohol and drive, or accept a ride with someone who has been drinking.”

Statistics show nearly one-third of alcohol-related teen traffic deaths occur during April, May and June, a time when parties and celebrations can turn dangerous and sometimes tragic for underage drinkers. With these sobering statistics in mind, Governor’s Highway Safety Program encourages parents to talk with their teens about the dangers of underage drinking, and set ground rules before their son or daughter leaves the house for these events.
PROM and GRADUATION SAFETY TIPS

* Set non-negotiable rules about drinking, drugs and driving under the influence of alcohol.
* Ask your teen for a complete itinerary for the evening, including where they’ll be going before, during and after prom.
* Ask for cell phone numbers so you can reach them, and/or establish call-in times to connect with your child.
* Be aware of alcoholic energy drinks, which contain 6-12 percent alcohol, nearly three times more alcohol than most beers.
* If your child is going to an after-prom party at a friend’s house, it is your responsibility to find out if the parents are going to allow underage drinking at their home.
* Offer your child the unconditional option of calling you for help, advice or to pick them up at any time, day or night. Make it clear you want to be part of their smart and safe decisions.
To ensure a safe night of celebration, GHSP also sends a reminder to always buckle up, pay attention behind the wheel, and speak up to stop unsafe driving behaviors.

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Starting Over Strong Vermont: The Risks of Mold
As spring arrives in Vermont, many of those affected by Tropical Storm Irene are returning to their homes. Individuals and families are still struggling with being displaced from their homes, and facing the chore of cleaning up after the destruction. Now that winter is behind us, people are left picking up the pieces of their lives.  People who have “been holding it all together” are now looking to SOS VT for emotional support, and ways to get connected to resources available to them. Unfortunately, the discovery of mold is complicating reconstruction projects across the state, and in some cases individuals are dealing with the affects of mold exposure. The presence of mold as a result of flood and rain conditions can pose significant risks to your health as well as to your home.
Mold is a microscopic organism which can grow on many surfaces, as long as conditions remain damp.  Mold can hide in air ducts, attics, basements, wall cavities, and will continue to grow as long as the environment has not completely dried out.  Thousands of molds exist, and some types are known allergens.  Some molds produce toxins and require careful removal.  However in high enough concentrations, all types of mold can potentially have harmful effects on human health.
Some people are more sensitive to mold than others.  Those at a higher risk for health issues due to mold exposure include infants, children, the elderly, pregnant women, immune-compromised individuals, and those with pre-existing respiratory problems.  The following symptoms are associated with mold exposure:
• Respiratory problems -wheezing, asthma attacks, etc.
• Nasal and sinus congestion or dry, hacking cough 
• Eye irritation - burning, watery, redness 
• Nose or throat irritation -sneezing fits, bloody noses 
• Skin irritations -rashes or hives 
• Nervous system -headaches, memory loss, mood changes
If you or someone you know is experiencing any of these symptoms, and the presence of mold is likely in your home, consult a physician. Here is link with resources of how to identify mold, how to clean up mold, and how to prevent mold http://www.toxic-black-mold-info.com/moldclean.htm.  In some cases, you may need to hire a professional for mold evaluation and removal. You can also call 1-800-439-8550 for answers to your environmental health questions (including mold).
SOS VT recognizes the distress that can relate to dealing with mold and all other aspects of recovery.  Though many people react in their own way to a disaster, some common emotional reactions may include:
• Trouble sleeping, or nightmares about storms or floods
• Difficulty remembering things or concentrating
• Feeling numb, withdrawn, or disconnected
• Having bursts of anger or being intensely irritable
• Persistent physical symptoms- headaches, stomachaches, muscle tension, etc.
• Being overprotective of your family’s safety
• Avoiding reminders of the storm or flood
• Being tearful or crying for no apparent reason
If you or anyone you know is experiencing distress or symptoms from the flooding please call SOS VT’s toll-free number for help, 1-855-767-8800, or visit our website at www.startingoverstrongvermont.org.
Starting Over Strong Vermont (SOS VT) deploys teams of crisis support workers throughout communities most impacted by Tropical Storm Irene to conduct community and home-based outreach and psycho-educational services.  SOS VT offers free, short-term interventions that promote individual and family recovery to those individuals experiencing distress and/or related emotional and behavioral difficulties from the flood. The program is designed to assist individuals of all ages to better understand why they feel the way they do and how to begin to feel safe and confident again going forward. SOS VT can also help identify and refer individuals who may be in need of more intensive supports. 
SOS VT is supported by FEMA grant funding and is administered by Washington County Mental Health Services in conjunction with other designated mental health agencies and community services in the hardest hit regions of our State.
Information about mold provided by: "Dealing With Mold and Mildew in Your Flood  
Damaged Home," by FEMA.  It can be accessed at   
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Beth Shrader, director of the Brattleboro Area Prevention Coalition, believes her community reached a tipping point where the “blunt truth” about the high rates of marijuana use among high school students demanded everyone’s full attention.
 
The Brattleboro Area Prevention Coalition is one of 24 Vermont communities awarded Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grant funding (SPF-SIG) in late 2007 to reduce underage drinking. Communities could also choose to work on reducing high-risk drinking or marijuana use among young people.

During the five years of federal funding from the Vermont Department of Health, all 24 communities successfully built organizational capacity, created prevention plans, and put into action strategies proven to work – communication campaigns, strengthened enforcement of underage drinking laws or drinking/driving laws, local or state alcohol policy change, and educational programs. The communities also promoted ParentUp, the statewide media campaign to help parents talk with their children about drinking.

 Because 47 percent of Windham County Southeast Supervisory Union high school students had reported ever using marijuana, Brattleboro was one of four communities that also prioritized reducing marijuana use by youth and young adults.

 “Community surveys showed us that the high rates of marijuana use by our young people was a major concern for everyone,” Shrader said. “We all want young people to develop to their full potential. When we reviewed the data, it was a concern. We saw an opportunity to create change – and we like a challenge.”

 The Brattleboro coalition launched a media campaign called “the blunt truth about marijuana,” and a website www.theblunttruth.org to build awareness and educate the community about marijuana’s harmful effects, including effects to brain development and greater risk for dependency.

 The approach seems to be working in Brattleboro and the other funded communities across the state, according to an independent analysis just completed by the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE).

 Binge Drinking and Marijuana Use Declines Among Youth

For binge drinking and marijuana use among high school students, the reductions between the pre-intervention years (2003-2007) and 2011 were significantly greater for the SPF-SIG communities compared to the non-funded communities. Because the funded communities covered 71 percent of the state’s population, the effects of the SPF-SIG grants, in combination with other initiatives on underage drinking, show up in the statewide statistics.

 According to Youth Risk Behavior Survey data and surveys of young adults, college students and parents, use of alcohol and binge drinking is significantly down among high school students, binge drinking has decreased among college-age adults, and parents are more aware of resources like www.ParentUpVT.org to help prevent underage drinking.

 Although the funded communities that focused on marijuana use saw significant decreases, marijuana use among high school students has remained about the same, at 24 percent statewide in 2011.

 “Students are a very difficult group of people to reach. Brattleboro and the other communities knew that it would take the support of everyone,” said Deputy Health Commissioner Barbara Cimaglio. “The strategies underway in Vermont are accomplishing what they set out to do. We are trending in the right direction.”

Statewide data from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey show that past month use of alcohol by high school students statewide has dropped from 43 percent in 2007 to 35 percent in 2011, and that binge drinking (having five or more drinks) has dropped from 26 to 21 percent.   The PIRE study also reported a significant reduction in binge drinking by Vermont college students, from 58 percent in 2008 to 54 percent in 2010.

 The Vermont Department of Health’s Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grant was funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services/Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration initiative.

 For more information about SPF-SIG results, plus health alerts, news and information go to www.healthvermont.gov.

 

For more information on ParentUp visit: ParentUpVT.org

 

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