The Holidays and Safety

Don’t Let Impaired Driving Ruin Your Halloween

This year, Halloween falls on a Friday, and area police will be out on the roads looking for drunk drivers as part of an aggressive Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over enforcement effort.  Consider yourself warned: if local law enforcement catches you driving over the legal limit, you will be arrested.

“On Halloween, the real horrors occur out on the road when people choose to drive drunk,” said Joseph DeMarzo, Putnam County Communities That Care Coalition Co-Chairperson, and drunk driving is a choice—a preventable one. “We want to remind all Putnam County drivers that if you’ve had any alcohol to drink, you cannot drive. There are always other options: a designated, sober driver; a taxi, etc.”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), from 2008-2012, almost half (51%) of all crash fatalities on Halloween night involved a drunk driver or motorcycle operator. During that 5-year period, there were 166 people killed in drunk-driving crashes on Halloween night. And on a night best-known for trick-or-treaters in the streets, it’s no surprise that pedestrians make up a tragic number of those fatalities. In 2012, 19 percent of the fatal pedestrian crashes on Halloween involved drunk drivers.

In every state, it’s illegal to drive with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 grams per deciliter (g/dL) or higher. Yet every year in the United States, thousands of people lose their lives to this reckless crime. In 2012 alone, 10,322 people were killed in crashes involving a drunk driver or motorcycle operator. Driving drunk costs lives and the other consequences can be costly as well. A DUI arrest costs $10,000 on average. Wouldn’t you rather spend a fraction of that on a sober ride home instead?

If you plan to drink on Halloween, plan now how you’ll get home. No costume can hide you from the police if you drive drunk, they’ll see you before you see them.”

This Halloween, the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over enforcement campaign aims to save lives by reminding all drivers to follow these simple tips:

·         Before the Halloween festivities begin, plan a way to safely get home at the end of the night. If you wait until you’ve been drinking, —you’re more likely to make the wrong decision to drive drunk.

·         Always designate a sober driver.

·         If you are impaired, take a taxi, call a sober friend or family member.

·         Walking impaired can be just as dangerous as drunk driving.  Designate a sober friend to walk you home.

·         If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact local law enforcement.

·         If you know someone who is about to drive or ride impaired, take their keys and help them make safe travel arrangements to where they are going.

For more information, please visit www.TrafficSafetyMarketing.gov. Members of the Putnam CTC Coalition are available if you have any questions or would like for us to do a presentation to your organization on this or any other substance abuse trends that affect our children.  Please visit and join us on Facebook by searching “Putnam County Communities That Care – NY” or on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/PutnamCTCNY or call 845-225-4646.

International FASD Awareness Day September 9, 2014

At 9:09 a.m. on September 9, 1999, the first international Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) Awareness Day was observed. The date and time were chosen to mark the ninth minute of the ninth hour of the ninth day of the ninth month, which serves as a reminder that FAS, like all Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD), is completely preventable. Yet, alcohol-exposed pregnancies continue to be a leading cause of birth defects and mental retardation in the United States, and children with an FASD often go unrecognized or are misdiagnosed, even as adults. (SAMHSA)

 “In the United States half of all pregnancies are unplanned” per the CDC. This includes the unplanned pregnancies of teenagers. 5 things you should know about Drinking Alcohol during Pregnancy:

1. Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can cause a baby to be born with birth defects and have disabilities. These conditions, called fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, or FASDs, are among the top preventable birth defects and developmental disabilities. FASDs can cause problems in how a person grows, learns, looks, and acts. FASDs can also cause birth defects of the heart, brain, and other major organs. These problems last a lifetime.
    
2. There is no known amount of alcohol that is safe to drink while pregnant. All drinks with alcohol can hurt an unborn baby. A 12-ounce can of beer has as much alcohol as a 5-ounce glass of wine or a 1-ounce shot of liquor.
    
3. There is no safe time to drink during pregnancy. Alcohol can harm a baby at any time during pregnancy. It can cause problems in the early weeks of pregnancy, before a woman even knows she is pregnant.
    
4. Too many women continue to drink during pregnancy. About 1 in 8 pregnant women in the United States reports alcohol use in the past 30 days. And about 1 in 50 pregnant women in the United States reports binge drinking in the past 30 days (having five or more drinks at one time).
    
5. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders are 100% preventable. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders are 100% preventable—if a woman does not drink alcohol while she is pregnant. (CDC)

Per the Center for Disease Control (CDC), Signs and Symptoms of an FASD include: Abnormal facial features, such as a smooth ridge between the nose and upper lip (this ridge is called the philtrum), small head size, shorter-than-average height, low body weight, poor coordination, hyperactive behavior, difficulty paying attention, poor memory, difficulty in school (especially with math), learning disabilities, speech and language delays, intellectual disability or low IQ, poor reasoning and judgment skills, sleep and sucking problems as a baby, vision or hearing problems, problems with the heart, kidneys, or bones. 

A toll-free inquiry line (1-866-STOPFAS) and email address (fasdcenter@samhsa.hhs.gov) available for questions you may have.  If you are someone you know is struggling with alcohol and addiction, please call the National Council on Alcoholism and Other Drug Dependencies/Putnam for information and referral services at (845) 225-4646.

 

Don't Drink and Drive Coaster Initiative!

Check out the new coasters we designed and are providing to restaurants who provide alcohol on premise (bars, restaurants, golf courses). This is a great way for people to see, right at their fingertips, a safe ride home instead of drinking and driving. Thank you to all the taxi companies that worked with us
on this initiative and agreed to have their numbers placed on the coasters! Community prevention! If YOU are a Putnam County business interested in having coasters, please contact me (Elaine) at putnamdfcgrantee@gmail.com

Putnam County On-Premise Responsible Beverage Training

Feel free to pass along!

National Prevention Week: Women and Binge Drinking

Know! Your Family History and Share it

Most families are well aware and proud to point out the talents and passions that have been passed on from generation to generation (athletic ability, musical gifts, artistic skills, etc.). Most are also well aware of specific health issues that run in the family (cancer, diabetes, heart disease, etc.), and many are conscientious o not only share such information with their children, but to encourage by example, healthy behavioral choices to avoid them. But how often do people talk about their family’s history of alcohol dependency? And how many of those with family history are aware of the increased risk of younger generations also developing alcohol problems?

While there are a number of factors that determine a person’s risk associated with alcoholism, there is strong evidence that genetics play a role. Does that mean that the child of an alcohol dependent parent is destined to be an alcoholic? Absolutely not; but it does mean that child’s risk for developing a problematic relationship with alcohol is increased.

The biological child of an alcoholic is between four to nine times more likely to develop an alcohol addiction at some point in his/her life. Whether the child is then raised by the alcohol dependent biological parent, an adoptive parent or other caregiver, his/her risk for alcoholism remains nearly the same, with about one in four children of alcoholics
also developing the disease. In cases where the child’s biological family history includes multiple relatives with alcoholism, the risk increases even further.

PARENTS: For children whose family history includes alcohol addiction, there are proactive steps you can take to help reduce their risk of also developing the disease:

Fill them in: Make sure they are aware that alcoholism or problems with alcohol is a part of their family’s health history, just like other diseases that run in families. Let them know that due to the nature of alcoholism and the fact that it is partially genetic, they are at increased risk of developing the disease.

Set the record straight: Children with a family history of alcohol problems need to know that while they may be at increased risk, they are not predestined. In the end, it comes down to the lifestyle choices they make now and down the road.

Empower them: Talk with them about ways they can reduce their risk, like delaying the onset of first use until at least age 21. Youth who chose to drink before the age of 15 are four times more likely to develop alcohol problems at some point in their lives. For children with a family history of alcoholism, the risk increases even further. For some however, alcohol at any age or in any amount may never be a good option.

Share expectations: Just like children without a family history of alcoholism, children with such family history need to know exactly where their parents stand on the issue of underage drinking and that it is not taken lightly. It should also be shared that just because a parent or relative has or has had issues with alcohol, it does not give a child an excuse or permission to drink.

For additional support and resources visit: National Association for Children of Alcoholics (NACOA)and/or Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACA).

Sources: NIAAA: COGA (the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism), NIAAA: Alcohol Alert Underage Drinking, The Alcoholism Guide, National Association for Children of Alcoholics (NACOA),  Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACA).

Alcohol Awareness Month in Putnam County

April is Alcohol Awareness Month

Before one more high school student dies in an alcohol-related accident or another college student dies of alcohol poisoning, or another family is split up because of alcohol, the seriousness of the public health problems associated with alcohol and alcoholism must be brought into focus through the spotlight of public awareness. Alcohol is the drug most frequently used by Americans and results in more than 100,000 alcohol-related deaths per year.

For young people, they drink alcohol more frequently than they use all other illicit drugs combined and alcohol is responsible for more than 6,500 deaths per year (young people under 21): motor vehicle accidents account for 2,400 deaths, unintentional death by fire, falls, overdose account for 2,400 deaths, homicides account for 1,600 deaths and suicide accounts for about 300 deaths per year!

Alcohol-related problems and alcoholism effect each and every one of us, directly or indirectly, and are our Nation’s Number One public health problem in America. Alcohol is a drug that effects every cell and organ system in the body, effecting judgment, coordination and long-term health. In fact, recent scientific research now suggests that early use of alcohol by teenagers may contribute significantly to dependence on alcohol and other drugs later in life, with 40% of children who begin using alcohol before the age of 13 become alcohol dependent at some point in their lives.

Regrettably, too many dismiss underage drinking as a “youthful indiscretion” or a rite of passage from adolescence into adulthood, and many underage drinkers are often first presented with alcohol in their own dining rooms, living rooms and kitchens. Alcohol is aggressively marketed to underage drinkers and associated with athletic and social events popular with high school and college students.

The annual economic costs of alcohol-related problems exceeds $224 billion ($746 per person) due to lost productivity, health care costs, business and criminal justice costs, more than substance abuse and tobacco.

These are but a few of the fundamental reasons why we must increase public awareness. Not only are there a whole set of increased risks in the short-term, including traffic crashes, violent crime, assaults, burns, drowning, suicide attempts, fetal alcohol syndrome, alcohol poisonings and high-risk sexual behavior, the long-term physical and biochemical effects put many drinkers at risk for the rest of their lives. “The good news.....we are making progress,” says Robert J. Lindsey, President/CEO of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. (NCADD) “and it is now estimated that more than 20 million individuals and family members are living lives in recovery!” “Bottom line, we all have an investment in reducing the devastating impact that  alcohol has on us as individuals, family members and as members of our communities,” says Lindsey.

April is Alcohol Awareness Month and the Putnam County Communities That Care (CTC) Coalition and the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependencies/Putnam remind you that if your drinking has caused problems in your relationships, at work, at home, financially, physically or legally, it’s time to get help. Help is available today.  Please join us, in celebrating NCADD’s 26^th Annual Alcohol Awareness Month and NCADD’s life-saving work, through prevention, treatment and recovery.

Together, we can make “Healthy Choices” develop “Healthy Communities” and “Prevent Underage Drinking”.

Please call the National Council on Alcoholism & Drug Dependencies of Putnam at 845-225-4646 for further information and referral services. Members of the Putnam CTC Coalition are available if you have any questions or would like for us to do a presentation to your organization on this or any other substance abuse trends that affect our children. Please visit and join us on Facebook by searching “Putnam County Communities That Care – NY or on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/PutnamCTCNY.

.

America's Youth Have Voted-SuperBowl Commercial Faves

What commercials do students remember most from the SuperBowl? Not surprisingly, it's the junk food and alcohol advertisements. 

Number of sixth through twelfth grade students across the nation participating in this year’s Big Bowl Vote: More than 13,000 (and counting). 

Number of participating states: 27 states.

*Please note: Due to weather-related issues in multiple states, the reporting deadline has been extended. The Drug-Free Action Alliance will post final results on their website.

Top 5 FAVORITE Commercials
 

Middle School Students
1.            Doritos – Time Machine

2.            Budweiser – Puppy Love

3.            Doritos – Cowboy Kid

4.            Audi – Doberhuahua

5.            Budweiser – Hero’s Welcome

High School Students
1.            Budweiser – Puppy Love

2.            Doritos – Time Machine

3.            Geico – Pig Gets Drivers License

4.            Doritos - Cowboy

5.            NFL – Jerry Ricecake

Top 5 Most RECALLED Commercials

Middle School Students
1.            Doritos

2.            Budweiser  

3.            Bud Light

4.            Coca Cola

5.            Pepsi

High School Students
1.            Doritos

2.            Budweiser

3.            Bud Light 

4.            NFL

5.            Coca Cola

 

(COLUMBUS, OH)  - According to Nielsen, 112.2 million viewers tuned in for this year’s Super Bowl, making it the most-watched U.S. television broadcast in TV history. However, individuals, especially youth, tuned in for the commercials as much as they did for the game.

Sponsored by Drug Free Action Alliance, The Big Bowl Vote surveyed students and found that middle-school students ranked the Doritos’ “Time Machine” as their number one favorite commercial, tightly followed by Budweiser’s “Puppy Love.” High school students were also surveyed and results were similar with the Budweiser’s “Puppy Love” being the clear favorite over the number two favorite, Doritos’ “Time Machine.”   When asked which brand products they remember being advertised during the Super Bowl, both middle school and high school students ranked Budweiser and Bud Light in the second and third position as the most remembered commercials.

“Looking at the results from the Big Bowl Vote, we see that the majority of these youth are watching the Super Bowl and we know they are being exposed to alcohol advertising,” said Drug Free Action Alliance Executive Director, Marcie Seidel.  “Youth will continue to be flooded by this and other alcohol ads on their computers, televisions, billboards and radio.”

Research shows the negative impact alcohol advertising has on youth.  The Center for Alcohol Marketing and Youth from the Bloomberg School of Medicine at John’s Hopkins quoted a national study from 2006 that showed that the greater exposure to alcohol advertising contributed to a rise in underage drinking. 

According to the Pacific Institute of Research and Evaluation, underage drinking cost society $25.1 billion dollars in 2010 in lost work and medical costs.  Also, youth drinking is a key factor in the three most common reasons for death among young people – homicide, suicide and unintentional injury.
 

The Big Bowl Vote is a simple, three-question, student questionnaire given Monday morning following the Super Bowl, where middle and high school students shared their thoughts on what advertisements they remember seeing and which commercial takes their top vote.

Drug Free Action Alliance is a non-profit organization providing leadership to promote safe and drug free communities throughout Ohio.  Other programs and initiatives include Drug Free 24/7, Know!, Ohio Center for Coalition Excellence, Ohio College Initiative to Reduce High Risk Drinking and Ohio Youth Philanthropy Council. For more information on the Parents Who Host, Lose The Most:  Don’t be a party to teenage drinking campaign, please visit www.DrugFreeActionAlliance.org.