Teens Needed for Youth Forum!

The Importance of Family Dinners

Teens that have infrequent family dinners are likelier to smoke, drink, and use marijuana according to the The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA Columbia). CASA has been surveying teens for eighteen years.

“Family Day is a national movement to encourage parents to frequently eat dinner with their kids and be involved in their children’s lives. Family Day will be celebrated nationwide this year on Monday, Sept. 22^nd”^, stated Joseph DeMarzo, Coalition Co-Chairperson. According to CASAColumbia’s report The Importance of Family Dinners VII, compared to teens who have frequent family dinners (five to seven per week), those who have infrequent family dinners (fewer than three per week) are:  

•          Almost four times likelier to use tobacco

•           More than twice as likely to use alcohol

•          Two-and-a-half times likelier to use marijuana

The report also found that teens that have frequent family dinners are likelier to get better grades in school and to say they have an excellent relationship with their parents.

The CASA Columbia family dinners report reveals that 58 percent of teens report having dinner with their families at least five times a week, a proportion that has remained consistent over the past decade. Having frequent family dinners also encourages healthy family relationships. According to the report, teens that have dinner with their families consistently are:

• One-and-a-half times likelier to report having an excellent relationship with their mother;

• More than twice as likely to report having an excellent relationship with their father; and
• Almost twice as likely to report having an excellent relationship with their sibling(s).

“Family meals are the perfect time to have a conversation with your teen. It affords you the opportunity to spend time with your child, talk to them about their friends, interests and the dangers of drugs and alcohol. Parental engagement is the key, as this study proves.” stated Joseph DeMarzo, Coalition Co-Chairperson.

The study also states that teens that have infrequent family dinners have more access to alcohol, marijuana and prescription drugs (to get high) than teens who have consistent family dinners with their parents and siblings.

“Having meals, even if they are on the go, with your child gives parents the opportunity to answer questions and recognize that they (the parent) have the power to help keep their children substance free. This is a very powerful study, and the best thing about it is that family dinners are an actionable goal for parents and teens to achieve. It’s not always easy because of busy schedules, but it is doable”, stated Elaine Santos, Putnam County Communities That Care Coalition Coordinator.

For a FREE Family Dinner Kit please visit: http://casafamilyday.org/familyday/tools-you-can-use/family-dinner-kit/

Members of the Putnam County 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.

Information on our Teen Poster Contest!

Contact Elaine Santos at putnamdfcgrantee@gmail.com for more information!

The Teen Dating Bill of Rights

Does your son or daughter know what to expect from a “dating” partner? Have you discussed with your child the characteristics of a healthy dating relationship?

While it is easy to make light of adolescent boyfriend/girlfriend relationships, it may be a risky notion; as statistics show that one in three teens experience an abusive dating relationship prior to high school graduation.
Though the conversation may feel a bit premature for parents with preteens, Know! that the timing is just right. The earlier a child learns what it means to be in a healthy dating relationship, the better off he/she will be in both the short and long term. At the same time, older teens, even those who have begun dating, can greatly benefit from this talk with you.
To get this critical conversation started, try sharing and reviewing the Teen Dating Bill of Rights and Pledge (adapted from LoveIsRespect.org) together, then ask your child to consider signing off on it.

I have the right:

• To always be treated with respect (which also means being treated as an equal);
• To be in a healthy relationship (based on honesty, trust and communication - not control, manipulation or jealousy);
• To not be hurt physically or emotionally (you should feel safe in your relationship at all times and know that abuse is never your fault, nor is it ever 'deserved');
• To not be pressured to go further than I want to go (this will likely mean different things to different age groups – for younger adolescents, the pressure may be to
  kiss when they do not want to, for older adolescents, the pressure may be to have sex when they do not want to – regardless of age, in a healthy relationship, a partner will not pressure to go further than you want to go);
• To have friends and activities apart from my boyfriend or girlfriend (spending time by yourself, with male or female friends, or with family is normal and healthy).
• To end a relationship (without being harassed, threatened or made to feel guilty).

I pledge to:

• Always treat my boyfriend or girlfriend with respect;
• Resolve conflicts in a peaceful, rational way;
• Never hurt my boyfriend or girlfriend physically, verbally, or emotionally;
• Respect my girlfriend's or boyfriend's decisions concerning sex and affection;
• Not be controlling or manipulative in my relationship;
• Accept responsibility for myself and my actions. 

Youth Signature: _______________________________________Date: ___________
Encourage your child to keep this signed copy somewhere he/she can easily reference it and often be reminded the characteristics of a healthy relationship.
This is also a great opportunity to remind children that you are open and available to discuss all subjects with them, even when the topic feels a little uncomfortable, like this one.
For more tips and information on teen dating, visit www.loveisrespect.org.

Sources: LoveIsRespect.org, DoSomething.org, Drug Free Action Alliance

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.

Sizzurp: It’s Not Cool

Click this link from NIDA for more information: Sizzurp: It’s Not Cool

Attention Parents and Educators: Health Concern Over Club Drug ‘Molly’

Tragedy struck over Labor Day weekend at New York City’s three day Electric Zoo music festival, held on Randall’s Island, after two concert-goers, both in their twenties, overdosed and died at the event after consuming “Molly”. At least four others remain in critical condition at area hospitals.  Thousands of teens and young adults attend the festival each year, As a result of the deaths, the third day of the concert was cancelled.

Many parents are asking “What is Molly”? According to the Partnership for a Drug Free America, “Molly,” is the powder or crystal form of MDMA, which is the chemical used in Ecstasy. Some claim that Molly is less dangerous than other illegal drugs because it’s not physically addictive, more pure than other forms of ecstasy and will not cause cognitive impairment as it doesn’t kill brain cells. The reality, however, is that the use of Molly – a stimulant drug – comes with serious health risks. The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) notes that it can cause confusion, anxiety, depression, paranoia, sleep problems and drug craving.

Health risks and signs of Molly can include anything from involuntary teeth clenching, sudden loss of appetite, a loss of inhibitions, transfixion on sights and sounds, nausea, signs of depression and/or sadness, not being able to get out of bed for extended periods,  blurred vision and chills and/or sweating. More serious risks can even include increased heart rate and blood pressure and seizures.

Molly has been a popular drug at music festivals this year and is also mentioned in several popular songs including Miley Cyrus’ “We Can’t Stop”. Festivals are perhaps the most hazardous of settings, because when combined with the hot crowded conditions, intake of MDMA can lead to severe dehydration and dramatic increases in body temperature. This, in turn, can lead to muscle breakdown and kidney, liver and cardiovascular failure. An additional risk of taking Molly is the potential of it being “cut” or mixed with other harmful substances by someone else, despite claims of it being pure.

The Coalition advises parents to know the facts, talk with their kids and don’t take the use of Molly lightly.

If you suspect your child is using Molly (MDMA), please call 911 immediately or take to the Emergency Department of your local hospital. The Upstate Poison Control Center can also be reached at 1-800-222-1222.

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.

Do You KNOW! Where Your Kids Are Online?

Chances are, they’re not on Facebook. According to NBC’s recent TechNewsDaily report, we (parents) have chased our kids off this particular social media site. Youth have apparently grown tired of us, especially moms, being their “friend,” with the ability to look over their shoulder and monitor their online exchanges.

It should come as no surprise that so many kids are now referring to Facebook as “Mombook,” with the percentage of moms on Facebook having increased from 50 percent in 2010 to 72 percent in 2012. But that just means we are doing our job, right? Parents have been told to monitor our children’s online use, and that is what we are doing.

The challenge is that most kids are more tech-savvy than their parents, and always seem to be one step ahead of us. But, while it can be difficult to keep up with their online activity, it is vital that we do.
So they’ve moved on from Facebook, but where have they gone?

Tumblr: This site, which boasts of 74.9 million posts daily, is supposedly the most popular current teen hangout. Tumblr is more about content and not so much about relationships. Users post and follow the things that interest them.
Twitter: With 22 percent of all teens “tweeting,” Twitter is definitely a hotspot. It is a real-time information network where users “follow” who they like and share their thoughts in 140 characters or less.
Instagram: This is a photo-sharing social network site with about the same number of teen users as Twitter. More than 40 million photos are posted on Instagram every single day. Users can choose to “follow” and be “followed” on this site.
Snapchat: You won’t find many adults here. This is a picture-messaging app for iPhone and Android, and is used almost exclusively by youth. The twist here is that the sender chooses how long the recipient can view the picture before it disappears.
Reddit: This site, similar to Twitter, is a real-time information network. The idea is for users to join or create their own online reddit community, then vote on content. The stories and discussions with the most votes rise to the top for all to view.

Simply “Google” the name of any of these popular teen social networking sites to learn more.
Please note: Know! does not endorse any of the above social networks, nor are we encouraging parents to allow their children to be on these sites. We simply want to make you aware of the online locations youth are choosing to congregate. Each site, even when used appropriately, can pose dangers. It is extremely important to talk to your children about what is okay and not okay to click on, to send, to follow or to post. It is also important to remind them that nothing shared online or through their cell phone apps should be considered private. And while it may be an annoyance from the youth perspective, parents need to continue to monitor their children’s online activities.

Click here to learn more about Snapchat, from a previous Know! Parent Tip.
Click here to download the Know! Family Cell Phone Contract.

Courtesy of the Drug Free Action Alliance