"Sticker Shock" Hits Putnam County!

Naura Slivinsky and Kristin McConnell

Stickers at Shop Rite of Carmel

Communities all over New York and the United States are trying to figure out what they can do to prevent the alcohol-related deaths or injuries that are too often associated with the summer season. This year, local retailers have partnered with the Putnam County Communities That Care Coalition to recognize alcohol awareness and take action to prevent such tragedy from happening in our County.

Due to the recent arrests in Putnam County related to adults providing alcohol to minors, the Putnam County CTC Coalition has implemented a new environmental strategy entitled “Sticker Shock”, which is an activity supported by the Office of Substance Abuse and US Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention. This project aims to reach those individuals over age 21 that legally purchase alcohol and provide it to a minor by reminding adults of the Putnam County Social Host Liability Law. The campaign consists of a Coalition designed sticker being adhered to multi-packs of alcoholic beverages (beer, wine coolers, etc) in participating retail stores.

During the week of July 9^th, Coalition members visited retailers that volunteered to host this project. Participating stores that generously donated their time and space were:

1. Shop Rite of Carmel, 180 Gleneida Avenue, Carmel, NY 10512
2. Carmel Beverage, 323 New York 52  Carmel, NY 10512
3. Brewster Wine and Liquor, 1515 New York 22  Brewster, NY 10509

1,300 stickers were placed on boxes by Coalition members. For safety purposes, stickers do not cover bar codes, nutritional information, or alcohol content. The stickers state the following:

Allowing Underage Drinking At Your Home Is No Party!:  Did you know you could be subject to: 1. Up to one year in jail, a $3,000 fine, and reimbursement for law enforcement 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.  If you are a retailer interested in participating in this project, please call the Putnam County Communities That Care Coalition at 845-225-4646, Ext. 13 or Elaine Santos at putnamdfcgrantee@gmail.com. Supplies are limited. 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

'Prescription tourists' thwart states' crackdown on illegal sale of painkillers

'Prescription tourists' thwart states' crackdown on illegal sale of painkillers

Click above for article.

Congress Passes the FDA Safety and Innovation Act (Synthetic Drugs)

Carmel, New York—

The Office of National Drug Control Policy and the Putnam County Communities That Care Coalition commends Congress for passing the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act, S. 3187, which requires 26 synthetic chemicals, including those commonly found in products marketed as "K2" and "Spice" to be considered Schedule I substances.  Schedule I substances are those with a high potential for abuse; have no medical use in treatment in the United States; and lack an accepted safety for use of the drug.

This federal law would establish regulatory oversight and enforcement on the federal level of these 26 drugs commonly found in synthetic marijuana known as "K2" and "Spice." The new law also allows the DEA or FDA to temporarily ban the drugs for as long as 36 months. The legislation creates a new definition for “cannabamimetic agents” and sets criteria for the regulation of similar chemical compounds.

According to the Office of National Drug Control Policy, “States ought to work to ensure that they have themselves scheduled on a State level all the substances incorporated into the Federal legislation. Although state laws vary, generally state law enforcement officials will not enforce narcotics laws on substances controlled on a Federal level but not a State level.  DEA will naturally focus their limited resources on major distribution networks and cross-state and international trafficking of these substances and their component chemicals.  DEA wants to be as helpful as possible to state authorities and to partner in investigations, but the reality is that they do not have the manpower to enforce these controls on the thousands of individual retail outlets that may sell them across the country. Both Federal and State agencies will have to continue to review and update the list of banned substances as new versions are produced and distributed.  Due to the huge profitability of these substances and the difficulty many prosecutors have in making these cases, ONDCP would encourage state and local agencies to continue to attempt to use their State health/safety/agricultural authorities to remove these substances from store shelves.  Further, civil fines and other penalties continue to be another useful tool to motive retailers to stop selling these substances. The Federal scheduling of the additional synthetic substances is an important step forward, but not the end of the story. All of us must continue to be creative in finding solutions to this continually evolving drug problem.”

Synthetic marijuana is a mixture of herbs and spices applied with a synthetic chemical compound (psychotropic drug JWH- 018 and JWH-073) similar to THC, the active ingredient in marijuana. Spice is sold in smoke shops and head shops in a variety of colors/flavors-usually sold in foil packaging or in small glass containers. It is sold as incense and marked “not for human consumption” and is dangerous and addictive.  Nicknames for synthetic marijuana include: Fake weed, spice, K-2 spice, K-2 summit, Black Mamba, Genie, Zohai, Serenity Now, Zombie Zilla. According to the American Association of Poison Control Center’s National Poison Data System (NPDS) the emergency calls doubled between 2010 and 2011 due to synthetic drug use.

If you have concerns or suspect a person of using synthetic cannabinoids take the  individual to the nearest emergency department. The Upstate New York Poison Control Center can be reached at 1-800-222-1222. 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.

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

"Addiction Incorporated" Theatrical Trailer

The Opioid Addiction Epidemic: A Public Health Crisis

SAVE THE DATE

Drunk Driving Is a Deadly Problem This Fourth of July

GOAL/POSITIONING:  The goal is to warn people of the dangers and consequences of driving while impaired.  Impaired-driving crashes killed more than 10,000 people in 2010, accounting for 31 percent of all traffic-related fatalities in the United States.  That’s an average of one alcohol-impaired-driving fatality every 51 minutes.
That is why the Putnam County Communities That Care Coalition,  along with other highway safety, community, health and law enforcement officials, are reminding everyone this Fourth of July that Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving and to designate a sober driver before the celebrations begin.

KEY MESSAGES:
During the July 4^th holiday, alcohol is a major factor in fatal crashes

• Impaired driving fatalities spike during nighttime hours. The proportion of alcohol impairment among drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2010 was almost five times higher at night (6pm to 5:59am) than during the day (6am to 5:59pm) for the July 4^th 2010 holiday period (6:00pm July 2 - 5:59am July 6.) In fact, more than 80 percent of alcohol-impaired driving fatalities took place at nighttime (6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m.)

• According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 392 people were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes during the Fourth of July holiday in 2010 (6:00pm July 2- 5:59am July 6.)  Of those fatalities, 39 percent were in crashes that involved at least one driver or motorcycle operator with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher.

• Alcohol-impaired-driving crashes killed 10,839 people in 2009, accounting for 32 percent of all traffic-related deaths in the United States.  That’s an average of one alcohol-impaired-driving fatality every 48 minutes.

• Beware: the rate of alcohol impairment among drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2009 was four times higher at night than during the day.

Whether way too many or just one too many, it’s not worth the risk. Impaired Driving creates serious consequences.

• Alcohol impairs many of the skills that safe driving requires, including judgment, concentration, comprehension, coordination, visual acuity and reaction time.

• Driving with a BAC of .08 or higher is illegal in every state. Yet many people still ignore the law. According to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report, more than 1.44 million people were arrested for driving under the influence during 2009. 

• The tragedies and costs from drinking and driving impaired do not just end at the potential death, disfigurement, disability and injury caused by impaired drivers.

• Driving impaired or riding with someone who is impaired is not worth the risk. The consequences are serious and real. Not only do you risk killing yourself or someone else, but the trauma and financial costs of a crash or an arrest for driving while impaired can be really significant and not the way you want to celebrate the July 4th holiday.

• People that break the law often face jail time, the loss of their driver’s license, higher insurance rates, and dozens of other unanticipated expenses from attorney fees, other fines and court costs, car towing and repairs, lost time at work, etc.

• This summer don’t let your 4th of July end in an arrest—or even worse, death. Make smart decisions. Plan ahead so you can ensure a safe way home.

• Remember: Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving. Don’t drink and drive.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is sponsoring the campaign Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving which begins Sunday June 24, 2012 and continues through July 4, 2012. It encourages community members to practice safe driving practices on and around Independence Day.
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 call the National Council on Alcoholism & Drug Dependencies of Putnam at 845-225-4646, Ext. 13 for information and referrals. Please visit and join us on Facebook by searching “Putnam County Communities That Care – NY” or by searching Twitter at “PutnamCTCNY”.
 For more information, visit For more information, please visit www.nhtsa.gov/drivesober.

Healthy Communities Without Drugs: World Drug Day

For more information on World Drug Day, please click picture above.