Day Campers Dabble in Alcohol Prevention

OCSAPC was able to bring the research based prevention program, Keep a Clear Mind, to Wheeling Park Day Campers. We also added some fun reinforcement activities including a talk show, sculpture, writing their own rap song about remaining free of drug and alcohol, and a choices obstacle course. We had great weather and great participation from the 9-12 year old Ohio County students.

Pictured are students creating sculpture with cigarette packaging refuse. We talked about how much money one could save if they quit smoking for an extended period of time. The sculptures represent what they could buy with the money saved.




Also pictured are children watching We Are The Future youth perform free-style raps about staying off drugs and alcohol and reaching their goals. The kids then broke into groups and wrote their own songs and preformed them.

Youth In Action Training and Collaboration

We recently sponsored a Youth in Action training session in which we collaborated with law enforcement and We Are the Future youth. The Goal was to launch a social marketing campaign which addresses irresponsible marketing practices by area businesses that sell alcohol. After a day of activities geared to understanding the problem and learning how we can help, we decided to create a Youth in Action team. The team organized and decided on a “Sticker Shock” campaign in which the youth, law enforcement and any volunteers meet with business owners who are interested in participating. We ask if we may come into the place of business during working hours and place warning stickers on all alcoholic beverages. The stickers will be developed by We are the Future Youth. The hope is that business owners and customers will learn that youth are concerned about the problem of selling alcohol to underage youth and it might cause them to rethink there sales procedures. It could also show the community that there are young people who want to do something about this problem.

On a personal note, that I know is shared by Kristen, Jill, Carole and myself, it was quite heart warming to see local law enforcement officers interacting and having fun with these fabulous young people. That was a success in itself.

Beer Pong: The Video Game?

During this Christmas, I got the chance to play the new Nintendo Wii interactive video games. It was great to bowl or play virtual tennis with my friends and family. We each created our own virtual character, that served as a "mini-me" in the games. It was good,clean fun for everyone. It has recently been brought to the coalition's attention that Nintendo now plans a "Frat Party Games" series, which will include Beer Pong.

Although that sounds highly unappealing to me, I may be tempted to say, "to each his or her own," however, a company representative recently said the game would be designated with a "T" for teen rating. I, as well as many other OCSAPC members, am very disappointed in this company.

One major statistic that comes to mind is that youth who begin to drink before the age of 15 are 4 times more likely to become alcoholics, than those who simply wait until they are 21 to drink. I find those to be staggering odds. Games from supposedly reputable companies, like Nintendo, only intensifies the perception that binge drinking and underage consumption is the norm and is socially acceptable. The coalition ventured to write a letter to the editor of Ogden Newspapers, and we urge anyone offended by this idea to write a letter to:
Jag Jaeger, Vise President
JV Games Inc.
P.O. Box 97455
Las Vegas NV 89193

It is possible that this is a ploy by the companies marketing department to raise interest in the game by creating controversey and thereby causing teens to highly desire the product. It seems manipulative either way, and we hope this company will decide to choose a more responsible policy.

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)Campaign

Kristen and Cory have been working diligently on the FASD campaign in September. We're having public service announcements and we will be campaigning at county locations for more awareness. Information will be distributed to families, women of child bearing age, alcohol outlets and other locations. We are the Future youth will be helping to design and distribute media awareness materials such as bilboards, stickers, and flyers. Along with the coalition, the Early Childhood Interagency Committee (ECIC through the Ohio County Family Resource Network) will be helping in campaigning to create change.

Project Towards No Drug Abuse

Project Towards No Drug Abuse is an evidence based curriculum that I just completed, today as a matter of fact, at Wheeling Middle School with the 8th graders. Evidence based means it has proven results. I feel very lucky that I was able to bring this program to these students just as they are about to embark on a new adventure...High School. The students were wonderfully honest and I think they really got something out of the program even though they would never admit it. When they heard someone was going to be in their science classes for 12 sessions, they thought we would be discussing drugs and their effects. To their surprise, Project Towards No Drug Abuse really focuses on ways for students to deal with life without drugs and helps them face peer and societal pressure to use harmful substances. It's not just about saying "no" but taking care of themselves in the process. It's about choosing situations that are beneficial to their own life goals.

Many of these kids face addiction and alcoholism every day in their own families. This program brings hope and answers to some problems and questions they deal with continually. For some, this is the only life they know; we have the power to show them there is another way through these programs. They really learned that addiction and alcoholism touch every person in an addicts life, but those affected can chose another route and grow to be happy and healthy.

I'm glad I had the opportunity to be a small part of the students eighth grade year. I would really like to thank the teachers Mrs. Cook and Mrs. McKay whose classrooms I took over. I would also like to thank Mrs. Hearne, Mr. Railing, and Mr. Riddle for their support in setting up the program, and Ms. Dianna Vargo for her support and help in bringing these great programs to students who really can use it to better their lives.

Thanks to the kids for acting as a mirror into my past and teaching me that we really can attain our hopes and dreams if we stay clean and sober. Life gets better and better.

May Coalition Meeting

Coalition Members pictured here are: bottom row left: Cory Hickman, Kriten Kroflich, Sarah Borrell, top left: Sgt. Duwane Taylor, Carol Scheerbaum, Jill Eddy, Ken Boyle, Judy Kesterson, Russ Taylor, Marcia Allen, Lynne Stanley,Deb Allen. Present but not pictured Martha Polinsky.

The May coalition meeting took place May 21, 2008. A fabulous time as had by all. Great lunch! Kritsten Kroflich, Program Director and fearless leader, continued a dialogue on effective practices for community change. ONE-ON-ONE interviews are known to help build rapport and promote grassroots change and support. Members discussed different sectors of the community and named individuals from those sectors with whom we might contact and conduct one-on-one interviews. Members pledged to conduct interviews based on the time they had to contribute. All volunteers are welcome to participate!

The next grant cycle is October 1, 2008 - Septmeber 29, 2009. We discussed our focus for next year and ways to improve our leadership. We want our leadership to reflect the demographics of the community. We also want to look towards tangible support from other organizations or agencies in our community. The coalition also discussed the upcoming Fetal Alcohol Spectrums Disorder (FASD) campaign taking place in September 2008.

You Tube Video

What's Happening in May

Today I am working on lesson plans for our upcoming Keep a Clear Mind progam happening at Wheeling Park Day Camp. We have lots of fun activities planned like a talk show, writing and preforming a rap, rock or country song, cigarette garbage sculpture and choices obstacle course. The activities reinforce the Keep Clear Mind program. Keep a Clear Mind is research based and proven effective. Cory and I have collbaorated on this and we are both looking forward to implementing this sucessful program with our planned activities. We will be having the youth from "We Are the Future" helping out.

Kristen is hard at work analyzing data and preparing to write the grant for this year. It is quite a big job to undertake. Kristen even worked on Saturday. WOW! That is dedication.

At the next coalition meeting will be updating our membership list and taking a new picture to post on the blog. Hope to see you there!

Martha Polinsky

Town Hall Meeting - Held April 3 for Alcohol Awareness Month

I'm still catching up our readers on past events! We've done so much this year.

OCSAPC had speakers who offered messages of prevention and hope during Town Hall Meeting about underage alcohol consumption in Wheeling Thursday night.

About 75 people — nearly half of them teenagers — gathered at 6 p.m. at Christ United Methodist Church in Wheeling to listen to presentations by local drug and alcohol counselors and prevention specialists.

According to the coalition, youth alcohol use in Ohio County is third highest in the state, and a majority of Ohio County teens reported they see little or no harm in drinking alcohol.“It’s a big problem in this area,” said Ken Boyle, a drug and alcohol counselor for adolescents at Youth Services System in Wheeling.

On the other hand, 66 percent of Wheeling Park High School students reported they think it’s wrong for adults to host teen drinking parties, according to Kristen Kroflich (pictured above), coalition project director, citing a survey conducted by the law firm Gold, Khourey and Turak.“That’s a good number. We want people to know what these youth are saying. Youth can make a difference,” Kroflich said.

The Wheeling meeting kicked off with a digital video presentation created by members of We Are the Future, a nonprofit youth group dedicated to social change.

Ken Boyle spoke about his battle with alcohol addiction. “I saw firsthand the terrors of addiction", he said, noting he started using alcohol in high school. It seemed everyone was doing it, he said.“Young people, you don’t have to think that way. Adults, please don’t accept that when your kid is 15, 16 or 18, ‘Oh, they’re going to drink and there’s nothing we can do about it.’ ... The worst thing in the world is for a parent to have to bury a child. It can be prevented,” Boyle said.

Carole Scheerbaum of the West Virginia Prevention Resource Center gave statistics including the finding that Ohio County ranked sixth out of the 55 West Virginia counties in the need for a substance abuse prevention program. The factors include youth reporting there is some or no harm in using alcohol and that they have easy access to beer and liquor. “But I have hope. Why? Because the youth are getting involved. We saw tobacco use decline when the youth got involved, and the same thing will happen with alcohol,” Scheerbaum said.

Other speakers included Russ Taylor from HealthWays Inc./Miracles Happen, an inpatient treatment program for adult men, and Jim Braden, prevention officer at Wheeling Park High School.

Wheeling News Register Staff Writer Art Limann contributed to this report.

When OCSAP Coalition Began - Sept.5 2007

Ohio County Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition’s campaign against youth alcohol use are coalition members, from left, Deborah Allen, chair; Carole Scheerbaum; Kristen Kroflich, project director; Jill Eddy; Cory Hickman; Russ Taylor; Sharon Parker; Debbie Wood and Judy Kesterson. Standing in the back is Greg Puckett of Mercer County Teen Court. - Photo by Betsy Bethel

A coalition is born.

Out of 55 counties in West Virginia, Ohio County has the third highest percentage of youth who drink alcohol, according to the West Virginia Prevention Resource Network.

In addition: - Half of teens find little harm in drinking beer, - Three-quarters find little harm in drinking wine coolers, and - Roughly two-thirds report easy access to both.

“We want to make sure people know there is a youth alcohol problem in Ohio County and that everyone knows there is something we can do about it,” said Kristen Kroflich, Ohio County project director for the federal Strategic Prevention Framework-State Incentive Grant, which is helping to fund a campaign against youth alcohol abuse in the county.

The Ohio County Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition launched the campaign at a luncheon Sept. 5 at Undo’s in Elm Grove, where Kroflich presented the facts, figures and goals. Attending the presentation were officials from various local agencies that make up the coalition, as well as media, law enforcement and prospective coalition members.

This was taken from an article in the Wheeling News Register.