April is Alcohol Awareness Month

Just some facts!

Nationally:

• Nearly one fourth of Americans (more than 20 million) abuse alcohol or are alcohol dependent according to a federal survey.


• Slightly more than half of Americans aged 12 or older are current drinkers.


• More than 1/5 of Americans 12 or older participated in binge drinking during the past 30 days.

(Source: National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2007)

In West Virginia:

• Alcohol sales exceed 44 million gallons of alcohol a year. That's 30 gallons per year per West Virginian age 14 and older. (Source: National Institute on Alcohol and Alcoholism)


• Nearly 300,000 WV adults report binge drinking within the last month. (Source: National Survey on Drug Use and Health)


• More than 70,000 underage youth in WV drink each year. (Source: Pacific Institute for Research and Develpment)

The Cost: $1.8 Billion to the state of West Virginia!

Fabulous 4th Grade Poster Contest Winners Below

National Alcohol Awareness Month is April! Enjoy these wonderful billboards created by our own Ohio County Students!

In October Ohio County School couselors implemented the prevention education program Keep a Clear Mind with all 4th graders! Along with supplying the program, the coalition sponsored a poster contest in which the students took what they learned and applied it to a drawing. The children were asked to show in their drawing what they choose to do instead of drinking or using drugs.

The poster entries were judged by coalition volunteers. Coalition members commented on how difficult it was to choose the winners since all the entries were so good. A winner was chosen from each school and from these 9 winners the top three were chosen. The top three winning posters will appear on billboards in Ohio County for the month of April commemorating National Alcohol Awareness Month. The top winners are Abigalye Hudrlik, Middle Creek, Jorden Eikey, Woodsdale, and Kyle Wensel, Steenrod.

All nine winners will have their posters placed on banners provided by Wheeling Police Department’s EUDL grant coordinated by Sgt. Duwane Taylor. The banners will be presented to schools by the DARE officers or PRO officers and will hang in the elementary schools of each winner during the month of April. The banner winners are Hannah Warren, Warwood; Brendon Morris, Ritchie; Rachel Meister, Madison; Gwendolyn Mirzoyan, Elm Grove; Coltin Seidler, West Liberty and a student from Bethlehem. These students are congratulated by OCSAPC as role models to other students and workers for change in their community. We are very proud of their efforts and talent.

Ohio County Alcohol Retailers 98.4% Compliant in January

The Ohio County Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition (OCSAPC) in partnership with Wheeling Police Department would like to announce compliance check rates of 31 off-premise alcohol sales locations in Ohio County. Wheeling PD has been implementing one monthly compliance check since February of 2008; at this time the compliance rate was only 60.32%. The collaborative effort has allowed for two monthly compliance checks over the past several months; the monthly compliance rate for January is 98.4% in Ohio County.

We are pleased to acknowledge the area businesses that were in compliance for the month of January by not selling alcohol to those under 21. These businesses should be congratulated and held as examples to the business community. Their business practices show they actively care about the safety and well being of their community. They are:

Convenient Food Mart (Bethany Pike, S. Huron St.,Washington Ave.,Main St., 16th St.)
Exxon (National Rd., Island)
Gumby’s (National Rd., S. Wabash St.)
Rite Aid (Elm Grove)
Elm Grove Carry Out
BFS Foods
Riesbecks
Schmidt Bros. Sunoco
Duggers
7-11 Store
Island Exxon
CVS Pharmacy (National Rd.)
Sheetz (National Rd.)
Exxon (National Rd.)
Warwood Exxon
Rite-Aid Pharmacy (Warwood)
Kroger Store #102 (Warwood)
Smoker Friendly (Warwood)
Corner Connection (Warwood)
BFS Foods (River Rd.)
A & J Corner Market
Smoker Friendly (S. Huron)
Neeley’s Grocery
Kroger Store #562 (Mt. DeChantal Rd.)
Gumby’s Cigarette World (National Rd.)

Kristen Kroflich with OCSAPC believes “the positive January compliance rate shows many clerks are aware of their responsibility to check I.D.’s and not sell to those under 21, which is also beneficial to them as merchants since citations and fines associated with non-compliance are issued directly to the person checking out the alcohol product.” “It’s a great area compliance rate and it exemplifies positive business practice.”

Compliance checks are funded through a collaborative effort between Wheeling Police Department, under the Enforcing Underage Drinking Laws Grant (EUDL), and the Ohio County Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition (OCSAPC), funded by a Federal SPF SIG Grant and made possible through Purdue Pharma Asset Forfeiture Funds attained by the coalition.

60 Minutes on Drinking Age Debate

For Your Information - 60 Minutes will have a segment on the debate over the drinking age this Sunday evening. Check it out and let us know what you think!

Do you know what your kids are doing?

This video was put together by the Cabell County Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition in WV.

OxyContin Lawsuit Funds Used to Shed Light on Business Compliance to Underage Drinking Laws

Youth Services Systems Inc. (YSS) is the acting fiscal agent for $8,000 in funding from the Purdue Pharma Asset Forfeiture funds awarded to the Ohio County Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition (OCSAPC). These funds come from a federal OxyContin lawsuit, under the WV Division of Criminal Justice Services (WVDCJS). According to Governor Joe Manchin, these funds will be utilized for efforts towards a Drug Free West Virginia. The governor states that “participation in this project is a positive step toward achieving that goal.”

Locally, the grant is to be used in compliance checks, which monitor local alcohol retailers to ensure they are checking IDs and are not selling alcohol to those under 21. Wheeling PD has already been facilitating compliance checks at least once a month under the Enforcing Underage Drinking Laws (EUDL) grant. However, this new grant award will allow the Police Department to collaborate with the Ohio County Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition (OCSAPC), funded by a Federal SPF-SIG Grant, thereby doubling the number of compliance checks per month on a consistent basis in Ohio County.

John Moses, Executive Director of Youth Services Systems, stated “Youth Services System's success in reaching youth in meaningful ways has been with the support and collaboration of many organizations and interested citizens. When government, social services agencies, educators and businesses join in partnership very good things happen for youth in our communities. Law enforcement and the juvenile justice system have been long time partners with YSS and we look forward to yet another successful venture.”

The main players in compliance checks will be the Wheeling Police Department with Sgt. Duwane Taylor as EUDL Coordinator, OCSAPC, and interested youth. A small portion of the funds are also earmarked for Youth in Action activities like the recent “Sticker Shock” events in which We Are The Future youth placed approximately 4,000 stickers on alcohol products in 5 area businesses so far.

The Ohio County Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition will monitor compliance rates each month with the aim of increasing the rate of compliance to the state drinking laws by area businesses. As a result, we hope to publish the names of businesses that are in compliance with the laws as a way to positively reinforce thoughtful and caring businesses that are willing to make public safety a priority. We want to promote any positive proactive steps being taken in our community. On the flip side, citations are given when the businesses are not in compliance and the clerks who do sell to minors will be personally responsible for any citations and fines given as the law requires.

Second Shock a Success!

The Youth in Action team's "Sticker Shock" event was a success! The team hit Neely's and Convenient in East Wheeling. The business locations were extremely helpful, friendly and cooperative. Patrons of the stores were also very polite and supportive. The youth provided merchant education regarding the laws about selling alcohol to minors. They also placed stickers on alcohol products with the same reminder to purchasers of alcohol for minors.

Thanks so much for all your help We Are The Future, law enforcement, and OCSAPC!

East Wheeling to be “Sticker Shocked” by Kids and Cops

Our Youth in Action team is taking part in the second in a series of "Sticker Shock" campaigns designed to educate merchants and raise community awareness about underage drinking laws. Many clerks do not understand that they are held responsible for their actions if they choose to sell to minors. We Are The Future youth group, Wheeling PD, Ohio County Sheriff''s and OCSAPC adult volunteers join forces with an aim to lower youth access to alcohol and thereby reduce underage consumption.

It is found that teens have access to alcohol through "social access" that is from friends or family and through "retail access" usually having adults purchase the product for them or by purchasing it themselves using fake ID cards or by not being "carded" properly. This action addresses retail access by having youth placing stickers on alcohol products in Convenient and Neely's in East Wheeling. They will educate clerks using performance techniques and they hope to raise community awareness of this issue. The merchants benefit by allowing the public to see that they do make thoughtful business decisions and they do support proper sales procedures to minors.

We recently surveyed 37 recovering addicts/ alcoholics and 30 said alcohol was the first drug they tried. It is indeed a gateway drug. The group hopes their efforts will begin to reduce substance use and abuse in their community.

The action is scheduled for December 10, 2008 at 4:30PM. They participants will meet at Lincoln and proceed to East Wheeling. All media is welcome to join them!

Substance Abuse Prevention Funding Continues

CHARLESTON, W.VA.— Funding to County Prevention Partnerships across West Virginia continues for local substance abuse prevention efforts. Governor Joe Manchin recently announced the federally-funded prevention grant awards, which total more than $1.8 million dollars, to the following 17 counties: Barbour, Cabell, Calhoun, Doddridge, Fayette, Kanawha, Lincoln, Logan, Marshall, Mercer, Mingo, Morgan, Ohio, Pocahontas, Raleigh, Randolph, and Wood.

Locally the recipient is Ohio County Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition with Youth Services Systems, Inc. as the fiscal agent providing administrative support. The grant amount of $120,850 covers funding from Oct.01, 2008-Sept. 29, 2009. The coalition efforts include grassroots prevention initiatives such as media campaigns to raise community awareness of substance abuse related issues, parenting programs, retailer education and stings to prevent the sale of alcohol to minors, school-based curriculum such as the Too Good For Drugs Program, and community-based programs such as a Youth Forum or Town Hall Meeting.

“County Prevention Partnerships are the front line of West Virginia’s Substance Abuse Prevention System,” said Mike Lacy, Chair of The WV Partnership to Promote Community Well-Being (WV Partnership). “They are vital to tackling our state’s substance abuse problem, which costs more than $470 million a year.” The WV Partnership is the state’s Governor-appointed substance abuse prevention and intervention planning body. It advised the Governor regarding these grants.

The source of the grants is a federal Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grant (SPF SIG) awarded to West Virginia in 2004. The five-year, more than 11 million dollar federal grant is intended to build prevention capacity and infrastructure at the state and local levels; prevent the onset and reduce the progress of substance abuse including childhood and underage drinking; and reduce substance abuse and substance abuse-related problems in communities.

The SPF SIG is administered by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Center for Substance Abuse Prevention. West Virginia’s Office of the Governor is the official recipient of the SPF SIG. The Governor has chosen the West Virginia Division of Criminal Justice Services to fiscally administer the SPF SIG sub-grants to counties. The Governor has also contracted with the West Virginia Prevention Resource Center (WVPRC) to coordinate the implementation of the SPF SIG in the form of planning, grant administration, training, technical assistance, monitoring and evaluation.

Additional information about WV’s SPF SIG, WV’s Partnership to Promote Community Well-Being, Regional Learning Opportunities, and the WVPRC is available at www.PrevNET.org or by contacting grant director Kristen Kroflich at kkroflich@ysswv.com or prevention educator Martha Polinsky at mpolinsky@ysswv.com.

Parents Needed & Your Teens Are Asking For You!

Really!! How often do your kids ask for your help?

In July our coalition, with much community support, brought a Youth Forum on underage drinking to the area. In attendance were youth from several area schools, churches, shelters, and community groups. We had 6 discussion topics and we tabulated the responses. We also gave each of the 32 attendees an evaluation form.

The following statements were given with a yes/no option:
“I feel like my opinions were heard at this forum.” 29 Yes
“I feel like youth can make a difference in preventing underage drinking in the local area.” 28 Yes
“I feel like the adults here today want to help youth lead efforts to prevent underage drinking.” 28 Yes
(Remember this is out of 32 youth in attendance)

They were also asked to “list types of people in the community needed most to help youth make a difference with underage drinking.” The top answers were:
Teachers/Schools – 17
Sports/coaches -12
Parents -11
Police -10

Parents are in the top 3 as to who youth think can help them. Don’t let them down! Help us give them the chance to lead social change. Our coalition has only one parent member not associated with any other organization. The only area we have less active interest or participation is from elected officials. We’re going to have to do reduce Underage Drinking as a community and we need parents to give our youth a chance.

We hope you join us on Oct. 22 at 12:30PM for our next meeting. We look forward to meeting you and gaining insight from your knowledge, talents, and experience in the most important job you’ll ever have…..a parent!