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Did you Know?
Weekend use
56% of all underage drinking occurs on the weekends
February 2010 Coalition Connections
January 2010 Coalition Connections
Click Here for our January Coalition Connections e-newsletter.
Have something to submit? Contact us.
December 2009 Coalition Connections
Click here for our December 2009 Coalition Connections email newsletter.
Stacy Mathis & Sam Ghee Present at CPOP Summit
On Saturday, October 17th, the Community Problem Oriented Policing (CPOP) Summit and Awards Banquet brought together Cincinnati Police Department representatives, City officials, citizen volunteers and Community Police Partnering Center staff members to present a variety of local and national best practices in problem solving, community building and volunteer recruitment. Five years of honoring the best in local police / community problem-solving collaborations – that was truly something to celebrate!
Stacy Mathis & Sam Ghee presented at this year’s conference on “Building Strong Drug-Free Coalitions”. The CPOP Banquet keynote speaker was Rev. Eugene Rivers III. Internationally recognized as one of the most effective crusaders against gang and group-related violence, Rev. Rivers and his National Ten Point Coalition (NTPLF) have organized faith based-led coalitions in Boston and throughout the country to work with citizens and police to reduce gun violence and other forms of crime and disorder.
Thank you Dr. Bauer
The Coalition for a Drug-Free Greater Cincinnati wishes to express its deepest sympathies for the family of Dr. Raymond Bauer who passed away unexpectedly this past fall.
Dr. Bauer was an active part of the Coalition for the last several years, and his contribution will be missed. One of the most important sectors in the Coalition’s work is the schools, and Dr. Bauer was one of the greatest assets the Coalition had. As an educator, his passion for his students and their education was evident in all his contributions. His unique insight into how to best prevent drug and alcohol use in students was an invaluable resource to the Coalition.
Dr. Bauer was respected by students, faculty, peers and everyone who knew him. His legacy will live on through the Partnership for a Drug-Free Milford & Miami Township, which he founded and chaired. The Coalition for a Drug-Free Greater Cincinnati will greatly miss his participation.
Ten Years of Prevention Progress - Community Profile Released
The Coalition for a Drug-Free Greater Cincinnati (CDFGC) has released its Community Profile.
The findings, compiled from the analysis of the last five PRIDE Student Drug Use Survey cycles, details the progress being made on youth substance abuse issues and the difference that community based efforts are making in the lives of tri-state youth.
The decade worth of results illustrates that prevention works and communities have the power to come together and create change. The Coalition utilizes localized data from the survey to mobilize communities to come together to address the identified problems. Since 1996, the network of member coalitions has increased to 25, forming a “web of prevention” over the ten-county, three-state region.
The Coalition for a Drug-Free Greater Cincinnati and local coalitions use data from the survey to design strategies to continue the downward trend in use. For example, survey responses continue to show that the more parents talk with their kids about drugs and alcohol, the less likely they are to use them on a regular basis. Coalitions help distribute the Parents’ Guide to Talking with Kids about Drugs which offers tips and suggestions for starting the important conversations parents need to have to keep their kids safe.
Over the last ten years, monthly use rates for alcohol are down 33%, 28% for tobacco and 33% for marijuana. The results of the survey continue to show that the majority of youth in greater Cincinnati make healthy decisions about alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. In 2008, for instance, 80% of students surveyed responded that they choose not to drink on a regular basis.
“The survey is a vital tool in our efforts to keep youth safe from the dangers of alcohol and other drug abuse,” says Holly J. Molony, the Coalition’s Execuitve Director. “The results help paint the picture of youth substance abuse, including what influences their decisions. The findings help direct our efforts to where we can be the most effective.”
To receive a pdf copy of the Community Profile, please visit www.DrugFreeCincinnati.org/communityprofile.
Kids Who Work Can Be At Risk For Alcohol/Drug Use: Parents Are Key
During the summer season, many young people in the tri-state are working full or part time, gaining valuable life experiences that will prepare them for a productive future. However, even with this new found independence, parents must be sure that their kids remain alcohol and drug free.
Data collected by the Coalition in its bi-annual student drug use survey indicates that students in the Greater Cincinnati area who report working full or part time also tend to have higher regular use rates for alcohol and drugs. In 2008, comparing students who work (full or part time) to their counterparts who do not work, regular use rates for alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana doubles among those who work.
Among those who work either full or part time, 32% report regularly using alcohol, versus a use rate of 15% among those who reported they do not work. 22% of teens who work use tobacco regularly, versus the 10% of regular tobacco users, who reported they do not work. Finally, regular use of marijuana among working youth is at the 10% level versus 5% among those who do not work.
“Kids who work have a number of factors that may push them towards using alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs,” said Holly J. Molony, President/ Executive Director, Coalition for a Drug-Free Greater Cincinnati. “For example, they now have money and newfound independence, which are great things. A job brings challenges as well, such as stress, time management needs, and the exposure to older co-workers. Youth may see drugs and alcohol use as more acceptable and accessible as they learn to navigate the workplace.”
Parents Can Prevent Use
Even though they are entering the work world, youth still need guidance and support from their parents in making healthy choices. One of the first steps in the battle is for parents to have ongoing conversations about the harms of alcohol use and to set clear rules and expectations about non-use of alcohol. In fact, youth who report that their parents talk to them about drugs and alcohol are 62% less likely to use, according to the survey.
Further, it is important for parents to convey to children that they do not approve of alcohol or drug use. For parents of youth who are in the workplace, there are several ways to support healthy choices, such as setting limits on car usage, maintaining family rules about parties and curfews, asking about who they will be out with, helping them effectively save and manage the money they’ve earned, and giving them help in responding to pressure from peers or older adults who may have legal access to tobacco or alcohol.
These tips and more can be found in the Coalition’s Parent’s Guide for Talking to Kids about Drugs. The booklet is filled with conversation starters on having age-appropriate discussions on drugs and alcohol with children from preschool through college age. It is available on the Coalition’s website at www.DrugFreeCincinnati.org or by calling (513) 751-8000.
“Getting that first job and entering the work world is a huge step in a teen’s life,” noted Molony. “However, with this burgeoning independence, youth still need guidance and boundaries to make healthy choices about drugs and alcohol.”
Coalition Elects New Board Members
CINCINNATI- On Wednesday June 10, 2009, the Board of Trustees for the Coalition for a Drug-Free Greater Cincinnati voted to add four new members. The Coalition’s four new board members are as follows (in alpha order): Christie Bryant, Patricia B. DeJarnett, Kyle Gearheart and Kerry Hill.
Christie Bryant is an attorney with Ulmer & Berne LLP in Cincinnati, OH. Prior to her graduation from the University of Cincinnati College of Law, she worked in the substance abuse prevention area. She is a member of the Avondale Community Council and is an active member of both her profession and community, serving on several nonprofit boards.
Patricia B. DeJarnett is currently the Director of School-Based Health Care for Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. She is an active member of the community and in her profession. Currently, she serves as Chair of the Governance Committee for the National Assembly on School-Based Health Care, and is past President of the Ohio School-Based Health Care Association Board. She has served on a number of other local nonprofit boards as well.
Kyle Gearheart, CFP®, CFM®, CRPC is a Vice President with Merrill Lynch in Cincinnati. He has served several terms on the board of the Drug-Free Action Alliance, a statewide substance abuse prevention group located in Columbus, OH.
Kerry Hill is currently Executive Director of Pupil and Personnel Operations with Campbell County Kentucky Schools. He actively supports the Coalition’s survey efforts in his district and provides ongoing input to Coalition programs as needed, including the work of the Southern Campbell County Coalition, a member coalition of the Coalition for a Drug-Free Greater Cincinnati.
Each of the new members was elected by the Board of Trustees to serve a three year term. The Coalition welcomes the diversity of background, experience and thought that each new member brings to the Coalition’s ongoing effort to reduce underage use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs across the Greater Cincinnati region.
Maps give policymakers bird’s-eye view on health
From the Cincinnati Business Courier:
"The Coalition for a Drug-Free Greater Cincinnati used HealthLandscape to highlight its 2008 student drug use survey, showing what substance abuse programs are offered in areas where use of certain drugs is high."
Read the whole article here.
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