Vsaac Community Report 2010 - Web

8/3/2019 Vsaac Community Report 2010 - Web

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This is the average ageof rst alcohol use

in the Valley.

P re v e n t i o n S av e s L i v e s!

A community report provided byThe Valley Substance Abuse Action Council (VSAAC)

A program of Birmingham Group Health Services, Inc.



Underage Drinking:

A Community Crisis

B: Pamela MautteDirector, Valley Substance Abuse Action Council (VSAAC)

In the Valley, the average age of rst use of alcohol is just

12 years old. A startling statistic, but only one of many

that help fully illustrate the depth of the problem in our

community.

According to recent national and community

surveys, youth in the VSAAC subregion areusing alcohol at more than twice the rate of youth

around the country and 59% more than their

peers in New England. A community workgroup consisting of a cross section of Valley parents,business owners, educators, students, and health professionals identied alcohol use as the number

one issue facing residents across the lifespan in the Valley. This same group, however, ranked this

problem as somewhat difcult to change or impact. The reasons for this are varied, but the mostcommon are that adults are often unaware of the risk factors involved in underage drinking and that

alcohol use among youth is accepted as a harmless and normative behavior.

Over the past year, VSAAC has been working diligently to change the perceptions of, and attitudestoward, alcohol use in our community through a variety of proven evidence based strategies, includ-

ing conducting parent and student workshops, community based alcohol screenings, and trainings

for alcohol merchants; and assisting in policy development. We’ve also launched a comprehensivemedia campaign utilizing social media, billboards, cinema ads and newspaper advertising to help raise

awareness and educate the community about the seriousness of the problem.

These same types of evidence based strategies have proven to be extremely effective in our

community in the past, producing dramatic reductions in tobacco usage, prescription pill abuse and

heroin use once identied as major problems facing Valley youth.

But these measure alone are not enough to eradicate underage alcohol use in our region. For us to

enact true change, we need adults in our community - parents, teachers, business owners, community

leaders and other stakeholders - to join us in our efforts by modeling healthy behaviors, demonstratingzero tolerance for underage drinking, and becoming actively involved in prevention initiatives. We need

to be clear that

it is not “okay”for youth to drink

alcohol, and that

when we drink asadults, we should

do so only in

moderation.

By working

together toaddress the

problem, we

can overcome

this communitycrisis and effect

true and positive

change in all of our children’s

lives!

If You Plan to Host an

Underage Drinking Party...

Consider Us Invited!

Greater Valley

Substance Abuse

Action Council

www.vsaac.org A program of BGHS, Inc.

The Problem...

Locally:

29.9 % of youth used

alcohol in the last 30 days.*

*2009 VSAAC survey

of youth grades 7-12

(similar age group as

national survey).

Nationally:

14.6 % of youth used

alcohol in the last 30 days.*

Regionally:

18% of youth used alcohol

in the past 30 days.*

*2008 NSDUH survey

of youth age 12 - 17 yrs.

community attitudes

In a recent “Communit Readiness Assessment for Substance Abuse Prevention,” respondents(representing a cross section of some 200 communit members) reported some concerningattitudes that spea to readiness to address alcohol related problems in the Valle.

The majorit of respondents disagreed with the following statements:“Most communit residents are concerned with preventing alcohol abuse.”“Most communit residents believe that outh in all socioeconomic groups are at ris.”

A little over half of the respondents agreed with the statement:“Most communit residents feel that it is oa for outh to drin occasionall.”

Respondents also felt that there would be little support for town ordinances to discourageunderage drining and that enforcement of liquor laws should not be a priorit.

Finall, most respondents agreed with the notion that outh can drin with adult supervision,that outh can drin if not driving, and that occasional use of marijuana is not harmful.

The responses demonstrate a low level of readiness to address alcohol use and abuse issues, or alow opinion of the “communit’s readiness.”

Alcohol is the number one problem facing our teens toda.

Comparing current alcohol use of youth in the Lower Naugatuck Valley towns with youth

nationally and regionally demonstrates the high rates of alcohol use in our community...

“I don’t use drugs.

I onl use alcohol.” -Kids Everywhere



What’s the Harm?

Alcohol is the #1 health ris facing our students toda.

Did you know that teen drinkers are less sensitive to the sedative effects of alcohol than

adults are? Therefore, teens can drink more, and longer, than adults which often leads to

dangerous binge* drinking behavior. In addition, teens that begin drinking before the age of

15 are much more likely to become alcoholics than those who don’t drink before they turn 21.

In the Fall of 2009,

over 3,000 Valley 7th,

9th and 11th grade

students participated

in VSAAC’s biannual

Survey of Students

Needs** which

provides the only

Valley specic data

about alcohol and

substance abuse

usage and attitudes

among youth. The

survey revealed some

disturbing facts. While

alcohol usage has

actually decreased among 11th graders over the past decade, usage among 7th and 9th

graders is again on the rise. Binge drinking among 7th and 9th graders is also a concern

with both age groups reporting increases of this exceptionally risky behavior.

Alcohol Use Past 12 Months

Binge Ris

Drining

(2 Wees

Prior to

Surve)

Fact: Adolescents drink less frequently than adults,

but when they do drink, they drink more heavily than

adults. When youth between the ages of twelve and

twenty consume alcohol, they drink an average of

ve drinks per occasion about six times a month.(The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent and

Reduce Underage Drinking, 2007)

Wh This Matters: Teens who drink heavily

impair their memory, attention span and spatial skills.

Teens who are heavy frequent drinkers experience

more emotional, social and behavioral problems such

as anxiety, depression, anti-social behavior and conduct

disorders.

*Binge drinking is defned as having

5 or more drinks in 2 hours for anadult

Alcohol is a toxic, potentiall

addictive drug that causes more

damage to the individual and

societ than all illegal drugs

combined – in fact, alcohol ills

nearl seven times more oung

Americans than all illegal drugs

combined. (Teens Under the

Infuence, Ketcham and Pace)

SOME GOODNEWS...

VSAAC’s survey did offer

some positive ndings....

84.8% of 7th graders have notused alcohol in the past year

57.3% of 9th graders have not used alcohol in the past year

38.6% of 11th graders have not used alcohol in the past year {**VSAAC will release the full results of the 2009 Survey of Student Needs later this fall. Contact VSAAC at (203) 736-8566 for further information, or visit www.vsaac.org.

Why Kids Drink...

Students generall overestimate the proportion of their peers activel involved in

alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs (ATOD). Hence, it is easier to be pressured b the

mth that “everbod is doing it.”

Normative education, which includes tools such as student surves and opinion polls,

helps students realize that use of ATOD is not the norm for teenagers. VSAAC has been

activel addressing this issue through our federal STOP ACT grant dollars with the goalto change normative behavior.

Other reasons that teens drin alcohol include exposure to extensive promotion of

alcohol products in media which increases the desire to use the product; American

acceptance and perception of underage drining as a “rite of passage” to adulthood;

availabilit/accessibilit of alcohol in most homes, and the fact that alcohol is

inexpensive.

Man ids use drugs (and alcohol)

for the same general

reasons adults use drugs –

to get high, to feel happ,

stimulated, relaxed, or

intoxicated; to ease stress,

frustration, tension,

disappointment, fear, or

anger; to tae their minds

off their pain or troubles.(Teens Under the

Inuence,Ketcham and Pace)



Parental Impact

According to results of the 2009 VSAAC

Surve of Student Needs, 30% of 11th graders have used alcohol/drugs at their favorite hangout. PARENTS DO yOU kNOW WHERE yOUR kID’S FAVORITE HANGOUT IS?

FACT...{

Parents are the most inuential people in their children’s lives. In fact, the reason most

children decide not to drink is because their PARENTS TALKED TO THEM about it

(Source: Substance Abuses and Mental Health Services Administration). Teens who

believe that their parents will not care if they are drinking are more likely to drink, binge

drink and use other drugs. Unfortunately, there is evidence of both a real and perceived

low parental disapproval rate of underage alcohol use in the Valley community as

demonstrated by responses to related questions from the Community Readiness

Assessment and the Survey of Student Needs.

The graph below illustrates Valley 11th graders’ responses to - “How upset do you think

your parents would get if they parents found out that you had been using: TOBACCO,

ALCOHOL, MARIJUANA, OTHER ILLEGAL DRUGS?”

Where do ids drin?

Parents who are overly permissive or who support teen drinking put their

children at risk. In addition, there is no evidence showing that if you let

kids drink at home they will be discouraged from drinking elsewhere.

Realistically, you may not be able to stop your teen from experimenting

with alcohol before high school graduation, but you can make it not easy

for them to try/experiment through clear rules and consistent

consequences. Kids who feel their parents will

punish them if caught are less

likely to drink.

Alcohol

Tobacco

Marijuana

Other

Illegal

Drugs

91.90%59.40%

70.40%

79.90%

grade 9 grade 11

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%At party 1-2 people Alone Favorite In a car Adults No Adults

hangout at home at home

29.30%

50.70%

30.70%

49.80%

15.50%

26%

18.50%

30%

11.10%

26%

13.60%

22.50%19.40%

33.40%

The Nine Facets of Parental Engagement

1. Be there: Get involved in your children’s lives

and activities.

2. Open the lines of communication and

keep them wide open.

3. Set a good example: Actions are

more persuasive than words.

4. Set the rules and expect your children

to follow them.

5. Monitor your children’s whereabouts.

6. Maintain family rituals such as eating

dinner together.

7. Incorporate religious and spiritual

practices into family life.

8. Get Dad engaged and keep him engaged.

9. Engage the larger family of your children’s friends,

teachers, classmates, neighbors, and community.

(Source: How to Raise A Drug Free Kid, Califano,2009)

High School & Ris Behaviors

Did ou now that when students enter high school their ris of substance abuse triples?

The transition to high school presents a major change in our child’s environment. New

inuences and friends, increase in availability of alcohol/drugs, pressure to “t in” with

new social groups, and a shift in focus from parents to peers are all contributing factors.

In addition, high schoolers often have fewer rules, less supervision and fewer restrictions

at home, maing it easier for students to engage in ris behaviors.

- Parent TipsIt is critical that during the summer and in the earl months of high school,

that parents develop and maintain open communication with their teens, and

reiterate their values and expectations. Create and enforce clear and concise

rules. Mae time to get to now our child’s new friends (and their parents) androutinel as our child questions about substance abuse.



Alcohol screenings

VSAAC has trained the Valle Parish

Nurses to implement Communit Based

Brief Alcohol Screenings. Brief screen-

ings can be a useful and non-threatening

wa to reach outh (and adults) who ma

not realize the are engaging in ris or potentiall problem drining. During a

screening, participants are ased a few

simple questions about their alcohol use.

Results are issued immediatel giving

participants the opportunity to reect on

their levels of use as well as access infor-

mation, referral and intervention services

as needed. The earl detection of prob-

lem behavior means that intervention can

occur sooner, increasing the lielihood of

a positive outcome.

In its ongoing efforts to educate parents about the risk factors of underage drinking, VSAAC continues tolaunch aggressive media campaigns featuring hard-hitting messages like the one in the billboard ad above.

RED WATCH TRAINING

This summer, VSAAC (in collaboration with

Echo Hose Ambulance Company) implemented

a Red Watch Campaign program in the Valley.

The mission of the Red Watch Campaign is

to provide students of the college community

with the knowledge, awareness, and skills toprevent toxic drinking deaths; and to promote

a student culture of kindness, responsibility,

compassion, and respect.

The Red Watch program utilizes a peer-to-

peer model consisting of four hours of

training for student participants in Alcohol

Education, CPR Certifcation, and Automatic

External Defbrillator Training.

Participants in the Red Watch training areawarded the “red watch” which serves as a

symbol of the band of students who “watch”

out for each other among their peer groups.Get involved in the ght against underagedrinking in the Valley! Contact VSAAC at(203) 736-8566, or visit www.vsaac.org.

*The Red Watch Campaign initiative was funded by aValley United Way Special Needs Grant.

435 East Main Street

Ansonia, CT 06418

203-736-8566

www.vsaac.org

Vsaac Community Report 2010 - Web

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