Substance Abuse
Substance abuse has a devastating impact on people, families, and communities. Survey research in our region shows that alcohol is the mostly frequently abused substance, followed by marijuana and tobacco. Survey research also shows that there is generally a pattern of declining use by teens. There is a wealth of information and research on substance abuse prevention and healthy youth development. We’ve listed several links to key sources of information or help with community planning, data collection, program development, and evaluation.
http://store.samhsa.gov/shin/content/SMA11-4645/SMA11-4645.pdf
This report is a comprehensive report on the nature and extent of underage drinking in the U.S. The role of the Federal government in preventing and reducing underage drinking is discussed and there are reports on state policies, enforcement activities, and prevention programs underway to address the problem. Massachusetts policies are found on pages 249-253.
Patrick-Murray Administration Releases Updated Strategic Plan To Address Substance Abuse In The Commonwealth
Health of Massachusetts - Alcohol Tobacco and Other Drug Use Chapter
Strategic Plan Update FINAL July 2010
Substances Abuse Prevention Coalitions in Western Mass:
Northern Berkshire Community Coalition
Pittsfield Prevention Partnership
Southern Berkshire Community Coalition
Springfield STOP Access Coalition
(Springfield) New North Campus Community Concept Coalition
Holyoke Communities That Care Coalition
http://www.teensarelistening.org/
http://www.tushijosescuchan.com/
Strategic Planning Initiative for Families and Youth (SPIFFY, Hampshire County)
Franklin County Communities That Care Coalition
Gil-Montague Community Coalition
North Quabbin Community Coalition
Opiate Overdose Prevention is a coalition administered by the Springfield Department of Health and Human Services. Preventing opiate overdose is a priority of the Bureau of Substance Abuse Services. This topic was chosen based on an analysis of prevalence and trend data. The project is known as MassCALL II – Massachusestts Collaborative for Action Learning and Leadership. In western Massachusetts, Springfield participates in this project.
Resources
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health Bureau of Substance Abuse Services provides funding and leadership to prevention, intervention, treatment, and residential substance programs throughout Massachusetts.
Reducing Underage Drinking: A Collective Responsibility is a report prepared by the National Research Council of the Institute of Medicine for the United States Congress. In this report you’ll find information about the prevalence of underage drinking and national, state, and local policy recommendations.
The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University reports that the economic consequences of substance abuse and addiction for Massachusetts are reported to be $4,569,629, or $709.88 per capita, (2005).
This information is from a report by CASA, Shoveling Up II: The Impact of Substance Abuse on Federal, State and Local Budgets
The Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation website is full of information about substance abuse prevention strategies.
The Underage Drinking Enforcement Training Center is a project of PIRE and includes updates, alerts, and additional information.
Alcohol Screening and Brief Intervention can be used in a variety of settings and can help people understand their drinking patterns and reduce their use. A joint publication of the American Public Health Association (APHA) and Education Development Center, Inc., Alcohol Screening and Brief Intervention: A Guide for Public Health Practitioners provides the information, skills, and tools needed to conduct screening and brief intervention (SBI) to help at-risk drinkers reduce their alcohol use.
A new SBIRT powerpoint presentation helps viewers to understand the role that SBIRT plays in the prevention to treatment continuum. These slides were shown in a webinar January, 2011 by Carol Girard, SBIRT Coordinator for the MA Department of Public Health.
The Marin Institute, based in California, bills itself as the alcohol industry watchdog.
Join Together provides information and resources for substance abuse prevention and treatment. You can also sign up for their e-newsletter.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD)'s mission is to stop drunk driving, support the victims of this violent crime and prevent underage drinking. Their Massachusetts’ chapter website also includes a section on their popular Youth in Action training, which trains youth to conduct compliance checks, shoulder taps, and sticker shock campaigns.
Massachusetts Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) is a peer-to-peer education, prevention, and activism organization dedicated to preventing destructive decisions, particularly underage drinking, other drug use, risky and impaired driving, teen violence, and teen suicide. Their website is full of news and resources.
The Blunt Truth: Communities Dealing with Marijuana is an hour-long CADCA video program highlighting coalitions' strategies to prevent youth use, respond to new laws such as access to medical marijuana, and educate their communities about marijuana's impact on the developing teen brain.
NASADAD Marijuana Fact Sheet
The National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors (NASADAD) Public Policy has released a new fact sheet on Marijuana that is now posted to the NASADAD website. The Marijuana Fact Sheet covers marijuana’s usage, addictive properties, health effects, and economic effects as well as prevention, treatment, and recovery efforts related to the drug.
How Alcohol Advertising Affects Our Youth is a 2011 fact sheet developed by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health that addresses the assosociation between youth exposure to alcohol advertising and underage drinking. Cites studies that demonstrate that the more exposure young people have to alcohol advertising, the more likely they are to drink.
Social Media Resources
Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) Social Media Digital Primer helps community coalitions learn more about Web-based tools and methods to enhance communication with members, stakeholders, funders, and the community at-large.
Using Social Networking Tools in Substance Abuse Prevention CADCA webinars, articles and resources to enhance coalition use of social media.
CADCA’s Policy Change Toolbox provides coalitions with a catalog of environmental policy changes implemented at the local level from all over the United States.
Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Marijuana Resource Center provides information for coalitions to better understand and address marijuana in their communities. The site focuses on emerging issues, research, and prevention tools. It also highlights successful local efforts to reduce marijuana use and has an extensive Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) page.
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