New Dates Announced for CMCA Training

NOTE: NEW DATE FOR

THIS IMPORTANT TRAINING!

 

Communities Mobilizing

for Change on Alcohol

 

You need the right tools

to make the right changes.

 Are you interested in helping your community make the right changes for a safer and healthier place for youth?  St. Mary’s County residents concerned with underage drinking are invited to participate in a FREE training for Communities Mobilizing for Change on Alcohol (CMCA). Communities Mobilizing for Change on Alcohol (CMCA) is a nationally recognized model program that activates a diverse citizenry with the skills and tools to reduce the flow of alcohol to youth from illegal sales by retail establishments, and from provision of alcohol to youth by other adults in the community. 

Participants will have the opportunity to collaborate to plan and implement effective strategies that:

• address policies and ordinances,
• build community,
• expand outreach and support efforts, and
• engage youth in youth-adult partnerships. 

 

This program is ideal for anyone, youth and adults, with a strong desire and willingness to lead community efforts in reducing alcohol use among youth.

 

CMCA will be offered on February 27th & 28th from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.  This training will be held at the College of Southern Maryland’s Leonardtown Campus, Building C, 22950 Hollywood Road Leonardtown, MD.  The training and materials are free but limited to 25 participants.  Registration is required and all program materials are provided through a grant from the State of Maryland Alcohol and Drug Abuse Administration.  Continental breakfast, lunch and snacks will also be provided.

 

For more information or to register, please contact the St. Mary’s County Department of Aging and Human Services, Division of Human Services at 301-475-4200 ext. 1681 or matt.reisdorph@stmarysmd.com.

NEW CAC Meeting Date Announced!

 

Come and be part of the

Community Alcohol Coalition!

 

The next meeting of the Community Alcohol Coalition (CAC) will take place on Monday February 3, 2014 at 6:00 PM in meeting room A of Health Connections. Health Connections is located on the 2nd floor of the MedStar St. Mary's Hospital Outpatient Pavilion.
 

We invite you to attend the monthly meetings of the Community Alcohol Coalition (CAC). This group of parents, professionals, educators, business owners, county government employees, students, marketing professionals, media representatives, and law enforcement meet on a monthly basis to discuss the ongoing efforts for creating awareness on the dangers of underage and/or binge drinking within our community. Each person brings so much to the table during brainstorming sessions about the best ways communicate our message - a message which may save lives.

 

Your ideas, enthusiasm, talents, and participation are most welcome and appreciated! Treats will be served. We hope you will join us and become part of the Community Alcohol Coalition (CAC)!

 

Connect 2014 Kick-off! 

"Like" us on Facebook!

"Follow" us on Twitter!

"Follow" us on Instagram!

"Follow" us on Pinterest!

 

Binge Drinking to Extreme Binge Drinking

 

 

More than Half of 12^th Grade Binge Drinkers

Drink Ten or More Drinks in a Row

More than half of 12^th grade binge-drinking episodes involve drinking ten or more drinks in a row, according to the first National study to examine extreme binge drinking among youth. Between 2005 and 2011, one in five U.S. high school seniors reported binge drinking—drinking five or more drinks in a row in the last two weeks. Slightly more than one-half (52%) of these binge drinkers were extreme binge drinkers, defined as having consumed 10 to 14 (24%) or 15 or more (28%) drinks in a row. The study also found that while high school grades and college plans did not predict binge drinking at any level, students in more rural areas were more likely to report extreme binge drinking of 15 or more drinks in a row than students in more urban areas.

To view the entire article visit:
http://www.cesar.umd.edu/cesar/cesarfax/vol22/22-45.pdf
Cesar Fax, Vol. 22, Issue 45; November 11, 2013

Sincere Thanks to CAC Members!

Our sincere thanks to all who attended and participated in Tuesday night's CAC meeting! Your support and hard work is helping to create awareness about the dangers of underage and/or binge drinking. You are helping to bring about real changes in our community!

 

We hope to see you all at the next meeting of the Community Alcohol Coalition on Tuesday, December 17th at 6:00 p.m. at the Health Connections Pavilion of MedStar Health St. Mary's Hospital!

 

 

 

Interested in the CAC?

You're Invited to the November CAC Meeting!

 

The next meeting of the Community Alcohol Coalition (CAC) will take place on Tuesday, November 19, 2013 at 6:00 PM in meeting room A of Health Connections. Health Connections is located on the 2nd floor of the MedStar St. Mary's Hospital Outpatient Pavilion.
 

We invite you to attend the monthly meetings of the Community Alcohol Coalition (CAC). This group of parents, professionals, educators, business owners, county government employees, students, marketing professionals, media representatives, and law enforcement meet on a monthly basis to discuss the ongoing efforts for creating awareness on the dangers of underage and/or binge drinking within our community. Each person brings so much to the table during brainstorming sessions about the best ways communicate our message - a message which may save lives.

Your ideas, enthusiasm, talents, and participation are most welcome and appreciated! Treats will be served. We hope you will join us and become part of the Community Alcohol Coalition (CAC)!

 

Let's Connect! 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CanYouAffordIt                                                                                
Twitter: CanYouAffordIt 
                                                                                 Pinterest: CanYouAffordIt                                                                                                             
Instagram: CommunityAlcoholCoalition

 

Incredible Responses from the Community!

The Community Alcohol Coalition (CAC) has been busy with outreach efforts. Over the last year, we have had the opportunity to meet and inform people about the dangers of underage and/or binge drinking at all of the area high schools and many community events in St. Mary's County. Awareness, Prevention, and Control are the three main objectives of the CAC and we appreciate the tremendous response we have received from so many.

Countless hours have been spent on creating and implementing our strategy, mostly by volunteers. It's not a surprise that everyone involved with the CAC and everyone we have spoken with knows of someone who has experienced negative consequences as the result of underage and/or binge drinking. 

The CAC is not about not drinking. We care about the people of St. Mary's County and we do our best to provide information which may influence positive choices, and ultimately make this a safer community.

Upcoming Meeting of the Community Alcohol Coalition

 

The next meeting of the Community Alcohol Coalition (CAC) will take place on Tuesday, October 22, 2013 at 6:00 PM in meeting room A of Health Connections. Health Connections is located on the 2nd floor of the MedStar St. Mary's Hospital Outpatient Pavilion.
 

We invite you to attend the monthly meetings of the Community Alcohol Coalition (CAC). This group of parents, professionals, educators, business owners, county government employees, students, marketing professionals, media representatives, and law enforcement meet on a monthly basis to discuss the ongoing efforts for creating awareness on the dangers of underage and/or binge drinking within our community. Each person brings so much to the table during brainstorming sessions about the best ways communicate our message - a message which may save lives.

Your ideas, enthusiasm, talents, and participation are most welcome and appreciated! Treats will be served. We hope you will join us and become part of the Community Alcohol Coalition (CAC)!

 

Let's Connect! 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/CanYouAffordIt                                                                               
Twitter: CanYouAffordIt 
                                                                                 Pinterest: CanYouAffordIt                                                                                                             
Instagram: CommunityAlcoholCoalition

We Want to Hear from YOU!

 

When we first launched our social media effort, quite a few of you shared your "I Knew Someone Who" stories about people who experienced negative consequences because of underage and/or binge drinking. Since it's been a while, we thought we would throw it out there again.

 

We want to hear from YOU! :)

 

 

Please feel free to complete the "I Knew Someone Who" sentence on our Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/CanYouAffordIt

 

or

 

 

Email your "I Knew Someone Who" comment, story, artwork, poem, or video to us at canyouaffordit@gmail.com. If you would like us to share what you emailed without having your name attached, we will definitely do so. We will keep your confidence.

 

What you SHARE

just may help someone else

who has had a similar experience

and is feeling isolated ...

or a parent having trouble with their teen ...
or someone who is wrestling

with some of their own choices.

 

Thanks, everyone!

I Got a Second Chance at Life

This is me.

I'm 20 years old, your typical adolescent. I like to drink and have fun. I didn't realize how bad it was though.

Last Friday I had 4 really bad seizures.

I had these from alcohol withdrawal when I decided I'm done drinking. Right here, I'm tubed and they put me into a coma. I had a main line in my neck and a feeding tube and all the _____.

Still tubed.

Brain scan monitors and all to make sure I'm not getting any brain damage.

They pulled me out of the coma and got the tube out.

At this point I was still unresponsive to anyone and very disoriented. I still have no recollection of this.

Two days ago, still in ICU all monitors are off though.

I started responding but I still have no idea what I'm saying or where I'm at. They said I had 4 seizures and died for a minute in transit from the hospital in Grass Valley to Sacramento.

 

 

 

This was yesterday, finally started to recover.

I finally understood what happened and knew who was around me. I couldn't believe how or why it happened. All I know is God gave me a second chance at life because I SHOULDN'T be here right now.

 

 

 

Hospital SELFIE ALERT.

I finally recovered from the withdrawals and what not. Got all the tubes and monitors out and lived. I want to thank all my friends and family for coming out to visit me and being there for me. And of course God for giving me this second chance.

 

 

 

This morning, all recovered.

I don't plan on drinking again, and they say if I do I'll die, so in reality _____ THAT. But this time I'm making the most out of life. I don't deserve this chance but apparently I'm here on this earth for a purpose. Sorry to bore you with my boo hoo story but I had to share. I love you guys and hopefully I can actually stay sober. Day one of sobriety here we come .........

 

 

Up for a Deliziosa Prize?

We are working on building up the "Likes" for our NEW Community Alcohol Coalition Facebook Page and would really appreciate you help. On Wednesday, July 24th at 11:00 a.m., we will announce the winner of the $25 Olive Garden Gift Card on our NEW Facebook Page. All you have to do is "Like" our NEW Facebook Page and your name will automatically go into the hat for Wednesday's drawing!

And if you don't win this time around, stay tuned to our NEW Facebook Page for other fantastic contests.

Thanks and Good Luck!

Please Join Us at the Next CAC Meeting!

 

The CAC could really use your help!

The next meeting of the Community Alcohol Coalition (CAC) will take place on Tuesday, July 23, 2013 at 6:00 PM in meeting room A of Health Connections. Health Connections is located on the 2nd floor of the MedStar St. Mary's Hospital Outpatient Pavilion.

A dedicated group of people attends monthly meetings of the Community Alcohol Coalition (CAC). This group of professionals, educators, business owners, county government employees, students, marketing professionals, media representatives, and law enforcement meet on a monthly basis to discuss the ongoing efforts for creating awareness on the dangers of underage and/or binge drinking within our community. Each person brings so much to the table during brainstorming sessions about the best ways communicate our message - a message which may save lives.

Your ideas, enthusiasm, talents, and participation are most welcome and appreciated! Treats will be served :)

Also, it is officially MOVING DAY on Facebook!

Please "LIKE" and "SHARE" if you care to

with your Fb friends:
 https://www.facebook.com/CanYouAffordIt

Hope to see you Tuesday!

Teach Your Children Well

Being a parent is the toughest job ever. Kids are growing up faster and we are getting older, whether we like it or not. It's not easy to make the right decisions. We want:

our kids to like us
our kids to be liked by their peers
our kids and their friends to think we're the cool parents
our kids to be safe when drinking
our kids to enjoy their youth

And if we're really honest with ourselves, we want to recapture some of our own youth.

So it's really not surprising that a significant number of parents in our area think it's alright to either host a party at their homes or party with their kids and their friends. They think that by having the party at their place, they can prevent a potential disaster. They set up the keg, crank the music, collect the keys from all of the drivers, tell them all they can crash in the basement, and give the go-ahead. Or if they are away from home when the underage drinking is going on, they can turn a blind eye and let kids be kids.

According to a report released by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), nearly 6 percent of 12- to 14-year-olds (about 700,000 middle school kids) have had an alcoholic drink in the past month. Nearly 45 percent of those obtained the alcohol free at home, including 16 percent who got it from a parent or guardian.

Ultimately, the decision is yours.

Your kids are watching you closely

and will likely follow in your footsteps.

 

Consider the consequences:

New Month, New Contest!!!

Happy July, everyone!

It's time for our NEW contest
and you could

WIN a $25 WAWA Gift Card!
 

 

Click here to post your cool summer photos on our Facebook!

 

Test Your Knowledge of Underage Drinking

Myths & Truths for Parents

“Childhood drinking is foremost a health issue. Many well-intentioned parents think that supplying alcohol for their child to drink at home may teach them how to ‘drink responsibly’ and might prevent them from drinking elsewhere. But the truth is that early consumption of alcohol in any context increases the likelihood of harmful effects in the long run. What’s more, studies have shown that when parents supply alcohol to their kids, it actually increases the risk for continued consumption during childhood and lifetime problem drinking. Drinking in the home does not prevent children from drinking outside the home or with their friends.”

 

– Steve Pasierb, President and CEO of The Partnership at Drugfree.org.

Unfortunately, many parents subscribe to common myths and misperceptions related to underage drinking:

Myth:

Some parents think that providing alcohol to teens at home
decreases the risk for continued drinking as teens get older,
and subsequent drinking problems later in life.

Truth:

The opposite is true – parents should be aware that supplying alcohol to minors
actually increases, rather than decreases the risk for continued drinking
in the teenage years and leads to subsequent problem drinking later in life.

Myth:

Young people from European cultures whose parents give them alcohol at an early age
learn to drink more responsibly than their American counterparts.

Truth:

A greater percentage of European youth report drinking regularly (in the past 30 days)
versus American youth, and for a majority of European countries,
a greater percentage of young people report having been intoxicated before the age of 13
than is the case in the U.S. The World Health Organization cites global longitudinal studies
 that found the earlier young people start drinking,
the more likely they are to experience alcohol-related injury and alcohol dependence later in life.

Myth:

Some parents believe that being ‘too strict’ about adolescent drinking during high school
will cause teens to drink more when they first leave the home
and do not have as much parental oversight. 

Truth:

New research from The Partnership Attitude Tracking Study (PATS) reveals that teens
who perceive their parents to be more permissive about alcohol use
are MORE likely to abuse alcohol and to use other drugs.

Myth:

Parents who serve alcohol to teenagers at home are under no legal jeopardy.

Truth:

A majority of states have civil and or criminal penalties for adults
who serve alcohol to underage kids at home.

Underage drinking continues to be a pervasive problem

among American youth. According to the latest

Monitoring The Future study of 8^th, 10^th and 12^th graders:

 

• Nearly half of teens (44 percent) have consumed alcohol within the past year, while more than one in four teens (26 percent) reports having been drunk in the past year.

• More than a quarter of teens (26 percent) said they had consumed alcohol within the past month, while more than one in seven (15 percent) reported being drunk in the past month.

• One in seven teens (14 percent) said they have had five or more drinks in a row within the past 2 weeks.

• More than three-quarters of 10^th graders (78 percent) say it is fairly or very easy to get alcohol if they want some and more than half of 8^th graders (58 percent) say the same.

- Information from The Partnership at Drugfree.org

Happy Summer!!!

It's the first day of SUMMER - YAY!!!

We have a cool contest happening right now

and you just might WIN

a $25 WAWA Gift Card!

Check it out and post your SUMMER FUN pics!

 

 

Click Here to Post ON!

 

A Powerful "I Knew Someone Who ..." Message

I knew someone who's ...

binge drinking lead to a tear in their esophagus -

a week on a ventilator -

a damaged trachea -

a tracheal surgery -

and finally an addiction to painkillers

and hospital bills exceeding 100,000.00 dollars.

 

 

Is it worth it??

- Anonymous

 

Come & Be Part of the CAC COMMUNITY

 

The CAC could really use your help!

A dedicated group of people attends monthly meetings of the Community Alcohol Coalition (CAC). This group of professionals, educators, business owners, county government employees, students, marketing professionals, media representatives, and law enforcement meet on a monthly basis to discuss the ongoing efforts for creating awareness on the dangers of underage and/or binge drinking within our community. Each person brings so much to the table during brainstorming sessions about the best ways communicate our message - a message which may save lives.

If you are interested in becoming part of this important community outreach, please join us for the upcoming meeting on Tuesday, June 25, 2013 from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. at Health Connections in the Outpatient Pavilion of MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital. Your ideas, enthusiasm, talents, and participation are most welcome and appreciated! Treats will be served :)

Hope to see you on Tuesday!

FUN & SAFE Summer Event Tomorrow!

 

The weather looks good for tomorrow's event!

Please join the Board of County Commissioners for St. Mary's County and the Leonardtown Commissioners for Flag Day festivities on Friday, June 14 on the Governmental Center lawn in Leonardtown. The annual event will begin at 6:00 p.m. with musical entertainment and the ceremony will begin at 6:45 p.m. The Pause for the Pledge and the raising of the large American flag will be at 7:00 p.m. Refreshments will be available from the Seventh District Optimist Club.

Hope to see you there!