Welcome to the August newsletter, brought to you The Alliance of Coalitions for Healthy Communities. Our newsletter focuses on news of prevention activities, up-to-date research, current trends, and community-based stories with a united focus on prevention through communication and collaboration.
ACHC builds coalitions to increase public health through the reduction of substance abuse, violence and other high risk behaviors. Through communication and collaboration, local communities mobilize to create the change they want in the places they live.
Our previous newsletters are available on the ACHC website
Don’t Miss this Opportunity to Create Changes
That Will Improve the Health of Our Youth
John Underwood- a former NCAA All-American and International distance runner and Olympic Coach is an advocate for drug-free sports at all levels. OnMonday September 22, 2008 he will discuss a multi-year prevention program for middle and high school students to confront chemical health issues and the problems that face today's athletes.
ACHC encourages school administrators, parents, students and other community groups to attend. Underwood will help each to review and evaluate their school district's written policies and practices regarding student athletes and alcohol (and other drug) use. He will encourage school districts to adopt written policies and practices, if necessary, to allow the student athlete to learn from past mistakes and understand the importance of not using alcohol and other drugs.
This powerful speaker and presentation is sponsored by the Prevention Network, Michigan Office of Drug Control Policy, Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning, Eaton County Substance Abuse Advisory Group, Alliance of Coalitions for Healthy Communities, and the Oakland County Health Division/Office of Substance Abuse Services.
The event will be held on Monday September 22nd, 2008 from 9:30am - 2:30pm at the Troy School District Service building - Board Room 4420 Livernois,Troy. Pre-register by calling or e-mailing Kathleen Altman, 248.858.0008 altmank@oakgov.com and indicating name and organizational affiliation.
Parents, Neighbors and Friends: Review the Red Flags and Take Action
How frequently have seen someone's behavior or attitude and wondered, "What's happening?" Adolescent treatment providers are telling us of an overall rise in use of prescription opiates, primarily Vicodin, They are also seeing another rise in heroin again. Adolescent heroin use had tapered off after deaths due to fentanyl-laced heroin, but now therapists are seeing an apparent increase in use. Heroin which is now available is unusually potent, which increases the risk of overdose.
Adolescent heroin use usually begins with use of alcohol or marijuana, or pills from the family medicine cabinet. Use of alcohol and other drugs then increases as the addiction begins. Vicodin is named frequently when teens tell their history of abuse. There is a prevalent attitude that Vicodin is "no big deal." "Unfortunately that belief is shared by too many adults which increases its availability in our homes and communities", states Donnis Reese.
Parents need to be aware of red flags such as change in mood, irritability, withdrawal, changes in friendships, increased secrecy, or signs that something is missing, or something is wrong. Follow your gut. Ask your child directly. Don't wait. Check the website: Parents The Anti-Drug. This is one of the resources listed on the ACHC website. Talk to an addiction specialist and ask for an evaluation.
Community members, neighbors and friends need to talk with one another about what they see or what they fear may be happening. The more the community communicates concerns, the safer is the environment we provide for our youth. Reese continues, "We naturally want to minimize and assume that underage drinking and drug use isn’t happening. But what if it is? We need to talk to one another."
Coalition Spotlight
Birmingham Bloomfield Community Coalition
The Birmingham Bloomfield Community Coalition has been very busy this summer. When most programs slow down during the summer months, ours tended to rev up in a way. Coupled with the transition of looking for a new Executive Director, we have truly been working more than not!
Collaborative efforts with the community have allowed us to provide three concerts for teens this summer; Alyssa Simmons (a popular local teen artist), a Battleof the Bands and a Band Jam. These are big draws for teens that enjoy music and celebrating the beginning of summer as they were held in June, right as school concluded.
We’ve also gained sponsorships with many businesses in our community in order to provide three movie nights in Birmingham’s Shain Park this summer. We’ve had successful June and July movies and our final (The Sandlot) will be on Friday, August 22nd. Watching a movie on a giant screen outdoors in the park is must-have summer experience! Our social norms message and mission statement were distributed on bags of free popcorn for all the patrons in the park for the July movie. We were able to talk with many people who did not know what the Coalition is and what we do. Some of the sponsors of movie nights include Huntington Banks, a local church, Yahoo!, Plum Market and other local businesses. They receive advertising on the big screen before the movie begins and are able to display their services at tables surrounding the movie area. Some even give out items such as beach balls, t-shirts, etc. The Birmingham Principal Shopping District sponsors a free raffle for patrons and solicits gifts and certificates from Birmingham businesses. We have a pre-movie show which has included a trivia contest, performance by kid-friendly singer/songwriter Mr. Seley. It is a very fun night for everyone and we’ve heard comments from people who are appreciative of these community events.
A very proud moment for us this summer was when one of our Youth Action Board leaders, Michelle Bartoshuk, was invited to be a facilitator at CADCA’s national convention in July. Michelle said it was a life changing experience for her.
As we welcome the Fall and all the important activities that surround this season, we are working hard to make ourselves more recognizable among elementary and middle school families in our community.
Our contact info:
1525 Covington Road, Bloomfield Hills 48301
248.203.4615
