Drug Free Nevada County

Celebrating the Positive!

shelley — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 14:34:18 +0000

Celebrating the positive in our Community!

The Coalition would like to begin 2012 by celebrating incredible youth and the goodness and health in our community. The positive is real, exists in our community and is worth growing. At a recent training for drug free communities grantees, we learned about the “Science of the Positive” by Jeff Linkenbach, Ed.D., research scientist and director of the Montana State University Center for Health and safety. His research shows that by focusing on growing a culture of positive, healthy attitudes and behaviors, we improve health and reduce substance abuse. We didn’t have to look too far to find examples of goodness and health to share with all of you:

Did You Know?

Most Nevada County teens choose NOT to drink. 72% of Nevada County teens did not drink alcohol in the last 30 days. (2010/2011 CHKS)
Most Nevada County teens choose NOT to use marijuana. 81% of youth surveyed in 7th, 9th, and 11th grades have not used marijuana in the last 30 days. (2010/2011 CHKS)
There is a dramatic increase in the percent of 9th and 11th graders “hearing the message about AOD” and the dangers of tobacco, alcohol or drug use from their parents and from the media compared to just two years ago. Youth report talking to their parents/ guardians increased from 39% to 67% and hearing the message from the media increased from 15% to 89% from 2007 – 2010.
The number of drunk driving-related deaths dropped to a record low in California in 2010, according to the report released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. This represents thelargest single-year decline in DUI fatalities in the last 14 years.

Issues and Concerns with Marijuana

shelley — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 16:08:03 +0000

Join us for a community forum with a panel of professionals providing information and resources to aid in the resolution of challenges related to marijuana in our neighborhoods, workplaces and schools.

Community_Forum_January_18(Read-Only

Drive Safe this Holiday Season

Lynn — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 22:29:01 +0000

The Coalition for a Drug Free Nevada County and the Grass Valley Police Department would like to remind you to commit to keep our community safe this holiday season, don’t drink and drive. Always have a designated driver, call a friend or a cab.

The good news is that there has been a steady decline in the rate of alcohol-related deaths on the nation’s highways during the holidays. Statistics gathered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) show that in 1982, there were more than 2,600 deaths due to drinking and driving — accounting for 60 percent of all accident fatalities. Recent years, however, have witnessed about 1,200 fatalities, or roughly 40 percent.

Take Steps To Protect Yourself And Others

Even with the steady decline in fatalities, the number of drivers with DWI arrests is on the rise. It is estimated that there are as many as two million drunk drivers with three or more convictions and more than 400,000 with five or more DWI convictions still behind the wheel. Here are five steps you can take to help avoid becoming a statistic:

1. If you drink, don’t drive no matter how little you think you’ve had.

2. Don’t let someone you know get behind the wheel if they’ve been drinking.

3. Avoid driving during early and late evening hours on holidays.

4. If you must drive, be cautious and watch for the erratic movements of drunken drivers.

5. Immediately report suspected drunk drivers to the police.

Drinking & Driving Facts:

Deaths from drinking and driving spike around the holidays, with alcohol being blamed for about 52 percent of fatal collisions on Christmas and 57 percent on New Years compared to a rate of 41 percent for the entire year.
More than 1,200 alcohol-related deaths will occur on the road this holiday season
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than 25,000 people will be injured in alcohol related incidents.
One in three people will be involved in an alcohol-related crash in their lifetime.
Teen alcohol use kills about 6000 people each year, more than all illegal drugs combined.
Car crashes are the leading cause of death for teens and one out of three of those is alcohol related.
Drunk driving costs each adult in this country almost $500 per year.

FREE Showing of Home Alone at Del Oro!

Lynn — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 19:29:00 +0000

Stomp Tobacco Out of Movies!

Catch a FREE showing of Home alone at the Del Oro theater this Friday, December 2nd at 3pm.

The movie is being shown in an effort to create awareness about the effects of smoking in movies. Atendees will be asked to STOMP when they see someone smoking in the film. The stompimg is a way to create awareness about how many times smoking appears in movies and to understand how influential it can be to young people.

The event is being hosted by the Nevada County Y.O.U.T.H (Youth Opposing the Use of Tobacco for Health) Coalition, The Coalition for a Drug Free Nevada County & NEO.

To RSVP on Facebook click here!

Parent Alert! Did you know?…

shelley — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 18:11:16 +0000

Did you know?….

Research shows that marijuana use is three times more likely to lead to dependence among adolescents than among adults.

Youths who are not regularly monitored by their parents are four times more likely to use drugs.

Kids who learn about the risks of marijuana and other illicit drugs from their parents are far less likely to use drugs.

The Parent Awareness and Drug Prevention Panel …invites you to join us in a discussion about the importance of educating youth on the dangers of substance abuse, resources available in Nevada County and information on drug free recreational opportunities for youth.

Bring your questions to our community panel

Grass Valley Police Department; Getting the facts

CORR; Road to recovery

NEO; Alternatives to drugs and alcohol

When?: November 30th, 2011

Time?: 6pm-7:30pm

Where?: The Viking Center @ Pleasant Valley School: 14865 Pleasant Valley Rd. Penn Valley

For more information please call Casey at PARTNERS Family Resource Center:

432-1118 x249

Please call ahead if you will need childcare.

Cost Free Training on SBIRT and MI – Faciliated by UCLA ISAP

shelley — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 20:55:34 +0000

When: Friday, December 9th, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Where: Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital
Outpatient Center, 2fl Conference Rooms
Facilitated By: UCLA ISAP
Thomas Freese, Ph.D, Director of Training
Continuing education credits provided.
(Morning refreshments and lunch provided)

Register Today By Contacting:
Charlotte Bullen by by phone at (310)267-5408 or email: charlottebullen@ucla.edu
Or download registration form and Fax to Charlotte Bullen at: (310)312-0538.

What is SBIRT and MI?
Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) is a practice in use world wide as a public health approach to deliver early intervention for persons with substance use disorders as well as those who are at risk of developing these disorders. Motivational interviewing (MI)is a client-centered, guiding approach used to elicit behavior change by helping people explore and resolve their ambivalence and motivation to change. MI is the conversational technique used in SBIRT.

Who should attend (target audience)?
SBIRT /MI Training is extremely helpful for any individual who motivates people toward positive lifestyle change. Trainings are intended for anyone coming in contact with people who may have issues with substance use. This includes RN’s, LPN’s, CNA’s, FNP’s, PA’s, physicians, health educators, wellness specialists, behavioral health specialists, social workers, pastoral staff, high school and college counselors and student assistance program staff, prevention specialists or any other community members who may be involved in helping people effect positive lifestyle change, especially around substance use.

For more information visit our new website: www.drugfreenevadacounty.org/sbirt

Board of Supervisors Meet Today to Consider Ordinance on Marijuana Cultivation

shelley — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 19:20:53 +0000

Proposed Ordinance on Marijuana Cultivation

BOS Meeting Agenda 11-8-11

Today the Nevada County Board of Supervisors meet to consider an ordinance on residential marijuana Cultivation.

The meeting will be held in the main chambers, downstairs, at the Rood Center: 950 Maidu Nevada City.

Motivational Interviewing and SBIRT Training Registration

shelley — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 16:48:36 +0000

SBIRT Registration Form_Nevada County_Dec 9th_FINAL

Coalitions in Action: California Coalition Says Federal Action on Marijuana Can Help Reduce Youth Use

shelley — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 19:49:48 +0000

http://www.cadca.org/resources/detail/coalitions-action-california-coalition-helps-crack-down-medical-marijuana

Oct 20, 2011

Coalition resources: Coalition Stories

Drug type: Marijuana

A recent federal crackdown by four United States attorneys on medical marijuana dispensaries offers some hope of relief in a California county. Conflicting or difficult to interpret state and federal laws and regulations have made it challenging for local-level advocates working to reduce youth substance use and abuse.

Nevada County, nestled in the pristine Sierra Nevada mountain range, is in the midst of the marijuana, harvest season, and children regularly come to school reeking of reefer. The Coalition for a Drug Free Nevada County, like many others in the state, has collaborated with their county on marijuana policies including instituting a ban on the establishment of medical marijuana dispensaries within the county. However, as medical marijuana increased in public acceptance, perceptions about the drug’s harm have been reduced among young people in their community, say coalition members.

News of a federal crackdown could not have come at a better time, said CADCA member and program coordinator, Shelley Rogers. Rogers and her colleagues said an aerial view of the county exposes pot grows almost everywhere.

“In law enforcement, our resources are so low that we can’t even begin to address the full scope of the problem,” said coalition member Rex Marks, a Grass Valley Police Captain.

Captain Marks has received numerous complaints from residents about marijuana odor in their neighborhoods and his office fields calls from other law enforcement agencies outside the state weekly regarding people in possession of crops or proceeds.

“I think the federal crackdown is a huge step forward”, Marks said, “So many of these laws conflict, state and federal.”

Coalition member and County District Attorney Cliff Newell, agreed, “It (the recent federal action) helps with the perception that marijuana is dangerous to our community because what has been happening around here is an exploitation of the medical marijuana laws.”

The recently-released 2010 Monitoring the Future Survey revealed the perceived harm for smoking marijuana occasionally or regularly has been decreasing among students in the 8th grade since 2007.

The enforcement effort is aimed at curtailing the large, for-profit marijuana industry that has developed since the passage of California’s Proposition 215 in 1996.

Business owner and coalition member, Lindsay Marich, said marijuana has become more socially acceptable as their community has made it easier to grow, possess or consume.

“Use of marijuana is blatant, so normalized, even in the workplace,” she said.

The coalition receives calls regularly from business owners and homeowners expressing their concern and frustration. The Coalition for a Drug Free Nevada County works with local businesses to institute a Certified Drug Free Workplace campaign. Coalition members applaud the recent decisive actions by the federal government, saying that they lend legitimacy to local substance abuse prevention advocates.

Through continued community collaboration at both the local and state level and with the federal government enforcing laws, “we aim to increase the perception of the drug’s harm among youth, and reduce youth use,” said Ariel Lovett, Program Director.

Warren Daniels, CEO of Community Recovery Resources, a non-profit treatment provider, said there are more teens in treatment for marijuana use than ever before. “It’s cash crop in our community… From the treatment angle we see it from a multi-generational perspective, and we are working to reverse the effect on teens,” he said.

The coalition members feel that more research will also help them in their local effort to reduce marijuana use, citing a Columbia University study released this month that drivers who test positive for marijuana or report driving within three hours of marijuana use are more than twice as likely as other drivers to be involved in crashes. They will use sound research like this during an upcoming town hall meeting that will include a lawyer, insurance provider, law enforcement, and an “MD addictionologist” to talk with homeowners associations, parents, and business owners about local-level strategies.

While the coalition continues to “re-educate” their community about the dangers of marijuana at the local and state levels, they have been successful with getting prescription drugs out of the hands of youth through their model Safe Disposal program. The county currently has two permanent Safe Disposal Sites that have collected 45 pounds a week at a police station and 90 at a Kmart pharmacy. On National Take Back Day Oct. 29th, they will kick off the grand opening for two new sites, totaling four public disposal sites in Nevada County. Save Mart and Rite Aid Pharmacies join Kmart Pharmacy and Grass Valley Police Department as drop-off locations.

Rogers concludes, “We commend these businesses for being partners in the fight against the prescription drug abuse epidemic. As one of the only counties in the state to successfully establish permanent disposal sites, Nevada County’s Safe Disposal Program is a model for other counties.”

National Take Back Day October 29th, 2011

shelley — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 20:33:09 +0000

National Take Back_10_29_11_flyer

NEVADA COUNTY SHERIFF TAKING BACK UNWANTED PRESCRIPTION DRUGS
ON NATIONAL TAKE BACK DAY, OCTOBER 29, 2011.
Safely dispose of expired and unwanted prescription medications.
Protect the environment and protect our teens from an epidemic of prescription drug abuse.

Who:        Nevada County Sheriff and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency
Where:     Sheriff’s Annex, The Rood Building Government Center
950 Maidu, Nevada City
When:     Saturday, October 29th from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm

Nevada City, CA – On October 29 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nevada County Sheriff’s Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will give the public another opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. Bring your medications for disposal to Nevada County Sheriff’s Annex at 950 Maidu, Nevada City (The Rood Bldg. Government Center). The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

Last April, Americans turned in 376,593 pounds—188 tons—of prescription drugs at nearly 5,400 sites operated by the DEA and more than 3,000 state and local law enforcement partners.
This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards.
Four days after the first Take-Back event in September 2010, Congress passed the Secure and Responsible Drug Disposal Act of 2010, which amends the Controlled Substances Act to allow an “ultimate user” of controlled substance medications to dispose of them by delivering them to entities authorized by the Attorney General to accept them. DEA has begun drafting regulations to implement the Act, a process that can take as long as 24 months. Until new regulations are in place, local law enforcement agencies like [agency] and the DEA will continue to hold prescription drug take-back events every few months.