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Welcome to another issue of The SADDvocate.  There are lots of things happening this month - from Global Youth Service Day to Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and of course, many proms across the country.  We're sure your SADD chapter is busy!

Our goal is to ensure that every SADD chapter has the latest news, so we're counting on you to help spread the word about The SADDvocate.  Please encourage all of your SADD chapter members to sign up on sadd.org, or send a list (spreadsheets preferred, with columns for first name, last name, and email address) to Chris Egan, SADD's Director of Field Services, at cegan@sadd.org. 

Sometimes school computer filters prevent students and advisors from seeing The SADDvocate properly, in full color with graphics.  You can view every issue in our online archive.  This issue will be posted to the archive later today.

A good source of regular SADD news is our Facebook page.  Please "like" our page today, and encourage your friends to do so as well!  Links to all our social networking pages are on the bar at left.

Are you a current senior in high school heading to college this fall?  SADD National is offering SADD college scholarships once again.  This year, we're offering nine $500 scholarships, with funds raised at our national conference - primarily by our Student Leadership Council.  Applications are due April 20, so don't miss out!  Learn more at sadd.org/scholarship.htm.  

 

We're looking to honor outstanding SADD activities, advisors, and chapters - now's the time to show off your success!  At the SADD National Conference, the Best of SADD Awards will be presented in three categories: Activity of the Year, Advisor of the Year, and Chapter of the Year.  Cash prizes of $500, $250, and $100 will be awarded in each category to the first-, second-, and third-place winners, respectively.

 

Nominations must be related to work in SADD-oriented activities between April 2011 and April 2012.  Applications are due May 1, so start filling out your nomination forms today!  Click here to download the application form.  

 

There are a number of contests with approaching deadlines.  Make sure you regularly check out our website for the latest info!   

April 20-22 is Global Youth Service Day, the largest service event in the world.  Service is an important part of any SADD chapter, so why not pick an idea from our SADD Serves: Youth Giving Back community service toolkit, and then register your activity at gysd.org.  We hope you're planning a service event this month!

May 2 is the National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy.  SADD chapters are asked to encourage their classmates to visit the StayTeen.org website that day to participate in the simple National Day Quiz which aims to educate teens about the consequences of sex and teen pregnancy.

May is Global Youth Traffic Safety Month (GYTSM).  Traffic safety remains a critically-important part of the SADD mission, as car crashes are still the number one killer of teens.  Is your chapter conducting a traffic safety event this month?  You can find activity ideas and useful tools in the GYTSM Toolkit.

The government's informative Stop Bullying website has been updated with new content and resources.  You'll find information about your state's laws, resources like model policies, and some simple activities.  Visit stopbullying.gov today to check it out!

Saturday, April 28 is the fourth National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day.  Since last year's campaign launch, nearly 1 million pounds of unwanted or unused prescription drugs have been collected for safe disposal.  Your chapter can partner with local law enforcement to promote this event and reduce prescription drug abuse in your community.  To learn more and see if your local law enforcement station is participating, click here.

While many teens have gotten the message that alcohol and driving don't mix, the same cannot be said for marijuana use and driving.  In a new study conducted by Liberty Mutual and SADD, nearly one in five teen drivers (19%) reported that they have driven under the influence of marijuana, compared with just 13% reporting driving under the influence of alcohol.  You can read the full press release with further details about this study by clicking here.

Drugged driving is a growing and serious problem among teens and adults.  For resources and activity ideas on how you can address this issue, visit the Office of National Drug Control Policy's theantidrug.com website.

Kick Butts Day was held on March 21, sponsored by our friends at the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.  SADD chapters across the country participated, and we wanted to highlight just a few success stories. 
In Ingleside, Texas, Ingleside High School SADD held their annual Tobacco-Free Silent March.  Students wore black fabric across their mouths to symbolize those silenced by a tobacco-related death and also their own desire to avoid second-hand smoke.  They marched from school to a major intersection in town, holding banners about the dangers of tobacco use.  They culminated their efforts with a full-day weekend Find the Truth About Tobacco event at the high school, which featured information booths, fun activities, and a memorable closing evening ceremony with glow sticks and balloons.

In Massachusetts, youth tobacco efforts are branded as The 8ighty 4our (for the 84% of Massachusetts teens who don't smoke), and Stoughton High School SADD attended a statewide Kick Butts Day at the State House where they participated in a rally, visited with their legislators, and met with U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin (pictured).

Nashua High School South SADD in Nashua, New Hampshire, used a creative display of 142 pairs of shoes in their "Main Street" central hallway to represent the 142 tobacco-related deaths each month in New Hampshire.

Haddam-Killingsworth Middle School SADD in Killingsworth, Connecticut, held a Kick Butts Day event at lunch.  They created displays about the dangers of smoking, asked students to sign a pledge to be "smoke free" and handed out promotional items to reinforce their message.

Those are just a few examples of the creativity and dedication of SADD chapters.  Congratulations to all of you who held an event for Kick Butts Day!

If you'd like to see your chapter featured in the Spotlight, send news and a good photo to Chris Egan, Director of Field Services, at cegan@sadd.org.

Good news!  The registration deadline has been extended for the 2012 SADD National Conference, The Prevention League: Discover Your Power, to be held June 24-27, 2012, at the Torrance Marriott South Bay hotel in Torrance, California (just south of Los Angeles).  You now have until May 21 to register and pay for conference.

Keep your fundraising going strong - click here to use our newest tool, the SADD Gift of Education E-Card!

Dynamic keynote speakers for the conference include Bobby Petrocelli and Johan Khalilian.  You won't want to miss the amazing workshops we've lined up, focused on issues like leadership development, traffic safety, healthy relationships, underage drinking and drug use prevention, and much more.  All that, AND you'll visit the most magical place on earth - Disneyland!

Make your plans now to join us for this unforgettable experience!  For detailed information and to register, click here.

The SADD Store is proud to introduce an expanded attitudes for living product line, representing the SADD commitment to living life with the right attitudes: believe in yourself, strive to make a difference, inspire others, and laugh along the way.

These colorful coasters are just one of a number of attitudes for living products.  Coming soon are eye-catching pencils and clothing.  The coasters come in a handy mesh bag and are perfect for thank-you gifts for supporters or use as door prizes.  They sell for just $14, plus shipping and handling.

This item is in stock and normally ships within 48-72 hours.  Rush shipments are available at an additional cost.  When you receive your SADD Store items, remember to return to saddstore.org and post a review to help others decide on a purchase!

To order, visit saddstore.org, call 1-888-608-6988, or email sadd@apisource.com.  Remember to "like" the SADD Store Facebook page to receive all the latest deals and new items in your News Feed!

Each month, a member of the SADD National Student Leadership Council (SLC) writes a column designed to help chapters with activity ideas, meeting suggestions, and more.

Hi all!  I'm Mallory Orr, and I'm a member of the SLC.  I'm from San Diego, California but I'm currently a freshman 3,000 miles away from home studying at Boston University - not far from the SADD National office!

It's April and besides being Alcohol Awareness Month, it's also Distracted Driving Awareness Month.  Did you know that a study by SADD and Liberty Mutual was among the first research to point to the growing problem of teens texting while driving - all the way back in 2005!  Click here to see the latest joint research on this critical topic.

One resource to use this month is the Ad Council's Stop the Texts, Stop the Wrecks campaign.  The SLC has worked with the Ad Council to share ideas for getting this campaign more exposure with SADD chapters, so look for some SADD-branded elements soon!  On the stoptextsstopwrecks.org website you'll find video and radio PSAs, customizable posters, statistics, tips, and more tools to promote this important message.

Thanks for working to make a difference through SADD!

Remember that the SADD National Field Services department is here to provide help and support to chapters, especially those in states without state coordinators.  Just call 1-877-SADD-INC, ext. 223 or email fieldservices@sadd.org for help!

Thanks for reading this issue of The SADDvocate, and thanks for all the work you do in your SADD chapters!