Vision
Racine County is a place where youth assets are increasing and all youth are healthy, involved and successful members of the community.
Mission
The Racine County Youth Coalition engages agencies, business partners, communities, families and schools, to promote and foster positive change in community practices, public policy, and youth programming in order to build assets and reduce risk behaviors including substance abuse among all Racine County young people.
Interested in joining the RCYC?
Contact Seth Kuranz at Focus on Community for more information.
(262) 632-6200
rcyc@focusracine.org
|
|
|
|
 Partners2: In the News
Partners2 makes a prominent statement concerning teenagers and drinking around this Prom season. The group organized a meeting to address the consequences and dangers of teenage drinking. Click here to read the article in the Journal Times. |
| Drinking and Driving on Prom Night
A new survey finds teens expect drinking and driving on prom night.
|
Addiction Treatment and Prevention are not Forgotten in Healthcare Reform Law
Addiction Treatment and Prevention advocates have praised the new Health care reform law for its inclusion of mental health and addiction services.According to an analysis from the Legal
Action Center (LAC), the Patient
Protection and Affordable Care Act (HR 3590) requires a basic
benefit package for all health plans in the individual market and
small-group markets. "All such plans will be required to cover mental
health and substance use disorder services," according to the LAC, which
said the measure represents a "ground-breaking expansion of addiction
and mental health coverage of prevention, treatment and recovery."
Click here,to visit Jointogether.org and learn more.
|
|
|
AWARE (All- Wisconsin Alcohol Risk Education) Legislative Update
AWARE (All-Wisconsin Alcohol Risk Education) is a UW Health-convened coalition to improve the health and safety of Wisconsin residents in the fight against alcohol abuse.
AWARE has been active in the past Legislative Session and staff members have recently sent out the following updates on alcohol related legislation.
Beer Tax Increase - FAILED http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2009/data/AB-287.pdf This bill increased the beer tax with revenues used for alcohol treatment and prevention and drunk driving enforcement. It was the first time in 30 years a public hearing occurred and public awareness was certainly increased. Alcohol Insurance - FAILED http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2009/data/SB-483.pdf This bill would have prohibited health plans from denying coverage to individuals injured as a result of being under the influence. The bill passed the Senate but was unable to clear the Assembly primarily because those involved were unable to provide examples of commercial insurers who had denied coverage. Many self funded, federally regulated plans deny coverage but state law is unable to affect those plans. Youth Drinking - FAILED http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2009/data/AB-106.pdf This bill would have established a minimum age of 18 for minors to drink with a parent or guardian in a tavern or restaurant. It passed the Assembly but did not clear the Senate. I believe two contributing factors were quiet opposition from the tavern league and some AWARE members who opposed 18 years old and felt it should have been 21. Drunk Driving - PASSED http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2009/data/acts/09Act100.pdf This bill made some changes to current law including making it a felony after a 4th conviction and establishing ignition interlock devices after a second offense. Another bill was introduced that included criminalizing first offense and allowing sobriety checkpoints. http://nxt.legis.state.wi.us/nxt/gateway.dll?f=templates&fn=default.htm&d=indxauth&jd=top This bill never received a public hearing. To learn more about AWARE click here. Thank you to for providing these important updates.
|
From Medscape Medical News
New Policy Statement Underscores Need to Curtail Underage Drinking
Caroline Cassels
April 12, 2010 - A new policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) highlights the need to curb underage drinking.
According to the statement, which was released online April 12 in Pediatrics, despite the fact that the legal drinking age in the United States is 21 years, alcohol use and heavy drinking are extremely common during adolescence and young adulthood and are associated with a significantly increased risk for alcohol-related problems in adulthood.
"Data from the National Longitudinal Alcohol Epidemiologic Study substantiated that the prevalence of both lifetime alcohol dependence and alcohol abuse show a striking decrease with increasing age at onset of use," the 6-member AAP Committee on Substance Abuse led by Patricia K. Kokotailo, MD, MPH, write.
The study authors note that among individuals who first use alcohol at 12 years or younger the prevalence of lifetime alcohol dependence is 40.6%. In comparison, individuals who initiate alcohol use at the age of 18 years have a prevalence of lifetime dependence of 16.6%, whereas those who abstain until 21 years of age have a lifetime prevalence of 10.6%.
Furthermore, the study authors report, the prevalence of lifetime alcohol abuse was 8.3% for those who initiated use at 12 years or younger, 7.8% for those who initiated at 18 years of age, and 4.8% for those who initiated at 21 years of age.
The committee members also note that early alcohol use has been linked to greater sexual risk taking, academic difficulties, other substance use, and criminal or violent behavior. Further, they point out, alcohol use is also the primary contributor to the leading cause of adolescent death from motor vehicle crashes, homicide, and suicide in the United States.
It is also associated with psychiatric disorders in youth, including depression, anxiety, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, conduct disorders, bulimia, and schizophrenia.
Alcohol and other substances, say the study authors, likely have multiple adverse effects on the developing brain. Recent research, they write, suggests "that adolescents with an alcohol use disorder use fewer strategies to learn new information and demonstrate significantly reduced memory skills that continue to deteriorate with continued alcohol use."
The statement's 16 recommendations highlight the need for additional research into the prevention, screening and identification, and effective treatment of alcohol use in young patients.
Further, more specific recommendations on management tools and treatment programs will be available in an upcoming statement from the AAP on substance use screening, intervention, and referral for treatment.
Pediatrics. Published online April 12, 2010.
Authors and Disclosures
Journalist
Caroline Cassels is
the news editor for Medscape Psychiatry. A medical and health
journalist for 20 years, Caroline has written extensively for both
physician and consumer audiences. She helped launch and was the editor
of Health Digest, an award-winning Canadian consumer health publication.
She was also national editor of the Heart & Stroke Foundation of
Canada's Web site before joining Medscape Neurology & Neurosurgery
in 2005. She is the recipient of the 2008 American Academy of Neurology
Journalism Fellowship Award. She can be contacted at CCassels@webmd.net.
|
Hello Kitty Wine
Last month it was reported that Hello Kitty, a popular Japanese children's character, will be featured on a new line of wines. While the Wine Institute's Advertising Code has marketing guidelines to curb these types of practices, Innovations Spirits (the company selling the wine) is not a member of the organization. Drew Hibbert, CEO of Innovation Spirits, said that Sanrio, the
owner of Hello Kitty, views the brand as "being somewhat mature at this
stage and open to all kinds of product interpretations."
"Our tagline for the wine products is "Our favorite girl has grown
up", which is done intentionally to indicate that Hello Kitty, in her 35
years of existence, has crossed over from being a children's brand to
being a brand for children and adults alike," said Hibbert. Click here, to visit Jointogether.org and learn more. |
|
|
|
|
