Youth Leadership Project 2011-2012

The North Country Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition has Youth Grants Available!

$1,000 Grants are available on a first come first serve basis! APPLY ASAP!

General Information:

• Youth Grants will be available until all funds have been depleted. All applications are due by December 2^nd, 2011.

• All projects must be completed by September 30^th, 2012.

• Youth grants must focus on addressing Underage Drinking, Youth Tobacco Use, OR Prescription Drug Abuse using environmental prevention strategies.  

• We have 7 grants available. A list of Sample Projects is available for interested groups: http://www.nchcnh.org/images/NCHCuplds/files/Menu%20of%20activities%20112910.pdf

 For more information about the funding available, please contact:

Diana Gibbs

ATOD Prevention Coordinator

North Country Health Consortium

262 Cottage Street, Suite 230

Littleton, NH 03561

dgibbs@nchcnh.org

Phone: (603) 259-3700 ext. 222

Fax: (603) 444-0945

 Application/Resource Links:

Youth Grant Website: http://www.nchcnh.org/CSAP_youth_leadership.php 

Application/Resources Page: http://www.nchcnh.org/CSAP_youth_grant_app.php 

Purpose of Youth-Grants

The mission of the North Country Health Consortium's Community Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) Coalitions is to "create healthier communities for our children and families" by reducing and preventing the use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs by youth.

Young people are in an ideal position to create change in their communities. Young people have a direct understanding of the problems in their schools and towns. They have credibility with their peers when speaking about the risks of substance abuse that adults don't have. They have the respect of adults who want healthy communities for their own children.

Our vision is to empower youth to be the driving force to prevent substance use. With these grants, youth groups will commit to a project in their own community to reduce or prevent abuse of alcohol, tobacco or prescription drugs. We ask that youth groups use "environmental strategies," which are activities that reach every person in a community with a positive message. Environmental strategies lead to changes in conditions that surround us (our environment). These changes support healthy decisions and discourage unhealthy behaviors.  

Social Media and Youth:  

40% of Youth Report seeing Alcohol and Drug Use Images on Social Media Sites; the Majority Before Age 16

 Adopted from the October 10th, 2011 Edition of the CESAR Fax: 

http://www.cesar.umd.edu/cesar/cesarfax.asp   

Forty percent of U.S. youth report seeing pictures of kids getting drunk, passed out, or using drugs on Facebook, Myspace, or other social networking sites, according to data from a 2011 survey by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University. Of these youth, approximately 90% had first seen such pictures at age 15 or younger. While the majority reported that their first exposure was at age 12 or 13 (36%) and 14 or 15 (42%), more than one in ten reported that their first exposure was as young as 10 or 11. These findings corroborate those of another study that found that much of the alcohol-related content on Facebook is easily accessible by those under the age of 21 (see CESAR FAX, Volume 20, Issue 8).

Age U.S. Youth Ages 12 to 17 Report First Seeing Pictures of Kids Drunk, Passed Out, or Using Drugs on a Social Networking Site, 2011*

*Percentages do not sum 100 due to rounding. 

Durham, NH - New Futures presented its 2011 Youth in Action Award to the North Country Prevention Youth Council, a group of student leaders whose mission is to reduce alcohol problems among their peers, particularly high school students. The award was presented at New Futures' Annual Recognition Event held at the University of New Hampshire Durham campus on Friday, October 14, 2011.

The 2011 Youth in Action Award recognizes the important role youth play in preventing and reducing alcohol and other drug problems in New Hampshire. The group has done outstanding work in utilizing multiple strategies across multiple populations and communities, such as implementing "Project Sticker Shock," facilitating a "Service Over Self" event for middle school students, planning and implementing a three-day leadership conference for more than 100 of their North Country peers, and maintaining and promoting their blog at www.real-normal.org. Another inspiring initiative is North Country Prevention Youth Council's "Project Banner Swap." Through a collaborative effort with the New Hampshire Center for Excellence, new community-friendly, seasonal banners that read "The North Country welcomes tourist and visitors" are swapped for existing banners where Bud or Coors take credit for the "welcome."

The North Country Prevention Youth Council is comprised of student leaders from across the North Country: Berlin, Colebrook, Gorham, Groveton, Lincoln-Woodstock, Littleton, Profile, Stratford and White Mountain Regional School Districts.

About New Futures

New Futures is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization that advocates, educates and collaborates to reduce alcohol and other drug problems in New Hampshire.

Four U.S. senators have asked the baseball players union to agree to a ban on chewing tobacco at the World Series, which begins Wednesday night.

"When players use smokeless tobacco, they endanger not only their own health, but also the health of millions of children who follow their example," the senators wrote to Michael Weiner, who heads the union. The Associated Press reports the letter was signed by Dick Durbin of Illinois, Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Tom Harkin of Iowa.

The letter called on the union to think of the influence the players will have on children watching the St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers play. "Unfortunately, as these young fans root for their favorite team and players, they also will watch their on-field heroes use smokeless tobacco products," the senators wrote.

A coalition of health groups has been advocating for a ban on tobacco in the next baseball players' contract. The current contract expires in December.

Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig backs a ban on chewing tobacco on the field in the new players' contract. Last winter, Selig received a letter from public health officials in 15 cities with Major League teams, urging Major League Baseball to ban tobacco use by all ballpark personnel. They noted links between smokeless tobacco and oral cancer, gum disease and other health issues. They also pointed to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showing that use of smokeless tobacco among high school boys has risen 36 percent since 2003.

Smokeless tobacco, including dip and chew, is banned in Minor League ballparks.

Article Two:

MLB May Issue Alcohol Ban in Baseball Clubhouses

 Major League Baseball (MLB) is considering whether to issue a ban on alcohol in baseball clubhouses following reports of beer drinking in the Boston Red Sox clubhouse during games this season. The players who were involved said they were never intoxicated.

"It's something we're concerned about," MLB Vice President Joe Torre told USA Today. He added, "We're supposed to be role models for youngsters." The Arizona Diamondbacks and several other teams already ban alcohol in their clubhouses, the article notes. Most teams allow alcohol in the clubhouse after games and on team flights.

All are welcome to attend! For more information regarding the Coos County Coalition or the Littleton ATOD Task Force, please contact Diana Gibbs at 259-3700 or at dgibbs@nchcnh.org.