From November 10th through the 12th, students of the North Country attended the Merrowvista Leadership Conference in Tuftonboro, NH. The school groups included were Lin-Wood, Littleton, Berlin, Profile, Woodsville, White Mountain Regional, Groveton, and Gorham. The conference, funded by the North Country Health Consortium, was coordinated by the Merrowvista Camp Staff and student members of the Prevention Youth Council. Student participants attending the conference would be educated on leadership, making positive and supportive relationships with others, and the psychological and physical effects of

alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs.

Participants would arrive at the facility Thursday, the 10th at 5:00, where they were moved into their cabins. They were greeted by the energetic Merrowvista and youth staff members with high fives, hugs, large group games, and pumping music. The atmosphere was so energetic and upbeat, participants felt accepted right from the get-go. After all the participants arrived, the Keynote speaker, Ed Gerety, gave his inspiring presentation, urging the crowd to follow their dreams, emphasizing the words written on a wall of the facility, "My own self, at my very best, all the time."

After Gerety's presentation, the participants were sent off to dinner in the eating lodge, and later were dispersed into their family groups. Family groups are structured teams of randomly selected participants, usually eight to 10 kids, who meet together in multiple sessions throughout the conference. The groups are organized so the least number of students from the same school possible are put together. These groups have many purposes such as; getting kids talking about the conference and evaluate what they're learning, to teach the values of close relationships in a tight knit group, and to make sure kids are

meeting new friends.

The first night was marked a success, everyone went to bed with a positive attitude and having learned something. The preceding day, the 11th was just as, if not more, energetic. Participants were even more willing to speak their minds and step out of their comfort zones, especially in the educational workshops. The purpose of the workshops was to show students the current situation with tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs in the North Country and inform them on ways they can make positive changes in their communities. Each participant went to two different 45 minute sessions. At the end of the night, every participant was given a chance to share their dreams and aspirations in front of the group at council fire, with statements starting with, "I will

be a person who..."

The last day of the conference was a tear-jerker for the majority of participants and staff. Each school group had a representative or two share their plan to better their community. These plans were thought up in two school-group action planning sessions. Each school group spent over an hour together and compiled a list of ways in which they can

make their community a better place.

Every participant left with a positive state of mind, reminded that the whole purpose of the conference was to bring the experience back home and change things for the better. All school groups are actively executing their action plans and making a difference.

"I'm addicted to Merrowvista," said Zephyr Morrison, a third-year participant of Lin-Wood, in family group session two. "I've gone every year of high school and couldn't imagine not going back."
Jaimie Sams says, "I found a confidence I didn't know I had-I danced! I never dance..."

"I find it hilarious," Christopher Coyne said in front of an auditorium of participants, "that I feel more comfortable in front of all you guys, than I've ever felt in a classroom full of people I've known my whole life."

It's obvious that this conference is making an impact on kids every year, this year especially. One day, we hope all of these kids will evolve from participants to leaders in youth drug prevention program. That's the main focus. These new leaders will mold the future of the North Country, and bring positive changes to their communities.

Carsey researchers Karen Van Gundy and Meghan Mills used recent self-reporting surveys of teens in the Coös Youth Study to look at how social stress and community attachment are related to problem alcohol and drug use for girls and boys in Coös County, New Hampshire.

Nearly one-fourth of youth in Coös County (22 percent of boys and 23 percent of girls) reported at least one alcohol or drug use related problem. The authors note that Coös youth who feel more connected to their communities are less likely to report substance use problems and that even the most "stressed out" youth can benefit from the effects of community attachment.   

To read the brief, please visit:  

For the full press release with tables and figures, please visit:

http://monitoringthefuture.org/data/11data.html#2011data-drugs

Save the Date!

January, 26, 2012: Upcoming CADCA TV show: 

"Designer Drugs: The New Frontier" 
 

There's a new and ever-changing class of drugs out there and their effects are unlike anything we have ever seen. Use of designer drugs like bath salts and spice is growing rapidly, even as laws and ordinances take effect to help control their spread.

During this hour-long program, Designer Drugs: The New Frontier, we'll take a look at this new and emerging drug threat, hear who is most at risk, and learn what we can do about it. We will travel to Bangor, Maine where some experts are saying this is the worst drug epidemic they have ever seen. The show airs Jan. 26, 2012 at 1 p.m. EST.

Key Concepts:

• What are these designer drugs?
• What can happen to people who take them?
• What strategies can coalitions use to prevent their use?
• What should law enforcement know when approaching someone who may be using designer drugs?

You can join this special broadcast at no cost from any site with a satellite dish having C-band capabilities. All viewing sites must register in advance to receive the necessary satellite coordinates. To register, contact Ed Kronholm at Phone: 877-820-0305; E-mail: dlnets@aol.com; Web Site: www.dlnets.com/MCTFT2nd.htm. The broadcast also will be webcast live at www.cadca.org.

For information on the content providers, please visit:

http://www.cadca.org/cadca_tv/designer-drugs-new-frontier   

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.