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"What's Your Reason?"
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Tune in to
Community Television Network (CTN)
Channel 4 on April 17th at 7:00 pm as
21 Reasons & OMOP host an Alcohol Awareness Month Town Hall event LIVE!!
In mid-March we started promoting a contest that asked area youth "What's Your Reason?" for remaining drug and alcohol-free. The contest sought to ask area youth what they do instead of alcohol/drugs and what/who influences them so on April 17th, they'll tell us in their own words, songs, videos and poetry.
Justin Ellis from the Portland Press Herald/NXT: The Next Generation, Scott Pelletier from the Portland Police Department (formerly of the MDEA), and Shannon Moss, WMTW News Anchor have graciously agreed to be on our celebrity judging panel and we can't wait to see them in action. Not only are we fortunate to have such a great judging panel, we would also like to recognize the following businesses and organizations for their generous donations to our event:
Seacoast Fun Parks Windham
Westbrook Cinemagic
Happy Wheels
Hannaford Supermarkets
Shaw's Supermarkets
O'Naturals
The Portland Seadogs
21 Reasons
Healthy Portland
Maine Indoor Karting
Yankee Lanes
Joker's Family Fun & Games
The submissions are in and we feel that no matter who the declared winner is, we all come out on top because we get to witness youth tapping into their creative and individual power to get their vital messages across to their communities and peers while telling us what they have and what they need to stay healthy and substance-free. |
FMI Contact Jo at 21reasons@mcd.org
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| Positive Tickets: Update
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We are moving along with our Positive Tickets project! In March we presented the Positive Tickets DVD and related information to the City of Portland's Health & Recreation Committee to garner support and recognition for our initiative. We are on track to start distributing tickets this summer but we are definitely in need of area business support and buy-in so if you or someone you know would like to help, let us know! If you would like more information about Positive Tickets, click the icon above. If you would like to learn more about our initiative & partners, if you have suggestions or would like to get involved, please contact Ronni at rmk@portlandmaine.gov.
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"Got Time To Talk?"
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We do! It's official -- The Partnership for a Drug-Free America's
Time To Talk on
 has come to Portland, Maine! Time To Talk is a national online community, resource and toolkit to help parents connect
with their kids with free, easy-to-use, research-based tools and tips to help
parents have ongoing conversations with their kids to keep them healthy and
drug-free. Last month, the Partnership enthusiastically approved Portland to be the pilot site for their first community-level group in the nation!
This is an exciting opportunity for parents and family members within the Casco Bay, Greater Portland and Lakes & Rivers' regions to connect with one another to share stories and ask questions as well as provide support for one another.
The process for joining the group is easy! Parents can go to the site, click on the request to "Join This Group" tab and once approved by the group moderator (OMOP), members can interact and post/answer questions, access local prevention and treatment resources, view event listings and find practical tips and conversation-starters for engaging teens.
The website for the Portland Time To Talk is: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/timetotalkportlandme/
If you would like more information about this group or would like to promote Portland's Time To Talk, Contact Amanda at 756-8053 or aedgar@portlandmaine.gov
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Portland & Casco Bay Region Partnerships
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Over the course of the Spring & Summer, the Portland & Casco Bay Regions of the Healthy Maine Partnership will be promoting the Maine Office of Substance Abuse's (OSA) Parental Monitoring Campaign across Cumberland County.
This media campaign was launched by MaineParents.net in 2006-07 and highlights "Practical tips, such as Limit Access, Network,
Reinforce & Enforce, Check In, Be Up and Be Ready, provide a starting point
for parental monitoring of teens."
If you would like further information about the planning of the media campaign, please
Contact Ronni at rmk@portlandmaine.gov.
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Portland Youth Summit!
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Youthink will be holding its 1st Annual "Portland Youth Summit: Youth Voices Empowering Communities" in Portland on Friday May, 9th.
Click Here for the Flyer &
Contact Info
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How to Become Involved
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The OMOP Steering Committee meets regularly; if you are interested in attending a meeting or finding out about more opportunities for community involvement, please contact Ronni Katz, City of Portland Public Health Division's Substance Abuse Prevention Program Coordinator at 756-8116 or
Click Here to Email Ronni
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| Article Headline
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One Maine One Portland
City of Portland
Public Health Division
Health & Human Services Dept.
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April is National Alcohol Awareness Month!
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The theme for the 22nd annual National Council on Alcoholism & Drug Dependence (NCADD) alcohol awareness month is
"Saving Lives: Prevent & Reduce Underage Drinking."
To promote further awareness of the dangers of high-risk and underage drinking, OMOP gathered parent/adult-specific resources and prevention tips as well as information about alcohol poisoning & harm reduction.
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Thank You Deering RY!
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At April 7th's City Council meeting, a resolution to declare April as "Youth Alcohol Prevention Month," was passed and Diane Tinkham, along with two very brave students from the Deering Reconnecting Youth program stood up in front of the full City Council to share their stories of how RY positively impacts their lives.
OMOP would like to thank and congratulate the two students who so eloquently shared their struggles and successes. After they spoke, the Mayor directly thanked them and upon exiting Council Chambers, several School Committee and community members approached the students to commended them for their honesty and bravery. It was quite an amazing night that no one in attendance will soon forget. Thank you!
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New Addiction on Campus: Raiding the Medicine Cabinet
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 "Parents have long worried whether their kids at college are drinking
too much or getting stoned. But alcohol and marijuana aren't the only
substances they should be concerned about: In recent years, a growing
number of young people have begun abusing prescription opiates..." |
| "Catching Up to the Boys, in the Good & the Bad" |
Teen Girls' Alcohol, Tobacco &
Drug Use on the Rise
"She lost count of the vodka shots. It was New Year's Eve 2005, and for
this high school freshman, it was time to party. She figured she'd be
able to sleep it off -- she'd done it before. But by the time she got
home the next day, her head was still pounding, her mouth was dry, and
she couldn't focus. This time, the symptoms were obvious even to her
parents..."
Click Here For the Full
Washington Post Article
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