The Safety Net
S U P P O R T
UPCOMING
OBSERVANCES
· MADD’s Tie One on
for Safety Campaign
(Nov. 24-Jan. 1)
· National Drunk and
Drugged Driving
Prevention Month
(December)
· No Name-Calling
Week (Jan. 23-27)
· National Teen
Dating Violence
Awareness and
Prevention Month
(February)
· Through with Chew
Week (Feb. 19-25)
· Great American Spit
Out (Feb. 23)
INSIDE THIS
ISSUE:
Help Kids Fend
2
Off Cyberbullies
Teens, Drugs and 2
Driving
Marijuana
3
Knocked Out of
the Park
3
“Quit Kits” to
Soldiers
Students Learn
Dangers of
Smokeless
Tobacco
D E C E M B E R
2 0 1 1
Teens and Peer Pressure
Teens rarely force each other
into trying risky things. Friends
play a more subtle role in your
child’s decisions. A study by
researchers at Columbia
University (CASA Columbia)
shows that youth are six times
more likely to have tried alcohol
if their friends often drink.
Youth often feel internal
pressure to do the things that
they think other teens are doing.
Most greatly overestimate the
percentage of their peers that
use alcohol or other drugs.
Parents who want to dispel the
myth that “everyone is doing it”
can simply cite the facts. A longterm, national study of youth in
grades 8, 10 and 12 shows that
far fewer teens are using drugs
and alcohol than their peers
believe. In 2010:
· Seventy-one percent of teens
had tried alcohol by the end of
high school, but far fewer
drank to get drunk.
· Twenty-seven percent of
students said they got drunk in
the past year, down from
almost 40 percent in 1997.
· Thirty-four percent of
students had ever used drugs
and only 27 percent had done
so within the past year, a
significant decrease since its
peak at 43 percent in 1997.
Adolescence can be a confusing
time. Teens want to be
independent and dependent at
the same time. On one hand,
they want to assert their
independence, but on the other
hand they still need their parents.
Parents have a more powerful
positive effect on their teen than
they may think. Not wanting to
disappoint their parents is
important to teens. Parents’ rules
and structure give youth a
framework for understanding the
world. When teens are asked
what their parents can do to
discourage drinking and drug use,
the answers are surprisingly
simple:
· Talk to us. Teens say they
want to know what their
parents think and how they
make decisions.
· Punish us. Teens who break
rules typically wait to see what
happens. If there are no
consequences, the rules do
not matter.
· Limit overnight visits. Not
having to go home can be too
much freedom to handle.
· Wait up for us. Knowing
they have to face mom or dad
in a few hours makes most
teens think twice about the
shape they will be in when
they get home.
No matter what you say or do,
your child may still mess up. As
upset as you may be, he or she
probably is too. Parents can help
their teens take responsibility for
their mistakes and support them
in moving forward.
Parents cannot anticipate every
social challenge their children will
face. Kids who know their
parents love them and value their
opinions, and have practice
thinking critically have a greater
chance of saying “No.”
Sources: SADD; CASA Columbia;
Monitoring the Future Study, 2010;
The Partnership at DrugFree.org
Heart Attack Rates Fall After Smoking Ban
Misperceptions
TRU Clubs Send
P R E V E N T I O N
2
Myths and
Tobacco
A N D
4
Emergency room visits by North
Carolinians experiencing heart
attacks have declined 21 percent
since the January 2010 start of
the state’s Smoke-Free
Restaurants and Bars Law.
The North Carolina Division of
Public Health report cites studies
from numerous communities,
states and countries that show
similar declines in heart attack
rates after enacting tobacco-free
policies, as well as a 2008
Don Novak, School Security Coordinator
Lisa Callaham, Administrative Assistant
Institute of Medicine report
concluding smoke-free laws are a
proven way to decrease heart
attack rates.
Many people understand that
tobacco smoke can cause lung
cancer and other health
problems such as emphysema. It
is not as widely known, however,
that exposure to tobacco smoke
can trigger a heart attack in
those with heart disease or who
are at risk for it.
Jarrod McCraw, Director
http://sdfs.ucps.k12.nc.us
According to U.S. Surgeon
General’s Reports from 2006 to
2010, chemicals in tobacco
smoke narrow the blood vessels,
raise blood pressure and heart
rate, and trigger chemical
changes in the blood that make
cardiovascular events such as
heart attacks more likely to
happen in the hours following
even brief exposure to tobacco
smoke.
Sources: North Carolina Division of
Public Health, U.S. Surgeon General
Kim Bayha, Tobacco Prevention Specialist
Laura Grier, Tobacco Free Schools Specialist
P AGE
2
Cyberbullying is when
a young person is
tormented,
threatened, harassed,
humiliated,
embarrassed or
otherwise targeted by
another young person
using the Internet,
interactive and digital
technologies or
Help Kids Fend Off Cyberbullies
Cyberbullying has become an
all-too-common occurrence in
our homes and schools.
Cyberbullies victimize their
classmates and acquaintances
online because they do not see
the immediate consequences
of their actions, and they
mistakenly believe their posts,
texts or emails cannot be
traced back to them. Many
students post messages that
they would never say in a faceto-face situation.
Adolescents should be taught
to stand up for themselves both in real time and in
cyberspace. Here are some
mobile phones.
ways to help young people
survive digital attacks and also
protect themselves from
future bullying:
· Only accept online friends
who are known and trusted.
understand the online world. If
parents believe their kids are
not capable of handling the
drama that can play out online,
they may need to limit Internet
access.
· Understand that any
messages, pictures or videos
posted online can be seen
and commented on by
others.
Parents should also direct their
kids toward activities that build
up their self-confidence to help
them fend off potential attacks
by bullies. Additionally, young
people should be encouraged
to stand up for other kids who
are the victims of bullies and
report any harassment or
bullying to an adult.
Parents should get involved
and help their children
Source: National Institutes of
Health
· Do not participate in online
bullying, gossip or the
sharing of embarrassing
photos and videos, either
yours or someone else's.
Teens, Drugs and Driving
“Thirty percent of
high school seniors
report driving after
drinking heavily or
using drugs, and
nearly threequarters of
students have
consumed alcohol
by the end of high
school.”
Our prisons are
not filled with
people whose
only crime was
smoking
marijuana. The
vast majority of
those behind
bars for
marijuana
offenses are
mid- and largescale traffickers
and distributors.
Drugged driving, or driving
under the influence of drugs, is
a significant public health and
safety threat and may be a
bigger issue than generally
recognized. According to the
first-ever analysis of drug
involvement from the National
Highway Traffic Safety
Administration’s (NHTSA)
Fatal Accident Reporting
System census, one in three
motor vehicle fatalities (33
percent) with known drug test
results tested positive for
drugs in 2009.
Following are the most recent
teen driving and substance use
trends:
· Motor vehicle crashes were
the leading cause of death
for youth 15-19 years old in
2007.
· More than six percent of 1617 years olds and nearly 17
percent of 18-20 year olds
reported driving under the
influence of alcohol in 2009.
· Thirty percent of high
school seniors reported
driving after drinking heavily
or using drugs, or riding in a
car whose driver had been
drinking heavily or using
drugs, at least once in the
prior two years.
New and young drivers are the
most at risk for crashes on the
roads and are at risk for the
most harmful effects of drug
use. As teens take to the
roads, parents can take action
by talking about the dangers of
drunk, drugged and distracted
driving. It is important that our
youngest drivers learn how to
drive safely and make healthy
choices.
Sources: NHTSA, Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention,
Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration,
and Journal of Studies on Alcohol
and Drugs
Marijuana Myths and Misperceptions
Myth: Marijuana is harmless.
Fact: Recent scientific findings
are startling. Most of the drug
treatment for young people in
the U.S. is for marijuana alone.
Emergency room visits
involving marijuana have
skyrocketed over the past
decade, and marijuana is
associated with an increased
risk of developing
schizophrenia, even when
personality traits and preexisting conditions are taken
into account.
Myth: Marijuana is not
addictive. Fact: Marijuana has
been proven to be a
psychologically addictive drug.
Scientists at the National
Institute on Drug Abuse have
demonstrated that laboratory
animals will self-administer
THC in doses equivalent to
those used by humans who
smoke marijuana.
Myth: Youth experimentation
is inevitable. Fact: Drug use can
be prevented. The majority of
youth do not use drugs, and
there are proven ways to keep
kids from starting. Contrary to
popular belief, marijuana use is
not a rite of passage. It is a
risky behavior with serious
consequences.
Myth: Marijuana is not
associated with violence, like
cocaine and heroin. Fact: It is
not simply the trafficking of
drugs that causes crime. Crime
also results from the behavior
of people who use drugs.
Source: Office of National Drug
Control Policy
SUPP ORT
AND
P REV ENTION
P AGE
Tobacco Knocked Out of the Park
Tobacco control advocates
applauded Major League Baseball
(MLB) in November as newly
negotiated labor contracts will start
to limit the use of smokeless
tobacco at major league parks and
games.
Under the agreement that MLB and
the Major League Baseball Players
Association (MLBPA) announced,
big-league players, managers and
coaches will no longer be able to
carry a tobacco tin or package in
their uniforms at games or at any
time that fans are in the ballpark.
They will also be prohibited from
using smokeless tobacco during
televised interviews, at autograph
signings and other events where
they meet fans, or at teamsponsored appearances. The
restrictions will become effective in
the five-year contract to take effect
in 2012, and violators will be
subject to discipline.
As stated by a spokesperson for
MLB, “At a time when the tobacco
industry is spending record sums of
money to promote smokeless
tobacco and hook a new generation
of youth, we are pleased that Major
programs for players and
creates an MLBPA center on
cessation to help players quit.
League Baseball and big-league
players will join forces on a
nationwide public service campaign
on tobacco use aimed at youth, and
particularly young baseball players.
Members of the MLBPA are role
models for young fans, and their
participation in this outreach
program will be truly valuable.”
The players union has agreed to
join forces with the Partnership at
DrugFree.org to create a
nationwide campaign to educate
youth about the dangers of
smokeless tobacco.
Although the contract deal falls
short of a full tobacco ban, as is the
case in minor league baseball, it is a
historic step toward de-normalizing
smokeless tobacco use in baseball.
Baseball players have been using the
product since the earliest days of
the game, creating a strong cultural
connection. This agreement marks
the first time that the league and
the players have recognized it is
time to break this unhealthy
addiction. The agreement also
bolsters tobacco education
The new tobacco limits are
the result of hard work by a
broad, national coalition of
supporters and fans who
came together to bring this
issue to public attention. The
Campaign to Knock Tobacco
Out of the Park began in
November 2010 with 10 major
medical and public health groups,
including the Campaign for
Tobacco Free Kids, American
Academy of Pediatrics, American
Cancer Society, American Dental
Society, American Heart
Association, American Lung
Association, American Medical
Association, American Legacy
Foundation, Oral Health America
and the Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation. The coalition grew
over the course of the baseball
season to include more than 200
supporters, including dozens of
public officials across the country,
youth baseball leagues, notable
baseball figures, faith community
leaders, state and local health
groups, and others. Fans and
advocates sent more than 35,000
messages to the Major League
Baseball association and MLB teams
and players, encouraging them to
act.
Sources: Tobacco Free Kids and CBS
News, November 22, 2011
“At a time when
the tobacco
industry is
spending record
sums of money to
promote
smokeless
tobacco and hook
a new generation
of youth, we are
pleased that
Major League
Baseball and bigleague players
will join forces on
a nationwide
public service
campaign on
tobacco use
aimed at youth,
and particularly
young baseball
players.
TRU Clubs Send "Quit Kits" to Soldiers
In recognition of both Veteran’s Day
and the Great American Smokeout in
November, three Union County high
schools assembled and mailed over 250
“tobacco quit kits” to soldiers
deployed overseas. The TRU (Tobacco
Reality Unfiltered) clubs at
Weddington, Marvin Ridge and Sun
Valley High Schools, along with the
Freshman Focus class at Sun Valley
High, embraced the idea as a service
project. These students promote
tobacco-free environments and living a
tobacco-free lifestyle, and support
those who seek to quit tobacco use.
Tobacco use is a serious problem for
the military, with active-duty personnel
using tobacco at much higher rates
than the general population. While
approximately 21 percent of U.S.
adults smoke, up to 49 percent of U.S.
deployed servicemen ages 18-24
smoke and up to 27 percent use
smokeless tobacco. (U.S. Department
of Defense) Military studies show that
tobacco use actually compromises the
readiness of our troops and imposes
high costs on the veterans
administration. Because of the highly
addictive nature of tobacco,
servicemen and women who start
using overseas come home with an
addiction that puts their health at risk
and can take years to overcome.
Inspired by two UCPS
teachers who are TRU club
advisors and have served in
the military, the students
rallied their schools to bring
in supplies such as packages
of gum, mints, candy,
toothpicks, stress balls, etc.
to be placed in the kits. Literature on
support resources for the soldiers and
tips for battling nicotine addiction were
also included. Students wrote personal
notes to the soldiers thanking them for
their service and reassuring them that
everyone back home is praying for
their safe and healthy return, free from
tobacco addiction.
3
DID YOU KNOW?
MADD’s (Mothers
Drug overdose has now
overtaken automobile
crashes as the leading cause
of accidental death in the U.S.
This is the first time that
drugs have killed more
people than car wrecks since the government began
tracking drug-related fatalities in 1979. The increase in drug
deaths can be ascribed largely to a surge in overdoses
involving prescription painkillers.
Against Drunk Driving)
The drug death rate rose 63% between 1999 and 2004,
and another 27% between 2007 and 2009. Most overdoses
involved prescription painkillers like Oxycontin and
Vicodin, which users typically combined with alcohol or
anti-anxiety drugs like Xanax.
Source: DiscoveryNews
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Tie One On For Safety®
campaign runs from
Thanksgiving to New
Year's Day - the heaviest travel season of the year
and a time when drunk and drugged driving typically
increases.
Started in 1986, Tie One On For Safety® is MADD’s
longest running and most visible public awareness
project. MADD asks holiday drivers to tie red
ribbons to visible locations on their vehicles. The red
ribbons represent drivers’ pledges to drive safely,
sober and buckled up, while reminding other drivers
and passengers to do the same.
http://sd
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Students Learn Dangers of Smokeless Tobacco
He has been called "the man without
a face." Rick Bender, oral cancer
survivor and national speaker, visited
Sun Valley, Piedmont, and Parkwood
middle schools in October, speaking
to over 1,000 students about the
dangers and potential consequences
of using smokeless tobacco, also
known as spit tobacco.
As is often the case, Bender started
using spit tobacco or "chew" at the
age of 12. "Several things influenced
me in this use, probably the biggest
being the game of baseball," Bender
told the youth. At the age of 26, he
was diagnosed with oral
cancer and underwent the
first of four major
surgeries. He lost onethird of his tongue, half of
his jaw, 25 percent of the
use of his right arm, and
nearly his life. After this
life-changing fight with cancer, Bender
dedicated himself to educating others,
especially youth, about the dangers of
using smokeless tobacco.
According to the 2009 North
Carolina Youth Tobacco Use Survey,
nine percent of high school teens
statewide currently use smokeless
tobacco. This number increases to
fifteen percent when looking at high
school males alone. In areas of Union
County, the rates for high school
boys using smokeless tobacco can
jump to as high as 27 percent (Union
County Youth Drug Use and Safety
Survey, 2008).
Although smoking rates in North
Carolina are on the decline,
smokeless tobacco rates have been
slowly increasing. As more smokefree regulations pass and smoking
becomes less socially acceptable, the
use of new smokeless tobacco
products is becoming more popular.
In fact, some young people are
becoming "dual users," whereby they
smoke when they can and then use
smokeless tobacco when they cannot
smoke. Of concern in the Charlotte
area is the emergence of new
dissolvable tobacco products that are
spit-less and come in the shape of
sticks, pellets and strips that dissolve
in the mouth. The Charlotte region is
currently a test market for these new
smokeless products. Another new
and popular product is called snus
and it, too, is marketed as spit-less
and easy to hide, packaged in
containers shaped like mints, gum or
even a cell phone. These products are
typically high in nicotine content and
contain the same cancer-causing
toxins as other forms of tobacco.
Bender’s message to youth is
simple - there is no safe form of
tobacco.
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