Spring 2014 Newsletter - New London Community and Campus

Free Seller-Server Training on Thursday, May 8, at NL Public Library, 1-4pm
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Volume 4, Issue 2
120 Broad Street, New London, CT 06320
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“Promoting healthy, vibrant, and productive lifestyles for the New London teen community”
spring 2014
Two questions you should ask your teens about
drugs and alcohol by A. Pawlowski
Having "The Talk" with your child doesn't necessarily just mean a conversation about sex. As kids get older, many parents wonder
what they should say about drugs and alcohol to help them navigate their teen years.
Dr. Logan Levkoff and Dr. Jennifer Wider understand. They're the authors of the new book "Got Teens? The Doctor Moms' Guide to Sexuality, Social Media and Other Adolescent Realities."
They told TODAY's Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb the two things parents should always find out from their children about alcohol and
drug use, but may be too embarrassed to ask:
1. Have you ever posted something on social media while drunk?
2. Have you ever vomited from drinking too much alcohol?
So how do you pose those questions to your teen? Wider suggests always asking about a friend rather than your child directly.
Once your child opens up about his or her peer group, it's easy for the conversation to get more personal — as long as you don't come off
as judgmental. That's the key, she notes.
Wider offers an example of how to broach this subject: "You know, I hear all the stories about how people are drunkenly posting things on
Instagram and it makes me realize how lucky I was that I never had to deal with that in school. Does this ever come up with you and your
friends? How have you managed this?"
Some uncomfortable questions about substance abuse may be coming from the teens themselves. How should you respond if your children
ask you about your past alcohol and drug use? Levkoff said it’s important to be honest, but to first find out why they’re asking.
"Are they looking to justify their own behavior? Are their friends doing it? Do they have questions?" Levkoff said.
"It’s always in our best interest to model healthy drinking for them. If your kids sees you blacked out drunk, it’s not a great thing. But if
you’re teaching them how to enjoy a glass of wine with a meal as part of an overall culinary culture, that’s a much better message."
Kids may also have questions about marijuana, especially now that some states have legalized the drug for medicinal or recreational use.
Levkoff advised telling kids that medical marijuana helps with certain conditions, but to point out that an adolescent’s brain is not as developed as an adult’s, so using the drug may be different for a teen than it is for an adult.
The authors urged parents to keep the lines of communications open about alcohol, drugs and sex and not to just rely on schools to teach
teens what to do when temptations arise.
"It is certainly a parent’s responsibility to teach values and to talk to your kids about what your boundaries are because at the end of the
day kids sure are going to push the envelope," Levkoff said.
"You want them at that key moment to think, ‘What did my parents tell me again? What would they be OK with? And what are they not OK
with?’"
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“Promoting healthy, vibrant, and productive lifestyles for our teen community”
spring 2014
NLCCC invited to ISAAC School for health day
On February 28, New London and Community Campus Coalition
(NLCCC) and Ledge Light Health District (LLHD) paired up to do drug prevention workshops at ISAAC middle school. The workshops were held for
two seventh grade groups from 9:25am-10:05am and 10:05am-10:45am.
Each workshop was designed to explore and educate seventh graders on
the messages they receive from media concerning Alcohol, Tobacco, and
Other Drugs (ATOD) effects.
Students formed in groups of two, five, six, or eight. In the groups,
they spent ten minutes brainstorming and writing down all the messages
they heard or saw on television, radio, magazines, music/music videos,
and all the messages they heard from parents and teachers.
After writing down they’re ideas, ten minutes were spent reporting and discussing what the groups came up with. One group wrote
down things like “Breaking Bad” and “Drugs kill you,” while another group
wrote down “Justin Bieber” and “People who drink usually get in trouble
with their parents.” Each group had a lot to share about video games, TV series, movies, commercials, and famous people that they saw
or heard.
Once the group explored the messages they were receiving, LLHD and NLCCC presenters, showed a PowerPoint that discussed
the facts about Alcohol, Marijuana, Prescription Drugs, and E-cigarettes. The group knew a lot about the dangerous effects of most
drugs, but seemed shocked by Prescription Drugs and E-cigarettes. Some students thought that E-cigarettes were healthier than regular
cigarettes and would help you quit. The presenters talked about how E-cigarettes are marketed towards kids and that the FDA does not
regulate the nicotine levels in them. Another student expressed that another student shared his prescriptions. The presenters talked
about how prescription drugs are only safe when prescribed by a doctor and that we shouldn’t be giving ourselves meds for pain or
what we think we have. Only a doctor can give meds and they shouldn’t be shared. The students left with renewed knowledge and
“goodie bags” to remember the workshop that included notepads, wristbands, magnets, pens, pencils, stickers and the 2012 Youth Survey.
spring 2014
“Promoting healthy, vibrant, and productive lifestyles for the New London teen community”
Page 3
New NLCCC media campaign for 2014
The NLCCC has been a prevention coalition since
2003, working to minimize the use of alcohol and other
drugs (ATOD) in our teen community. Over the last few
years we have recognized that drug use among teenagers is
more than what many see as a “Right of passage.” Drug use
leads to risky behaviors such as violence, unprotected sex,
and low interest in school.
The more than 30 members of the NLCCC Coalition
are working with partner agencies to bring attention to mental health, education, and working with New London teens
on being accountable for their personal actions. We created
the NL Juvenile Review Board with the NLPD in an effort to
keep teens out of the juvenile courts. We are also working
with mental health providers to ensure that youth in vulnerable situations know they have people who will listen and
support them. We do this through: Education, Policy
Change, Media, and Enforcement. Your input is very important .
Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School SADD Program
Major goals:
Participate in the St. Patrick’s Day parade
Have a youth generated Town Hall Meeting on April 29, 2014
Participate in the national Kick Butts Day event March 18, 2014
Plan an activity for Youth Violence Prevention Week: last week of March
Attend SERAC Youth Forum on May 6, 2014
Do a NLCCC Locker Shock
National Prevention Week: May 18-24
Prevention and Cessation of Tobacco use Monday, May 19
Prevention of Underage Drinking, Tuesday, May 20
Prevention of Marijuana use, Wednesday, May 21
Prevention of Prescription Drug Abuse, Thursday, May 22
Discussion on Media Literacy: Deconstruction on what are the messages we get, and how do they affect us?
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“Promoting healthy, vibrant, and productive lifestyles for the New London teen community”
spring 2014
The Color of Justice
On January 30th, 2014 a public forum titled The Color of Justice was held at the New London Senior Center. This forum was one of
several that have been held throughout the state to shed light on the fact that youth of color are entering the juvenile justice system at
higher rates than their White peers, and being treated more harshly once they are there. A brief presentation and video were followed by
an open format discussion with the intension of encouraging ordinary people to be part of the solution. The turn out from the New London
community at this forum was excellent and representative of New London’s diverse population. In addition to the number of parents and
youth who participated, there were various community leaders in attendance including members of both the City Council and Board of Education. The conversation that took place emphasized a need for more parent involvement, more resources for youth, and more training for
parents and professionals in the community who work with youth. Also discussed were the implications of school discipline policies such as
zero tolerance and the importance of continuing to have ongoing discussions on this topic in the future.
Mechanisms linking substance use to
academic performance problems
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Standing room only crowd at the Color of Justice Forum at the NL Senior Center
Substance use “hijacks” reward pathways-academic pursuits are less meaningful as drug becomes more valued.
Substance use is associated with attention problems, sleep disturbances, and
other cognitive deficits, making classroom learning, studying and homework
more difficult.
For some students, early learning difficulties precede the onset of substance
use-continued substance use worsens
learning problems and increases the risk
for disengagement and dropout.
Deviant peer affiliation compounds substance use problems-having peers that
also do not care about academic pursuits
makes learning problems worse and encourages more substance use.
Free Seller-Server Training on Thursday, May 8, 1-4pm at the NL Public Library
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