In the News Archive

Older items are listed here. Read Current "In the News" items.

Police Target Teen Drinking
May 25, 2005

Police target teen drinking York Weekly May 25, 2005

By Jennifer L. Saunders jsaunders@seacoastonline.com

YORK - Summer is coming, and the end of the school year is right around the corner. Both of these are often considered a reason to kick back and have a good time.

But, with the help of a federal grant announced last week, the York Police Department is hoping to keep York's children and young adults from turning to substance abuse as a way to have fun.

The York Police Department is one of nine police and five sheriff's departments in the state that will share nearly $84,000 in federal money to combat and reduce underage drinking.

The York Police Department has been awarded a grant of $4,833 for the one-year program.

"York has experienced too many tragedies involving young people and alcohol over the years and recently has seen an alarming increase in usage of alcohol by young people in our community," said York Police Chief Douglas Bracy.

The grant, Bracy said, is designed to involve law enforcement, the community and business partners to convey the message that underage drinking is unacceptable.

"The department's hope is that if the community can come together to accept the challenge of reducing the risks and incidence of underage drinking that we can also work to change the norms and behaviors in our young people that promote alcohol as a necessary ingredient to growing up and being accepted," Bracy said.

York's program will provide education to minors, parents, civic groups, businesses and law enforcement officers on issues identified as contributing to underage drinking as well solutions that may help reduce the problem.

"This grant is a great extension of what the department has been doing in its partnerships with the York Schools, York Hospital and KEYS of Promise (formerly KEYS 4 Prevention). We are hopeful that through these partnerships and through community involvement we can greatly enhance our abilities to change behaviors and social norms to safeguard our young people from the harsh realities and tragedies that are inevitable with the misuse and abuse of alcohol," Bracy said.

According to an announcement of the grant awards issued by the Maine Department of Public Safety, the funding will be used by the departments to develop policies and increase enforcement aimed at illegal possession of alcohol by minors and the illegal furnishing of alcohol by adults.

"The funding for the one year program begins June 1 and coincides with many end of the year school activities such as proms and graduations, which are often used as excuses for underage drinking," said Public Safety Commissioner Michael Cantara.

Cantara praised the departments for their participation in the program and is urging parents to work with the law enforcement officers in their communities to help reduce underage drinking.

"A key element will be consistent enforcement," Cantara noted, adding that "parents will be notified when juveniles are found with alcohol."

York will receive the funding through a federal Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention grant through the Maine Office of Substance Abuse and the Maine Department of Public Safety.

"Prevention and enforcement make a powerful partnership," said Kim Johnson, the director of the Maine Office of Substance Abuse, in an announcement of the grant awards.

Citing the success of a recent project in Piscataquis County, Johnson stressed that "underage drinking is a community problem and a community solution with enforcement at its core can work in Maine."

Many in law enforcement, Bracy noted, have seen underage drinking occurrences spike since the state dissolved the Bureau of Liquor Enforcement a few years ago.

The grant is one way to work to combat that, he said.

As Bracy put it, "Young people need to learn that they can have fun and grow up without alcohol and the harsh realities that so many times occur with underage drinking."

Other York County departments receiving grants:

Biddeford Police Department $7,412.

Eliot Police Department $4,400.

Saco Police Department $4,980.

Students to testify in favor of alcohol signs bill
April 2, 2005

Students to testify in favor of alcohol signs bill Saturday, April 02, 2005 - Bangor Daily News

FORT KENT - Two SAD 27 Community High School students and four adults from Fort Kent will testify in favor of a bill seeking the installation of signs at alcohol retail stores in Augusta on Monday. Ashley Bouchard and Josh Robichaud, both CHS students and members of Community Voices, will lead the delegation at a hearing on LD 1085, which is an act requiring retailers to post signs about the laws governing alcohol.

The bill is sponsored by Rep. Troy Jackson, D-Fort Kent; and Sen. John Martin, D-Eagle Lake. The 1:15 p.m. hearing will be held in Room 437 at the State House before the Legal and Veterans Affair Committee.

"The signs we are pushing for were invented in Fort Kent in the St. John Valley," Tom Saladino, director of Community Voices, said Friday. "If this passes they will become a requirement throughout the state.

"Our own kids made these signs," he said. "It would be a great thing for them, and us, if this bill is approved."

Adults going to the hearing include Saladino, Bert Michaud, a Fort Kent businessman and member of the SAD 27 school board, Clarence LeClair, commander of the Fort Kent American Legion Post, and Pauline Jandreau, an emergency room nurse at Northern Maine Medical Center in Fort Kent. They are all members of Community Voices.

Community Voices is a coalition of students, law enforcement and other adults in the SAD 27 area. The coalition has been operating for five years.

Jackson said earlier this year that he was looking to assist Community Voices in keeping alcohol out of the hands of minors. He was the author of LR 843, an Act to Require Distributors of Alcohol to Post Signs Regarding the Laws Governing Alcohol.

The law, if passed, would require merchants to post signs on coolers and beer and alcohol displays in their stores. The signs would warn people about the dangers of buying alcohol for minors.

The signs Community Voices uses in the St. John Valley are fluorescent and inform the public of the consequences of furnishing alcohol to minors.

Saladino said his group has signs in stores in the Fort Kent area. Some of them have shown up in other areas of the state and even in other states.

Saladino said several store owners have told him they are in favor of the signs because they clearly outline consequences of buying alcohol for minors.

When Jackson met with Community Voices people, he said, he told them the importance of their supporting the bill and testifying when it comes up for hearing.

Health Coalition serves Community from Humble Space
March 28, 2005

Monday, March 28, 2005

Health coalition serves community from humble space

By COLIN HICKEY Staff Writer

Today's Top Headlines from the Kennebec Journal House backs gay rights legislation House favor Baldacci: Report reveals shrinking tax burden Funding woes shut teen center Granite Hill expansion is in the works Farmingdale man sought Mitchell gets D.C. lobbying post Gardiner man guilty in N. Vassalboro heist Rehab work juggles office locations

All of today's: News | Sports from the Kennebec Journal

Today's Top Headlines from the Morning Sentinel House OKs gay rights The right formula Baldacci: Tax increase would stunt growth School almost over for Norridgewock principal SAD 9 approves proposal to pave Mallett School lot Colby looks at traffic solutions Grappling perfection Cony's midwestern import

All of today's: News | Sports from the Morning Sentinel

WATERVILLE -- The office of Greater Waterville Communities for Children and Youth is not easy to find.

You first have to enter the Hardy Girls Healthy Women office on Common Street, then walk to the back of that space before you find Cyndi Desrosiers and Bryant Rollins.

Desrosiers, who coordinates a $459,000 OneME grant, and Rollins, who coordinates a $448,800 21st Century Learning Grant, share a room that would be of modest size for one person.

Despite the humble, somewhat hidden office, Communities for Children is taking on an ever-greater presence in the community, serving as a key player for a health coalition that has brought nearly $3 million in grants into the Waterville area over the last six years.

That works out to about $500,000 annually. Add the physical and psychological benefits gained by the people they serve and the impact of these agencies and organizations becomes even more profound.

Lauren Sterling, as volunteer supervisor of Communities for Children, is another one of the health coalition point people. She helps win and distribute those grant funds so that the community derives the maximum benefit.

"A lot of what we do is to seek out ways, I think, to improve the way in which schools or community organizations are working with kids in a positive way," she said. "It's about providing a resource, a support."

MaineGeneral Health, Greater Waterville Planned Approach to Community Health (PATCH), and Healthy Maine Partnership/Healthy Horizons are the groups in the coalition in the formal sense.

But at a more informal level, the coalition includes an even broader collection of partners, ranging from school systems to Kennebec Valley Community Action Program to law enforcement agencies.

For people in the community, though, the programs, not the people behind them, are what matter, and those programs are many and varied.

Go into Waterville Junior High School, Vassalboro Community School, Lawrence Junior High School or China Middle School and you'll find an active anti-bullying program in place, funded through the OneME grant.

More than $1 million in tobacco settlement money, meanwhile, provides funding for four school health coordinators -- three of them part-time -- and one full-time community health coordinator for five years.

Tina Chapman of Healthy Horizons is the community health coordinator. As part of her efforts to promote better health practices, she asked municipal governments to adopt policies to discourage tobacco use on public land, especially recreational areas used primarily by children.

MaineGeneral Health makes use of a $495,000 grant -- spread over four years -- from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to fund its Move More Diabetes Project that promotes physical activity for adults with type 2 diabetes.

Natalie Morse of MaineGeneral Health said the coalition strives to avoid any overlap in programs and initiatives.

"We sort of figure out who should hold the grant and how we are going to get this work done in the most effective and efficient way," Morse said.

It sounds simple, but the reality is that such cooperation is not easily achieved and even harder to sustain. Morse, however, is confident that the collaborative effort in the greater Waterville area is entrenched for the long term.

"I would say for me, because I have been involved in health improvement work for years, that I don't feel alone anymore," she said. "If I got hit by a Mack truck today, there would be other people carrying the work on."

Colin Hickey -- 861-9205

chickey@centralmaine.com

Fort Kent-Born Bill Aims at Underage Drinking
February 1, 2005

Fort Kent-Born Bill Aims at Underage Drinking The Bangor Daily News February 1, 2005 FORT KENT, ME - Rep. Troy Jackson, D-Fort Kent, is looking to assist a local group, Community Voices, in keeping alcohol out of the hands of minors. Jackson is author of LR 843, an Act to Require Distributors of Alcohol to Post Signs Regarding the Laws Governing Alcohol. The law, if passed, would require merchants to post signs on coolers and beer and alcohol displays in their stores. The signs would warn people about the dangers of buying alcohol for minors. Jackson, a father of two boys, said he agreed to sponsor the bill to assist groups such as SAD 27's Community Voices and their programs to curb underage drinking. "This group is putting up signs about underage drinking in the St. John Valley, and this [bill] would make the signs mandatory statewide," Jackson said Monday. "This law would make it mandatory for stores to have these signs," he said. "It would not cost sellers anything because the signs would be provided by the state." Jackson met recently with leaders of Community Voices to discuss his bill. Community Voices is a coalition of students, law enforcement and other adults in the SAD 27 area of northern Maine. The coalition has been operating for five years. The signs Community Voices uses in the St. John Valley are fluorescent and inform the public of the consequences of furnishing alcohol to minors. Jackson said people need to know that they are responsible if they buy alcohol for minors and in turn the minor is involved in an accident. Tom Saladino, director of Community Voices, said his group has signs in stores in the Fort Kent area. Some of them have shown up in other areas of the state and even in other states. Saladino said several store owners have told him they are in favor of the signs because they clearly outline consequences of buying alcohol for minors. Jackson's bill has not yet been assigned to committee in Augusta. When Jackson met with Community Voices people, he said, he told them the importance of their supporting the bill and testifying when it comes up for hearing. "It makes a difference if the people I support show up and speak up," Jackson said. Copyright 2005 The Bangor Daily News

Effort aims to reduce underage drinking
November 3, 2004

Foster's Daily Democrat

Effort aims to reduce underage drinking By JASON GRAY

Democrat Staff Writer

YORK, Maine — Selectmen marked Alcohol Awareness Week at their meeting Oct. 27, a joint effort of KEYS, the York Children’s Leadership Council and the York Police Department.

The designation is intended to make adults more aware of the problem of underage drinking in Kittery, Eliot, York and South Berwick. The One Maine KEYS for Prevention program aims to lower alcohol use by minors.

KEYS for Prevention is a regional substance abuse prevention coalition serving the communities of Kittery, Eliot, York and South Berwick,

Sale of alcohol to minors, the effects of alcohol on new drinkers, and the results of alcohol-caused accidents are just a few of the issues KEYS focuses on.

"There is still a general feeling by many people that having a few beers is OK," said Melissa Boyd, project director of the KEYS program and coordinator for the York children’s leadership council. "But in reality many people can die if their body has adverse reactions, or is not use to the alcohol intake."

According to statistics provided by York police, over 2 million teenagers are unaware an alcohol overdose can cause death.

"We have a sticker shock program we will try to implement in York soon," said Boyd. "The stickers are placed on alcoholic containers as a reminder to buyers and store owners that it is illegal to sell to minors."

According to 2002 statistics, 50 percent of students living in KEYS areas admitted to alcohol use within the prior 30 days. Those selling alcohol to minors are more likely to be between 21 and 24 years old.

Halloween in particular is one of the worst nights for drunk driving related crashes nationwide. Fifty percent of crash related deaths for 15 to 24-year-olds were alcohol related in KEYS towns, compared to 37 percent nationwide, according to statistics compiled by the National Academy of Sciences and York police.

"We do not want people to think of it as just one week, this is an ongoing problem," said Boyd. "The community needs to become involved in every way to educate our youth about the consequences of alcohol use."

One Maine KEYS for Prevention
September 1, 2004

Southern Maine Coast ONE Maine KEYS for Prevention

Justin Stebbins, Cathy Bartock, LSPC, Stephen Dunton, and Crystal Dunn

What is KEYS for Prevention? ONE Maine KEYS for Prevention is a regional substance abuse prevention program focused on reduction of underage drinking, binge drinking and tobacco use in Kittery, Eliot, York and South Berwick. We are one of 28 programs in the state of Maine and one of three super coalitions.

This three year initiative was launched with a detailed needs assessment of the area and matched with effective programming to create a multi-level strategy approach in order to reduce underage drinking, binge drinking and to change the communities perceptions on alcohol.

What is the organization's purpose; i.e. its overall mission objective? The goal of KEYS for Prevention is to prevent and reduce substance abuse and underage drinking and tobacco use in the communities of Kittery, Eliot, York and South Berwick.

What services does your organization provide? KEYS for Prevention provides free parenting programs, free community forums and events around chemical free family events, peer leadership programs in high schools, community programs organized with local police departments, community talks about alcohol awareness and developing local policies on alcohol, Fall Prevention Institute, Youth Alcohol Awareness Week, Leadership and Resiliency program in high school, Communities Mobilizing for Change action team and much more!

Crystal Dunn at the Kennebunk Animal Shelter

Who benefits from your services and activities? KEYS for Prevention services benefits all members of the community; families, young children, police officers, community members, parents, school officials, clinicians, teachers, social service staff, school officials, local business owners, high school students and every day citizens.

In what ways does your organization specifically work to improve the quality of life for Maine children and families? Our goal to both create and provide programs and information on alcohol use will help families deal with their teens underage drinking and/or the attitudes of families, teens and individuals perception of alcohol. KEYS for Prevention is changing the lives of Maine children and families through awareness and environmental change.

How can MainelyKids.com readers get involved or support KEYS for Prevention? Readers can attend our Prevention Institute on October 13th and 14th a two day conference in Wells featuring two International Speakers that includes 6 workshops breakfast and lunch for two days for ONLY $50.00!

Also they may call for information on upcoming programs by calling Melissa Boyd at (207) 439-6504 or e-mailing keys.4.prevention@comcast.net.

Keys for Prevention provides Family Fun
August 25, 2004

KEYS for Prevention provides family fun

By Larry Favinger yorkweekly@seacoastonline.com

YORK - Last Wednesday was a night for family fun at Route 1 Fun in Kittery when KEYS for Prevention staged the first activity of its program year. "It’s an awareness night about drugs and alcohol," said Melissa Boyd, project director of the KEYS (Kittery, Eliot, York, South Berwick) for Prevention. "It’s a great way to have people come out and learn about alcohol and its effect on the body."

There was food, video games, miniature golf and swinging away in batting cages at the group’s Elvis Family Fun Night. The night’s title was selected because many suspect Elvis Presley died as a result of abusing drugs and alcohol.

KEYS for Prevention is a regional substance-abuse prevention program that focuses on underage drinking, binge drinking and tobacco use in Kittery, Eliot, York and South Berwick.

The latest Maine Youth Drug and Alcohol Use Survey of students in the KEYS towns in grades 9 through 12 revealed that 30-day alcohol use is at 46 percent and two-week binge drinking is at 26 percent, the highest in Maine.

Tony Wild, a graduate of Marshwood High School and the University of Maine at Farmington, is the organization’s assistant director who coordinates efforts in local high schools.

One advocacy program he is involved in encompasses about 40 high school students who work on their skills and then make drug-prevention presentations to students in middle and high schools.

"They are very committed kids," he said at the Route 1 Fun facility. "They’re really involved in the community. It’s important to get their voices in there."

He said the groups do about 10 presentations a year at the state and local levels outside the schools and another 20 in schools.

But being part of the program is more than just making presentations. It’s a way of life.

"They know this is a full-time job," Wild said. "The younger kids look up to them. They’re being watched all the time. They’ve been good role models."

Another activity within the umbrella of the group is the Leadership and Resiliency Program coordinated by Andrea Warren. It is for at-risk students and is offered at Marshwood High School, Traip Academy and York High School.

There’s an adventure activity once a month, a regular visit to the animal shelter in Kennebunk and the staging of puppet shows to show the impacts of smoking, drinking and using drugs.

Warren said the program "builds self esteem and self confidence" and it is truly "amazing to watch" that happen as the students really change and "feel better about themselves"

She said the results are noticeable in better grades, fewer days absent and an increase in graduation rates.

KEYS for Prevention is a federally funded organization through the Maine Office of Substance Abuse with York Hospital as its fiscal agent. It is one of 23 coalitions in Maine focusing on the reduction of tobacco use and underage binge drinking in the 12- to 17-year-old age group.

The group works closely with local schools, counselors and police departments in its efforts to curtail abuse and is visible throughout the four-town area.

"We want to be where people are," Boyd said. "We feel it’s really changing people’s attitudes."

One of the more visual programs, in cooperation with local police departments, is "sticker shock." With this initiative, stickers remind those who sell alcohol that selling to a minor is punishable by up to $2,000 in fines and up to a year in jail.

The owner of the Route 1 Fun Center, Brad Dudley, said he was happy to host a group like KEYS for Prevention because of its hard work.

"This is the right venue for them," he said, sitting inside the arcade. "They’re bringing awareness."

This isn’t the first event Dudley has hosted in the time he’s been open. There’s also been an SPCA event.

"We like to do charity things," he said. "We hope to make them annual events."

Help KEYS raise awareness

YORK - KEYS for Prevention is a local substance abuse prevention coalition with York Hospital as its lead agency.

The project, serving the communities of Kittery, Eliot, York and South Berwick, has an emphasis on preventing and reducing underage and binge drinking and tobacco use and is one of 23 One Maine sites around the state.

Working with a three-year initiative, KEYS was launched with a detailed needs assessment of the area and matched with effective programming to create a multi-level strategy approach in order to reduce underage drinking, binge drinking and to change the communities’ perceptions on alcohol.

KEYS for Prevention services benefit all members of the community; families, young children, police officers, community members, parents, school officials, clinicians, teachers, social service staff, school officials, local business owners, high school students and every day citizens.

There are three major components to the KEYS program:

Environmental Change: Communities Mobilizing for Change on Alcohol (CMCA) is an environmental strategy that is a neighborhood effort to reduce youth access to alcohol by changing the beliefs and behaviors of adults. CMCA communicates a clear message to the community that underage drinking is inappropriate and unacceptable.

Adventure Based Leadership: Leadership and Resiliency (LRP) which falls in the school and community domain. Leadership and Resiliency is a school- and community-based program for high school students (14 to 19 years old) that works to enhance youths’ internal strengths and resiliency, while preventing involvement in substance use and violence.

Parent Programming: The Positive Action program is based on the simple truth that we feel good about ourselves when we do positive actions. Six units teach specific positive actions for the physical, intellectual and emotional areas. The review unit helps pull it all together. Lessons take aim at conflict, violence, drug abuse, or another pressing problem. To request information on free programming through KEYS for Prevention or ways to get involved, call Melissa Boyd at 439-6504 or e-mail: keys.4.prevention @comcast.net.

York teen's overdose death shocks community
July 3, 2004

Saturday July 3, 2004 York teen’s overdose death shocks community By JENNIFER L. SAUNDERS

Democrat Staff Writer

YORK, Maine — The death of a local girl as a result of a drug overdose is sending shockwaves through the community and prompting prevention experts to remind York’s young people that there is help available.

York High School will hold a youth grief night on July 6 for friends, acquaintances and schoolmates of the 17-year-old girl, whose identity has been withheld by authorities due to her age.

Local and state police are continuing to investigate the girl’s death. Although police have not named the drug involved, a York police log entry from Sunday indicates heroin was located at the residence where emergency personnel responded to assist the unconscious teen.

She was transported to York Hospital and later transferred to Maine Medical Center, where she died on Monday.

"I really hope that community members don’t assume due to this recent tragedy that the majority of students are using heroin and cocaine. We need to take a step back and realize that our students begin with alcohol and marijuana, often called the gateway drugs," Gina Kyricos Brodsky, York High School’s student assistance counselor, said Friday. Brodsky has been working with students in dealing with their emotions in the wake of the recent tragedy.

KEYS for Prevention has compiled statistical information to raise awareness of the magnitude of the local problem of drug and alcohol abuse among teenagers.

Local police and school officials have long cautioned parents and community members about the presence of drug and alcohol abuse, supported by state and national statistics.

"We, as a Communities Mobilizing for Change on Alcohol team, know that changing our attitudes about alcohol as a community is one of the major keys to awareness and change," said Melissa Boyd, project director for ONE Maine KEYS for Prevention.

Communities Mobilizing for Change on Alcohol is an effort to reduce youth access to alcohol by changing the beliefs and behaviors of adults. Its message: Underage drinking is inappropriate and unacceptable. CMCA involves motivating community members to seek and achieve changes in local public policy and in the practices of community institutions that can affect youth access to alcohol.

While the young woman’s death was related to a drug overdose, Boyd said underage drinking and drug use are inexorably twinned.

According to the Maine Youth Drug and Alcohol Use Survey, 47 percent of high school students from York who took part admitted to consuming alcohol within the prior 30 days — compared to a state average 41 percent.

KEYS, which includes the communities of Kittery, Eliot, York and South Berwick, reports that 50 percent of the motor vehicle-related fatalities in the four towns for people between the ages of 15 and 24 involved alcohol, compared to a 37 percent national average.

"We are developing a larger community alcohol and drug awareness night that will happen over the next few months," Boyd said.

There is no question a need is there, Boyd said, with local statistics even higher than state and national averages.

The Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth, which monitors the marketing practices of the alcohol industry, has said alcohol companies are placing ads in magazines and on television shows and radio programs that attract youth audiences, Boyd noted.

"According to the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth, when children abuse alcohol, we all pay the price. And when 15 percent of eighth-graders and 35 percent of tenth-graders report having been drunk in the past year, we can expect that price to be enormous," she said.

The costs of underage drinking are estimated at $58 billion annually — including such factors as medical care costs and lost productivity.

"With that kind of money, we could fund the nationwide school lunch programs for over nine years," Boyd said.

Alcohol often plays a role in academic problems, sexual assault and date rape cases, and in the three leading causes of death among teenagers — unintentional injuries, homicides and suicides, according to the center.

Andrea Warren, director of the Leadership and Resiliency Program and substance abuse counselor at York Hospital’s Cottage Program, said prevention is the key to dealing with addiction, adding that "if you think the problem will go away, it won’t; it always gets worse."

Tony Wild, of KEYS for Prevention and My Attitude Saves Kids warned prevention cannot happen in a vacuum.

"Prevention is a community effort. Everyone needs to get involved. Fortunately, we have a lot of resources available in this area," Wild said.

Brodsky and Wild urged those who need help or want more information to take advantage of the resources available.

"All the substance abuse counselors and programs will never succeed unless our parents, community members and educators link hands and model appropriate limits and behaviors," Brodsky said.

Melissa Boyd KEYS 4 Prevention Project Director York Hospital 15 Hospital Drive York, ME 03909 work (207) 439-6504 cel (207) 251-2569 Fax (207) 439-8764

www.yorkhospital.com

" Never doubt that a small group of concerned citizens can change the world, indeed it is the only thing that ever has." -Margaret Mead

All Stars grads say program's options work
June 4, 2004

Friday June 4, 2004 ALL STARS grads say program’s options work

By By Greg Steiner ,

BATH – It was graduation day this past Wednesday, May 26th, for Bath's ALL STARS - Bath Middle School students who partook in the ALL STARS program. Graduates, teachers, and parents enjoyed refreshments including a cake donated by the Starlight Café's Sue Craney that the kids signed with frosting in the ArtWorks studio at the Bath Rec building.

Participants received graduation certificates listing the life goals that they had established for themselves during the program, and watched the presentation of a "commitment video" that they had made in the workshop.

"It is important to recognize these kids for what they have chosen as their ideals and goals for the future," says OneME Prevention Coordinator Patricia Boissevain. "These are the strategies that will help them avoid risky behavior."

ALL STARS is designed to help students by offering alternatives for drug use and giving them the arena to talk about issues, like developing friendships, respect, and feelings about drugs and alcohol. The program is one of the recipients of the OneME grants (Stand United for Prevention is the State Incentive Program).

"It's a great program and I'd like to pass on the opportunity to others," says ALL STAR Ben Blatz, 12. "I enjoyed the art parts and the parts about saying 'no' to drugs the best, but there was nothing I didn't like."

"I liked how the program taught you how express yourself and meet new friends," says Ben's friend and fellow ALL STAR, Jacob Groves, 12 1/2. "I think it’s valuable to learn how to make new friends. Some people were really shy when they came in and then they learned how to trust."

"A really important point is that it was a community collaboration among OneME Prevention, the Bath Recreation Department, Bath Middle School, and ArtWorks," says Boissevain. "Bath Recreation helped with the initial start-up and recruiting. Matt Hamilton, a guidance counselor at Bath Middle [School], was very supportive in getting the word out and recruiting kids. He was our contact person at the school. Larry Dyer, the principal, was very supportive of the whole thing."

Currently, Boissevain is planning to begin a new cycle of the program in October and says new participants are already getting in line to enroll, so space is going fast.

"The OneME Grant will run out in about 18 months and our goal now is to hopefully get the communities interested enough in taking over some responsibilities of our programs to keep them running," says Boissevain.

"We are making an impact with ALL STARS and parents are already asking if we will have it available in two years for their younger kids. We can keep it going with collaborative efforts like the ALL STARS at Bath Middle School. We are reaching kids and the program does seem to be making an impact."

For more information about how to enroll a student in the ALL STARS program, contact Patricia Boissevain at 373-6957 or by email at pboissevain@midcoasthealth.com

York students take on dangers of second-hand smoke;go to Augusta
April 23, 2004

York students take on dangers of second-hand smoke; go to Augusta By JENNIFER L. SAUNDERS

Democrat Staff Writer

YORK, Maine — A group of local teens has taken a stand to protect children from the effects of second hand smoke, and they recently brought their effort all the way to Augusta.

Choose to Be Healthy and One Maine Keys for Prevention Assistant Director Tony Wild has been working with students in My Attitude Saves Kids, or MASK, as the organization is more commonly known, for over two years.

On April 5, 14 local teens presented their successful strategies for local tobacco policy change and innovative projects to Gov. John Baldacci. The event was held at the Augusta Civic Center with more than 300 health and community educators from across the state in attendance.

"It was amazing to see all the work the teens have done over the past two years for their local community and to share this with the governor and communities across the sate was exciting," Wild said.

In some cases, students bring their personal experiences seeing friends or family fight addiction to tobacco products to their efforts.

"It’s empowering to see these teens getting credit for all their work. I just wish that people could see that teens are not all about partying and getting into trouble," Wild said.

The teens come from Kittery, York, Eliot, Berwick, Lebanon and South Berwick and have helped put into place tobacco policies that protect kids from second hand smoke.

Over the past two years, MASK has planned more than 30 community activities and presentations that have reached more than 3,000 people.

KEYS for Prevention is a local substance abuse prevention coalition with York Hospital as the lead agency. The project has an emphasis on preventing and reducing underage and binge drinking and tobacco use.

Funded by the Maine Office of Substance Abuse through a federal State Incentive Grant, KEYS is one of 23 One ME sites around the state. This project serves the communities of Kittery, Eliot, York and South Berwick.

Democrat Staff Writer Jennifer Saunders can be reached at 1-207-363-4413 or jsaunders@fosters.com Be sure to check out

from Citizen Online

Teen Substance Abuse a serious community issue
March 30, 2004

Teen substance abuse a serious community issue yorkweekly@seacoastonline.com
The York Weekly received a poignant and powerful letter this week from a parent of a high school student regarding recent news reports of the increased drug and alcohol abuse by local teens. The author of the letter requested we not use her name due to the sensitivity of the issue, and to avoid identifying her child, who is a York High School student who has been battling substance abuse for a number of years. While it is not our policy to print anonymous letters, we did feel the subject was certainly important and worthwhile enough to warrant mention. In an article printed last week, Police Chief Doug Bracy cited his concern over the increased number of incidents regarding underage drinking, and how a tragedy is "waiting to happen." While underage alcohol abuse certainly appears to be a problem in town, the parent was prompted to write because she feels there are many other drugs being abused in town that should be given equal attention, and we agree. "My child has shared with me the extent of drug use among high school students and it is extremely disconcerting," she wrote. "Drug use no longer discriminates; drugs are being used by honor students, athletes, rich and poor - it’s easy to get and not expensive. Considering that most people in this town have money, there is a vast availability of free drugs. My child has been given drugs by parents of her peers. It is an enormous problem and one that will not be going away soon." Also noted is the extent and variety of drug use among students, " ... the drug use in this town also includes prescription pain killers (found in medicine cabinets at home,) and other drugs prescribed for mental health issues ... these drugs are being brought into the schools and shared among students. Marijuana is a problem, considering that it is stronger and laced with other drugs. Our children and young adults are using a method called a ‘Gravity Bong’ (breathing it through a soda bottle containing water) - this allows the marijuana to move into the system at an excessive rate resulting in a more intense ‘high.’ ... Sniffing paint fumes and drinking down bottles of Robitussin (to name a few) are also being abused." Scary? We think so. Given the number of youths cited in our weekly police logs for possession of alcohol and drugs, she is not far off the mark. The problem of substance abuse is not limited to York, nor are all teens abusing drugs and alcohol. However, it does appear to be a big enough problem to warrant community action. Parents of York’s youth are encouraged to attend a panel discussion next Tuesday on teenage use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs and how to help prevent it. Both the York High School and York Middle School parent groups are hosting the rescheduled evening presentation on March 30 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the York Middle School cafeteria. We urge all parents and interested community members to attend. Melissa Boyd, project director for KEYS for Prevention, also wrote a letter in response to the reports of increased alcohol abuse, citing the need for more involvement, not only from parents, but from the whole community. ONE Maine KEYS for Prevention is a regional project funded by the Office of Substance Abuse, with York Hospital as the fiscal agent. It serves the communities of Kittery, Eliot, York and South Berwick, and aims to reduce underage drinking and tobacco use in KEYS towns. Anyone who would like to take an active role in combating these problems should call Boyd at 439-6504. Substance abuse is a problem that affects the entire community, not just the families dealing with it, and the community needs to work together to deal with this very real problem. As things stand now, it may indeed be only a matter of time before Chief Bracy’s prediction rings true and a tragedy hits home in York. |

Grant manager juggles tasks Cyndi Desrosiers oversees youth substance abuse fight
February 17, 2004

Tuesday, February 17, 2004

Grant manager juggles tasks Cyndi Desrosiers oversees youth substance abuse fight

By COLIN HICKEY Staff Writer

Stay informed and sign-up for MaineGeneral's e-tips. Name:

Email:

Today's Top Headlines Baldacci hopes bonds will boost economy Senate GOP trying to force Daggett to name panelists Northern Mattress joins furniture 'big leagues' Fairfield company shuffling business functions 'Egg Lady' blesses Vienna with $1M Childhood asthma in Maine tops in N.E. Only abutter's family fights cell tower plan Reviving the role of harbor masters Town board to review plans for topless cafe

All of today's: News | Sports from the Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel

By COLIN HICKEY

Staff Writer

Cyndi Desrosiers started a recent day at Messalonskee High School in Oakland where a nationally known motivational speaker talked of the importance of healthy choices to an auditorium full of eighth-graders.

A few hours later Desrosiers, the youth substance abuse prevention coordinator with Greater Waterville Area Communities for Children, introduced the South End Teen Center in Waterville to the clinician who is joining the staff there.

She then headed across town to participate in Communities for Children's monthly meeting at 4 p.m. at Alfond Youth Center.

Finally, at 7:30 p.m., she attended the Winslow Town Council meeting to ask the board to support a resolution of to battle underage drinking in the community.

Such a schedule, filled though it is, represents a typical day for Desrosiers, a person responsible for using a nearly half-a-million dollar One Maine grant from the state Office of Substance Abuse -- covering three years -- that targets reducing tobacco and alcohol use among youths 12 to 17 in a program that encompasses four school systems and 11 communities.

While the goals are specific, Desrosiers said the programs she helps develop and organize as a member of a 30-person Prevention Coalition aim at a broader audience, one that spans the generational spectrum, from elementary school students to grandparents.

The objective, Desrosiers said, is to enlist as many community members as possible into the effort to help young people make wise decisions, the ones more likely to lead to a healthy, happy life.

"We are trying to increase the protective factors out there in the community," Desrosiers said.

The means to achieving that goal comes in many forms. Desrosiers has anti-bullying programs at both Waterville Junior High School and Vassalboro Community School.

For freshmen and sophomores at Messalonskee High School, One Maine money paid for yoga, meditation and other stress management classes. Desrosiers said students at the same grade level at Lawrence Junior High School will get their turn next spring, although Desrosiers said the programs to be offered have not been determined.

The effort is not limited to the school day. Desrosiers spent Wednesday evening at Lawrence Junior High School to help run a Parenting Wisely class for parents and their teenage children -- one of several Parenting Wisely groups she coordinates.

But before Desrosiers gave her presentation on handling parent-teenager conflict, Donna Walsh, a registered dietitian from Inland Hospital, discussed how to prepare nutritional meals for a family on a limited budget.

Getting that parental involvement is no small feat.

"We've found that the hardest group to engage with is parents," she said.

And that is a key reason the Prevention Coalition works hard to enlist the services of as many community agencies and groups as possible.

"I've really gotten a lot of support from local police," she said. "They have been really open to working with folks in the community."

Desrosiers also has the flexibility to support events and activities that fall within the goals of the One Maine even when they don't originate from the Prevention Coalition.

Thus she contributed to the funding needed to bring Sam Glenn, a nationally known motivational speaker, to Messalonskee High School on Monday for three performances, two for students during the school day and one in the evening for the community.

Glenn urged his listeners to arm themselves with a sense of humor and a good attitude. Do that, he said, and you're more likely to make the healthy choices that lead to a happy, healthy life.

That, too, is the ultimate goal of Desrosiers and her Prevention Coalition.

Kennebec Journal- Morning Sentinel

Regional Coalition forms Parenting Book Club in Eliot, York and Kittery
January 29, 2004

Thursday, January 29, 2004

Regional coalition forms parenting book clubs in Eliot, York and Kittery ELIOT, Maine — KEYS for Prevention is forming parenting book clubs through three local community education centers.

The book program will run for six months and will include five books, which will give parents of teens an opportunity to read some highly reviewed literature on raising teens today, followed by facilitated discussion with trained parent educators, from a press release.

The book clubs will take place in Marshwood High School beginning on Feb. 5. Contact Connie Patton at (207) 384-5703. It will run in York High School starting Feb. 10. Contact Polly Stanwood at (207) 363-7922. Finally, the program will kick off Feb. 11 at Traip Academy. Contact Cathy Walz at (207) 439-6819.

The program is free and open to parent and a maximum of 15 slots are available at each program.

First books can be picked up in January. Pre-registration is required.

KEYS is a regional substance abuse prevention coalition serving the communities of Kittery, Eliot, York, and South Berwick. Book groups will be held in Marshwood, York and Kittery Adult and Community Education programs.

Foster's Daily Democrat

Family Drug Court is topic of coalition meeting February 5th
January 27, 2004

Family Drug Court is topic of coalition meeting Feb. 5 Submitted by Joe Brooks (Jan 27): BELFAST- Hartwell Dowling, LCSW, coordinator of Maine's Family Drug Treatment Court, will be spotlight speaker for the monthly meeting of the Building Communities for Children Coalition at 12 noon Thursday, Feb. 5, in Room 306 of the Belfast Community Center.

The Family Treatment Drug Court pilot project is based at Belfast District Court with Dowling as program coordinator for the Judicial Branch of the State of Maine.

In October of 2002, the Judicial Branch, in collaboration with the Department of Human Services, the Office of Substance Abuse, The Women’s Project, and the Muskie School of Public Service, was awarded a three-year grant by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. SAMHSA, an office of the federal Department of Health and Human Services, provided the funds to establish a Family Treatment Drug Court to serve Waldo, Knox, and Lincoln Counties.

Drug courts were first established in 1989 in Miami to address an epidemic of substance abuse and criminal behavior in an innovative way. Since then, drug courts for adult, juveniles, and, most recently, families have been developed across the United States and internationally. Family drug courts work with parents whose substance abuse puts their children in jeopardy of abuse and neglect.

Through biweekly contact with the judge and drug court team, frequent and random drug testing, and rapid access to treatment services, parents are held accountable and assisted in their recovery. The primary goal is to improve permanency planning for their children. Preliminary research indicates significant benefits from family drug courts.

Dowling is a licensed clinical social worker with extensive experience and expertise in community mental health, substance abuse, children’s services, and corrections. He is a resident of mid-coast Maine and has worked in Waldo, Knox, and Lincoln Counties as a clinician, clinical supervisor, and administrator. He is a member of the board of the New England Association of Drug Court Professionals. His office is located in the Family Division of the Maine District Court in Augusta.

The BCC Coalition meets on the first Thursday of the month and discusses contemporary issues about a wide range of topics involving health care.

More than 40 Waldo County agencies make up the Coalition, offering services that range from the Game Loft in Belfast, school-based health initiatives to domestic and child abuse prevention programs.

The BCC Coalition has been in operation since the early 1990s and has provided a directory of resources available in Waldo County, established a dental health clinic, began work on the Safe Homes Project, opened a dialogue on affordable housing, and explored regional transportation needs.

This year, the Coalition was awarded a One ME – Stand United for Prevention grant, which is aimed at reducing illegal alcohol and tobacco use and abuse among teens.

The Coalition sponsored its annual Waldo County Youth Summit on Friday, Jan. 16, which involved nearly 60 students from School Administrative Districts 3, 34 and 56.

Sheila Muldoon, chairman of the Coalition, said the monthly coalition meetings are open to the public and encourages healthcare personnel, parents, teachers, youth and others to attend the presentations. The afternoon session also will include reports from standing committees of the coalition.

For more information about the meeting, or to join the Coalition, contact Muldoon at 338-5158 or One ME Prevention Program Director Joe Brooks at 338-2200 Ext. 120.

VillageSoup opens its Community Correspondents section to Contributors. These items are posted to our site unedited and unsupervised.

VillageSoup is not responsible for typographical or factual errors, nor material readers may find controversial. The Belfast Village Soup If you wish to express an opinion regarding the posting, please go to our Community Letters section.

Judy Marblestone: Coordinator of Youth and Parenting Programs
January 16, 2004

Being a teen-ager is harder than ever. The only thing harder is being the parent of a teen-ager. These are the thoughts of Judy Marblestone, coordinator of the One Maine abuse prevention programs being run by South Portland Community Action for Substance Abuse, or SPCASA (pronounced S. P. Casa).

Marblestone was hired by SPCASA last year to implement youth programs that have proved successful in other areas of the country. A three-year federal grant awarded to South Portland and 23 other Maine communities supports the research, assessment and implementation of the programs.

SPCASA, with Marblestone's help, chose three tried-and-true programs for the South Portland community. The first was introduced in October. The other two are set to be unveiled next week. Two of the three are designed for parents, and one is an elective class for students at the high school. All incorporate the many dimensions of teen choices and troubles.

The three programs are: Guiding Good Choices, a five-week program for parents; Reconnecting Youth, a class for students; and Parenting Wisely, a computer-based tutorial for parents.

Guiding Good Choices is a five-week parents' course held at the South Portland Boys and Girls Club. Parents of children 9 to 14 attended the first session in October. The response and feedback, Marblestone said, was "amazing." The second five-week program begins Tuesday, Jan. 27 at 5:30 p.m. It is also for parents of 9-14 year-olds. Supervised play for younger children is offered during the workshops. The young teens attend the session on the third week.

Guiding Good Choices is designed to strengthen bonds between parents and children and to reduce the risk that the children may be drawn into drug and alcohol use. It is an interactive program for parents of children in grades four through eight. Parents learn how to set clear guidelines and learn specific strategies that promote positive behavior.

The Guiding Good Choices program was developed by J. David Hawkins and Richard F. Catalano of the University of Washington.

It is based on their research of factors said to increase the risk of teen drug use, delinquency and failure in school.

Reconnecting Youth is a daily, semester-long class for students who choose to improve their school performance, manage their mood swings, and resist abuse from alcohol and drugs. Classes are kept small to encourage individual participation. Students receive elective credits for the course.

This high-school peer-group approach has been shown to increase self-confidence, enhance a student's ability to handle stress and foster positive connections with teachers, friends and family members. Statistics indicate a 20 percent increase in grade point averages and a 60 percent reduction in hard drug use among students who have taken the course.

Parenting Wisely is a computer tutorial course that puts parents and their 9 to 18 year-olds on a fast track to positive behaviors and relationships. The program poses scenarios about problems and options for solutions. It deals with defiance of authority, bullying, stealing, vandalism and hygiene problems. Parents are given workbooks and may spend a half day or a couple of evenings with the material.

Marblestone said she may implement the program two ways.

Starting Jan. 26, workbooks and the video course will be available to take out from the library. A second opportunity for parents interested in this computer course may be a group showing with discussion and feedback.

Today's parents are confronted with many challenges, Marblestone said. They are "overwhelmed," she said. "What they are faced with is very different from what they knew as teens themselves."

Marblestone is not overwhelmed with the challenge she has taken on. She expresses complete confidence in SPCASA's work and its effectiveness. Collaboration within the South Portland community, she said, is the greatest asset for the programs she is introducing to the community.

She describes a network that includes the school district, Day One, the South Portland Parks and Recreation Department and the South Portland Police Department. Marblestone said she has the support and continuing corroboration from SPCASA founder Maxine Beecher, who wrote the grant for the new programs. And she said she meets often with other One Maine coordinators who are implementing similar programs in other parts of the state.

Marblestone's experience includes youth advocacy work in California, Florida and Washington state. She holds a masters degree in marriage and family therapy from the University of Maryland. She is a military wife, expecting her first child in June.

Her husband, now on deployment in Sicily, is stationed at Brunswick Naval Air Station.

Marblestone is a resident of Brunswick, but says she feels "very much a part of the South Portland community."

The programs she is implementing are continually being analyzed, she said. Parents fill out anonymous surveys before and after each session. Evaluators from Hornby Zeller Associates, Inc. of Portland have been hired to measure the project's effectiveness.

Parents interested in the new programs or in the ongoing work of SPCASA may call Judy Marblestone at 874-1045, ext. 127.

South Portland Sentry- Jim Keithley

Teenage drinking discussed at issues forum
December 17, 2003

Teenage drinking discussed at issues forum

By Virginia L. Woodwell yorkweekly@seacoastonline.com

EPPING 2 bedroom townhouse, 1 year lease, references, credit, security deposit, $885 monthly plus utilities. (603)679-8098 .

YORK - Think teen drinking isn’t a problem in these parts?

Think again.

According to a study conducted in the first three months of 2003 in Kittery, York, Eliot and South Berwick, 47 percent of high-school students surveyed in those towns, and 27 percent of middle-school students, admitted to having consumed alcohol in the 30 days before being questioned.

According to the same study, 50 percent of vehicle fatalities among 15- to 24-year-olds in the same communities in recent years have been alcohol-related, a figure in sharp contrast to the national average of 37 percent.

Those were some of the findings presented by Paige Farmer on Sunday, Dec. 14, in the latest talk in St. George’s Episcopal Church’s Issues Forum series.

Farmer is project director for KEYS for Prevention, a regional coalition formed in the summer of 2002 to address the subject of substance-abuse prevention in the towns of Kittery, Eliot, York, and South Berwick. Participating are the Choose to Be Healthy program of York Hospital, the Community Wellness Coalition of Southern York County, and Children’s Leadership Councils from each of the four towns. KEYS for Prevention is overseen by a 15-member task force drawn from each of those organizations and the four towns; its activities are being supported by a grant from the state of Maine’s Office of Substance Abuse.

After having decided to concentrate on the problem of underage drinking, KEYS for Prevention’s first act, Farmer said, was to conduct the comprehensive needs and resources assessment that yielded, among other critical information, the data reported above.

Since that time, she said, the group has been developing and implementing an action plan that specifically addresses the issues identified by the study.

Farmer began her talk by playing a brief Maine Public Radio video about teen drinking.

The finding presented there, she said, paralleled those experienced locally: teens drink, they say, because "there’s nothing else to do," out of rebellion, to "have a good time," as a result of peer pressure, or because drinking "makes you feel invincible, makes you feel you can do whatever you want."

Farmer said that the KEYS needs and resources assessment approached its subject from several angles, including studying the way in which alcohol is marketed, collecting data about local juvenile arrests for substance abuse, and holding meetings and interviews with key local leaders.

Among its findings was the fact that, if teens drink, it may be because their family and surrounding community present drinking to them, from the time they’re young, as the norm.

Among other KEYS findings: 70 percent of kids attempting suicide report secret alcohol or drug use; alcohol is implicated in two-thirds of all reported cases of date rape; 18 percent of females and 39 percent of males said that it was acceptable for a boy to have sex with a girl if the girl was stoned or drunk; the average college student "spends more for booze than for books"; and six youngsters between the ages of 16 and 20 die every day in this country in alcohol-related car accidents.

In determining how to tackle these problems locally, KEYS for Prevention has targeted three conduits for receiving and spreading its messages: Family, community, and schools.

For the family, KEYS now has in place, or planned, the following:

l A CD-ROM, available for take-home, that illustrates common parent-child scenarios and techniques for handling them. It comes in two versions, one for parents of teens and one for parents of young children, and parents have the option of signing up for three professionally-facilitated follow-up group sessions.

l A parenting book club, run through adult-education programs in York, Eliot/South Berwick, and Kittery, and starting in February, to help parents communicate with their kids and other parents about how to raise "happy, healthy teens."

l Six-week-long parent discussion groups, starting in March and also run through adult-education programs, with appropriate professionals present, on such topics as peer pressure, boundaries/consequences, and sexuality.

l Two appearances, on spring dates to be announced, by Mac Bledsoe, father of former New England Patriot quarterback Drew Bledsoe, presenting the senior Bledsoe’s Parenting With Dignity program.

For its approach to schools, KEYS is sponsoring, starting in January, the Leadership and Resiliency Program created by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Center for Substance Abuse Prevention of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In it, students deemed at risk for alcohol or substance abuse participate in structured events that include contact with animals proven to foster empathy and patterns of caring and nurturing, camping and kayaking and other experiences to develop leadership and advocacy skills, and community service.

KEYS’ approach to the community, Farmer said, includes public talks like that being presented at St. George’s, and studies of both public ordinances and social patterns, to see how they might be improved - encouraging parents, for example, to lock up their liquor supplies.

Additionally, KEYS is scheduling a conference titled "KEYS to Healthy Kids: Making the Link Between Community and Prevention," to be held at Marshwood High School in South Berwick on June 24 and 25.

Farmer concluded by urging her audience to attend KEYS for Prevention events, use the Internet to do research, join KEYS task force subcommittees, and become active with legislators - to, for example, encourage the proper, higher, taxing of new drinks improperly labeled malt beverages.

For information about KEYS for Prevention, call 439-6504.

Under the Influence?
September 28, 2003

Under the influence?

By Karen Dandurant and Elizabeth Kenny kdandurant@seacoastonline.com ekenny@seacoastonline.com

Do candy cigarettes or tequila-flavored lollipops influence children’s decisions later on in life?

Police and health officials say they do, but some local stores say there is no reason to pull the products off the shelves.

Kittery resident Priscilla Guy said she was outraged when she walked into the local 7-Eleven and saw tequila-flavored lollipops that include a real worm. What she found more outrageous was that the candy was accessible to children. The lollipops do not contain alcohol.

Guy is chairwoman of the Kittery Youth Connection and the Kittery Chemical Awareness and Prevention program.

"Parents see this stuff and they call me," Guy said. "First of all, I am worried about children eating insect larvae, but even more disturbing is the message a liquor-flavored lollipop sends to children. It tells them alcohol is OK. It makes it realistic because there’s a real worm in a tequila bottle and in the candy."

Pictured above is the the tequila pop. Staff photo by Rich Beauchesne

Guy approached the manager of the 7-Eleven who told her he saw nothing wrong with the tequila pops.

"There’s nothing in there that’s against the law; there’s no liquor in them," said Don Chabot, manager of the 7-Eleven, waving his hand at the box on the counter.

Chabot said the pops are aimed at adults, and so far adults are the only ones who have purchased them.

"Adults buy it as a joke thing," he said.

The lollipops are the creation of California-based company Hotlix.

"Our Hotlix worm suckers and other insect confections have surpassed our expectations for acceptance, perhaps due to the increased demand for insects as food," the Hotlix Web site states.

According to information on its site, the bugs are FDA approved and completely safe. Hotlix claims to sell more than 100 million a year.

Some stores have made a decision not to sell similar products, such as candy cigarettes, items that might influence kids.

A York landmark, the Goldenrod Restaurant is famous for its saltwater taffy, but it doesn’t sell candy cigarettes or tequila-worm lollipops.

Employee Lisa Garafolo said the Goldenrod stopped selling candy cigarettes many years ago. She said her bosses are adamant about not offering such products.

"Kids buy them and think they look cool," Garafolo said. "I definitely think there’s a link there to smoking real cigarettes."

"I think it sends a very bad message," said employee Johanna Reppucci. "As to the lollipop, I think kids will think they know from that pop what real tequila is like and they’ll be more likely to want to try it."

Other store owners think the issue is frivolous, that candy does not lead to alcohol and cigarette use.

Peggy Fennelly, owner of Sweet Josie’s Candy Shoppe in York, said 95 percent of the customers who come into her store buy candy cigarettes. In fact, some customers from Massachusetts will come in and buy an entire box.

"I think they are outlawed, or discouraged, in Massachusetts, because many people who come here for vacation tell me they can’t find them in their towns.

"My kids all had them, and they don’t smoke," Fennelly said. "I would rather see kids with candy than with the real thing. It’s just a fad for them."

Joan Roach, a customer at Sweet Josie’s, agreed.

"I had eight children and we used to go into the five-and-tencq for them," she said. "None of mine smoke either."

Guy said Kittery’s local ice cream man used to sell candy cigarettes until he was persuaded not to sell them.

"Kids take the candy and puff away like daddy," Guy said. "It’s a role-model issue and the gateway to more serious actions. It’s not right to sell these things to children. Kids are so easily influenced."

When Bob Brodsky, owner of Yummies Candy & Nuts in Kittery, was asked why the store wouldn’t sell the controversial lollipops, he said, "I think that’s a no-brainer."

But Brodsky said he wasn’t concerned about the flavor; it was the worm that made him decide not to sell the candy.

"We have better taste than that," he said with a smile.

But Brodsky does sell other liquor-flavored and liquor-filled candy.

"There are a lot of candies that are liquor-flavored, and I think they’re harmless because they are not an incentive for children to drink," Brodsky said.

But he does need a liquor license in his store to sell liquor-filled chocolates.

Subtle messages

Paige Farmer is project director for the KEYS for Prevention Coalition, an offshoot of One Maine for Prevention. She said the problem is the messages in the products are so subtle that parents may not consider it important.

"Kids like gross things," Farmer said. "The insect is a marketing tool targeted toward kids. They like it because it grosses out their parents. The fact there is an alcohol association is a big negative.

"We had an e-mail sent to the State Office of Substance Abuse on the same topic. I understand there’s no tequila in them, but I agree that it’s the message that is disturbing. Candy cigarettes are still manufactured, but you don’t see them as often. This is the same."

Farmer said Maine has an organization called lollipop.com that offers products to schools for fund-raising. The tequila product is on its list, but she said she is unaware of any school that ordered the pops.

"People look at alcohol as one of the lesser evils, but it’s the worst," Farmer said. "It’s easy to get, the message not to drink isn’t strong, and there is a lot of related damage. Alcohol is connected to sexual assaults, drunken driving and drowning among teens. There’s so much negative associated with it, and things like this undermine the way kids look at it."

Stores can’t be forced to take the product off the shelf, but Farmer said she hopes owners will take the responsibility to do so themselves.

Andrea Warren is a licensed clinical professional counselor for York Hospital’s Cottage Program, a substance-abuse program for adolescents. She said advertising and products like the tequila pop have a huge impact on kids.

"That lollipop is completely counterproductive to what everyone is doing to battle underage drinking," Warren said. "The stores sell them at the counter as an impulse buy. They think it’s OK as long as there’s no liquor in them. I think that out of common moral decency they wouldn’t sell them."

Warren said the attraction is that kids think it’s cool to smoke cigarettes, marijuana, or to get drunk. She said they see no negative connotation.

"Peer pressure, wanting to fit in, and television and movies have a huge impact," Warren said. "There’s an ad on MTV about Ecstasy putting holes in your brain, and it has influenced a lot of teens to stop. Alcohol and cigarettes are the biggest problems, and they’re both legal. I don’t really think a lollipop will make them decide to drink, but it definitely sends a message that it’s OK."

Police response

Kittery DARE officer Sgt. Russell French saw the box in a local convenience store and it caught his attention because of the words "tequila flavor" written on the box, with a picture of a cartoon worm sunbathing.

"This is not something that is marketed for adults," French said. "It’s obviously made to interest children ... a worm in a candy would gross out adults, but may be appealing to kids."

French said he expressed his concern to the store manager.

The manager of the store defended the product, explaining that the pop was a novelty item and not targeted to children, French said.

"It’s not my position to tell them what they can and can’t sell," the officer said. "But it is my duty to express my concerns over it."

What concerns him is not just the repulsive aspect of a worm as a snack, but the appeal children may see in the product.

"This is not just a lollipop," French said. "This will allow underage people to acquire a taste for liquor. ... It’s sending out a horrible message to the younger people in our community by correlating candy with alcohol."

Scott Cogger, York’s DARE officer and Middle School resource officer, said there are no restrictions on the product.

Cogger said most stores in York cooperate when asked to move such items out of the sight and reach of children.

"I have said things to clerks before, about NoDoz and Ephedrine, things that shouldn’t be right on the counter," Cogger said. "There’s no violation, but I think the message is there. It says it’s OK. I bet there’s tons of kids out there who see this on the counter and think I might as well try it."

PORTSMOUTH HERALD

Youth group tries to curb teen drinking
September 27, 2003

Saturday, September 27, 2003

Youth group tries to curb teen drinking By AMY CALDER, Staff Writer

WATERVILLE — Reducing underage drinking and tobacco use in teens is the focus of a program funded by a grant from ONE ME to the Greater Waterville Area Communities for Children.

As part of the program, called Maine Youth Voices, teens will have the opportunity to be leaders in the community and sit on a Youth Leadership Council that works on policy issues statewide. Teens will lead the group with help from adult coordinators.

Timothy Spry is adult coordinator of Maine Youth Voices; South End police Officer William L. Bonney is his co-facilitator.

Some teens will have the opportunity to be on a Youth City Council in Waterville as part of a 21st Century Grant recently awarded Greater Waterville Communities for Children, Bonney said.

"Recruiting is ongoing for Maine Youth Voices and we will be taking field trips to get to know each other and participating in other meaningful events in the community throughout the year," he said. "Applications can be picked up at the South End Teen Center at 5 Libby Court or through Tim Spry or myself."

As a result of the ONE ME grant, Cyndi Desrosiers was hired as youth prevention coordinator and was able to secure funds for Maine Youth Voices as part of her budget, according to Bonney.

"Hopefully, we will be able to sustain this funding in the future," he said.

Underage drinking can cause delays in brain development, since the human brain keeps developing until about the age of 21, according to Bonney.

Maine Youth Voices will work to change social norms so that underage drinking is not socially acceptable in local communities, he said.

KENNEBEC JOURNAL

Underage Drinking
September 18, 2003

Underage drinking

By Elizabeth Kenny ekenny@seacoastonline.com

NEWMARKET Great studios, 1 and 2 bedroom Great Bay Woods Condos. Fully applianced, carpet, parking, small pets welcome. Rents starting $600. Broker 603-778-0800 or see [Click Here!]

KITTERY, Maine - A national report detailing the growing problem of underage drinking also outlines strategies to overcome the problem, highlighting the state of Maine’s innovative approach in prevention.

The report, released last week by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, says more young people under 21 drink alcohol than use any other drug, and charges the media with targeting those youngsters in their ads.

Local Seacoast organizations say they plan to use the study and the strategies as a road map in their future efforts.

"While the report does not really tell those in the field anything new, it is a guarantee to draw attention to the issue and to encourage dialogue within communities around their own underage drinking problem," said Paige Farmer, project director for One Maine for Prevention, which operates out of York Hospital.

Photo illustartion by Deb Cram

And Farmer said that’s exactly what organizations like hers plan to do.

Farmer’s project is part of a larger group, known as KEYS for Prevention Coalition, covering the towns of Kittery, Eliot, York and South Berwick.

KEYS has researched underage drinking for some time. According to Farmer, this newest study will add to the local effort and could generate even more motivation.

In October, a logo contest sponsored by KEYS will be held in the towns’ three school districts. Youngsters will be asked to design a logo intended to discourage underage drinking, and prizes will be given to those whose drawings are selected for T-shirts. Numerous other events are planned for throughout the year.

While Farmer said the findings in the report are not shocking, the call for state and federal resources pleased her.The study concludes that alcohol and youths make a dangerous combination - a $53 billion problem that can lead to increased crime and higher traffic deaths. It called on the government, parents and industry to help solve the problem.

The Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences is pushing for higher federal and state taxes on alcoholic beverages, tougher state drinking laws, better state identification cards and improved policies for detecting and stopping underage drinking parties.

"The report talked about providing parents with information, and that came from their talks to folks in Maine," said Farmer. "A lot of that study was modeled on Maine’s programs."

Over the past year, state-funded commercials have been run on television and radio targeting parents to look at the issue of underage drinking, and giving adults a number to call for information on prevention.

"Folks just don’t understand how important prevention is," Farmer said, explaining that a lot of programs focus on the child after a problem is uncovered. "It’s easier to see those lives that have been destroyed by drinking and try and help them, but it’s hard to look at a smiling 12-year-old and think that you need to do something."

The report, along with the state’s emphasis on prevention, has really helped the KEYS program, said Farmer.

While the state may be ahead of the game in terms of prevention, and programs like KEYS are operating in the community, Farmer said no child is immune.

"A lot of parents (make) reference (to) ‘kids at risk,’ but this study points out the strong correlation of children with money in their pocket, time on their hands and drinking," Farmer explained. "These kinds of problems are not just tied to poor communities."

Communities in which underage drinking is a problem end up spending money on related crimes, the report states.

While the report focuses on dollars and cents, Farmer said prevention can do so much more than save money.

"Prevention can save millions and billions in dollars, but it can also, locally, really make it a better community to live in," she said.

Portsmouth Press Herald

Mixed Reactions Greet NAS report on Underage Drinking
September 16, 2003

Mixed reactions greet NAS report on combating underage drinking Submitted by Joe Brooks & Patrick Walsh (Sep 16): A long-awaited report issued Sept. 10 by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) was hailed by one group as a “historic step” forward in dealing with underage drinking, while its recommendations were greeted by the alcohol industry as “misguided.”

A statement from the Center for Science in the Public Interest called the report “a historic step toward ending decades of complacency about one of the most damaging and widespread public health and safety threats facing society.”

On the other hand, Jeff Becker, president of the Beer Institute, described the suggestions that are coming out of the report as “misguided recommendations.”

Both were commenting on the release of the report on Wednesday, Sept. 10, by the Institute of Medicine at the National Academy of Sciences titled “Reducing Underage Drinking: A Collective Responsibility”.

In 2002, Congress directed the Academy to “review a broad range of federal, state and non-governmental programs, from environmental interventions to programs focusing directly on youth attitudes and behaviors, and to develop a cost effective strategy to reduce and prevent underage drinking.”

The Academy’s report estimates the social cost of underage drinking at $53 billion per year and compares this with the $71 million targeted to prevent the problem. The 300-page report makes many recommendations for changes in the way underage drinking is addressed.

The year-long review process was followed closely by the alcohol beverage industry and frequent criticism of the project was made from several directions. In June of this year, 135 members of Congress signed a letter cautioning NAS against issuing a report that might use “these recommendations to buttress new and untested theories to reduce illegal consumption or to use them as a primer of suggested policy changes intended to adversely affect the beverage industry.”

Despite this criticism, the report concluded: “underage drinking cannot be successfully addressed by focusing on youth alone. Youth drink within a society in which alcohol use is normative behavior and images about alcohol are pervasive. They usually obtain alcohol – either directly or indirectly – from adults. Efforts to reduce underage drinking, therefore, need to focus on adults and must engage the society at large...”

Specific recommendations include increasing “compliance checks” of retail outlets; state approved training for sellers and servers of alcohol; standards for states to meet for retailer compliance; support from the alcohol beverage industry in public private partnerships to reduce teen drinking; and entertainment industry rating systems that reduce the exposure of young people to unsuitable messages about alcohol.

Much of the early criticism of the NAS report focuses on a recommendation to raise excise taxes on the purchase of alcoholic beverages. The presumption is that the increased cost would reduce underage consumption. Also, the additional revenue would be used to fund other prevention and intervention efforts.

The alcohol beverage industry has responded that this provision penalizes responsible adult consumers.

In related Congressional action in 2002, the Federal Trade Commission was directed to follow up on a 1999 study to determine if alcoholic beverages were being marketed to youth. In the new study, the FTC was asked to evaluate progress in complying with alcohol beverage guidelines concerning the placement of ads in various media.

The industry previously had agreed to police its members to insure compliance with the provisions of the code that limited advertising placement to spots where at least 50 percent of the audience was “adult consumers aged 21 and over.” On Sept. 9, the FTC issued a report that concluded that the industry was in compliance, but also found that the results were still based on reports by the industry and that only “modest progress” had been made in an outside review of their advertising compliance.

Coincidentally, on the same day – Sept. 9 - the Distilled Spirits Council reported changes in their 69-year-old Code of Responsible Practices to increase the standard to “70 percent adult demographic for all advertising placements”.

Other Council revisions to the Code apply it to all member company products – beer, wine or spirits, the establishment of an External Advisory Board, and an agreement to issue public reports detailing complaints and actions by their Code Review Board.

Alcohol Industry research places the total sale of all alcoholic beverages in 2002 at $137 billion. Research reports estimate that the portion of consumption of alcohol by underage drinkers amounts to 20 percent of the total sales - or $27.4 billion per year.

Coincidental or not, the release of the three reports within a 24-hour-period clearly sets the stage for important dialogue - one that could lead to improved safety for our youth and our communities.

Joe Brooks is Prevention Program Coordinator for Waldo County. He and Patrick Walsh are employed by Waldo County Preschool & Family Services and are members of the Building Communities for Children Coalition, which is overseeing a One ME - Stand United for Prevention grant aimed at reducing alcohol and tobacco use among teens.

VillageSoup opens its Community Correspondents section to Contributors. These items are posted to our site unedited and unsupervised.

VillageSoup is not responsible for typographical or factual errors, nor material readers may find controversial.

If you wish to express an opinion regarding the posting, please go to our Community Letters section.

Just Say No
September 8, 2003

Just say No Waterville joins schools in fight against bullies

By COLIN HICKEY, Staff Writer Kennebec Journal

WATERVILLE — Eighth-graders packed into the Waterville Junior High School auditorium Thursday applauded after watching the music video of country artist Mark Wills.

Waterville Junior High School teachers David Matteson and Jane Dean perform a skit about bullying behavior and how to deal with it during an assembly at the school, Thursday. click to enlarge

Wills sings the song "Don't Laugh at Me," a ballad that serves as an emotional plea against bullying.

In the refrain, Wills' message mirrors the message that school administrators hope students will take to heart in the bullying prevention program they kicked off last week:

Don't Laugh at Me. Don't call me names. Don't get your pleasure from my pain.

"This is what it is about," Waterville Junior High School principal Peter Thiboutot said at the assembly. "It is about creating an environment that prevents people from saying things that are harmful to others."

Waterville Junior High is one of the latest schools to adopt the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, a program has gained nationwide attention.

Albert S. Hall School in Waterville also plans to implement the Olweus — named after the Norwegian man who developed the program — principles this month, as does Vassalboro Community School in Vassalboro.

The Waterville Area Communities for Children Coalition supplies the money for the initiative, using funds provided by One Me for substance abuse prevention.

Cyndi Desrosiers, Communities for Children's youth prevention coordinator, heads the project, which she describes as a partnership between her organization, the schools and staff at Alfond Youth Center.

"We know it has to be a community wide effort to be effective," she said.

The bullying prevention program is not new to the region. School Administrative District 9 — based in Farmington —adopted the Olweus principles three years ago at its Cape Cod Hill School in New Sharon.

SAD 9 has since spread the program to all its elementary and middle schools in the district.

The Franklin County Children's Task Force is SAD 9's partner in the initiative.

Steve Russell, the task force's executive director, said his organization recently published results from the project. And the findings were encouraging, he said.

Russell said a survey of students and faculty showed a 30-percent increase in the number of students who reported bullying incidents to teachers and parents, a 15-percent increase in teacher response to bullying, and a 13- percent rise in students taking action to prevent bullying by peers.

"In other words, we saw more reporting of it and more intervening by both students and staff, and I think that is significant," Russell said.

Russell said anecdotal evidence supports the hard data.

Thiboutot said Waterville Junior High implemented its own bullying prevention program several years ago. The Olweus project, he said, is simply an ideal way to reinforce what is already in place.

"We are not saying we have a bad environment now," he told students, "but we want it to be the best school environment it can be."

At Friday's assembly students watched their teachers perform three skits that illustrated different forms of bullying and the importance of speaking out against bullying.

The Olweus program has four chief tenets:

We will not bully others.

We will try to help students who are bullied.

We will make it a point to include students who are easily left out.

When we know somebody is being bullied, we will tell an adult at school and an adult at home.

Thiboutot challenged eighth-graders to embrace those tenets.

"Here is your first opportunity to shine," he said. "Here is your first opportunity to show what it is to be a good role model. This is an opportunity for you to lead."

Colin Hickey — 861-9205

chickey@centralmaine.com

About One ME Coalitions Coalition Tools Media Support Resources & Links Contact Us