Results from the 2006 National Survey on Drug Use & Health (NSDUH)
On a national front, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA) released the national results of its 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUS) on September 6th, 2007. The annual survey provides substance use, abuse, and dependence prevalence data for the nation. Results for youth alcohol use include: for youth ages 12 to 20, 28.3 percent reported drinking alcohol in the past month. Approximately 19.0 percent were binge drinkers and 6.2 percent were heavy drinkers. These figures have remained essentially the same since the 2002 survey. In addition, more males than females ages 12 to 20 reported current alcohol use (29.2 vs. 27.4 percent, respectively), binge drinking (21.3 vs. 16.5 percent), and heavy drinking (7.9 vs. 4.3 percent) in 2006. For youths ages 12 to 17, current alcohol use was 16.6 percent in 2006. Binge and heavy drinking rates for this age group were 10.3 and 2.4 percent, respectively. These rates are essentially the same as the 2005 rates. For additional information, see the report at
http://oas.samhsa.gov/nsduh/2k6nsduh/2k6Results.cfm

Excerpt from: Leadership to Keep Children Alcohol Free: Weekly Update Article
http://www.alcoholfreechildren.org/en/news/article.cfm?aid=4622

Middle and High School Students Reports of Drugs at Their School
The majority of high school students report that they have personally witnessed drug-related activity at their school, according to a recent survey conducted by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA). Eighty percent of high school students and 44% of middle school students reported that they personally had witnessed one or more of the following on the grounds of their school: 1) illegal drugs used; 2) illegal drugs sold; 3) illegal drugs in the possession of students (either on them or in their lockers); 4) students high on drugs; 5) students who were drunk. Furthermore, 31% of high school students and 9% of middle school students reported seeing such conduct at least once a week. The authors suggest that “until we rid our children’s middle and high schools of drugs, we will never be able to achieve the improvements in academic achievements (and test scores) considered essential to maintain our global competitiveness

Excerpt from the CESAR Fax which can be found online at: http://www.cesar.umd.edu/cesar/cesarfax/vol16/16-35.pdf

Young Binge Drinkers Face Dim Future, Researchers Report
Teenagers who binge drink are 60 percent more likely to become alcoholics by the time they reach age 30 than non-bingers, and also are more likely to use illicit drugs and commit crimes, the BBC reported Sept. 5.

The U.K.'s Institute of Child Health studied 11,000 children, comparing the drinking habits of 16-year-olds in 1986 to a variety of outcomes when they hit age 30. Those classified as binge drinkers in their teens were 40 percent more likely to use illicit drugs or suffer mental-health problems by age 30, 60 percent more likely to be homeless, and 40 percent more likely to have suffered accidents.

"Adolescent binge-drinking is a risk behavior associated with significant later adversity and social exclusion," said lead researcher Russell Viner. Added Frank Soodeen of the group Alcohol Concern, "This study makes worrying reading. It confirms the view that early alcohol misuse can effectively haunt a young person well into adulthood, with all the implications to health and well-being that that can imply."
The study was published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

Excerpt from: Join Together available at http://www.jointogether.org/news/research/summaries/2007/young-binge-drinkers-face-dim.html

Industry Alcohol Warnings Overlooked by Teens
Alcohol-industry sponsored "responsible drinking" messages are usually overlooked or ignored by teens, according to researchers at Brigham Young University.

The Salt Lake Tribune reported July 7 that researchers tracked the eye movements of middle-school students (average age: 13) who were instructed to read a series of alcohol ads that included "responsible drinking" messages, albeit in small print.

The teens spent an average of seven seconds looking at each ad, but only 0.35 seconds looking at the warnings. Bottles, product names, models and headlines got most of their attention. Asked about the moderation messages immediately after viewing the ads, most youths could not remember the general thrust of the warnings.

"Basically, the adolescents, they don't really see the responsibility message," said lead researcher Steven Thomsen. "Those who see it, do (so) for a minimal time."

"It's nice the responsibility messages are included. The question is, 'Are they effective?'" Thomsen said. "If they are not effective, what can we do to make them more effective?"

A spokesperson for the Distilled Spirits Council, an industry trade group, said the study was flawed because it used teen subjects, whereas the ads are intended for adults. The study is published in the July 2007 issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health.

Reference:
Thomsen, S.R., Fulton, K. (2007) Adolescents’ Attention to Responsibility Messages in Magazine Alcohol Advertisements: An Eye-Tracking Approach. Journal of Adolescent Health, 41(1): 27-34; doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2007.02.014.

Excerpt from: Join Together available at: http://www.jointogether.org/news/research/summaries/2007/industry-alcohol-warnings.html

MetroWest Mental Health & Substance Abuse Task Force Conference
This year's MetroWest Mental Health & Substance Abuse Task Force Conference will be held on Thursday, November 1, 2007 at the DoubleTree Hotel in Westborough. This year's conference, "Emerging Mental Health and Substance Abuse Treatment and Practices Across the Life Span" offers a unique opportunity for the community to join together to think about the challenges and solutions to ensure that services and supports can be implemented seamlessly across the lifespan. Lieutenant Governor Tim Murray will provide opening remarks this year. One breakout session will be on the current lessons of the MetroWest Foundation’s Youth Substance Abuse Prevention initiative.

For more information or to resistor please visit (see brochure)
http://www.advocatesinc.org/MHSA_Conf_2007.html

Available Northest CAPT Online Courses

The Underage Drinking Enforcement Training Center’s National Electronic Seminars

November 15, 2007 3:00 - 4:15 p.m. Eastern Time
Social Host
State and local communities across the nation are working to implement statutes and ordinances that address the complex issues surrounding underage drinking. One of the most progressive approaches adopted involves strategies surrounding the issue of social hosting or people who provide the setting for gathering of underage drinkers. While the problems are quite similar, the strategies adopted by the various communities widely differ. This session will explore the differences between criminal strategies and civil strategies, and examine how effective each approach has been in the various adopting jurisdictions. Listeners will have the opportunity to question presenters on their initiatives and ask if you could do it all again would you take the same approach.

To register for this conference, please visit www.udetc.org/audioconflist.asp

December 18, 2007 3:00 - 4:15 p.m. Eastern Time
Parental Involvement in Preventing Underage Drinking
Alcohol is a drug. Alcohol is also the number one drug of choice for teens. Clearly, parents can play a vital and proactive role in addressing underage drinking. Too often underage drinking is discounted as a "right of passage”. Parents can be effective in reducing the use of alcohol by youth under 21 by using a number of environmental strategies, such as preventing access of alcohol to youth, creating clear, consistent no-use messages, as well as partnering with local and state key stakeholders to address the issues related to underage drinking. The presenters on the call will share resources and effective strategies that can be duplicated in your community.

To register for this conference, please visit www.udetc.org/audioconflist.asp