Wood County Prevention Coalition
Uniting For A Drug-Free Community Since 2004
WCPC Newsletter for January 18, 2016 Volume #2 issue #2
SAM: VERMONT DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH PREDICTS 12th GRADE MARIJUANA USE TO INCREASE BY 10% IF VERMONT LEGALIZED MARIJUANA
January 12, 2016 [MONTPELIER, VT] - Today the Vermont Department of Health released a grim report on marijuana, Health Impact Assessment: Marijuana Regulation in Vermont, outlining health and safety issues related to the drug. The report's top-line findings are that marijuana negatively impacts most health and safety harms (p. 3) and that high school senior marijuana use would rise 6 points - or 10% - from 52% to 58% (p. 30). The report also predicted a staggering near-30% increase in emergency room admissions due to marijuana if the state legalized (p. 7), based on data from Colorado.
"Today's pot is not what Vermonters may have used in the 60s and 70s. The health impact is clear," remarked Kevin Sabet, President of SAM, Smart Approaches to Marijuana. "Governor Shumlin has been an outstanding leader on issues of substance abuse, with the glaring exception of marijuana. This report by his own department of health should be a wake-up call to any Vermont lawmaker mulling legalization," Sabet added. "This strategy will play into the hands of the increasingly well-financed marijuana lobby, which like Big Tobacco, seeks to put profits above public health."
In the report, several health and safety consequences are assessed - from psychosis to motor vehicle accidents to negative pregnancy effects - and almost all of them are found to be worsened by marijuana:
"Wall Street entrepreneurs are chomping at the bit to get into Vermont and sell things like marijuana-infused gummy bears and sodas," remarked Debby Haskins, SAM Vermont's Montpelier-based Executive Director. "The newly released health report specifically warns against edibles, but if the corporate special interests get their way and marijuana is legalized, all bets are off."
SAM-VT and SAM are not against all marijuana reforms. Both organizations urge Vermont lawmakers to adopt health, prevention, and treatment-related strategies toward marijuana. SAM does not support imprisonment for marijuana or hampering young people with unnecessary criminal records. Legalization and industrialization would, however, only make existing policies worse.
For more information about marijuana use and its effects, see http://www.learnaboutsam.org.
Podcast #23- Drug Free Action Alliance
The first item up for discussion was the long-time running awareness campaign Parents Who Host Lose The Most: Don't Be a Party to Teenage Drinking. The program takes place at state and local levels, concentrating on celebratory times for youth, such as homecoming, holidays, prom, graduation and other times when underage drinking parties are prevalent.
This program encourages parents and the entire community to send a unified message that teen alcohol consumption is unhealthy, unsafe and unacceptable.
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Last year the Wood County Prevention Coalition joined the Statewide Prevention Coalition Association (SPCA). The DFAA created SPCA to unite substance abuse prevention coalitions and organizations through collaboration and sharing of resources to promote prevention for a safe, healthy and drug-free Ohio. SPCA members have an opportunity to network with many other coalitions at unique stages of growth and development. They share knowledge and resources to help them strengthen and sustain their infrastructure. Members also receive practical information about effective strategies and initiatives, which engage the community and create environmental change.
The Next SPCA is January 19th and the keynote speaker will be be Dr. Yvette Jackson, the Director of the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation.
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Also discussed in this episode:
-Marijuana Update
-House Bill 68 (would allow increase of beer alcohol content to increase from 12% to 21%)
-Grief, Action through Advocacy (GAP) Network Summit:
Strengthen and Sustain Community Efforts to Combat Opiate Abuse
(February 26-27, 2016)
-Substance Abuse Prevention Skills Training (3 Dates Available):
WHEN: January 19-22, February 16-19 & March 14-17,
-2016 Ohio Problem Gambling Conference March 3-4
To learn more about Parents Who Host, SPCA, or upcoming training opportunities organized by the DFAA visit: https://www.drugfreeactionalliance.org/ or call (614) 540-9985
Ohio Launches Task Force For Medical Marijuana Issue
Dayton Daily News Published January 14, 2016
Doctors, lawmakers, business owners, cops and advocates for legal pot will serve together on a medical marijuana task force and report back to the Ohio House later this year. House Republicans announced the 14-member task force on Thursday at the Ohio Statehouse. State Rep. J. Kirk Schuring, R-Canton, will serve as chairman of the effort. Included on the panel are attorney Chris Stock and businessman Jimmy Gould, who were major players in the failed Issue 3 campaign last year.
Also on the panel is State Rep. Steve Huffman, R-Troy. Huffman is a medical doctor.
“I think with my background as a practicing physician I have a lot to add to the task force and I want to make sure we get this right the first time for the people of Ohio.”
Huffman opposed Issue 3 in November, but says he supports medical marijuana if it’s tightly controlled.
“There are 500 different chemicals in marijuana. THC is the one you hear of most that helps with nausea and pain relief. The others have a lot of potential to treat seizures in multiple sclerosis. That’s what a lot of people in the medical field think we need to get to.”
“The goal of this task force is to have a methodical and holistic approach to the conversation, which means including members on both sides of the aisle, as well as medical experts, community advocacy groups and law enforcement officials,” said House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger, R-Clarksville. “Having this discussion is important for our state and I think this task force gives us an ideal setting to do that.”
In November, Ohioans voted 65-35 in opposition to Issue 3, a proposed constitutional amendment that would have legalized medical and recreational marijuana and given exclusive growing rights to 10 investor groups that bankrolled the issue campaign.
Nonetheless, public opinion polling shows widespread support for medical marijuana. In October, Quinnipiac University reported that 90 percent of Ohio voters support medical marijuana use. Ohio leaders agreed to take a look at the issue, given the huge public support it has.
But the announcement Thursday signaled that Ohio lawmakers aren’t about to rush into a wide-open, unregulated system where people can get weed to treat a long list of ailments.
Read the entire article at: http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/news/ohio-launches-task-force-to-look-into-medical-mari/np5XS/
ABUSE-DETERRENT OPIOIDS: ADVANCES IN TECHNOLOGY
About Us
Our Vision: Helping youth be drug-free, productive and responsible citizens.
Our Mission: We are a coalition of compassionate community members working together to coordinate high quality programs for the prevention of youth substance abuse in Wood County.
Email: mkarna@wcesc.org
Website: wcprevention.org
Location: 1867 Research Drive, Bowling Green, OH, United States
Phone: (419)-354-9010
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WCPCoalition
Twitter: @woodpccoalition
Wood County Prevention Coalition Meeting
Friday, Jan 29, 2016, 08:30 AM
Wood County Educational Service Center 1867 N Research Drive, Bowling Green, OH, United States
RSVPs are enabled for this event.