August 27, 2017
It’s that time of year again and we can hear the school bells ringing! It can be hard to adjust from the dog days of summer to the busy and fast pace of the school year. Here are nine tips to get back into the school mode and start this year off right!
Tip #1: Have the Proper School Supplies that you need for your classes!
During the first day of class most teachers will tell you everything they require for their courses. Make sure that you get the specified supplies so that you are able to keep up with the class work and stay organized.
Tip #2: Get an Agenda!
Between taking test, doing home work, attending activities, and school events it can be really hard to keep track of everything. By keeping an updated agenda you can better manage your time and know what you have to accomplish.
Tip #3: Know your Course Syllabus
Knowing your class schedule is so important for being successful in the course your taking. Teachers will typical hand out your syllabus in class or post it online. Knowing when you have papers and projects due is so important for passing the course and keeping up your grades.
Tip #4: Do Not Procrastinate
This is something that we have all been guilty of in the past and have learned the stressful repercussions. A habit is created in three weeks so if you study for every course your taking daily in 21 days that will be a new habit for you. Dedicating a little bit of time everyday to the courses you are taking is definitely going to positively impact your grades and make you a better student!
Tip #5: Know What is Expected of You
Pay attention to what the teacher is saying about the workload of the class and what they are hoping for you to get out of it. Teacher want you to succeed and will provide you with what you need to do to thrive. Always remember that communicating with your teachers is key for understanding their expectations.
Tip #6: Get Involved
Getting involved with your school community is great because you can pursue your interest and meet peers who have the same and similar interest as you. Many studies have shown that students who are involved in sports and school activities are able to achieve higher GPA’s.
Tip #7: Learn What Type of Leaner You Are
There are three main types of learning styles which are auditory, visual, and kinesthetic. Knowing what type of leaner you are is going to help you be a better student and have better studying habits.When you are able to determine the type of learning style that is best for you, you will find better results when you are studying and it will result in higher test scores!
Tip #8: List of academic goals
Write out a list of goals that you want to achieve for the upcoming school year! Do you want to make the lead role in the play, get that varsity spot on the basket ball team, improve your grades? When you write down every goal you are able to plan and realize what you need to do to prepare for them. Having that list can be a driving and motivating force to help you work to achieve those goals.
Tip #9: Refusal Skills
You need ready-made comebacks to have in your pocket when friends and peers start putting on the pressure about trying drugs and/or alcohol. Power to the Parent shares these four ways to say “no”:
- Compliment the person. Thanks for offering.
- State the problem or consequence. The problem is that I can’t right now.
- Offer an alternative that shows you value the person. Maybe we can just hangout instead.
- Leave in a way that doesn’t offend. I have to go. See you another time.
Every new school year is a opportunity for a fresh start, new friends, and to make it count. You have the potential to make this year one of the best ones yet!
Source: Gabrielle Flank, Huffington Post
August 13, 2017
Marijuana
Marijuana is the most commonly used and abused illicit drug in the U.S., particularly among adolescents and young adults. In fact, teens’ perceptions of the risks of marijuana use have steadily declined over the past decade, possibly related to increasing public debate about legalizing or loosening restrictions on marijuana. Changes in marijuana policies across states legalizing marijuana for medical and/or recreational use suggest that marijuana is gaining greater acceptance in our society. Thus, it is particularly important for people to understand what is known about both the adverse health effects and the potential therapeutic benefits linked to marijuana. Learn more.
Additional Resources
How to Talk About Marijuana: There isn’t one script for talking about marijuana, but here’s what you’re likely to hear — and a few suggestions for how to respond.
Spotting Drug Use: A few simple tips and guidelines can go a long way toward spotting issues with drug use earlier rather than later.
Prepare to Take Action if You Suspect Teen or Adult Drug Use: Is your child using drugs? Use these tips to prepare for the conversation ahead, and lay the foundation for more positive outcomes.
August 2, 2017
As a parent, it is important to understand your role in protecting children from the problems associated with underage drinking, and the laws related to this issue. Underage alcohol use is a serious issue impacting communities across New York State, including the Village of Irvington. Adults play a role when they sell of serve alcohol to youth under the age of 21, when they host parties where young people are drinking, and when they condone underage alcohol use.
Every community member should be concerned about alcohol use by youth under 21 because it is associated with the three most common causes of teenage deaths: accidental deaths, homicides and suicides. In addition, high levels of alcohol use are associated with unplanned or unprotected sexual activity among adolescents, posting increased risk for teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Alcohol use and higher levels of use among adolescents is associated with poor grades, absenteeism and higher school drop-out rates. In addition, children who start drinking before the age of 15 are four times more likely to develop alcohol dependence than those who begin drinking at age 21.
The enforcement of the underage drinking laws requires an awareness and commitment from parents, schools, communities, clergy, healthcare and law enforcement professionals. The health and safety of our children, families and communities can not be compromised due to the devastating, and often fatal consequences of underage drinking. Everyone can play a role in reducing the use of alcohol in youth under 21.
Learn more about how you can make a difference as well as laws addressing underage drinking.
July 17, 2017
Nationally, teen cigarette smoking has been decreasing for many years and after a dramatic rise in e-cigarette use between 2011 and 2015, ecigarettes use by teens fell from 16% in 2015 to 11.3% in 2016 according to a report by the OOC. The decline is believed to be due to a combination of tobacco restrictions, public education, and taxes. An ecigarette sometimes called an electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS), e-cig, hookah pen, hookah stick or vaping device is designed to mimic smoking a cigarette.
In NY State cigarette smoking by high school students fell to a record low of 4.3% in 2016, down from 27.1% in 2000. But e-cigarette use nearly doubled in the last two years from 10.5% in 2014 to 20.6% in 2016 according to the NYS Department of Health. This underscores the need for New York parents to reinforce the harmfulness of these products. The device can resemble a real cigarette or look more like a pen or marker. The device delivers nicotine or non nicotine “ejuice” or other substances to the smoker in a vapor form. A battery powers a heating element that vaporizes the liquid nicotine contained within a cartridge in the e-cigarette so that what’s inhaled and then exhaled looks like smoke, but is usually odorless. They often come in colorful packaging and have flavors marketed to young people such as strawberry, apple, bubblegum, or watermelon. For some teens the appeal is being able to compete with peers on who can “blow” the best smoke rings.
It is hard for parents to identify all forms of ENDs but currently a popular brand of e-cigarettes is Juul. The device is usually filled with a flavored nicotine, however, it can also be used for marijuana. The device can be plugged into a USB charger in order to work to vaporize the nicotine or other substances a teen chooses to put into the device. There is usually no odor when one chooses to use this device so if a parent is not aware of what this device is, they may think it is a flash drive. The reality is that it is delivering a harmful substance into the lungs. Previous studies have identified some troubling trends. In the first analysis of the relationship between e cigarette use and smoking among adolescents in the United States, University of California at San Francisco researchers found that adolescents who used the devices were more likely to smoke cigarettes and less likely to quit smoking.
The 2015 report on ENDS in New York State found the following:
- The prevalence of ENDS use among high school students (10.5%) and young adults (12.7%) is about twice as high as the prevalence of ENDS use among adults (5.7%).
- There is no evidence that youth are substituting ENDS for cigarettes. In fact, more than half of high school students and young adults who smoke cigarettes also use ENDS, making dual use of cigarettes and ENDS the norm.
- Among the 7.3% of high school students who are current smokers, 56.5% also use ENDS.
- Among the 14.2% of young adult smokers (age 18-24 years), 54.9% use ENDS.
- Among the 17.3% of adult smokers (age 25 and older), ENDS use is significantly lower, at 24.0%.
E-cigarettes can contain various levels of nicotine a highly addictive drug. People who regularly use nicotine and then suddenly stop experience withdrawal symptoms, which may include cravings, anxiety, depression, moodiness, irritability, and inattentiveness.
The American Heart Association says that nicotine from smoking is one of the hardest substances to quit. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, tests of e-cigarette samples found that they
contain carcinogens and toxic chemicals such as diethylene glycol, an ingredient used in car antifreeze. The potential harm from exposure to secondhand vapor from e-cigarettes is unknown. Two initial studies have found formaldehyde and cancer causing substances coming from secondhand vapors (American Lung Association, 2011).
Source: Patricia Murphy Warble, LMSW, CPP, Parenting for Prevention June 2017
July 9, 2017
By Robert DuPont
A recent national survey shows that among young people age 12 to 20 underage drinking and binge drinking
have declined significantly over the past decade.(1) While the survey report does not speculate about the reason for this trend, it is the result of decades of cumulative widespread prevention messages coupled with concerns about alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes, alcohol poisoning, and sexual assault, and as well as increased alcohol taxes.(2)
In the last decade tobacco use has also declined among youth. This reflects the lasting national impact of the
1964 Surgeon General’s report Smoking and Health(3)that was widely publicized and resulted in a law mandating warning labeling on all tobacco products. The report brought to the public’s attention the devastating
impact of tobacco use on health. The national anti-smoking campaign has been strident in labeling nicotine
as “addicting” and smokers as “addicted.”
Interestingly, use of illegal substances by adolescents has also declined. These three trend lines showing
broad declines are significant. They cannot be explained on a substance-by-substance basis because the trend
lines for alcohol, tobacco and other drugs are so similar. Instead this broad positive trend can be understood
as part of a shared cultural learning initiated by the epidemic of substance abuse that exploded in the late
1960s and early 1970s. In the 50 years since the 1964 report on Smoking and Heath, there has been a growing
awareness of the negative health and safety effects of addicting drug use. One of the contributors to this
cultural learning has been the definition of alcohol and nicotine as “addicting” drugs. This connection has
been reinforced by the federal government’s descriptive terminology that linked alcohol to illegal drugs under
the mantra-like phrase “alcohol and other drugs.”(4 )
New analysis of longitudinal data from the nationally representative annual Monitoring the Future study on
substance use by high school students shows a remarkably strong and sustained trend of abstinence from the
use of all addicting substances. These data have been there all along but the analysis resulting in this finding
is completely new. Among 12th graders, the percentage of students who never used alcohol, tobacco, marijuana or other drugs in their lifetimes rose from 2.9% in 1983 to 25% in 2013. The percentage of 12th graders who did not use any alcohol, tobacco, marijuana or other drugs in the prior 30 days rose from 16.1% in 1982 to 49.6% in 2013. Similar sizeable positive changes are reported for 8th and 10th graders who were first surveyed in 1991.
Problems with alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs remain gravely serious. However, this new evidence of an increasing percentage of American youth who choose not to use any of these addicting substances gives new hope for the future. This finding has the potential to reshape all prevention strategies away from substance-specific health-promoting campaigns to a single focus that promotes no use by adolescents of any addicting substances. The use of any and all of these substances is unhealthy for youth and the use of all of these drugs is illegal. (The legal age for tobacco is 18, for alcohol 21, and in the states with legal marijuana, 21). Since nearly all substance use, and addiction, begins during the teenage years, prevention of any use during this time is singularly important. Lowering the substance use rates of youth today will be reflected tomorrow in lowering the adult rates of addicting drug use.
The new focus on one decision by youth not to use any addicting substances, including alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and other drugs, holds great promise of a stronger, clearer and more effective goal for public education and prevention.
Written By Robert DuPont, MD 1. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2015, June 11). 2 Kauffman, G. (2015, June 16). Underage drinking is down: Are teens partying less? Christian Science Monitor 3 US Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. (1964). 4 National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. (1993). The Alcohol and Other Drug Thesaurus: A Guide to Concepts and Terminology in Substance Abuse and Addiction.
July 2, 2017
In 2016, the US Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy, MD released the first report dedicated to substance misuse and related disorders entitled, Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs and Health. “Although substance misuse problems and use disorders may occur at any age, adolescence and young adulthood are particularly critical at-risk periods,” Dr. Murthy said.
“Preventing or even simply delaying young people from trying substances is important to reducing the likelihood of a use disorder later in life.” He went on to point out that people who use alcohol before the age of 15 are four times more likely to develop an alcohol use disorder later in life compared to those who have their first drink
at age 20 or older. It is not surprising to find that teens who use alcohol are more likely to engage in risky behaviors. Using alcohol or other drugs can lower a teen’s inhibitions and impact their judgement by influencing their ability to assess that a situation is dangerous or even deadly.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s, Division of Adolescent and School Health collects data every year for their Youth Risk Surveillance System which monitors six categories of priority health-risk among adolescents at the national, state, territorial, tribal, and local levels. Their 2016 data showed that 22% of teens who are already sexually active, drank alcohol or used drugs before engaging in sexual intercourse which in turn put the teens at risk for pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.
Using alcohol or other drugs can lead to serious problems for teens including poor performance at school, loss of friends and becoming alienated from their family. Substance abuse is also related to car crashes, suicides and injuries. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that in 2010 excessive drinking was responsible for more than 4,300 deaths among underage youth and there were approximately 189,000 emergency department visits by persons under 21 for injuries and other conditions linked to alcohol.
Source: Patricia Murphy Warble, LMSW, CPP, Parenting for Prevention June 2017
June 25, 2017
Although we all think of summer as a more carefree and relaxed time, the summer can present challenges if you have teenagers. Summer is a time when parents need to be particularly alert to what their children are doing, where they are going and who they are spending time with during
their vacation.
This is not always easy to do as teens usually have more freedom during the summer and have more opportunities to gather in unsupervised settings where no responsible adults are present.
Times of transition can be difficult for students and the eighth to ninth grade and twelfth grade to college are identified as times when teens are more likely to begin or increase their use of alcohol and other drugs. Research also shows that the summer is the time that many teens try marijuana
for the first time.
Robert DuPont, MD, the former Director of the National Institute for Drug Abuse and the former “drug czar,” spoke at the Community AntiDrug Coalition of America conference in February and spoke last month at the Westchester Coalition for Drug and Alcohol Free Youth and meeting about the need to keep teens from using the three gateway drugs; alcohol, marijuana, and nicotine.
At a time when there is grave concern about the opioid crises, Dr. DuPont made the point that most opioid users begin their drug use with one of the three gateway drugs. Dr. Du Pont went onto say, “Drug prevention is not drug by drug, rather it is about any and all drug use by youth. Prevention needs to support the primary goal of no use of any alcohol, tobacco, marijuana or other drugs to maintain the health of our young people.”
During the summer, it is important for parents to understand that keeping teens away from the three gateway drugs will be a positive step to ensuring that their lives will not be impacted by the serious consequences of drug use and addiction.
The Five A’s Of Parenting
Mike Nerney, a prevention specialist, makes the following recommendations to parents about strategies they can implement to keep their children safe during the summer:
- Aware: Every family should have a strategy in place so that they know where their teen is and who they are with during the day and at night. Be sure to check-in with other parents and make sure that all the teens are in a supervised setting with a responsible adult. Empty houses with no adult supervision have proven to be very dangerous places for teens in Westchester County. It is usually in this unchaperoned setting that many teens first try alcohol and drugs or have their first sexual encounter. Text messaging, talking on the cell phone and even asking your teen to take a picture of where they are and then have them send it to you, have made the job of knowing where your child is much easier.
- Alert: Be alert to any behavioral changes in your child during the summer. Teens are much more likely to try alcohol, cigarettes, and other drugs for the first time during the summer months.
- Awake: When your children get home, give them a hug or a kiss and talk to them for a few minutes to
make sure they are not under the influence of any substance. It may be a deterrent for your children to use alcohol or other drugs if they know that they will have to pass the “hug/kiss/talk” test later on in the evening. If anything in their behavior concerns you, make sure they are safely in bed and wait until the morning to address the issue. Important note: If your teen seems impaired, DO NOT LEAVE THEM ALONE “to sleep it off.” Keep them awake and talking. Call 911 immediately if your teen cannot keep their head up or stay awake. - Assertive: Make sure you and your child have discussed appropriate consequences for inappropriate and unhealthy behavior. The consequences should be firm, respectful and related to the behavior. Furthermore, although this can be difficult, the consequences must be enforced.
- Affirming: Let your children know that you love them and want them to have a wonderful summer. Help them understand that they are the most precious people in your life and if they feel that you are being too protective, it is because it is your job to keep them safe.
Source: Patricia Murphy Warble, LMSW, CPP, Parenting for Prevention June 2017
June 19, 2017
As a parent, it is important to understand your role in protecting children from the problems associated with underage drinking, and the laws related to this issue. Underage alcohol use is a serious issue impacting communities across New York State, including the Village of Irvington. Adults play a role when they sell of serve alcohol to youth under the age of 21, when they host parties where young people are drinking, and when they condone underage alcohol use.
Every community member should be concerned about alcohol use by youth under 21 because it is associated with the three most common causes of teenage deaths: accidental deaths, homicides and suicides. In addition, high levels of alcohol use are associated with unplanned or unprotected sexual activity among adolescents, posting increased risk for teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Alcohol use and higher levels of use among adolescents is associated with poor grades, absenteeism and higher school drop-out rates. In addition, children who start drinking before the age of 15 are four times more likely to develop alcohol dependence than those who begin drinking at age 21.
The enforcement of the underage drinking laws requires an awareness and commitment from parents, schools, communities, clergy, healthcare and law enforcement professionals. The health and safety of our children, families and communities can not be compromised due to the devastating, and often fatal consequences of underage drinking. Everyone can play a role in reducing the use of alcohol in youth under 21.
Learn more about how you can make a difference as well as laws addressing underage drinking.
June 6, 2017
Prom Safety activities were executed throughout the month of May at Irvington High School.
In the beginning of May, there was a window display for “Prom Safety”, which included PSAs about prom night and facts about driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs.
Additionally, the Westchester County Department of Public Safety provided an all-day drunk driving simulator for students. Westchester County police officer Christopher Grasso supervised the simulator and provided students with information about DWI laws and the “zero tolerance policy”. Students waiting for the simulator learned about the potential dangers of alcohol or drug-impaired driving.
On May 18th, the Westchester STOP DWI program displayed a crashed car at the High School. The Irvington police department also provided information about DWI laws and safety as well as conducted a mock DWI check point with students wearing the Fatal Vision alcohol goggles.
Prevention is key to a happy, safe, and sober prom night!
