After Prom 2018

Prom—Parents, have you talked to your teen about alcohol yet?

You as a parent may be able to prevent your child from becoming the next statistic by setting a few simple rules about underage drinking.  Before sending your teens off to prom, talk to them about alcohol—it just may save their life. 

Here are some tips on how to prepare your teen for these events: 

·         Make sure your child has a plan for the evening and that you know it.

·         Set rules with your child and stick to them.

·         Let the consequences be known and stick to them.

·         DO NOT HOST A PARTY FOR MINORS—underage drinking is illegal.  You as a parent are liable, and could face legal consequences.  Allowing a party with alcohol on your property, even if you do not provide the alcohol is now illegal per the Iowa State Social Host Law. 

·         Take stock of the alcohol in your house.

·         Discuss the school’s rules with your child and the consequences for violating them.

·         Disapprove of underage drinking.

·         Do NOT rent hotel rooms for prom-goers.

·         Communicate with other parents and school officials about the on-goings of the night so you are informed. 

·         Stay up for the prom-goer’s return home.

·         Encourage your teen to attend the schools post-prom party

Van Buren/Harmony After Prom

April 21^st & 22^nd

10:00 P.M. – 3:00 A.M.

Van Buren Middle/High School

Activities to include: Hypnotist, Butterbean Boxing, Obstacle Course, Mechanical Bull & more!

Food and drinks provided: Pizza, Coffee Bar, Snacks & more!

Prizes will include: TV’s, Fitbits & much more!

Prizes will be drawn beginning at 2:00 am!

For more information on talking to your children about alcohol, feel free to visit the SAFE Coalition website at www.vbsafecoalition.com or call 319-293-3334 ext. 1017.

Changing Attitudes: It’s not a ‘rite of passage’

By: Rose Rankin – YLC Member

Alcohol and drug use by young people is extremely dangerous--both to themselves and to society--and is directly associated with traffic fatalities, violence, suicide, educational failure, alcohol overdose, unsafe sex and other problem behaviors, even for those who may never develop a dependence or addiction. Adolescence is a time of heightened risk-taking and as alcohol and drugs enter the picture, parents are faced with a unique set of challenges. They can simply sit back and hope their kids will “get through it,” or they can take an active role in learning about alcohol and drugs and helping their kids do the same.

It can be daunting to talk with children about drinking and drug use, but it is well worth the effort parents put into it. In fact, research has shown that kids who have conversations with their parents and learn a lot about the dangers of alcohol and drug use are 50% less likely to use these substances than those who don’t have such conversations. 

“Alcohol and drug use is a very risky business for young people,” says Andrew Pucher, President, and CEO of NCADD, “and parents can make a difference. The longer children delay drinking and drug use, the less likely they are to develop any problems associated with it. That’s why it is so important to help your child connect the dots and make smart decisions about alcohol and drugs.”

An integral part of Alcohol Awareness Month is Alcohol-Free Weekend, March 30-April 1, 2018, which is designed to raise public awareness about the use of alcohol and how it may be affecting individuals, families, and the community. During this seventy-two-hour period, NCADD extends an open invitation to all Americans, young and old, to participate in three alcohol-free days and to use this time to contact local NCADD Affiliates and other alcoholism agencies to learn more about alcoholism and its early symptoms.

Each April since 1987, the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. (NCADD) has sponsored Alcohol Awareness Month to increase public awareness and understanding, reduce stigma and encourage local communities to focus on alcoholism and alcohol-related issues.  The month of April will be filled with local, state, and national events aimed at educating people about the treatment and prevention of alcoholism, particularly among our youth, and the important role that parents can play in giving kids a better understanding of the impact that alcohol can have on their lives. The Van Buren Middle/High School Youth Leadership Council members will be hosting a color run, doing activities during lunch, passing out buttons, and hanging posters throughout the month of April to help their peers and community members be aware of the dangers of underage drinking.

For more information on Alcohol Awareness Month or how to talk with your children about alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs please contact the SAFE Coalition at 319-293-3334 ext. 1017 or check out the coalition website at www.vbsafecoalition.com.   

Resource: https://www.ncadd.org/aam

Talk to Your Teen about Alcohol

Kids who drink are more likely to be victims of violent crime, to be involved in alcohol related traffic crashes, and to have serious school related problems.  You have more influence on your child’s values and decisions about drinking before they begin to use alcohol.  Parents can have a major impact on their children’s drinking, especially during the preteen and early teen years. 

If you keep alcohol in your home, keep track of it. Make sure your child knows that they are not allowed to have unchaperoned parties/gatherings at home, but encourage them to have friends over when you are home!  The more entertaining your child does in your home, the more you will know about your child’s friends and activities.

Getting to know other parents and guardians can help you keep closer tabs on your child.   This will make it is easier for you to call another parent who is having a party to be sure that a responsible adult will be present and that alcohol will not be available.  Be aware of your teen’s plans and whereabouts and make sure they know it is because you care about them not because you do not trust them. 

When parents establish clear “no alcohol” rules, their children are less likely to begin drinking.  Some possible family rules are:

Ø  Kids will not drink alcohol until they are 21

Ø  Older siblings will not encourage younger ones to drink and will not give them alcohol.

Ø  Kids will not stay at teen parties where alcohol is served

Ø  Kids will not ride in a car with a driver who has been drinking

Once the rules are clear, appropriate consequences will need to be put in place and used.  Make sure the rules are ones you will enforce and that do not keep your child from communicating with you.  A possible consequence might be temporary restrictions on your child’s socializing. 

Parents and guardians are important role models for children.  Even if you use alcohol, there may be ways to lessen the likelihood that your child will drink:

Ø  Use alcohol moderately

Ø  Don’t communicate to your child that alcohol is a good way to handle problems

Ø  Let your child see that you have other, healthier ways to cope with stress

Ø  Don’t tell kids stories about your own drinking in a way that says alcohol use is funny or glamorous

Ø  Never drink and drive or ride in a car with a driver who has been drinking

Ø  When you entertain other adults, make available alcohol free beverages and plenty of food.  If anyone drinks too much at your party, make arrangements for them to get home safely.

Your attitudes and behavior toward teen drinking also influence your child.  Avoid jokes about underage drinking.  Never serve alcohol to underage drinkers.  Remember it is illegal to provide alcohol to minors who are not your children. 

If your child’s friends use alcohol, your child is more likely to drink too.  So, encourage your child to develop friendships with kids who do not drink and are healthy influences on your child.  Get to know your child’s friends and encourage your child to invite them to family get-togethers, outings and spend time with them in other ways.  Finally talk with your child about the qualities in a friend that really count, such as trustworthiness and kindness, rather than popularity or a cool style.  When you disapprove of a friend it is best to point out your reservations in a caring, supportive way and limiting time with the friend with family rules, such as how after school time can be spent or how late your child can stay out in the evening.

One reason kids drink is to beat boredom.  So, encourage your child to participate in supervised activities that are challenging and fun.  According to a recent survey of preteens the availability of enjoyable, alcohol free activities is a big reason for deciding not to use alcohol.  If the community does not offer these types of activities, consider getting together with other parents and young teens to help create some. 

A way for you to discourage alcohol use by teens in your family and in Van Buren County is to join the Van Buren County SAFE Coalition.  By working with the coalition, which has members from the school and other areas of the community, you can help to develop policies to reduce alcohol availability to teens.  For more information contact the SAFE Coalition at 319-293-3334 ext. 1017 or info@vbsafecoalition.com or visit us on the web at www.vbsafecoalition.com.

Youth attend Day on the Hill

Representative Phil Miller, Sydney Goemaat, Lacey Smith,
Kris Rankin, Shaley Finley, and Lacey Smith

On Wednesday, February 21, 2018 four Van Buren Youth Leadership Council (YLC) members attended Day on the Hill in Des Moines. This event is held for students to take part in advocacy at the capitol. The students are given the opportunity to speak to elected officials about changes they want to see in our state as well as be a part of a press conference to advocate for change.

Students attending from Van Buren County included; Lacey Smith, Rose Rankin, Shaley Finley and Sydney Goemaat. The students provided Representative Phil Miller with information on underage drinking and marijuana use in Van Buren County. They stressed to him the importance of youth access to alcohol and marijuana and ways in which the access can be reduced.

The students were also a part of substance abuse prevention press conference that the Alliance of Coalitions 4 Change sponsored. The press conference included a variety of speakers from youth to prevention specialists to law enforcement all advocating for changes that will support reducing youth access to alcohol and marijuana.

The students learned a great deal about the legislative process and were able to use their public speaking skills as a part of this event. Students are selected to attend this event based on their involvement in the YLC organization.

For more information on this event or any Youth Leadership Council activities please feel free to contact the SAFE Coalition office at 319-293-3334 ext. 107 or info@vbsafecoalition.com. 

Kick Butts Day Combats Youth Tobacco Use

More than 400,000 people in the United States will die this year from a tobacco-related disease.  On March 21, Kick Butts Day—the Van Buren County Youth Leadership Council is taking a stand to stop youth from getting hooked on deadly tobacco products.

We know that 90% of smokers start using tobacco regularly by the time they are 18. Isn’t this astonishing? 

So in order to give kids a fighting chance, we plan to join thousands of students across the country who are taking part in Kick Butts Day, a nationwide initiative sponsored by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids that makes students leaders in the effort to stop youth tobacco use. As part of the Kick Butts Day celebration, YLC Members will display posters in the Van Buren Community Jr/Sr High School and do Peer Teaching at the Harmony and Van Buren Community Elementary Schools on the dangers of tobacco use.

There are many effective ways state and local officials can protect young people from tobacco.

They can use funds from the states’ 1998 legal settlement with the tobacco companies to pay for tobacco prevention programs; they can increase tobacco taxes; and they can pass smoke free laws to protect us from secondhand smoke. Consider these facts: Each day, more than 1,000 kids become new regular smokers; roughly one-third of them will die prematurely from a tobacco-related disease.

Today’s youth are not just part of the problem; they’re part of the solution. And the students from Van Buren County want tobacco companies to know that on Kick Butts Day and every day throughout the year, we’re going to fight them every step of the way!

For more information on YLC and Kick Butts Day please contact the SAFE Coalition at 319-293-3334 ext. 1017 or info@vbsafecoalition.com or check out the website at www.vbsafecoalition.com or blog at http://vbsafecoalition.blogspot.com/. 

This St. Paddy’s Day, Don’t Rely on the Luck o’ the Irish: Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving

St. Patrick’s Day is one of the most popular holidays in the United States. With a plethora of Irish immigrants—and many, many more St. Paddy’s Day well-wishers, the holiday is heavily celebrated by most Americans with friendly pinches, bangers n’ mash, and green beer galore. Sadly, all this merry-making can lead to dangerous driving conditions as party-goers head home. In 2016 alone, 60 people were killed in drunk-driving crashes over the St. Paddy’s Day holiday period (6 p.m. March 16 to 5:59 a.m. March 18). The selfish act of drinking and driving can rip people from their friends and loved ones forever. For this reason, the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office and SAFE Coalition are working to spread the message about the dangers of drunk driving. Even one drink can be one too many. If you’re heading out for the Irish festivities, plan ahead and remember: Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving.
 
Tragically, March 17 has become a dangerous holiday on our nation’s roads. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), during the 2016 St. Patrick’s Day holiday period, almost two-thirds (39%) of all motor vehicle crash fatalities involved drunk drivers. The early hours of March 18 didn’t fare much better. Between midnight and 5:59 a.m., nearly three-fourths (69%) of all crash fatalities involved drunk drivers. In fact, from 2012 to 2016, almost two-fifths (38%) of the drunk-driving fatalities during this holiday period involved drivers who had blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) well above the .08 limit, with 269 drunk-driving fatalities total. Drivers should also keep an eye out for pedestrians who have had too much to drink. Walking while intoxicated can also be deadly, as lack of attention to their surroundings could put pedestrians at risk of getting hit by a vehicle.

We want our community members to plan ahead when they are celebrating this St. Patrick’s Day. Whether you are driving yourself or your friends, make sure you stay sober or plan for a sober ride home. Remember: It’s not just about you. There are other people on the roads who want to get where they are going safely. Don’t let alcohol cause you to be a risk to yourself and others on the road. Drinking and driving is an act of selfishness. Before you put your keys in the ignition, remind yourself: Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving. If you feel a buzz, you are in no shape to drive.

Please make a plan before you head out for St. Patrick’s Day parties. Consider being the sober designated driver for your friends. If you are planning to drink, plan for a safe ride home. There are too many safe alternatives to choose otherwise. Think before you act.
We recommend the following safe alternatives to drinking and driving:
• First: Always remember to plan ahead. You know whether you’ll attend a party. If you plan to drink, plan for a sober driver to take you home. Is it your turn to be the designated driver? Take that role seriously—your friends could be relying on you.
• Remember that it is never okay to drink and drive. Even if you’ve only had one alcoholic beverage, designate a sober driver to get home safely.
• Download NHTSA’s SaferRide mobile app available on Google Play for Android devices: (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nhtsa.SaferRide&hl=en), and Apple’s iTunes Store for iOS devices: (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/saferride/id950774008?mt=8). SaferRide allows users to call a predetermined friend, and identifies the user’s location so they can be picked up.
• If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact 911.
• Have a friend who is about to drink and drive? Take the keys away and make arrangements to get them home safely.

For more information about the Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving campaign, visit www.TrafficSafetyMarketing.gov.