Cobb Alcohol Task Force - Mobilizing for Change                                          

AUGUST 2014

Greetings to our Volunteers, Partners, and Friends! 
 
The first CAT Coalition General Meeting of the new program year will be held on Tuesday, August 12, 2014. We are pleased to hold the meeting at Turner Chapel AME, 492 N. Marietta Parkway in Marietta, beginning at 11:30 AM, as an extension of our Faith Sector Partners highlight during the month of July.

We are also happy to highlight our Education Sector partners in the month of August! Guest speakers at the meeeting will include Michael L. Sanseviro, dean of Student Services at Kennesaw State University (KSU), Shemika Hubbard, Program Manager for 21st Century Leaders, and others. Free parking is available and lunch will be served.   

Summer is coming to a close. The prevention and education activities of the Taskforce and Coalition didn't cease during the summer months. But the 2014-2015 School Year will provide opportunities to perform them at a higher levels of engagement.      

We salute our colleagues at Cobb County School District (CCSD), Marietta City Schools (MCS), and other schools and colleges that work with us.   

Data shows that the majority of young people in Cobb County do not consume alcohol. But many of them perceive that "everyone does it."  A well-coordinated poster campaign at selected Cobb schools will help to advance positive facts about the majority of Cobb youth who are proactively resisting the pressures of alcohol. The campaign's success at changing youth perceptions will be measured at the end of the year. 
 
Some people cynically assert that declining alcohol use among youth simply shows that greater numbers of them are using other substances. We understand prevention education should encompass a broad range of substance threats. That's why our Coalition supports the Georgia Marijuana Collaborative. And that's why we are examining ways to support local and state efforts to reduce prescription drug abuse. 
 
But alcohol remains the #1 drug of choice among young people. There is still much for us to do.   

And you can help! Please go to this link and make a donation to the Taskforce, before our campaign ends on August 15. Your gift of $100 or more will earn you recognition as a Prevention Champion in all of our public outreach activities.  

Please visit the Cobb Alcohol Taskforce web site, www.cobbat.org, to find out more about program and activity updates. Thank you all for your support!


 

Peter I. Armstrong, 
Executive Director 
        
CALENDAR SNAPSHOT

 

AUGUST

7 -   GA Marijuana Collaborative Meeting

8 -   Statewide Alcohol Policy Workgroup

12 - CAT Coalition General Meeting

12 - Policy Strategy Team Meeting

13 - Development Committee Meeting

19 - Education Strategy Team Meeting

19 - Youth Strategy Team Meeting

20 - Governance Committee Meeting

21 - Community Prevention Alliance Workgroup (CPAW)

25 -29 GA SCHOOL OF ADDICTION STUDIES

 

 

SEPTEMBER

9 -   CAT Coalition General Meeting 

9 -   Policy Strategy Team Meeting 

10 - Development Committee Meeting

16 - Education Strategy Team Meeting 

16 - Youth Strategy Team Meeting

17 - Governance Committee Meeting

18 - Executive Committee Meeting

20 - HANDS ON WELLNESS DAY - Austell, GA

 

SPECIAL NOTICE: The date of the CAT Board of Directors Meeting has been moved from Thursday, September 25 to Thursday October 2. Start time is still 7:30 AM. For more information, call 404-791-7406. 

    

Please check the calendar page frequently at www.cobbat.org for updates about events, meeting times, and locations. 


AUGUST HIGHLIGHT: 

EDUCATION PARTNERS   


The Education Sector draws particular attention for prevention activity and advocacy this month, as the 2014-2015 Year begins for schools and colleges. 
 
Schools are community institutions most likely to be exposed to youth alcohol related problems. Federal heath and education data show that youth who drink alcohol are more likely to have; higher absences, poor grades, and disruptive behaviors.

Alcohol also affects brain development, which is not complete until adults reach the age of 25. According to the American Medical Association (AMA), the portion of the brain that is responsible for learning and memory can be 10% smaller in youth drinkers.  
 
Schools MUST establish, enforce, and evaluate effective campus alcohol policies. They should also provide students with developmentally appropriate knowledge, skills, and motivation to resist peer and other pressures to drink.            
Teachers, coaches, and mentors: your messages matter! You are a critical part of the way young people see the world and what is expected of them. Find out how to be a better role model at the link, representing responsibility. 
 
For more information about how Education partners can continue to be proactive, see this link at the CAT web site.  

 

THANKS TO ALL OUR OUTSTANDING EDUCATION PARTNERS.  Follow the "shout outs" to Education partners on Facebook and Twitter throughout this month.

 

Taskforce Happenings 


The Current Nameplate Image Features . . .   Education Partners! We encourage schools and colleges to provide information to students and families on the consequences of alcohol use, campus alcohol policies and practices,  and local sources for more information.

 

Meeting on Alcohol Policy - The Statewide Alcohol Policy Workgroup will meet on Friday, August 8 at Brawner Hall Conference Room, 3180 Atlanta Road, Smyrna, GA; beginning at 10:00 AM. The purpose of the meeting is to examine and discuss policy priorities for 2014 and 2015. Brittney Newton, coordinator for the Georgia Prevention Network, now known as Voices for Prevention in Georgia, will host the meeting. For more information, contact Brittney at 404-641-5462 or [email protected].       

 

Summer isn't over Yet! Please Stay Alert! - The new school year is starting, but we are still weeks away from Labor Day Weekend-- a particularly hazardous time for combining alcohol with swimming, boating, cooking, and of course, driving. Remember to set responsible examples! Visit the CAT website to read about Social Hosting and the important role parents play in fostering safe summer and holiday activities.
      

Meeting Reminders - Cobb Alcohol Taskforce (CAT) General Meetings are held on the Second Tuesday of each month from January-May and August-December. They begin at 11:30 AM. CAT Board Meetings are held on the Fourth Thursday in January, March, May, July, September, and November, and begin at 7:30 AM.

 

Please Note: The CAT Board Meeting scheduled for Thursday, September 25 is moved forward to Thursday, October 2. The meeting will start as usual at 7:30 AM, at 1955 Lake Park Drive, Smyrna. 

Changing the date on this occasion will help to accommodate schedules of Board members who will be out of town on September 25 or participating in religious observances (such as Rosh Hashanah). Please contact Peter Armstrong, executive director, at 404-791-7406 to address questions about the meeting.

      

Volunteers Needed for Team Meetings - Please see dates/times on calendar and plan to attend one of these meetings. These team meetings are where the action is; all are welcome!    

 

In The News

Registration is Now Open: Georgia School of Addiction Studies (GSAS)  
 
"Unleashing the Power: Prevention, Treatment and Recovery" is the theme for the 8th Annual Georgia School of Addiction Studies (GSAS) will take place on August 25-29, 2014 at the Hyatt Regency Savannah, Georgia.   
GSAS works "to foster  and maintain the integrity of substance abuse related services by assisting in providing continuing training and educational programs for human service professionals whose duties include law enforcement, prevention, intervention, treatment, child welfare, victim's services, probation, courts, education, and rehabilitation or related services." GSAS also works "to encourage the exchange of professional knowledge through educational conferences and programs of continuing education." 
 
To find out more about GSAS, click here: to register for the conference, click here.     
 
About Us
Cobb Alcohol Taskforce is an alliance of individuals and organizations which mobilizes and challenges Cobb County adults to reduce underage drinking and youth binge drinking, by advancing strategic enforcement, policy and education goals.

 

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Contact Us
Cobb Alcohol Taskforce
3162 Johnson Ferry Rd., S-260
P.O. Box 823
Marietta, Georgia 30062
www.cobbat.org