Senior Week: Staying Safe in Ocean City 

At HC DrugFree we realize that Senior Week is a tradition for many. The information given at our annual "Senior Week: Staying Safe in Ocean City" program is not aimed at dissuading parents from sending their children; rather it is aimed at making it a safe week for the teens and a worry-free week for the parents. There are TWO opportunities to see the program this year: Tuesday, March 3 at 7:00 PM at River Hill High School in the Media Center and Monday, April 27 at 7:00 PM at Mt. Hebron High School. We encourage all parents who are considering allowing their teens to go to Senior Week to attend this program with their teens. 

Every June thousands of high school graduates from Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and other places converge on Ocean City, Maryland for a week-long celebration free of parents, structure and rules. Every year during this time teens are arrested, cars are impounded, tickets are issued and alcohol induced fights and assaults occur. Parents are dragged out of their beds in the middle of the night to pick up their kids, bail them out of jail or meet them at the hospital.

HC DrugFree's "Senior Week: Staying Safe in Ocean City" program is designed to give parents and students the information they need in order to enjoy a SAFE week at the beach. Joining HC DrugFree's Executive Director, Joan Webb Scornaienchi, will be Ocean City Police Department Corporal Howard Caplan and Ocean City Beach Patrol Sergeant James McVey (also a Howard County middle school teacher). Corporal Caplan will speak to parents and teens about underage drinking and drug laws, signing leases, inspecting rental units for damage, calling home frequently and other issues he has seen in his years with the Ocean City Police Department. Caplan will talk to the audience about how OCPD increases its numbers during that time, how something as small as jaywalking can earn a citation, and also how unnecessary it is for the teens to have a car with them at the beach. Sergeant McVey will discuss beach and ocean safety, including drinking on the beach. He will use his years of experience with the Beach Patrol to talk about simple things like using enough sunblock, to the more difficult things like how to identify rip currents and how to get out of one.

Recently, Director of ONDCP, Michael Botticelli talked with HC DrugFree's Executive Director, Joan Webb Scornaienchi about drug use and prevention efforts in Howard County.

HC DrugFree's Executive Director experienced history in the making as former "U.S. Drug Czars" came together for a once-in-a-lifetime panel discussion. Michael Botticelli, the current Director of Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) provided opening comments and then a panel consisting of 4 former Directors of ONDCP shared their brutally honest views on drug use in the United States, policies, funding, and much more. The panel members were: 

* Dr. William Bennett, 1st ONDCP Director under President George H.W. Bush

* Dr. Lee P. Brown, 3rd ONDCP Director under President Bill Clinton
* General Barry McCaffrey, 4th ONDCP Director under President Bill Clinton
* John P. Walters, 5th ONDCP Director under President George W. Bush

The event was held at the Gaylord National Hotel & Convention Center, just outside of Washington, D.C. at the 25^th annual Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) Forum. This forum is the nation's premier and largest training conference for community drug prevention leaders, treatment professionals and researchers. 

 
Susan Page, Washington Bureau Chief for USA Today, moderated this special panel discussion entitled, "Our Nation's Drug Policy: Past, Present and Future."  

 

   

Joan talked with Drug Czar, General Barry McCaffrey and received a hug for her work. General McCaffrey said his position as Director of ONDCP was his most important job ever.

 

Robert White, Esq. joined Drug Czar, Dr. William Bennett to sign Joan's copy of their new book,Going to Pot. Earlier in the day, she heard Dr. Bennett speak about how legalizing marijuana is harming America.

 

Be a Parent, Not a Friend...

Don't Make Alcohol Available to Teens

Video 3: Social Availability and Parental Permission

On behalf of the Howard County Alcohol Coalition, HC DrugFree is providing videos and talking points to help parents, PTSAs and other organizations to start meaningful discussions about not hosting underage parties and providing alcohol to teens. Click on the image below to go to the third of a series of informational videos. Click here to access talking points for your use, and please take the brief survey when you're done.

  

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