SHARE:  
HCDF Logo (New)
Number 4March 21, 2012
Youth Alcohol and Drug Abuse Awareness Month in Howard County

Just Say KNOW:

 

 Knowledge is a powerful weapon.

"Not my kid" is a dangerous frame of mind.

Obvious signs should not be ignored.

Whether you know it or not, YOU are your child's best hope. 

   ______________

 

KNOW what is being said in Howard County: 

"I never know what people will say when I talk about natural highs.  A student said to me once, "Weed's natural-it's like salad."

Think about it. That student's response may be the best reason why you should never smoke it."

 

Matt Bellace PhD, Motivational Speaker & Comedian
 

 ________________

 

"My thoughts keep going back to a meeting with a Howard County attorney that talked about the law and how parents are

responsible even if they are NOT at home and have no knowledge of their

kids' partying or drinking."

 

Donna Weaver, Realtor and Howard County Parent

______________

   

Howard County Teens are Saying:

  

"I was in 4th grade the first time I used marijuana.  My parents never checked anything."

 

"Weed is addictive.  You use it to focus, sleep, wake up, get energy, whatever.  It controls and is not harmless." 

 

"Marijuana is easier to get than alcohol."

   

"People say marijuana isn't a gateway drug, but it's how I started, so I think it is."

   

 

KNOW what seniors get for FREE in OC. 

 

click here
 

Upcoming Events
 

March 2012

 

HC DrugFree/HoCo Film Festival

Winners announced

Friday, March 23, 2012

Johns Hopkins APL

more info

 

"Senior Week"

Tuesday, March 27, 2012, 7:00pm

Wilde Lake High School

James Rouse Theater

more info

 

"Senior Week"

Wednesday, March 28, 2012, 7:00pm

Mt. Hebron High School

Auditorium

more info

 

April 2012

 

Branded DUI

Thursday, April 12, 2012

7:00 PM

Glenelg High School

Media Center

more info 

 

HC DrugFree Teen Advisory Council (TAC) Meeting

Monday, April 16, 2012

more info

  

National Take-Back Initiative

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Several Locations around Howard County

more info

 

May 2012

 

HC DrugFree Teen Advisory Council (TAC) Meeting

Monday, May 7, 2012

more info

 

June 2012

 

Howard County Men's Health Fair

Saturday, June 9, 2012,

10:00am - 2:00pm

Howard High School
KNOW Where to Volunteer
 

The Howard County Cancer and Tobacco Coalition is looking for teens and adults to join their coalition.

Next Meeting: April 5, 2012 at 6:00 PM

Location: Howard County Health Department, 7180 Columbia Gateway Dr., Columbia 21046

For more information or to RSVP, please contact:

Lisette K. Osborne, Director of Nursing and Bureau of Family Health, Howard County Health Dept. at 410-313-6167 or Losborne@howardcountymd.gov

Join Our Mailing List

 

Like us on Facebook

 
Become a
of HC DrugFree 
 for as little as $25 for an individual, $50 for a family or a non-profit, $100 for a business.

 

Become a

Sponsor

of HC DrugFree

for as little as $500.

 

KNOW that Today is KICK BUTTS DAY! 
  
 

 

New Report: Tobacco Companies and Convenience Stores Partner to Market Tobacco Products, Fight Life-Saving Policies 

Know the Facts

Tobacco Update: Still a problem after all these years.

1.        What is the difference between a cigarette and a cigar?  The wrapping.  To qualify as a cigar the wrapping has to have some tobacco in it!  Cigar smoking has increased among Maryland youth so that it is equal to the percentage of underage youth who smoke cigarettes (about 14%). These are not your father's cigars.  They include brands like Black and Mild, Swisher Sweets and other small cigars that look like cigarettes and they are flavored (peach, mango, strawberry). Guess which age groups are the targets of this marketing?

2.       Regular cigarette smokers are much more likely to engage in other risky behavior.  80%  of Maryland High School youth who smoke regularly drink alcohol with about 60% having smoked marijuana.

3.       Hookah, electronic cigarettes, and other new smokeless products like Arriva are not safe alternatives to smoking cigarettes.  Some have much higher levels of exposure to nicotine, the addictive agent in cigarettes, and all have chemicals that are harmful to human tissue in lungs and mouth.

4.       The GOOD NEWS is that parents still matter.  Lack of parental messaging and monitoring continues to be a very strong predictor of regular use.  So don't ignore signs of smoking. Check on your children and their activities.  Talk with them about the dangers of smoking.  Don't nag.  Just express concern and talk about the concern for their health.  Well over half of all the "ever" smokers in the US have quit and almost all the rest are trying to quit.  Why start?

Carlo DiClemente, Ph.D. is the Director of the MDQUIT Tobacco Resource Center in the Psychology Department at UMBC and is a father of two recent Mount Hebron graduates.

Know that We CAN Make a Difference
Preventing Tobacco Use Among Youth 

 

This easy-to-read, 20-page booklet presents the major content of the report in plain language and is designed to help parents, teachers, policy makers, health care professionals, and other concerned adults understand the importance of the report and how they can take a stand to protect young people from the devastating effects of tobacco use.
Know the Report
  

Excerpts from the Surgeon General's report, "Preventing Tobacco Use Among Youth and Young Adults."

         Tobacco is the leading cause of preventable and premature death, killing more than 1,200 Americans every day.

         For every one tobacco-related death, two new young people under the age of 26 become regular smokers; nearly 90% of these new smokers try their first cigarette by age 18.

         Approximately three out of four high school smokers continue to smoke well into adulthood.

         The surgeon general's report provides further scientific evidence on the addictive nature of nicotine.  The younger individuals are when they start using tobacco, the more likely they are to become addicted and the more heavily addicted they will become.

         The tobacco industry spends more than $1,000,000 an HOUR in the United States alone.

Copies of the full Report, executive summary, and the easy-to-read guide may be downloaded at http://www.surgeongeneral.gov

For access to quitting resources, visit: www.smokefree.gov or call: 1-800-QUIT-NOW

Para obtener informaci�n en espa�ol para ayudarte a dejar de fumar, visita: http://espanol.smokefree.gov/
 
Know What to Expect
 

 

"Senior Week: Staying Safe in

Ocean City"

 

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Wilde Lake High School

James Rouse Theatre

 

and

 

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

7:00 - 9:00 pm

Mt. Hebron High School

Auditorium

 

Many Howard County high school seniors participate in the Maryland tradition of going to the shore for "Senior Week". Having so many unsupervised teens in one place can lead to dangerous situations, risky behavior, and trouble with the law.

Before deciding whether or not to permit your child to go to Ocean City for Senior Week, find out the facts. Listen to an Ocean City police officer offer advice and expertise to keep your child safe. Parents are encouraged to bring their high school senior to this informative program.

 

Guest Speaker: 

Howard Caplan, Ocean City Police Officer. 

 

Co-sponsored by the Wilde Lake HS PTSA, Mt. Hebron HS PTSA and HC DrugFree

 

Smoking Ban in Vehicles with Children Passes Senate
March 15, 2012

By Justin Snow
Justin@MarylandReporter.com

 

A controversial bill that would ban smoking in any vehicle with a passenger younger than 8 passed the state Senate 27-19 on Wednesday after debate that centered largely over the role of government.

 

Supporters argued that the bill was about protecting children from the toxins of secondhand smoke and cited a range of studies showing the negative effects tobacco products have on children. They said the age requirement was for enforcement reasons, noting that children younger than 8 are required to use a car seat, making it easier for police to spot.

"If we do nothing we are condoning threatening the life of young people who have no voice," said Sen. Paul Pinsky, D-Prince George's. Pinsky said the bill raised questions about what role government should play in light of science.

 

Although opponents did not disagree that scientific evidence affirms secondhand smoke is harmful, they warned of government intrusion into private life and the bill's broader repercussions.

"Cheeseburgers are next," cautioned Minority Leader E.J. Pipkin, arguing that government instructing citizens about unhealthy behavior was a slippery slope.

 

Sen. John Astle, D-Anne Arundel, who proposed a killer amendment last week that was later stripped from the bill in a rare parliamentary procedure, invoked George Orwell as he voiced his opposition to the bill. Opponents, however, said such warnings were overblown.

"This isn't about big brother," said Sen. Jamie Raskin, D-Montgomery. "It's about little brother in the back seat, in the car seat."

The ban must still be approved by the House of Delegates



Read more:
Under Creative Commons License:

 Know the Risks

 

 

 

 

smoking 2

  JW Spanish Tobacco

 

  Contact us at info@hcdrugfree.org for a free copy of one of these brochures.

Si usted quiere una copia gratuita de uno de nuestros folletos solic�talo por correo electr�nico a info@hcdrugfree.org, o llama al

443-325-0040 (puede dejar mensage en espa�ol).