MAY 2015 - In This Issue:
May 17th-23rd is National Prevention Week!

   

ESAP COALITION UPDATES


 

On Thursday, April 23rd, the ESAP Coalition, along with student and adult volunteers, visited local businesses and distributed materials that reminded patrons that preventing underage drinking is everyone's responsibility. This initiative was part of the Your Actions Matter! campaign in collaboration with the Evanston Police Department and the Illinois Liquor Control Commission. Cmdr. Joseph Dugan pf the Evanston Police Department said that it was important that the police joined forces with the ESAP Coalition to bring more attention to the Your Actions Matter! campaign. Thank you to the community volunteers, the Music Institute of Chicago's Institute of Therapy through the Arts who hosted the kickoff, and the local businesses who helped make this a successful alcohol prevention event. Read More...

UPCOMING EVENTS

Monday, May 11th 
Tobacco Committee Meeting, 
Civic Center 10:00-11:00AM

Thursday, May 14th 
Community Outreach Meeting, PEER Services 10:30-11:30AM

Monday, May 18th |     
Alcohol Committee Meeting,
EPL 3rd Floor 11:00AM-12:00PM

Tuesday, May 19th | 
Coalition Meeting, 
ETHS N112 4:30PM-5:30PM 

Tuesday, May 26th | 
Executive Committee Meeting, 
5:15-6:45PM


MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

   
Officer Scott J. Sengenberger
is assigned as the Evanston Police Department Problem Solving Team (Community Policing) Officer for Beat 601 which makes up the 1st and 7th wards of the city.  Part of his duty involves membership on the ESAP Coalition Alcohol Committee where he has served since June of 2013. He has been a police officer in Evanston since 2006, mainly working in Patrol on the midnight shift prior to his current assignment. 

Scott also serves as a Major in the Illinois Army National Guard where he is an Aviation Maintenance Officer and UH60 Blackhawk Pilot.  He has fifteen years of total service with six of them on active duty, and two overseas. His previous duty includes assignment to the 3rd Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) where he was a Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from 2000-2002.  

He has a BA in History from the University of Illinois at Chicago with a focus on religion, primarily Islam. He has also completed a Graduate Certificate in Emergency Management and Continuity Planning from the Illinois at Chicago, and is currently attending the United States Army Command and General Staff Officer College. 

"ESAP Coalition's mission is to increase the health of Evanston youth by preventing alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use through community-level strategies."


 

LOCAL NEWS
Community Partnerships & Summer Prevention

Governor Restoring Grant Cuts, but State Prevention Funding Still Uncertain
Lawmakers have continued to focus on the cuts put forth by Rauner's administration, but this Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability has recently stated that an additional $300 million to $500 million of tax revenue is expected to roll in because Illinois' economy is 'doing better.' The Rauner administration says that it plans to use this extra revenue to restore the $26 million in Good Friday cuts, including the state hotline to help smokers who want to quit. While it is most likely that no further cuts will be made in FY15, there is uncertainty on the FY16 budget, which is concerning for many. 
Read more ...
NATIONAL NEWS

National Prevention Week


National Prevention Week's goal is to increase public awareness of substance abuse and mental health issues, and this year, it will take place the weke of May 17th to 23rd. 2015's theme is, "The Voice of One, the Power of All." To  learn more about how you can get involved, visit SAMHSA's website here

An Immediate Call to Action to Regulate E-Cigs

The CDC released data showing that e-cigarettes, a relatively new and unregulated product, are becoming increasingly popular among teenagers in the U.S. In 2014, 13.4% of high school students used an e-cigarette at least once per month, as compared to 4.5% in 2013. There is debate as to whether e-cigarettes actually assist in helping to quit smoking, but studies show that the vapors of e-cigarettes still contain traces of nicotine and other potentially harmful substances. "Nicotine is dangerous for kids of any age, whether it's an e-cigarette, hookah, cigarette or cigar. Nicotine exposure at a young age may cause lasting harm to brain development, promote addiction, and lead to sustained tobacco use," CDC Director Tom Frieden said. Read more...

 

Creating a Prevention-Based Society

Vivek Murthy started his four-year term in the 19th Surgeon General of the U.S. just last December. Murthy has told the press that his overarching goal for his term is to get every individual and institution to ask themselves what they can do to improve the health of the nation. "The health challenges that we face right now are too big to be solved by the traditional health sector alone," Murthy said. As such, Murthy emphasizes a prevention-based society: a society in which every institution recognizes and embraces the role that it can play in improving health. Read the full interview here
COMMUNITY CORNER

Annual NRCI Mental Health Conference

The Naomi Ruth Cohen Institute for Mental Health and Education is holding their 14th Annual Community Mental Health Conference in Evanston on Sunday, June 7th from 9:30AM to 3:30PM. This year's theme is, "Understanding and Overcoming the Stigma of Mental Illness." U.S. Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky will open the conference and will be joined by several well-established experts on the subject of mental illness, substance abuse and psychology. Read more and register for the conference here .
Contact Us
 
Karen Finstad, Coalition Coordinator
esapc.coordinator@gmail.com
847.951.0109

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