February 2016 - In This Issue:
Join us on Tuesday, February 23rd for our next presentation! 
ESAP COALITION UPDATES

Snowflake 2016 at Haven Middle School was a huge success! 95 middle school youth, 17 ETHS student facilitators and 21 adult volunteers participated in this community-wide event.  The impactful theme, "Be Yourself, See Yourself" brought together District 65 middle school students, ETHS students, Northwestern volunteers, community professionals and Circesteem to discuss important topics, such as self-esteem, responsible decision making, alcohol and drug refusal skills, and positive peer influence in large and small group discussions and activities. A fun-filled night was had by all, but most importantly, students, adults and volunteers left with tools to become healthy and supportive members of the Evanston community. Thank you to District 65 for sponsoring the event and to ETHS, Northwestern University and PEER Services for making Snowflake a success!
UPCOMING EVENTS
Tuesday, February 23rd |
ESAP Coalition Presentation
ETHS Welcome Center- E112
6:30-8:30pm

Tuesday, February 23rd |
Community Outreach Meeting
ETHS Welcome Center- E112
5:30-6:30pm

Tuesday, February 25th | 
Tobacco Committee Meeting  
Civic Center- Rm 2402
12:00-1:00pm

Wednesday, March 16th |
Kick Butts Day
 
Saturday, March 19th |
Connections to the Community
Evanston Township High School
12:00-4:00pm

Tuesday, March 22nd |
Alcohol Committee Meeting
Evanston Public Library
11:00am-12:00pm


MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Peggy Kubert , L.C.S.W., is the  Director of Education and Programming for Erika's Lighthouse . Peggy is a licensed clinical social worker, addictions counselor, student assistance trainer and parent educator.  She has a Master's Degree from the University of Chicago and undergraduate degree from Northwestern University. 

Peggy has been with Erika's Lighthouse since 2006, developing programming and working with schools to implement programs. Peggy is passionate about providing consultation, support and training to students, educators, parents and health professionals to help young people lead healthy, happy and productive lives.

Peggy also facilitates a parent education program called Roots & Wings, Raising Resilient Children. 

"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
Social Media Campaign Focused on Limiting Violence in Evanston
Local Evanston residents and community organizers are implementing a social media campaign  that hopes to give residents a forum to voice their thoughts and concerns about violence in Evanston. The #dearevanston campaign, created by the Leadership Evanston program, has a Twitter, Facebook, and an Instagram platform where people can share their experiences and ideas for solutions to address violence in the city. The Leadership Evanston program hopes that this social media campaign will engage the entire community in a conversation about violence and how the community can work together to ameliorate this issue. Submit an essay, a poem, photos, videos, music, sermons or art that addresses the impact of violence in Evanston between now and March 15th.  

NATIONAL NEWS
Walgreens Joins Rx Take-Back Initiative
Walgreens has joined a nationwide prescription drug take back initiative by installing secure collection bins for unused, unwanted, or expired drugs. CADCA (Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America) praised Walgreens' actions stating that "On behalf of our organization and our 5,000 coalitions nationwide, CADCA applauds Walgreens, one of the nation's largest drugstore chains, for the launch of a comprehensive new effort to combat drug use and prescription and over-the-counter drug misuse, which havereached epidemic numbers in this country."   Walgreens intends to install collection bins in 39 states and Washington D.C., focusing on stores that are open 24 hours where customers can drop off their medications for no charge. Walgreens will also be carrying the opioid/heroin overdose reversal drug, naloxone, which will be available without a prescription. Read more here.
Long-Term Marijuana Use May Impact Memory
A team of researchers at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland recently conducted a study assessing the long-term effects of marijuana use on memory. The study followed 3,500 young adults, ranging from 18-30 years of age, for a period of 25 years-- well into participants' middle age. At follow-up participants were tested on their ability to remember words, as well as their mental processing speed and executive function. Those who reported frequent marijuana use scored worse on verbal memory and mental processing. For those who had given up marijuana, there was still an effect for lifetime use. As marijuana becomes legalized in more and more states, the cognitive ramifications of use among the individuals in this study warrants the public's attention.  Read more.
The Potential Impact of a "No-Buy" List on Youth Exposure to Alcohol Advertising on Cable Television
A recent study reviewed all alcohol advertisements on television in the United States from 2005-2012. The researchers compiled a 'no-buy' list of programs and networks to be avoided when purchasing alcohol advertising. The criteria for this list were programs that were serially noncompliant, had times of day when youth made up a high proportion of the audience, and needed more restrictive guidelines when placing ads on low-rated programs. The results showed that youth were exposed to 15.1 billion noncompliant advertising impressions from 2005 to 2012. Further, the 'no buy list' list criteria accounted for 99% of 12.9 billion noncompliant advertising exposures shown to youth 2-20 years of age. These findings show the need for more stringent guidelines in alcohol advertising, as research has shown that youth are more likely to buy an alcohol product that they have been exposed to through repeated advertising. For more information, click here.
COMMUNITY CORNER
Building Resilient Youth- The Connection Between Substance Use and Suicide
Join the Evanston Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition in hosting a presentation conducted by by Peggy Kubert of Erika's Lighthouse and PEER Services to learn strategies to foster healthy and resilient youth. The presentation will be held in the Welcome Center of Evanston Township High School on Tuesday, February 23rd from 6:30pm-8:30pm. The presentation is open to the public and 1.5 free CEUs (LSW/LCSW) will be offered to attendees. For more information, contact the ESAP Coalition Coordinator at  
esapc.coordinator@gmail.com  or 847-951-0109.
Contact Us
 
Karen Finstad, Coalition Coordinator
esapc.coordinator@gmail.com
847.951.0109

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This newsletter was developed under grant #SP016534 from the Office of National Drug Control Policy and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, US Department of Health and Human Services. The views, policies, and opinions expressed by the ESAP Coalition are those of its members and do not necessarily reflect those of ONDCP, SAMHSA, or HHS.