May 2016 - In This Issue:
It's SAMHSA's National Prevention Week!

May 15th-21st is National Prevention Week - an annual observance devoted to increasing public awareness around mental health and substance use disorders. The theme for 2016 is "Strong as One. Stronger Together." To learn more, click below.
ESAP COALITION UPDATES
Are you interested in joining a dynamic team of parents, professionals and community members to help prevent youth substance use in the Evanston community? This month, we have provided community outreach at the YMCA Healthy Kids Day, led an educational activity during Girls Play Sports on alcohol and other drug prevention, hosted a community meeting, planned and implemented our student tobacco prevention social norms media campaign at ETHS, developed plans for summer outreach, published prom, graduation and summer prevention messaging for parents in the Evanston RoundTable, began developing an educational postcard about e-cigarettes, worked on a communications and marketing toolkit, gathered with other state-wide Drug-Free Communities grantees, participated in an  On the Table discussion about reducing the stigmas of mental health and addiction and attended a SAMHSA town hall meeting about understanding social host laws in our community.

If you are interested in learning more about how to become involved, reach out to our coordinator at esapc.coordinator@gmail.com or text/call 847-951-0109 to help us bring the ESAP Coalition into its 32nd year of community prevention initiatives here in Evanston! 

UPCOMING EVENTS
Week of May 15th 
National Prevention Week
#ChoosePrevention

Tuesday, May 17th 
Alcohol Committee Meeting
Evanston Public Library- 3rd Floor
11:00am-12:00pm

Thursday, May 26th
Tobacco Committee Meeting
Civic Center- Room 2402
6:30pm-8:00pm

Thursday, June 2nd 
Community Outreach Committee Meeting 
Evanston Public Library- 3rd Floor
5:30-6:45pm

Sunday, June 5th 
NCRI Community Conference
Beth Emet Synagogue
1224 Dempster Street 
9:30am-3:30pm

Wednesday, June 8th 
Executive Committee Meeting
9:30-11:00am

Saturday, July 9th 
Evanston Recycling Fair 
ETHS Parking Lot 
9:00am-12:00pm

Tuesday, July 12th 
Community Coalition Meeting
ETHS- Room E112
6:00-8:00pm

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT 

Erin Fisher is the Public Health Educator with the City of Evanston Health and Human Services Department, where she works closely with various community organizations and public health initiatives. Erin worked previously for Lake County Health Department and Community Health Center, first as a Senior Dietitian and Breastfeeding Coordinator and later as the Assistant Coordinator for Nutrition Services.  Erin has an array of experience in public health and community education, including grant management, strategic planning, implementing programs and evaluating outcomes, and training staff and community partners.  She holds a Bachelor's degree in Dietetics from Michigan State University and a Master's degree in Public Health Nutrition from Case Western Reserve University.



"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
Evanston, ReThink Your Drink!
NATIONAL NEWS
Opioid Abuse Prevention Legislation Passed
This month, the United States House of Representatives  passed the House Opioid Package. This package of legislation has  nine key elements:  prevention, treatment, prescribing practices, women and children, recovery, law enforcement, veterans, criminal  justice, and overdose reversal. These multifaceted pieces of  legislation are meant to address and combat  drug abuse issues, particularly the rise of opioid use affecting  communities across the country. The House Opioid Package will   be on the President's desk for approval by May 31st. This is an   important step in keeping communities drug-free and safe.  For more information about opioid legislation, click here.
FDA Takes Significant  First Steps in Protecting Youth from E-Cigarettes through New Regulations
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) took a crucial first step in protecting youth from the new generation of tobacco products last week when they issued a rule implementing FDA oversight of electronic cigarettes, cigars, and hookah -- all of which had previously been unregulated. This new rule is positive in that it applies common-sense public health protections to all tobacco products, including health warnings, a national prohibition on sales to minors and rules to prohibit manufacturers from making unproven health claims. However, this ruling does not restrict the advertisement of e-cigarettes geared towards minors or the use of sweet, candy-like flavors to entice minors to use. According to FDA research, most youth who have experimented with tobacco started with a flavored product. Thus, there is a strong need to limit marketing of these products towards use in order to prevent initiation and continued use.  Read more.     
Prospective Association between Sipping Alcohol in Middle School and Later Substance Use
The Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies at Brown University conducted a study exploring the prospective association between early use of alcohol and short and long term adverse outcomes, such as substance use. Nearly a third of participants reported taking their first sip of alcohol by the fall of sixth grade. This usually occurred at home, and parents were the primary reported source of alcohol. The researchers found that youth who sipped alcohol by sixth grade had significantly greater odds of consuming a full alcoholic drink, getting drunk, and drinking heavily by ninth grade than non-sippers. This study demonstrates the importance of delaying initiation of substance use in order to prevent long-term consequences for youth. Read more  here .
COMMUNITY CORNER
Naomi Ruth Cohen Institute Hosts a Community Mental Health Conference on Sunday, June 5th
The Naomi Ruth Cohen Institute is holding its annual community mental health conference in Evanston on Sunday, June 5th from 9:30am-3:30pm. This year's conference, "Mental Health: Why Does it Matter? A Compassionate Community Responds," will not only educate attendees about mental health but will also focus on how attendees can become informed and supportive community members. There will be several presenters throughout the day, such as Thomas Dart, Sheriff of Cook County, Mark Salzer, Ph.D, Professor and Chair of the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences at Temple University, and Jesse Teverbaugh, Director of Student and Alumni Affairs for The CARA Program which focuses on helping individuals break the cycle of homelessness and poverty. The conference will be held at the Beth Emet Synagogue at 1224 Dempster Street in Evanston. The cost to attend is $50, if registered prior to May 20th, or $55 after. If attended in its entirety, the conference offers 5 hours of continuing education credits for counselors, clinical counselors, and social workers.  For more information, click here.

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.