New resource for parents and mentors now available | | |
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We are excited to share a new resource for parents and mentors when talking with youth about cannabis.
The Prevention First Let's Talk Cannabis IL materials have been developed to empower parents and mentors to have positive conversations with youth about underage marijuana use. This will be beneficial not only for parents and mentors but also for community organizations that serve parents, guardians, and mentors.
The toolkits can be shared digitally through email, newsletter, social media, or posted to an organization's website. The toolkits can also be downloaded and printed for coalition meetings, health fairs, and other community events.
· Let's Talk Cannabis Parent Toolkit (English) (Spanish)
· Let's Talk Cannabis Mentor Toolkit (English) (Spanish)
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Parent and mentor toolkits were created as part of the larger public awareness campaign, Let's Talk Cannabis IL.
Let's Talk Cannabis IL, funded by the Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS), is a public awareness campaign that frequently addresses questions about cannabis. The facts and tips provided on the Let's Talk Cannabis IL website help community members understand the specific rules and health effects of using cannabis so that they can make safe and informed decisions.
The website also includes sections about the Illinois cannabis laws, information for new mothers, and guidelines on how to store substances safely to prevent accidental pediatric cannabis poisoning.
For more information about the Let's Talk Cannabis IL campaign, contact Lauren Bozarth.
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"The Let's Talk Cannabis Parent and Mentor Toolkits will empower
families to have more informed and meaningful
conversations about cannabis use. "
– Lauren Bozarth,
Health Communication Campaign Administrator,
Prevention First
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Excessive Alcohol Use in Illinois | |
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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), excessive alcohol use includes "binge drinking, heavy drinking, any alcohol use by people under the age 21 minimum legal drinking age, and any alcohol use by pregnant women." The CDC recently released new fact sheets organized by state, which address excessive alcohol use. Nationally, excessive alcohol use is responsible for more than 140,000 deaths each year, and it shortens the lives of those who die by an average of 26 years. Illinois has an average of 5,150 deaths annually due to excessive use.
Binge drinking is defined as consuming five or more standard drinks per occasion for males and four or more drinks for females. The new Illinois fact sheet states that "among adults in Illinois who binge drink, 25% consume at least 8 drinks per binge drinking occasion." The APRC has an infographic on binge drinking facts highlighting the risks and prevention strategies.
The Alcohol Policy Resource Center can assist with how to analyze your data, scan your community, and match policy/strategy to assessment findings. If you have any questions or need more information, don't hesitate to contact Kellie Henrichs or Jody Heavilin.
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Stay up to date on what's happening with the Youth Prevention Resource Center by following us on social media and joining our mailing list. For more information, contact Robyn Block or Randyl Wilkins. | |
Technical Assistance, commonly referred to as consulting or coaching, is a one-on-one service that provides timely, flexible, and targeted support to an organization. Using a collaborative approach, Prevention First builds a prevention professional’s capacity to address their local conditions and develop their own prevention solutions to amplify programmatic effectiveness. For more information about technical assistance, please contact providerservices@prevention.org or call 312.909-9768. | |
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Other Prevention News
National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week is coming up next month, March 20-26th. Get prepared by exploring the effects and trends of the most widely used substances by teens and the impact of substance use on the brain and adolescent development. All of this and more can be found in our AOD Effects and Trends online self-paced course.
The Communities Talk 2023 Stipend Cycle Has Launched. SAMHSA is sponsoring $750 stipends for the next round of Communities Talk to Prevent Alcohol and Other Drug Misuse, an initiative that focuses on alcohol and other drug misuse that negatively affects communities and our youth, including institutes of higher education. Visit the Communities Talk website for more information about stipend registration and planning resources.
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DEA To Host Live Panel Discussion Online About Drug Use And Misuse
The Drug Enforcement Administration is hosting an upcoming online event in conjunction with Black History Month. A live panel discussion entitled "Considering Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Preventing Drug Use and Misuse" is scheduled for Wednesday, February 15, 2:00 p.m.-3:15 p.m. (ET).
Panelists from state government, higher education, community-based prevention, and the DEA will address the importance of cultural competence and cultural humility in preventing drug use and misuse.
You can view the live stream here.
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Online Self Study Courses | |
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Pediatric Cannabis Poisoning
Of the public health outcomes associated with cannabis legalization, pediatric cannabis poisoning has been one of the clearest, with additional research emerging just this month. If you would like information on how to keep households safe for everyone, the Let’s Talk Cannabis campaign has information for parents and mentors. The CDC has a page outlining the health effects of poisoning here, and the number for the Illinois Poison Center is 1-800-222-1222.
Please reach out to the CPRC for assistance utilizing policies to prevent youth access to cannabis by contacting Jake Levinson or Kellie Henrichs.
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STARS: Students Talking About Roadway Safety
Prevention First’s Traffic Safety Resource Center is excited to share the new name and logo for our peer-to-peer teen safe driving program. Our peer-to-peer teen safe driving program educates a group of teens about the importance of making safe driving choices. Those teens then have the ability to educate their peers on the importance of making safe driving choices.
There are currently 16 Illinois high schools participating in the peer-to-peer teen safe driving program. Teen groups have been busy planning, completing seat belt surveys, and implementing traffic safety educational activities. They are all ILLINOIS STARS.
At left are highlights from a couple of the teen groups. Urbana High School students are pictured top left conducting seat belt surveys.
Gillespie High School students are pictured at
the bottom left hosting a traffic safety presentation.
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The Prevention First Leadership Center is now an enrolled program in the IDHS/SUPR Drug Overdose Prevention Program.
The goal of the Prevention First Opioid Overdose Education and Naloxone (Narcan) Distribution (OEND) Program is to reduce harm and risk of life-threatening opioid-related overdose and deaths.
Prevention First Leadership Center provides opioid overdose prevention education and training on opioid overdose recognition, opioid overdose rescue response and provides Naloxone (Narcan) cartons to all training participants.
Prevention First will train people at risk of an opioid-related overdose and those with family members, friends, or other persons in a position to assist a person at risk of an opioid-related overdose in using Naloxone (Narcan) for the reversal of opioid overdose.
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The Leadership Center will distribute Naloxone in the following ways:
1. Trainings: Naloxone will be provided to participants in the Mental Health First Aid and QPR (Question, Persuade, Respond) Training. MHFA teaches participants to recognize and respond to the signs of a mental health or substance use challenge. QPR is a 3-step suicide prevention program. Opioid Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution (OEND) is a commonsense addition to these existing Prevention First trainings. For more information on MHFA and QPR, contact Randyl Wilkins.
2. Monthly Drop-In Dates: Prevention First staff members will be available once a month for onsite training at the Prevention First home office in Springfield. Individuals interested in obtaining Naloxone can drop in and receive training along with the Naloxone supplies. Drop-in dates will be promoted soon.
3. Group Trainings by Request: Prevention First will offer to conduct Naloxone training for local businesses, IDHS/SUPR providers, and other organizations committed to this critical initiative.
For more information, contact Megan Edmondson.
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Professional Development at Your Pace | |
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Archived Webinars
Don't miss out on Prevention First's collection of live webinars to watch at your own convenience:
For APRC Webinars, visit their GoTo Stage for archived webinars.
For Substance Use Prevention Webinars, visit SUPP Training Events- Online or Archived Webinar on the sidebar.
For Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Webinars, visit their webpage.
For SUPR Treatment & Recovery Webinars, visit SUPR Training Events- Archived Webinar on the sidebar.
Looking for resources to share with your community? Visit our Virtual Clearinghouse of Resources or contact us, and we will help.
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