November 2021
Announcements
City Hosts Safe Medication Disposal Events

In October 2021, the City of Alexandria collected and safely disposed of 351 lbs. of unused, expired and unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medication. The Alexandria Police Department and Alexandria Sheriff's Office collected medication at a take back event on October 6 at Goodwin House Alexandria, a local retirement community, and during National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on October 23.
Couldn't make it to Drug Take Back Day? Dispose of medication year-round at a permanent medication drop-box at one of the following locations:

  • The Neighborhood Pharmacy of Del Ray (2204 Mt. Vernon Ave.), available Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-7 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.; and Sunday, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
  • Inova Alexandria Hospital (4320 Seminary Road, inside the visitor’s entrance and next to the cashier’s window), available daily, 1-5 p.m.
  • Alexandria Police Department (3600 Wheeler Ave., inside the front entrance, ring bell for access); available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Needles are not accepted in the permanent medication drop boxes. Dispose of needles and syringes at a separate permanent drop box specifically for these items located inside the visitor's entrance at Inova Alexandria Hospital. The box is accessible at the same location and hours as the hospital’s drop off box for medications. 

Alexandria Celebrates Red Ribbon Week

Each year, SAPCA joins our community in celebrating Red Ribbon Week from October 23-31. Red Ribbon Week is the oldest and largest drug prevention program and is an ideal way for people and communities to unite and take a visible stand against drugs. This year's theme was "This year's theme is: “Drug Free Looks Like Me.”

This year, SAPCA participated in Red Ribbon Week by:
  • Encouraging students to enter the Red Ribbon Week Poster Contest for a chance to win $100 by November 15. Winners will be announced in the coming months.
  • Recognizing Red Ribbon Week through a City proclamation.
  • Distributing 2,000 stress balls to ACPS school staff and administrators to share with students.
  • Assisting in the development of 18 unique community circles delivered to ACPS elementary, middle and high school students. During community circles, students explored topics that are essential to healthy development, including:
  • Communication skills;
  • Helping a friend in need;
  • Resisting peer pressure;
  • Boundaries and expectations;
  • The importance of staying substance-free by focusing on sparks – the interests and passions that give people great enjoyment and a sense of purpose; and
  • The health and social consequences of using alcohol, e-cigarettes, marijuana, and prescription and over-the-counter medication. 

Among students that completed an evaluation survey for these circles,

  • 100% strongly agreed with the statement "It is important that I stay drug free to achieve my goals."
  • 88% strongly agreed or agreed with the statement "Focusing on my sparks and strengths can help me stay drug free."
  • 82% strongly agreed or agreed with the statement "Based on what I learned in today's Red Ribbon Week activity, I will only take a prescription drug if it was prescribed to me by my doctor and take it exactly how it was prescribed.
  • 83% strongly agreed or agreed with the statement "I plan to use the information I learned during this activity in the future."

Thanks to everyone who helped make these activities a huge success!
SAPCA Featured as Coalition in Action

SAPCA was recently featured by the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) -- a national organized committed to crating safe, healthy and drug-free communities -- as a Coalition in Action for our work collaborating with community partners and building capacity through grant funding. Check out this short video to learn about some of SAPCA's initiatives focused on preventing youth alcohol use, funded through the support of a grant from the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority.
Middle School Youth Provide Input During Bullying Prevention Forums

Throughout the month of October, recognized as National Bullying Prevention Month, the Mayor's Campaign to End Bullying and the Keep It 360 Peer Advocates held discussion forums with middle school students throughout the City to learn about youth opinions, experiences, and ideas related to bullying. During events at Charles Houston Recreation Center, Casa Chirilagua, and Francis C. Hammond Middle School, middle school students shared information that will support the Mayor's Campaign to End Bullying to develop new ideas and activities to help raise awareness about bullying prevention across our community.

SAPCA is a member of the Mayor's Campaign to End Bullying, a movement to improve the community and school climate and improve the quality of life for all. Since the inception of the Mayor's Campaign to End Bullying in Alexandria in 2014, the City's government agencies and public schools, community organizations, youth and senior citizen leaders, and residents have worked together to increase awareness of the negative effects of bullying and prevent bullying among Alexandria's youth and adults.

The Keep It 360 Peer Advocates are a group of Alexandria youth that work closely with SAPCA, the Alexandria Campaign on Adolescent Pregnancy and the Alexandria Sexual Assault Center to support prevention and outreach efforts.

Click here to learn more about the Mayor's Campaign to End Bullying.
Virginia Attorney General Warns Against Unregulated, Illegal Marijuana Products Sold In Look-Alike Packaging

Attorney General Mark R. Herring is warning Virginians about the dangers of marijuana edibles sold in packaging designed to look like well-known snack foods and candy, which are marketed towards children. These products are unregulated, illegal, and may be extremely dangerous, especially if they are ingested by children.
 
Edible cannabis products may contain high concentrations of THC, the psychoactive compound found in marijuana. Ingestion of these products by children can result in accidental overdose. Symptoms of THC overdose include respiratory distress, loss of coordination, lethargy, and loss of consciousness. If you suspect your child has eaten a food contaminating high amounts of THC and become sick, call the Virginia Poison Center Hotline at 1.800.222.1222. 

Examples of these edible marijuana look-alike products are below:.
Although Virginia recently legalized adult-use of marijuana, regulated marijuana products can not be legally sold in the Commonwealth.

Helpful Guidance
  • Like any other drugs, adults should take strong precautions to ensure that children do not have access to any products containing marijuana.
  • Only adults 21 and older are permitted to consume marijuana products containing THC.
  • Parents are encouraged to speak with their children, including young adults, and provide age-appropriate guidance about the dangers look-alike products pose, as well as the impacts of youth marijuana use.
 
Learn more key facts about marijuana at PreventItAlexandria.org
DEA Warns that Pills Purchased Outside of a Licensed Pharmacy are Illegal, Dangerous, and Potentially Deadly 

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) warns the American public of the alarming increase in the lethality and availability of fake prescription pills containing fentanyl. These counterfeit pills are easy to purchase, widely available, and often contain deadly doses of fentanyl.
The number of DEA-seized counterfeit pills with fentanyl has jumped nearly 430 percent since 2019 and laboratory testing further reveals that today, two out of every five pills with fentanyl contain a potentially lethal dose.

Fentanyl is a potent synthetic opioid drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use as an analgesic (pain relief) and anesthetic. It is approximately 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin. Pills purchased outside of a licensed pharmacy are illegal, dangerous, and potentially lethal.

Some of the most common counterfeit pills are made to look like prescription opioids such as oxycodone (Oxycontin, Percocet), hydrocodone (Vicodin), and alprazolam (Xanax); or stimulants like amphetamines (Adderall). Fake prescription pills are widely accessible and often sold on social media – making them available to anyone with a smartphone, including teens and young adults.

What Can You Do?

Educate yourself, your family, and community members about the importance of safe medication use.
  • Emphasize the importance of only taking medication prescribed by a trusted medical professional and dispensed by a licensed pharmacist. Any pills that do not meet this standard are unsafe and potentially deadly.
  • Never take medication that was prescribed for someone else.

Teens who learn about the risks of drug use from parents or caregivers are 50% less likely to use these substances. Not sure how to start the conversation with teens in your life? Click here to explore tips for starting the conversation.

Learn more about fake pills here.
Free Narcan Mail Delivery Available to Alexandria Residents and Employees

City residents may obtain Narcan for free by emailing their name and mailing address to the City’s Opioid Response Coordinator at emily.bentley@alexandriava.gov. Narcan is an easy-to-use nasal spray that can save the life of someone experiencing an opioid overdose.

Narcan can also be obtained by appointment at the Alexandria Health Department by calling 703.746.4888. For more information on Narcan visit alexandriava.gov/Opioids.
Virginia Department of Health Launches Free Teen Vaping Cessation Program

Live Vape Free Virginia is a new, free service offering professional support and expert advice to parents and teens about preventing teen e-cigarette use, often referred to as vaping. Though this resource, teens can learn about the harms of vaping and access support they need to quit by texting VapeFreeVA to 873-373.

E-cigarettes -- also known as vapes, e-cigs, e-hookahs, JUULs, mods, and vape pens -- come in a range of shapes and sizes and are typically battery-powered. People that use these products inhale an aerosol into their lungs that contains thousands of harmful chemicals. Many of these products contain nicotine, the addictive substance found in combustible tobacco cigarettes. There have also been cases of individuals using these products with THC, the psychoactive, addictive chemical in marijuana.

Parents can access tips and resources for having productive conversations with children and teens about the risks of vaping by visiting livevapefreeva.org.
Quick Links
Upcoming Events & Resources
Register for Family Volunteer Day
 
Join Volunteer Alexandria on Saturday, November 20 between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. for Family Volunteer Day, a global day of service that celebrates the power of families who work together to support their communities and neighborhoods. During this event, Volunteer Alexandria will offer several activities for Alexandria families -- ranging from envelope decoration for gifts to programming with various organizations. Due to COVID, only fully vaccinated volunteers are eligible to participate. Click here to register.
Save the Date: Virtual Town Hall Featuring Youth Voices

Mark your calendar for December 9 from 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. for a virtual conversation featuring Alexandria’s youth voices. Hear directly from a panel of Alexandria teens as they highlight what they need from adults to navigate life after the pandemic. Teens will provide insight on helpful and not-so-helpful practices implemented during the pandemic so participants can learn from the past to bring intention to future youth development efforts in our community.

Stay tuned for more information about this event, including how to register!
City Encourages Youth to Apply to College Readiness Program

The City of Alexandria encourages youth to apply to Project Discovery, a college and career readiness program that helps low income and first-generation college students to access opportunities in higher education. Applicants can join free workshops, learn about scholarship opportunities and obtain help with academic planning.

Based at Alexandria City High School, Project Discovery Alexandria prepares and motivates an average of 130 eligible students each year to accomplish their educational dreams by providing vital knowledge on admissions and financial aid, workshops on topics such as life skills and career planning and ongoing support and encouragement. The program also offers college tours that are selected to include a combination of institutional sizes, Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs), Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and schools requested by students. 

View and download a printable flyer to learn more about the program’s current activities.

Click here for the Project Discovery application. For more information about the application, contact Tashana Pulliam at tashana.pulliam@alexandriava.gov 
Wear It Well - Do Your Part. Stop The Spread.

The City of Alexandria and the Alexandria Health Department urge Alexandria residents, businesses and visitors to “Wear It Well” by wearing a mask in public indoor spaces, whether vaccinated or not. This follows updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that everyone should wear masks in indoor public settings in communities of substantial or high transmission.

Wearing a mask protects yourself, your family and your community from the current surge of the more contagious COVID-19 delta variant. In addition to wearing a mask in indoor public places, “Wear It Well” by ensuring the mask fits snugly over the nose and chin without gaps. Masks with multiple layers of fabric provide greater protection against transmission.

Every Alexandrian can take precautions to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. Learn more about how to protect yourself and those around you at alexandriava.gov/coronavirus
Connect With Us
SAPCA
Alexandria Teen Life
Contact Us
Emma Beall, MPH
SAPCA Coordinator
O: 703.746.3670 
C: 571.302.1022
Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition of Alexandria 
123 N Pitt St, Suite 225
Alexandria, VA 22314