Authorities Warn About New Danger in Cocaine

A veterinary drug that is unsafe for humans is being used to dilute most of the cocaine that is being shipped into the United States, the San Francisco Chronicle said.

Levamisole has been found in at least eight hospital admissions where people got sick after using powdered or crack cocaine, and in 90% of 200 patients who tested positive for cocaine.

Levamisole poisoning symptoms include fever, infection and swollen glands.

"We need people to know that you're not getting pure cocaine anymore. You're exposing yourself to the effects of an anti-parasite drug instead of cocaine," one official with the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration told the Chronicle. "You're not getting high off cocaine, you're getting sick off of levamisole."

"Youth and Alcohol" Forum Planned Jan. 8

You’ve been hearing a lot on the Marshall County Anti-Drug Coalition’s TV and radio commercials about how underage drinking brings a lot of families together tragically. But it can bring communities together to take positive action.

Underage drinking is the subject of a community forum on Friday, Jan. 8 called “Youth and Alcohol: How Do We Keep Our Children Safe and Healthy?” The forum will be held at 11 a.m. in the first-floor conference room at the Historic Federal Building, 324 7^th St., Moundsville. The event is free and refreshments will be provided.

The forum is being sponsored by the Marshall County Anti-Drug Coalition, the Marshall County Family Resource Network (FRN) and the West Virginia Center for Civic Life. In 2009, the Center for Civic Life had picked Marshall County for a pilot project to build citizen involvement in preventing underage drinking. Marshall County was one of only three West Virginia counties picked to participate in the project. Since then, the Center for Civic Life held a daylong training in Marshall County on how to moderate community forums and then smaller community forums have been held on underage drinking. A discussion guide, “Youth & Alcohol: How Do We Keep Our Children Safe and Healthy?” was prepared by the FRN and the Center for Civic Life. Copies of the discussion guide will be distributed at the Jan. 8 forum. A copy can also be found at the Marshall County FRN’s Website, www.marshallcountyfrn.com.

The Marshall County Anti-Drug Coalition is focusing on underage drinking in one of its major multimedia public-service campaigns, which began in December 2009. Beyond Marketing created the TV and radio commercials, and the billboards. The marketing campaign was funded through a Drug Free Communities Grant from the federal Office of National Drug Control Policy.

For more information about the Jan. 8 forum or to register, please contact the FRN at (304) 845-3300 or email marshallcountyfrn@comcast.net.

Cabell County Drug Prevention Summit Jan. 21

The Cabell County Substance Abuse Prevention Partnership is sponsoring the 4th Annual Cabell Drug Prevention Summit on Thursday, Jan. 21, 2010.

The summit will be held from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Big Sandy Superstore Arena Conference Center, in Huntington.

The title is "Preventing Prescription Drug Abuse in Our Community." This year's drug prevention summit will focus on the growing trend of prescription drug abuse and communitywide solutions. The partnership invites you to learn more about prescription drug abuse and how the community can work together to reduce this trend.

Prescription drug misuse is the nonmedical use of prescription drugs. In small doses, prescription and over-the-counter medications, when used improperly, can affect motor skills, judgment and the ability to learn. While in large doses or when mixed with other prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, or alcohol, serious health risks, including respiratory failure, can occur.

In West Virginia, overdose was the leading cause of death for those under age 45 in 2006, the highest rate for this cause of death in the United States. About 250,000 West Virginians use prescription drugs for nonmedical purposes.

The day includes a panel on prescription drug abuse and misuse; a session on policy, program and personal practices and a discussion panel and public forum. Among those participating are State Sen. Evan Jenkins, Huntington police chief W.H. "Skip" Holbrook, Dr. William Webb of Oasis Behavioral health and Dr. Wayne Coombs of the West Virginia Prevention Resource Center.

Continuing Education Units are available for an afternoon session but those applying must register before Jan. 14 by calling (304) 523-8929 or emailing anne.mcgee@unitedwayrivercities.org.

For more information, please see here.

Paper Says West Virginia Should Consider Criminal Penalties Against Women Who Use Drugs While Pregnant

Almost a fifth of all babies born in West Virginia have been exposed to drugs or alcohol before being born, according to a new study by Marshall University.

The study checked umbilical cords from eight West Virginia hospitals to find that the rate of substance abuse among pregnant women is higher than the 5% Marshall University researchers believed previously. One of the hospitals was in Wheeling.

"We've seen a tremendous increase in the number of mothers who are on drugs," said Dr. David Chaffin, a Marshall University obstetrician who was quoted in an Associated Press article about the study. National studies have found that 10%-14% of babies are exposed to substances in the womb but those studies and the Marshall one can't be directly compared because they use different methods.

The Intelligencer of Wheeling said 15% of babies tested in Wheeling show alcohol use by their mothers. That's the highest rate of alcohol use in West Virginia, the paper said.

In an editorial, The Intelligencer said that should be a part of the governor's recently announced substance-abuse strategy.

"The governor and other state officials should take a realistic look at the problem and find some way to combat it," the Intelligencer wrote. "If that means criminal penalties against women who intentionally put their fetuses at risk, so be it."

It is an issue that West Virginia's neighbor, Kentucky, is struggling with as well.

Latrisha Whitelatch Interviewed on "Comcast Local Edition"

Substance abuse prevention director Latrisha Whitelatch appeared on "Comcast Local Edition," which airs on Comcast's HLN in Ohio and Marshall counties, during the month of December. Whitelatch talked about the work of the Marshall County Family Resource Network, the Marshall County Anti-Drug Coalition and the Marshall County Winter Carnival on Dec. 31.

You can see the entire five-minute interview with WTRF/Comcast Local Edition's Stacy Rich below, or you can check out the video on YouTube here.

Marijuana Making Comeback With Teens

Marijuana is becoming more popular among teens, drug czar Gil Kerlikowske said in the "Monitoring the Future" study of the nation's 8th, 10th and 12th graders that was released Monday by the Office of National Drug Control Policy.

Fewer 8th and 10th graders perceive "great risk" in using marijuana and disapproval of marijuana use is also declining, ONDCP said. Marijuana use among youth has been flat for the past three years after several years of declines.

Other findings:

-- Seven of the 10 most-abused drugs by high school seniors are prescription or over-the-counter drugs. Twenty percent of 12th graders used marijuana within the past month, up from 18.3 percent in 2006.

-- Inhalant use among 10th graders has increased.

-- Teens alcohol use has declined but it's still the most commonly abused substance.

-- Fewer 10th graders see binge drinking as harmful and fewer high school seniors see problems with having one or two drinks daily.

"The 2009 Monitoring the Future study is a warning sign, and the continued erosion in youth attitudes and behavior toward substance abuse should give pause to all parents and policymakers," Kerlikowske said in a statement. "Considering the troublesome data from other national and local surveys, these latest data confirm that we must redouble our efforts to implement a comprehensive, evidence-based approach to preventing and treating drug use."

For more information, see the ONDCP news release here.

In Marshall County, the Anti-Drug Coalition has been seeing some disturbing trends as well. According to the 2008 PRIDE Survey of students, 6th to 8th graders report their first use of alcohol as 11 and marijuana is 12. The survey found that 3.1 percent of Marshall County students said they used marijuana within the past year. Among 9th through 12th graders, 15.6 percent used marijuana within the last year.

For information about Marshall County trends from the 2008 PRIDE Survey, please see here.

Should TV and Radio Stations Accept Marijuana Advertising?

Medical marijuana has been decriminalized in 13 states, even though it's still illegal under federal law. That has put media outlets into a bind when it comes to deciding whether to accept advertising from marijuana dispensaries. The Poynter Institute writes about that issue today.

The Denver Post and a Sacramento radio station, for example, are accepting advertising. A Denver alternative weekly paper is even running reviews of marijuana dispensaries.

The National Association of Broadcasters isn't taking a stand on whether stations should take the ads or not. NAB executive vp Dennis Wharton said the trade group's legal experts say there doesn't appear to be an law preventing a station from airing a medical marijuana ad. Yet the Poynter Institute said that the station should think about what kind of reaction the public would have and check with its own lawyers.

Kentucky Courts Review Cases Involving Pregnant Women Who Use Drugs

The Louisville Courier-Journal writes that Kentucky's Supreme Court is looking again at a decision involving a mother and a newborn who both tested positive cocaine after the child's birth.

Ina Cochran had been charged following her daughter's birth but the charge was later dismissed on the grounds that an unborn child doesn't qualify as a person in the state's penal code. Now the indictment has been brought again after an appeal by prosecutors.

"It would be absurd to recognize the viable fetus as a person for purposes of homicide laws but not for the purposes of statutes proscribing child abuse," said the Kentucky attorney general. That includes pregnant mothers who abuse drugs, they say.

But others, including Cochran's lawyers and women's groups, say that such prosecutions will discourage women from prenatal care and hospital births.

Times Profiles A. Thomas McLellan

The New York Times profiles A. Thomas McLellan, who became deputy director of the Office on National Drug Control Policy in August.

McLellan was professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania and an expert on addiction when he was asked by vice president Joe Biden to join the government. For McLellan, the issues are not just professional. His youngest son died at age 30 last year from an overdose; his older son has been in residential treatment and his wife is a recovering cocaine addict.

"I thought it was some kind of sign, you know," McLellan told The TImes. "I would never have done it. I loved all the people I've worked with, I loved my life. But I thought maybe there's a way where what I know plus what I feel could make a difference."

More of the story here.

Substance Abuse Affects Everyone

Cabell County Substance Abuse Prevention Partnership director Anne McGee has an op-ed piece in the Huntington, WV, Herald-Dispatch about the costs of substance abuse and the Governor's Comprehensive Strategic Plan to Address Substance Abuse in West Virginia. The strategic plan was unveiled Nov. 16 at the Governor's Drug Summit in Charleston.

She said substance abuse cuts across simple classification.

"It is an insidious social and public health issue that crosses age, gender, economic, social, racial, cultural, and other boundaries," she writes. "With substance abuse, there is no cut-and-dried determination that a particular party is going to bear the cost: in fact we all pay for substance abuse whether we use substances or not."

To read more of McGee's article, see here.

Medical Marijuana Supporters Tout Job Growth

This story from The New York Times profiles Med Grow Cannabis College, a school in Michigan that teaches the ins and outs of medical marijuana.

It's not a college per se, but instead a class training people in the state's newly legal medical marijuana industry. The Times calls it "a cross between an agricultural extension class and a gathering of serious potheads, sharing stories of their best highs."

The class is founded by 24-year-old Nick Tennant, who said that hundreds of jobs can be created in the medical marijuana industry.

Yet there's still a stigma. An instructor and several students interviewed for the article didn't want to be photographed or their names used.

Youth Key to Anti-Drug Coalition's Success

Youth have been a big part of the success of the Marshall County Anti-Drug Coalition in 2009.

They have been an integral part of two Project Sticker Shock events, one in April and the other in November, that aims to eliminate youth access to alcohol. And local youth were the driving forces behind two community events, June's "We Bark Against Drugs and Alcohol" family fun day and July's sand-volleyball tournament. The last two raised money for two local charities, the We Bark No-Kill Animal Shelter and the Marshall County Special Olympics.

Sticker Shock is designed to eliminate the sales of alcohol to adults who purchase alcohol for youth. Youth volunteers from all over Marshall County, with the help of adult chaperones, place specially made stickers on alcoholic beverages to remind customers that it's illegal to purchase or provide alcohol to minors. Students from Bishop Donahue Catholic High School in McMechen, Cameron High School, John Marshall High School in Glen Dale and Sherrard Middle School, as well as Cameron High School's SADD chapter, the Young Panthers and the Marshall County 4-H Club.

On Veteran's Day, Nov. 11, more than 100 youth and adults spent a portion of their holiday giving back to the community by participating in Sticker Shock.

Earlier this year, the Marshall County Youth in Action held the family fun day at the 12th Street Park in Moundsville. The event included face painting, tie-dying of shirts and games, with the money raised going to the We Bark shelter. In July, the sand volleyball tournament included a dozen teams and raised $235 for the Marshall County Special Olympics.

Governor Unveils Substance Abuse Plan

The West Virginia Partnership to Promote Community Well-Being said Monday that it is recommending the state spend $23.5 million annually on substance abuse prevention.

The board's strategy comes from a call by Gov. Joe Manchin to coordinate efforts to reduce drug and alcohol abuse in the state. Manchin told the Associated Press that he's making it his highest priority.

Among the proposals:

-- Establish community groups in all 55 counties to organize local solutions and channel funding.

-- Require all secondary schools in WV to conduct surveys every two years to gather data on substance abuse.

The governor's plan came from a drug summit that he held with state and local officials, including from the Marshall County Anti-Drug Coalition, on Monday in Charleston. The two-day Share the Vision conference is Tuesday and Wednesday.

WV first lady: "We are losing young people, destroying families"

With the governor set to announce his substance abuse plan on Monday at the Drug Summit in Charleston, first lady Gayle C. Manchin is weighing in with her opinions on the work of the West Virginia Partnership to Promote Community Well-Being. It's the partnership, along with Gov. Joe Manchin, who have developed the plan to counter substance abuse in West Virginia.

"They have created an investment plan to make significant reductions in the social and financial burden these issues places on all West Virginians," Mrs. Manchin wrote in the HuntingtonNews.net. "More importantly, it encourages and explains how each of us, in our own unique role, can become involved at some level in the state wide prevention system."

She added: "What we do know is that there is not a person in the state that has not been touched by the destructive force of substance abuse in some way -- a family member, a friend, a co-worker, a neighbor -- it is at epidemic proportions and growing every day. This is not someone else's problem anymore."

Governor to Unveil Substance Abuse Strategy

The Associated Press says that WV Gov. Joe Manchin will unveil his plan to alleviate the substance abuse problem in West Virginia next week.

The plan will be made public at substance-abuse summit being held next week in Charleston.

Members of the Marshall County Anti-Drug Coalition and employees from the Marshall County Family Resource Network will attend the events.

Sticker Shock A Smash Success

Project Sticker Shock, held Nov. 11, involved 109 adults and youth and 15 retailers throughout Marshall County. For more pictures of the event, become a fan of the Marshall County Anti-Drug Coalition and the Marshall County Family Resource Network on Facebook.

"Marjuana Nation" Special at CBSNews.com

CBS News has a special report this week called "Marijuana Nation: The New War over Weed," which is on its website at CBSNews.com.

One of the features is a point-counterpoint between David Evans of the Drug Free America Foundation and James P. Gray, a retired Orange County, Calif., judge who works with Law Enforcement Against Prohibition.

"Drug legalization advocates claim that marijuana is less dangerous than drugs like alcohol, cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine," Evans says in the piece. "However, studies over the last few years give us a lot of new information about marijuana. They show that marijuana is not harmless but that it is toxic and addictive."

Project Sticker Shock Nov. 11

The Marshall County Anti-Drug Coalition is once again bringing Project Sticker Shock to Marshall County to address the continuing issue of youth access to alcohol.

Project Sticker Shock is an event designed to eliminate the sales of alcohol to adults who purchase alcohol for youth. Youth volunteers, with the help of their adult chaperones, place specially made stickers on alcoholic beverages to remind customers that it’s illegal to purchase or provide alcohol to minors.

Participating retailers are Greg's Market on Fourth Street and Jefferson Avenue in Moundsville and in Cameron; Dragon Mart in Cameron; Kroger in Moundsville and Benwood; Rite Aid in Moundsville; Butch's Corner in Sherrard; Jerry's Mini Mart in McMechen; Gumby's in Moundsville and Glen Dale; Speedway in Glen Dale; Limestone General Store; Wal-Mart Super Center Store #2852 in Moundsville; and Smith Oil in Moundsville.

The program, held annually in November, is in need of youth volunteers and adult chaperones from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 11, at local retail locations.

The event will wrap up with a “fiesta” at the Acapulco Restaurant on Route 2 in Moundsville from 11 a.m. to noon, where volunteers can enjoy lunch. To volunteer, please call Kimberli Green at (304) 845-3300 or email marshallcountysdfc@comcast.net.

FDA Seeks to Cut Prescription Drug Abuse

The Food and Drug Administration wants to know how to help Americans from misusing or abusing prescription and over-the-counter medicines.

The Safe Use Initiative is designed to reduce what the FDA calls preventable harm from the 3 billion prescriptions that are written annually in the United States. At least 1.5 million preventable prescription-drug related events happen each year, causing $4 billion in costs and at least 60,000 ER visits by children under 12 every year.

"Through coordinated efforts, we can make significant improvements in the safe use of medications and reduce preventable harm from medication misuse, abuse and errors," the FDA said.

The initiative includes identifying risks and implementing cross-sector approaches including federal agencies; healthcare professionals and professional societies; pharmacies, hospitals and other health care organizations; and patients, caregivers, consumers and their representative organizations.

A fact sheet and other material can be found here.

West Virginia has a growing problem with prescription drug abuse, with West Virginia's increase in fatal drug overdoses rising 550% from 1999 to 2004, according to the West Virginia Prescription Drug Abuse Quitline. One estimate said that 250,000 West Virginians were using prescription drugs for nonmedical reasons.

State Votes to Expand Medical Marijuana; Two "dry" towns go wet

Add Maine to the list of states that will be ramping up medical marijuana.

It wasn't the most high-profile referendum question in the Pine Tree State -- that went to the gay marriage issue, which was defeated -- but Maine voters approved, 59% to 41%, to expand its medical marijuana law.

For 10 years, Maine has made it legal for patients to grow their own marijuana or have someone grow it for them. Tuesday's approval widens the number of conditions that can be treated by medical marijuana and creates a delivery system through dispensaries.

Police and prosecutors, who came out against the referendum question, say they're worried that the marijuana will be used for other uses.

Meanwhile, the "dry" town of Friendship, Maine, has decided to allow beer and wine sales for the first time in 90 years. Voters, in the fourth referendum in 20 years, decided to allow sales in the coastal town.

So too was another town, Winona, Texas, which voted Tuesday to approve off-premise alcohol sales.

Sweetin, Agassi Cause Controvery over Crystal Meth Use

You may know her from playing Stephanie Tanner on the 1980s sitcom "Full House." But Jodie Sweetin has done a lot of living in the past 15 years, including an addiction to crystal meth. She writes about it in her new autobiography, "Unsweetined."

She's the second celebrity in a week to write about her experiences with crystal meth. Tennis star Andre Agassi drew controversy when he wrote about how he used to use the drug.

"It's a lot more widespread than people realize," Sweetin told E! Online. "It's not just people with no money who are sitting in a trailer somewhere with no teeth doing cyrstal meth. There are a lot of people -- people who have money, people who have families."

Sweetin, who has a year and a half old daughter, is clean now and said using crystal meth or any other drug is unthinkable.

"This time is the best quality of the sobriety I've had," she told E! "Comparitively, I couldn't ask for a better life."

More of the interview here.

Election Day Has "Dry" Status on Ballots

While this year's Election Day isn't anywhere near as frenzied in the news media as last year, there are at least two alcohol-related questions on ballots around the country.

The small towns of Friendship, Maine, and Winona, Texas, will vote Tuesday on whether to allow alcohol sales. Both towns are dry and have been since Prohibition was repealed in the early 1930s.

For Friendship, it will be the fourth time in recent years that residents have voted on the matter. Friendship voters, which number under 1,000, shot down alcohol sales in 1987, 1992 and 2000. But the owners of a grocery store say that being allowed to sell beer and wine will help them survive the economic downturn.

In Winona, the issue is whether to allow alcohol sales for off-premise consumption. The last vote, earlier this year, was tied but disallowed after several people who didn't live there apparently voted.

Maine has 40 towns that have some kinds of bans on alcohol but Friendship has the strongest rules.

"That's as dry as you can get," said a state liquor enforcement agent.

In West Virginia, there are only a few places that are dry, including Lincoln County (but not Hamlin) and Calhoun County. Kentucky has several more dry counties.

UPDATE: Maine Rules Against Low-Alcohol Drink

Updating the story earlier this week in the Marshall County Anti-Drug Coalition blog, the Maine Attorney General's Office has decided that Fentiman's Victorian Lemonade is a type of liquor and can't be sold to minors.

The ruling caps a week of controversy over the British "botanically brewed beverage," which was bought and brought to school by a Houlton, Maine, high school student before he realized there was a bit of alcohol in it. The Aroostook Substance Abuse Prevention Council and the Maine Alliance to Prevent Substance Abuse both took the case to the state's attorney general, saying that it shouldn't be sold to minors.

The company was nonplussed.

"We see it as slightly absurd," a company representative told the Bangor Daily News. She said that the lemonade is so low in alcohol that it would take 28 bottles to equal one pint of beer.

But the substance abuse prevention officials and the Houlton police were happy.

"We are trying to promote a healthy lifestyle and we do not want products being marketed to youth that might affect their health," said Houlton police chief Butch Asselin.

British Drink Stirs Controversy in U.S.

Is it alcohol or just lemonade?

A so-called "brewed lemonade" from the United Kingdom, Fentiman's Victorian Lemonade, is causing a controversy in northern Maine. A student at Houlton High School, near the Canadian border, brought a bottle of the lemonade to school. He had purchased it at a local store, only to read the bottle later and find out contained alcohol. The student brought it to the attention of school officials, according to the Bangor Daily News.

The Aroostook Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition and the Maine Alliance to Prevent Substance Abuse have petitioned the state's liquor control board to try to classify the drink as either alcohol or "imitation liquor." Either of those designations would keep it out of the hands of under 21 year olds.

"I think this should not be sold to youth," said Clare Desrosiers, project director for the Aroostook Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition. "To me, it is sold in what looks like a liquor bottle."

But Fentimans said that it's much ado about nothing, according to the Daily Mail, a British newspaper said. The alcohol level is 0.5 percent, which still qualifies it as a soft drink according to the manufacturer. The Daily Mail said that it's not uncommon to have common household products with at least a little alcohol in them, including orange juice, mouthwash and chewing gum.

States Thrown Into Chaos with Medical Marijuana Law

The New York Times reports that with the federal government's decision not to prosecute people for using medical marijuana, the states where it is legal are finding it difficult.

"The federal government says they're not going to control it, so the only other option we have is to control it ourselves," said one official in a community where marijuana dispensaries could be banned.

It's an issue in Colorado, California and New Hampshire, all battered by state budget cuts. It's also an issue in states like New York and New Jersey that may soon have their own medical marijuana laws.

Governor Awards Marshall County FRN with Safe and Drug-Free Communities Grant

West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin III has awarded the Marshall County Family Resource Network with a $25,520 Safe and Drug Free Communities Grant to provide substance abuse and violence prevention programs in Marshall County schools.

Manchin presented three staff members from the FRN -- executive director Stacie Dei, substance abuse prevention director Latrisha Whitelatch and Safe and Drug Free Communities coordinator Kimberli Green -- with the award at a ceremony in Charleston. The FRN's grant was among 19 projects from across the state to receive SDFC grants.

The Marshall County FRN's Safe and Drug Free Communities Grant is the Too Good for Drugs and Violence program. Too Good for Drugs has been implemented in Marshall County schools since 2007. It is in its third year at Cameron Elementary School, focusing on fifth and sixth graders. The program, which began in Cameron on Oct. 1 this year, includes a 30-minute lesson once a week for 10 weeks. The lesson plans incorporate five interwoven components such as goal setting, decision making, bonding with others, identifying and managing emotions and effective communications.

In January 2010, Central Elementary School fifth graders in Moundsville will go through the program for 10 weeks. Counselors at Cameron Elementary School and Central Elementary School will implement Too Good for Violence programs into their schools.

The goal of the Marshall County SDFC program, in collaboration with the Marshall County Anti-Drug Coalition, is to reduce substance abuse among youth, and over time among adults, by promoting and delivering effective substance abuse prevention. The program is designed to reduce risk factors and enhance protective factors while helping students develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes essential to making positive decisions to remain safe and drug free. The WV Division of Criminal Justice Services of the Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety adminsters the program from funds received from the U.S. Department of Education under the Safe and Drug Free Communities Act.

The Benwood-McMechen Housing Authority also received $13,530 for its violence prevention and social skill-building program to children from kindergarten through ninth grade.

Marking Red Ribbon Week

The Marshall County Anti-Drug Coalition is marking Red Ribbon Week from Oct. 17-25. Red Ribbon Week is the oldest, largest drug-prevention awareness campaign in the country, and takes place the last full week in October annually.

Red Ribbon Week encourages individuals and communities across the United States to take a stand for the hopes and dreams of children through a commitment to drug prevention and education and a personal commitment to live drug-free lives with the ultimate goal being the creation of a drug-free America.

According to the Red Ribbon Coalition, the Red Ribbon Celebration Pledge is: "No Use of Illegal Drugs, No Illegal Use of Legal Drugs." The Red Ribbon Celebration Pledge represents a no-nonsense, clear and consistent promise that students, parents, teachers and community leaders should be willing to make -- and more importantly -- expected to keep.

This year's Red Ribbon Celebration Theme is "Dream, Believe, Achieve, Succeed." The theme is meant to inspire young people. It also reminds adults that we must work every day to support the development of "protective factors" (skills and competencies) that every young person needs in his/her life in order to prevent alcohol, tobacco, other drug use and violence.

There are three categories of protective factors: Caring relationships, high expectations and meaningful participation. Each category should be experienced in the following four domains: At home, school, among peers and in the community. Research has shown that promoting the development of protective factors is an effective prevention strategy.

Red Ribbon Week began in honor of Drug Enforcement Agency special agent Enrique (Kiki) S. Camarena, a former Marine and veteran officer who was kidnapped, tortured and killed by the Mexican drug cartels in February 1985. He was undercover for four and a half years in Mexico, on the trail of Mexico's biggest marijuana and cocaine traffickers. In early 1985, he was close to unlocking a multibillion-dollar drug pipeline. However, before he was able to expose the drug trafficking operations, he was kidnapped on Feb. 7, 1985. He was killed soon after and his body found March 5, 1985. He was 37 years old, an 11-year veteran of the DEA, married with three children.

Shortly after Camarena's death, then-U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-California, and high school friend Henry Lozano launched Camarena Clubs in Camarena's hometown of Calexico, Calif. Hundreds of club members and teachers wore red ribbons and pledged to lead drug-free lives to honor the sacrifices made by Kiki Camarena and others on behalf of all Americans.

Red Ribbon Week eventually gained momentum throughout California and the United States. In 1985, club members presented the "Camarena Club Proclamation" to first lady Nancy Reagan, which brought the club national attention. Later that summer, parent groups in California, Illinois and Virginia began promoting the wearing of Red Ribbons nationwide during late October. The campaign was then formalized in 1988 with President and Mrs. Reagan serving as honorary chairpersons. Today, the eight eights of Red Ribbon Week is sponsored by the National Family Partnership and has become the annual catalyst to show intolerance for drugs in our schools, workplaces and communities. Each year, during the last week in October, more than 80 million youth and adults show their commitment to a healthy, drug-free lifestyle by wearing or displaying the Red Ribbon.

Controversy over Medical Marijuana Decision

Depending on who you talk to, the federal government's decision to drop enforcement efforts against people who use medical marijuana is either a good or bad thing.

On Monday, the Obama administration signaled that it won't be prosecuting people who use medical marijuana. That means that people in the 13 states that have legalized medical marijuana won't face federal charges. As Health.com reports, however, the news is not a panacea for all issues. Some states like California have conflicting laws about it.

This Washington Post article discusses the issue, including some organizations like the International Association of Chiefs of Police that wonders whether the Mexican drug cartels that have traditionally supplied much of the nation's marijuana supply will benefit from this loosening of restrictions.

Conservative columnist Kathleen Parker wrote in The Washington Post that the drug war has failed and that opinion polls show an increasing number of Americans (44%) think marijuana ought to be legalized.

Yet others, including a former White House anti-drug spokesman, say that while making it easier for legitimate patients to get the relief they need, it could have the unintended effect of letting healthy people get high.

"There is a real danger that if marijuana is made essentially a prescription drug, its abuse and usage explosion could parallel other prescription drugs over the last decade, such as OxyContin, which have tripled nationally and quintupled in many locations because of the easy of availability," said ex-White House Drug Policy spokesman Bob Weiner. "But to announce and implement a policy of broad-brush non-enforcement when there is so much loose about usage of medical marijuana and its distribution is a dangerous policy."

Bill Would Make Powder Cocaine, Crack Penalties the Same

A bill introduced in Congress on Thursday has its eye on changing sentencing rules for powdered and crack cocaine.

U.S. Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Ill., said he wants to change the disparity in sentencing between crack and powdered cocaine, increase the quantity of crack cocaine that would spark a mandatory prison term and heavily target large-scale drug traffickers and violent criminals.

Five grams of crack cocaine -- two sugar cubes' worth -- requires a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in jail. That's the same penalty as trafficking 500 grams (or one pound) of powder cocaine.

The Fair Sentencing Act would seek to eliminate what the U.S. Sentencing Commission and civil-rights advocates say is a large gap in incarceration rates between African Americans and whites. Only 25% of crack users are African American but they accounted for 81% of crack convictions in 2007. Advocates hope to reduce the record level of Americans in prison, as well as take into account current research that says crack and powdered cocaine are little different in terms of physiological effects. Durbin said there's also little difference between crack and powder cocaine in terms of violence involved.

"Drug use is a serious problem in America and we need tough legislation to combat it. But in addition to being tough, our drug laws must be smart and fair. Our current cocaine laws are not," Durbin said in a statement. "The sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine has contributed to the imprisonment of African Americans at six times the rate of whites and to the United States' position a the world's leader in incarcerations. Congress has talked about addressing this injustice for long enough; it's time to act."

The Washington Post said that a change in the law has been sought since 1986, at the height of the crack cocaine epidemic.

The bill has the support of the Obama administration as well as nine other senators, including Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) and Crime and Drugs Subcommittee Chairman Arlen Specter (D-Pa.). A similar bill is going through the U.S. House of Representatives.

Smoking Ban Saves Lives, Study Says

A study by the Institute on Health supports bans on smoking in public places, saying that restrictions cause fewer heart attacks and heart disease.

The New York Times said that "exposure to secondhand smoke significantly increased the risk of a heart attack among both smokers and nonsmokers."

Find the story here.

SAMHSA Gives $28.78 Million for Treatment Services

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced that it is awarding more than $28.7 million in funding for up to three years to provide substance abuse treatment and related recovery support services to juvenile and adult offenders returning to the community from incarceration.

Organizations receiving funding under the Offender Reentry Program are expected to plan, develop and provide a successful transition from incarceration to community-based substance abuse treatment and recovery support services for people in need, beginning in the correctional or juvenile facilities – before release.

"Treating substance abuse and providing recovery support services is the key to breaking the well known cycle between incarceration and drug abuse,” said SAMHSA Acting Administrator, Eric Broderick, D.D.S., M.P.H. "This program provides a solid foundation for people working to restart their lives and become productive members of the community."

The grants awarded under the Offender Reentry Program are projected to be funded up to $400,000 per year for three years. The actual award amounts are subject to the availability of funding as well as the progress achieved by the grantees

NYC Wants to Ban All Flavored Tobacco; UK Hides It

The Associated Press says that New York City is thinking about going beyond new federal restrictions on the sale of flavored cigarettes: The New York City Council wants to ban all flavored tobacco.

Meanwhile, the United Kingdom may make make tobacco go behind the counter to protect young people and reformed smokers. Parliament is leaning toward regulations that say shops won't be able to put up displays inside their stores and tobacco vending machines will be outlawed.

"Smoking continues to have a heavy impact on the health of our communities," said UK Public Health Minister Gillian Merron. "Today's children could be tomorrow's smokers. These new plans will help to ensure they are not. Protecting young people from a lifetime of addiction and possible death and disease from smoking is crucial, as is supporting smokers who want to quit."

Homegrown Marijuana Growing Problem in the U.S.

Mexico has for years been the gold standard when it came to illicit marijuana growing. But now small-time production in the United States is wrecking the illegal Mexican trade, the Washington Post said.

Experts say that up to half of all marijuana consumed in the U.S. -- many billions of dollars' worth -- is being produced here. It's a big change from years past, when marijuana came from Mexico and Colombia. That is hurting the bottom line of the Mexican drug cartels, where $8.6 billion of its $13.8 billion in revenue in 2006 came from marijuana sales in the United States, CBS News said.

Marijuana Making Comeback in Appalachia

While it had been on the decline in recent years, marijuana confiscation is on the rise in Appalachia, the Associated Press reports.

West Virginia is the fifth-largest producer of marijuana in the country, behind California, Washington, Kentucky and Tennessee. The amount of marijuana plants taken by police in Appalachia fell from 1.2 million in 2003 to 700,000 in 2007. But in 2008 it was back up to 1 million.

Why? The economy.

"The economy or lack of economy has always driven the marijuana trade," said one federal official. "It is still the cash cow as far as illicit drugs. It offers the greatest return on investment.

And it's not only Appalachia. The New England state of Maine, not known for its marijuana production, this week seized what the Bangor Daily News called the largest "pot plantation" ever seen in the Pine Tree State.

The plantation has an estimated $10 million or more value -- with $2,000 per plant as a guide -- and was found by Maine law enforcement thanks to a tip on its Web site and an aerial search.

Life-Threatening Risk Posed by Cocaine Laced with Veterinary Anti-Parasite Drug

SAMHSA is alerting medical professionals, substance abuse treatment centers, and other public health authorities about the risk that substantial levels of cocaine may be adulterated with levamisole-a veterinary anti-parasitic drug.

There have been approximately 20 confirmed or probable cases of agranulocytosis (a serious, sometimes fatal blood disorder), including two deaths, associated with cocaine adulterated with levamisole. The number of reported cases is expected to increase as information about cocaine adulterated with levamisole is disseminated.

Eat Dinner with Your Kids on Sept. 28

Want to know a good way to reduce your kids' chances of using drugs? Eat dinner with them frequently.

Family Day, a Day to Eat Dinner with Your Children, is Monday, Sept. 28. It's a nationwide movement sponsored by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University, and encourages parents to keep engaged with their children -- and substance free -- by having frequent dinners where the whole family eats with each other.

Here's what the Marshall County Anti-Drug Coalition and the Marshall County Family Resource Network have to say about the subject.

But don't take our word for it. It's truly a national campaign.

The Los Angeles Times says that teenagers who have frequent family dinners are much less likely to drink and use drugs.

Or, as the East Bay Times of Rhode Island points out: "With the 9-to-5, single-income household a thing of the past for many households, families are rushing around more than ever and scheduling a plethora of after-school programs for their kids. The family dinner hour -- the time of day when you share details about school or the office, air grievances or just shoot the breeze -- has been relegated to the back burner."

FDA Bans Flavored Cigarettes

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has banned cigarettes with flavors of fruit, candy or clove. The ban, authorized by the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, is part of a national effort by the FDA to reduce smoking in America. Smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in America.

The FDA's ban on candy and fruit-flavored cigarettes, effective today, highlights the importance of reducing the number of children who start to smoke, and who become addicted to dangerous tobacco products. The FDA is also examining options for regulating both menthol cigarettes and flavored tobacco products other than cigarettes.

"Almost 90 percent of adult smokers start smoking as teenagers. These flavored cigarettes are a gateway for many children and young adults to become regular smokers," said FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D. "The FDA will utilize regulatory authority to reduce the burden of illness and death caused by tobacco products to enhance our Nation's public health."
Flavors make cigarettes and other tobacco products more appealing to youth. Studies have shown that 17 year old smokers are three times as likely to use flavored cigarettes as smokers over the age of 25

Smoking Lowers U.S. Life Expectancy, Study Says

The effects of smoking on the nation's health is much more wide-ranging than just the number of people who die from it every year.

In a study comparing life expectancy worldwide, the U.S. tends to rank in the lower part of the list among the developed countries. While that's sometimes believed to be due to the U.S. healthcare system, a University of Pennsylvania demographer said that's not true. He told The New York Times that it's mostly because of the high rates of heart disease and cancer, both diseases you get from smoking.

The researchers said "that if deaths due to smoking were excluded, the United States would rise to the top half of the longevity rankings for developed countries," The Times said.

Nitro Fired Up Over Smoking Ban

Nitro, W.V., might leave Kanawha County's health department over a smoking ban.

At issue is whether the Tri-State Racetrack and Gaming Center should be exempt from the anti-smoking regulation, which was enacted by the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department. Nitro says yes; the health department, not so much.

Nitro's plan would switch the entire county from a split between Kanawha and Putnam, which is the case now, to placing the city completely into the Putnam County health department.

We Need Your Help: Please Fill Out Survey

The Marshall County Family Resource Network and the Marshall County Anti-Drug Coalition are joining others in the community for a pilot project on problems related to underage drinking.

The West Virginia Center for Civic Life has selected Marshall County for the monthslong project, which addresses the prevention of underage drinking. In the first step of the project, community organizations will ask members of the community for their input on the issue. We would like to hear from you. Questions include whether you are concerned about underage drinking in Marshall County, what can be done to prevent underage drinking, and what could be done to help those who have developed habits of underage drinking. You will be helping to guide the course of the project.

A survey is available online at http://tinyurl.com/mkpeeg. You can also email frnpr@comcast.net for a link to the survey.

In the coming months, we’ll be holding a number of community forums about underage drinking. For more information, please see marshallcountyfrn.com or email frnpr@comcast.net.

State To Receive Nearly $1 Million for Prevention

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration is giving nearly $1 million to prevention efforts in West Virginia.

The State Journal in Charleston said $951,000 is going to local agencies, thanks to the efforts to Sen. Robert Byrd, D-WV. It's supposed to be in West Virginia by the end of the month.

Drug Abuse Declines Nationwide

Here's some good news in the war on addiction: Both illicit and prescription drug abuse dropped nationwide in 2008.

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health reported there was "significant declines" in the abuse of prescription drugs, methamphetamine and cocaine, among other drugs. The report was released late last week by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

SAMHSA said:

-- Methamphetamine abuse among people 12 and over fell from 529,000 in 2007 to 314,000 in 2008.

-- Prescription drug abuse dropped from 3.3 percent to 2.9 percent in 2008.

-- Cocaine use fell to 0.7 percent from 1 percent in 2006.

Alcohol use by college students -- a demographic that is a target for binge drinking -- fell again in 2008 for the third year in a row. Just over 16 percent of college students ages 18-22 reported heavy alcohol use, down from the high of 19.5 percent in 2005.

The use of marijuana among the nation's youth, however, has held steady. About 6.7 percent of youth ages 12-17 said they used marijuana within the past month.

Your Help Needed for Pilot Project

How much of a problem is underage drinking in Marshall County? Please fill out a brief survey, available here, and send to frnpr@comcast.net or Marshall County FRN, 324 7th St., Moundsville, WV 26041. Your responses will be used to help guide a pilot project between the Marshall County Anti-Drug Coalition and the West Virginia Center for Civic Life.

Interview Guide

Underage Drinking in Marshall County

I am part of a team of local citizens working to gather information from Marshall County residents about problems related to underage drinking. We want to capture the public’s concerns about this issue, and we would like to include your views. Community forums on this issue will be held throughout Marshall County later in the fall. We hope you will attend. (Please use space below and the reverse side to record responses.)

1. Are you concerned about underage drinking in Marshall County? If so, what concerns you most? What do you think concerns others in your community?

2. What are the main challenges we face in dealing with this problem?

3. What could be done to prevent underage drinking? Who should be involved?

4. What could be done to help those who have developed habits of underage drinking?

Who could do it?

5. What aspect of this issue does the public most need to come together to talk about?

6. What other thoughts about underage drinking would you like to offer?

Community forums on this issue will be held in several locations in the coming months. Please provide a way to contact you if you would like to be notified about the upcoming forums.

Name Email or other preferred contact information

Please circle all of the responses that apply:

Female Male

African-American Hispanic-American Asian-American European-American (White) Other

Under 18 18-29 30-49 50-64 65 and over

Occupation ___________________Town/Community________________________Zip code________

Listen to "The Science of Substance Abuse"

A radio program aired Wednesday on KPBS, a public radio station in San Diego, features three experts talking about addiction and how using nicotine, alcohol and marijuana affect moods, mental abilities and overall health.

The episode of "These Days" is called "The Science of Substance Abuse," and can be streamed or downloaded.

Prevention Program Shows Promise

A University of Washington study finds that a prevention program shows notable success in reducing the rate of alcohol and smokeless tobacco use among teen-agers.

The Community Youth Development Study is tracking 4,400 students in small- to medium-size towns from Maine to Washington over a five-year period. It found that binge drinking rates were 37% lower among the students who were enrolled in the Communities That Care prevention program.

For more information on Communities That Care, please see here.

Big Tobacco Fighting Marketing Restrictions

The tobacco industry is chafing against restrictions on marketing to young people.

As The New York Times notes, a new law said the industry can't use color in a magazine that has readership under 18, including People, Sports Illustrated and ESPN. The industry is upset about that, along with stricter controls over the language that is used to warn of the health risks of smoking.

"On public health grounds, the tobacco industry does not deserve much latitude to promote its deadly products with colorful images, as opposed to black and white text," the Times wrote Monday. "In a 2006 opinion based on company documents, Federal District Judge Gladys Kessler found that tobacco companies had marketed to young people 'while consistently, publicly, and falsely, denying they do so.' Now, the courts must decide how much this rogue industry may be restrained. The health of millions of impressionable young people rides on the outcome."

Drug-Free Work Week Set Oct. 19-25

The U.S. Department of Labor encouraged public and private community organizations to participate in the 4th annual Drug-Free Work Week, which will occur Oct. 19-25. This public awareness campaign, held each October, emphasizes the importance of drug-free workplace programs to help prevent workplace alcohol and drug use, and encourage workers with alcohol and drug problems to seek help.

This year's campaign will have a special focus on the benefits drug-free workplace programs bring to America's families and communities. In cities and towns across the nation, community-based and neighborhood organizations will be organizing a variety of grassroots activities to spread the campaign's core message that "Working Drug Free Works" to workers, working parents and youth.

New National Ads Target Meth Use

The federal Office of National Drug Control Policy is launching a multistate campaign to battle methamphetamine in the 16 states that have the highest rates of addiction and use, the Associated Press reports.

The multimedia campaign includes TV, radio, billboards, gas pumps, the Web and newspapers. The states are Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Nebraska, Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Wyoming, Arizona and New Mexico. The radio and Web ads will be national.

The AP said the ads focus on prevention and send a message that meth addiction can be overcome; the target audience is adults 18-34.