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.