All over the mainstream news and on the sports TV channels, more and more athletes have admitted to using the prescription drug Adderall as a performance enhancer rather than as a medicine for those who genuinely need it.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Eric Wright, who was suspended for four games by the National Football League for violating the league's policy on banned substances, is the second Tampa Bay starter this season who was disciplined for using Adderall. More than a dozen NFL players have either blamed their 2012 drug suspensions on Adderall or been connected to the stimulant by others.

In Major League Baseball, the percentage of players approved for Adderall runs above the national average, according to an article in USA Today.
The widespread use of Adderall in general highlights the complicated task the NFL — and Major League Baseball — face in regulating a powerful prescription drug that the leagues exempt as medicine for players who need it and classify as a performance-enhancer for those who don't.

Sound off. How do you feel about professional athletes abusing prescription drugs? Let the Marshall County Anti-Drug Coalition know on our Facebook page.

Coalitions in Action: Coalitions Educate Communities About Marijuana’s Harm

On Tuesday, voters in Washington state, Oregon and Colorado will decide if marijuana should be legal for recreational use, allowing adults to possess small amounts of pot under a regimen of state regulation and taxation. Under federal law, any marijuana use is still illegal. Six other states — Arkansas, Massachusetts, Illinois, New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio— will decide whether to allow marijuana use for so-called medicinal reasons, as 17 states and Washington, D.C. have done previously. 

CADCA’s coalitions in these states have been working hard to educate the public about the harm of marijuana use, especially among youth, countering proponents who see the issue as “reefer reform.” 

“The Eagle River Youth Coalition in Edwards, Colo. hosted a successful event last week that educated community members about marijuana and youth. The presenters (renowned physician, law enforcement officer, and jail inmates) shared and offered resources on the negative impacts of marijuana use on the adolescent brain, addictive nature of the drug and likelihood of it being a “gateway drug”, and on local youth usage and perception data,” said Michelle Hartel Stecher, the coalition’s Executive Director. 

"Colorado is known for many great things — marijuana should not be one of them," Colorado’s Gov. John Hickenlooper said about Amendment 64. "Amendment 64 has the potential to increase the number of children using drugs and would detract from efforts to make Colorado the healthiest state in the nation. It sends the wrong message to kids that drugs are OK." 

CADCA members, the San Luis Valley Prevention Coalition, in Alamosa County, like other coalitions, have been educating their community by disseminating factual information and statistics about the measure and working on policies to increase barriers to accessing marijuana as well as tobacco and alcohol.
 
In Washington state, coalition leader Linda Thompson, where, according to public polls, their well-funded Initiative 502 is favored to pass, said community mobilization around marijuana legalization has occurred in every county in their state in a variety of ways. 

The coalitions that she is a part of, as Executive Director of the Greater Spokane Substance Abuse Council (GSSAC) and the Vice President and founding member of the state-wide Washington Association for Substance Abuse and Violence Prevention (WASAVP), have been countering the points of legalization proponents in a variety of venues, including with media editorial boards and with their partners in bordering Idaho and Oregon, where trafficking could occur. 

”We have great leaders all over the state who have been doing great things like conducting interviews, participating in debates, sending letters, and giving presentations, but we are up against a well-financed and professional legalization team. Despite this, we keep going on and will continue to educate about the harm of marijuana,” she said. 

Thompson said, although WASAP has taken a stance against Initiative 502, she knows some coalitions working on marijuana policy might not be able to devote a lot of time to advocacy or might not even think they can advocate or take a stance. 

“We can speak up with education. If you cannot advocate against legalization, prevention is prevention is prevention…We want our kids to make the choice not to use,” she said. 

Tom Parker, Lines for Life’s Strategic Development and communications Director, said Oregon’s marijuana legalization measure 80 has a faulty template and doesn’t seem likely to pass, but that hasn’t stopped the statewide non-profit organization committed to providing alcohol and drug prevention education and treatment referral from continuing their marijuana prevention work since medical marijuana was passed. 

“We have pointed out the flaws in measure 80 and spoken out against it. As marijuana attitudes have continued to soften, so-called “medical marijuana” sends a fuzzy message to our youth that if it’s OK to use as medicine, it’s OK to use it recreationally, it might be a benign drug, when we know it’s not,” Parker said. 

CADCA’s coalitions know that one of the best strategies in marijuana prevention has been sharing the facts, especially the science, how the drug affects the teen brain, and how prolonged use can reduce one’s IQ to the “lower third.” 

Kevin Sabet, Ph.D., Director of the Institute on Drug Policy at the University of Florida, Assistant Professor in the College of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, joins both presidential candidates and the American Medical Association in opposing marijuana legalization. Read his opinion editorial here:http://www.usnews.com/debate-club/should-marijuana-use-be-legalized/there-are-smarter-ways-to-deal-with-marijuana-than-legalization. 

CADCA’s National Coalition Institute will host the webinar “Marijuana: Science and Strategies for Community Coalitions” from 3-4:30 p.m. EST Nov. 15 featuring Dr. Sabet, Dr. Susan Weiss, Acting Director of the Office of Science Policy and Communications at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA); Sue Thau, CADCA Public Policy Consultant; and Rhonda Ramsey Molina, Deputy Director of Dissemination and Coalition Relations for the CADCA Institute. Register here.

New Research Stresses Health Dangers of Bath Salts

National Institute on Drug Abuse research published in this week’s Neuropsychopharmacology shows that MDPV, a synthetic chemical commonly found in the drugs referred to as “bath salts,” is potentially more dangerous than cocaine when tested in rodents. In this study, MDPV prolonged the effects of two neurotransmitters, dopamine and norepinephrine (by blocking reuptake at brain nerve cells) and produced hyperactivity, rapid heart rate and increased blood pressure, which are highly dangerous symptoms.

Though this study was done in rodents, these results could explain why these substances are addictive and highly dangerous in humans, as indicated by reports that MDPV is the chief substance found in the blood and urine of emergency room patients who have overdosed on so-called “bath salts.”

For a copy of the study abstract, go towww.nature.com/npp/journal/vaop/ncurrent/abs/npp2012204a.html. 

To watch the recent CADCA TV show on this subject, “Designer Drugs: The New Frontier,” click here.

Red Ribbon Week is October 23 - 31

October is filled with many opportunities to promote healthy, drug-free living, including Red Ribbon Week (October 23-31).

As part of this important occasion, Red Ribbon week is used to emphasize the significance of students, educators and communities working together to prevent substance abuse.

The Red Ribbon Celebration was originally established as a national drug awareness campaign in 1988, after the death of Drug Enforcement Administration Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena. The Celebration was created to take a collective stand against underage use of alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drugs. The Red Ribbon Celebration is promoted to reach all audiences, but is particularly targeted toward elementary and middle school students to encourage them to make a commitment to a drug-free lifestyle.

Drug Free Action Alliance (DFAA) encourages schools and organizations to use this week as a springboard to other prevention observances throughout the year. Drug Free 24/7 is a program designed by DFAA to help communities galvanize their efforts into a consistent, year-long message. Check out how Drug Free 24/7 can be the tool to tie all of the important things you do in your community into an exciting and easily recognizable campaign.  Download the toolkit to get ideas for your Red Ribbon Week events or visit www.DrugFreeActionAlliance.org. 

White House Drug Policy Office Awards More Than $84 Million to Local Communities to Prevent Youth Substance Use

(Washington D.C.) – Today, Gil Kerlikowske, Director of National Drug Control Policy, announced $84.6 million in Drug-Free Communities Support Program (DFC) grants to 692 communities across the country.  These grants will provide local communities support to prevent youth substance use and reduce the demand for drug consumption in the United States.  Kerlikowske made the announcement during an address to the Council on Foreign Relations.

“America’s success in the 21st century depends in part on our ability to help young people make decisions that will keep them healthy and safe,” said Gil Kerlikowske, Director of National Drug Control Policy. “We commend the Drug-Free Communities Support Program grantees on their work to raise a generation of young people equipped to remain drug-free and ready to prosper in school, in their communities, and in the workplace.  While law enforcement efforts will always serve a vital role in keeping our communities safe, we know that stopping drug use before it ever begins is always the smartest and most cost-effective way to reduce drug use and its consequences.”

The Drug-Free Communities Support Program is directed by ONDCP, in partnership with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).  The DFC Program provides grants of up to $625,000 over five years to community coalitions that facilitate youth and adult participation at the community level in local youth drug prevention efforts. Coalitions are comprised of community leaders, parents, youth, teachers, religious and fraternal organizations, healthcare and business professionals, law enforcement, and media.  The Marshall County Anti-Drug Coalition is receiving $125,000 in DFC Funding.

In April, the Obama Administration released the 2012 National Drug Control Strategy, the Obama Administration’s primary blueprint for drug policy in the United States.  The new Strategy is guided by three facts: addiction is a disease that can be prevented and treated; people with substance use disorders can recover; and innovative new criminal justice reforms can stop the revolving door of drug use, crime, incarceration, release, and re-arrest.

The rate of overall drug use in the United States has declined by roughly 30 percent since 1979. More recently, there has been a nearly 40 percent reduction in the number of current cocaine users and the number of current meth users has dropped by half.  To build on this progress and support a balance of public health and safety approaches to drug control outlined in the Strategy, the Obama Administration has committed over $10 billion for drug education programs and support for expanding access to drug treatment for people suffering from substance use disorders in FY 2012.  

For more information about the Administration efforts to reduce drug use and its consequences, or to learn more about the Drug Free Communities Support Program, visit: www.whitehouse.gov/ondcp