Toyota developing anti-drunk driving gadget

There are already a number of states, including West Virginia, that require ignition locks on drivers who have been arrested for OUI. But Toyota Motor Co. said Monday that it was planning to put into some of its cars a handheld breathalizer that would keep the car's ignition off if it detected alcohol in the driver.

Few details were available but the system includes the breathalizer as well as a digital camera. The system starts with a warning but will shut down the ignition sequence if too much alcohol is detected.

A story by Agence-France Press reporting the news said that fellow automaker Nissan Motors is also developing a similar device.

Anti-Drug Coalition Wins Drug Free Communities Continuation Grant

MOUNDSVILLE – The Marshall County Anti-Drug Coalition has been awarded a Drug Free Communities Support Program continuation grant to help with its work of ending substance abuse among Marshall County youth.

The $125,000 grant from the Office of National Drug Control Policy and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration is administered by the Marshall County Family Resource Network. Marshall County was first awarded the grant in September 2008.

The Drug Free Communities Support Program is designed to achieve two major goals:

1. Establish and strengthen collaboration among communities, private nonprofit agencies, and federal, state and local governments to support the efforts of community coalitions like the Marshall County Anti-Drug Coalition to prevent and reduce substance abuse among youth.

2. Reduce substance abuse among youth and, over time, among adults by addressing the factors in a community that increase the risk of substance abuse and promoting the factors that minimize the risk of substance abuse.

“The Drug-Free Communities Grant is essential to the work of the Marshall County Anti-Drug Coalition, and we thank the Office of National Drug Control Policy and SAMHSA for their continued faith in our efforts,” said Latrisha Whitelatch, substance abuse prevention director of the Marshall County Family Resource Network and acting chair of the Marshall County Anti-Drug Coalition. “The money that this grant has provided has enabled us to counter the effects of drugs and alcohol on Marshall County youth.”

The Marshall County Anti-Drug Coalition is one of only three Drug Free Communities Support Program continuation grantees in the State of West Virginia. The other two are the Randolph County Family Resource Center in Elkins and Community Connections Inc. of Bluefield.

The Drug Free Communities Act of 1997 provides a catalyst for increased citizen participation to reduce substance use among youth, providing community anti-drug coalitions like Marshall County’s with funds to carry out its missions. The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration direct the program.

The Marshall County Anti-Drug Coalition began in 2003 when a group of Marshall County citizens recognized the need to combat substance abuse and rallied together to take action. Comprised of representatives from local law enforcement agencies, businesses, schools, non-profit agencies and concerned citizens, the Anti-Drug Coalition collaborates with various sectors of the county to help keep the community safe and drug-free. Meetings are held at noon on the first Friday of every month in the Historic Federal Building, 324 7th St., Moundsville. All community members who are interested in helping to reduce substance abuse in Marshall County are welcomed.

For more information about the Marshall County Anti-Drug Coalition, please visit marshallcountyantidrugcoalition.blogspot.com.

Tobacco Kills 6 Million a Year Worldwide

Tobacco kills six million people around the globe annually and costs the world economy up to $500 billion, a new report quoted by U.S. News & World Report said.

The study, by the American Cancer Society and the World Lung Foundation, was released as the Livestrong Global Cancer Summit in Dublin, Ireland. The study predicts that 2.1 million people will be killed by tobacco-related cancer by 2015; most of the deaths will be in poor countries because that's where the tobacco industry has begun to spend lots of money in marketing.

It's an "undeniable trend," the study said.

And it's the most preventable type of cancer through such policies as bans on advertising, taxes on tobacco, smoke-free public places and warnings on packages.

The American Cancer Society's news release is here.

FRN Holds Substance Abuse Prevention Workshop

More than 50 educators and law enforcement personnel attended a substance abuse prevention workshop sponsored by the Marshall County Family Resource Network at the John Marshall High School.

The workshop included presentations from Latrisha Whitelatch, substance abuse prevention director at the Marshall County Family Resource Network; Dara Pond, Adolescent Health Initiative coordinator for Region I; and Kimberli Green, coordinator of the Safe and Drug Free Communities program. The workshop concluded with a 90-minute presentation on Drug Endangered Children and Drug Identification from Andrea Darr of the West Virginia Prosecuting Attorneys Institute in Charleston.

In attendance were 45 Marshall County teachers, counselors and nurses along with two representatives from the Benwood Housing Authority’s after-school program, three Glen Dale police officers and Marshall County prosecutor Jeff Cramer.

Whitelatch provided an overview of the FRN’s substance abuse prevention efforts, including the work to keep alcohol out of the hands of youth and the fact that the FRN and the Marshall County Anti-Drug Coalition has shown recent progress. The age of first use of substances is 12-13; last year, it was 10-11. Whitelatch also said that the FRN and the coalition was hearing from community members deep concern about the abuse of prescription drugs.

“It’s an issue that is on the rise in our county,” Whitelatch said.

In her presentation, Darr provided statistics about how drug abuse was hurting children, not just as abusers themselves but if their parents or caregivers are drug users. She said that neglected and abused children are 50% more likely to be arrested as juveniles.

“Is that good enough reason to spread the word about these (drug endangered) kids,” she asked. She said that community members can help by reporting to law enforcement officers if they suspect abuse or drugs.

“The second annual substance abuse prevention workshop and resource fair was a great success. We were very pleased with the number of school personnel and others who attended the event,” said Whitelatch. “We were thrilled to be able to bring Andrea Darr to the Northern Panhandle to share her knowledge and expertise regarding drug endangered children and drug identification.”

Shelly Behm, Safe and Drug Free Schools counselor/prevention specialist at Marshall County Schools, thanked the FRN for its workshop.

“I’m sure that it will be put to good use in practice this year and in years to come in recognizing and dealing with substance-related issues,” Behm said. “I was very happy to see so many teachers, nurses, and counselors take the time out of their busy end-of-summer schedules to attend this very worthwhile training.”

Community organizations and agencies set up information tables and made a brief presentation to the educators and community members.

“Many teachers appreciated not only the training itself, but the availability of information about a variety of resources in our community,” Behm said.

The organizations who set up tables included the Child Care Resource Center, the Court Appointed Special Advocates, Harmony House, YWCA, Grand Vue Park & Recreation Center, Appalachian Outreach, Marshall County Emergency Management, the Youth Club of Marshall County, the Marshall County Adult Learning Center, USDA Rural Development, the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Initiative, New Vision, the Adolescent Health Initiative, the Marshall County Anti-Drug Coalition and the Marshall County Family Resource Network.

Baby Boomers Haven't Kicked Drug Habit

Some members of the Woodstock generation haven't left the 1960s, at least in terms of their drug habits, the Associated Press writes.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) said last week that the percentage of people age 50 years or older who are using illicit drugs doubled between 2002 and 2007. SAMHSA said that 9.4 percent of adults in 2007 50-59 said they were using illicit drugs compared to 5.1 percent in 2002. Drug use increases are because of the Baby Boom generation moving through the age bracket, officials said.

Another fact: About 90 percent of Baby Boomers started using drugs before age 30.

For the SAMHSA news release, see here. For the full report, see here.