January Fatal Vision Goggles and Stoned Cold Training of Trainers
On January 22, 2003 the Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse of Bergen, Inc. hosted a training featuring the Fatal Vision Goggles and the drunk-driving prevention video Stoned Cold for Bergen County colleges. Each school was invited to bring staff and students who are involved with alcohol, tobacco, and other drug issues with the hope that they could take back what they learned and use these resources to effect change on their campuses.
The program began with Officer James Hague from the Bergen County Sheriff’s Department giving a demonstration of the Fatal Vision Goggles. The Fatal Vision program features four sets of goggles that allow the wearer to experience how much alcohol impairs perception and vision and, therefore, balance and motor skills. The goggles are set for mild to severe impairment and for day and night vision. The demonstration allowed participants to “test-drive” the goggles themselves. In addition, participants were given tips on how to lead a demonstration for students or peers.
The goggles demonstration was followed with a presentation by Assistant Prosecutor John Higgins about drunk driving crashes in Bergen County. Mr. Higgins has been to the scene of many fatal crashes and has had to prosecute the offenders. He gave a stark picture of the consequences of these crashes on victims, offenders, victim’s families and more.
The program concluded with a showing of Stoned Cold. Stoned Cold is a graphic re-enactment of a drunk driving crash and its aftermath for all involved. Dr. John LoCurto, head of the Trauma Department at Hackensack University Medical Center, who helped to get the video made, introduced the video with descriptions of what he and his staff see as a result of drunk driving accidents. After the video, participants were able to share what they felt and ask questions.
Schools, colleges, local agencies, and community groups can borrow the Fatal Vision Goggles or Stoned Cold free of charge by contacting the Council at 201-488-8680 or info@bergencouncil.org.
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February WHAT’S THE BUZZ? Club Drugs- Party Drugs Conference The Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse of Bergen, Inc., sponsored its third annual club drugs- party drugs conference on February 4, 2003 at the Palisades Learning Center in Paramus. In announcing this event, the Council noted “The use of club drugs is on the rise. Our teens are also using and abusing legal and over-the-counter drugs and supplements. Everyday we hear about more pills seized, about overdoses, and about the devastating short-term and long-term effects of these substances. Yet most people, teens and adults, know very little about these drugs.” The featured speaker was Andrew Osborne, MS Ed. CHES, the Director of the Training Institute of the National Development and Research Institutes, Inc. (NDRI) and the Director of the Training and Dissemination Core of the Center for Drug Use and HIV Research (CDUHR) in New York City. Noting his role and profession as a public health educator, Mr. Osborne gave the audience a sense of his years of experience by means of anecdotal recollections regarding youth as well as adults. His presentation focused on adolescence and emphasized its early, middle and late stages in order to provide a clear-cut frame of reference for his remarks. He said “Adolescents are not miniature adults...they are a species, a culture, unto themselves…” thereby underscoring the need for cultural competency in understanding and dealing with adolescents and their experimentation with and use/abuse of various substances. The one hundred persons who attended this event provided a multi-disciplinary representation of Bergen County: police officers from local and county police departments, school-based student assistance professionals (SAC’s), treatment professionals, prevention specialists, municipal alliance chairpersons and members, school nurses, and county department of health personnel. The conference provided 2.5 hours of professional development training and/or 2.5 CPS/CADC recertification credit hours. The Council sponsored this event with a grant from the state of New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, Division of Addiction Services. Back to Top -----------------------
March Youth Empowerment Network Raising children to become healthy, competent, caring adults is a challenging task. The New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, Division of Addiction Services awarded the Council on Alcoholism & Drug Abuse of Bergen, Inc. a grant to develop and administer a multi-level program to address this critical issue in the towns of Bergenfield, Dumont, Englewood, Hackensack and Lodi. The program, Youth Empowerment Network (YEN), has been developed with the understanding that in order to effectively help young people make positive decisions it is necessary to reach out to the significant people that surround them. The relationships that young people have with their families, their school and their community have a powerful influence on their future. The Youth Empowerment Network gives parents, schools and communities the tools they need to develop and nurture relationships and opportunities for youth through seminars, ongoing technical assistance and after-school programming. Youth are taught the leadership and life skills they need so that they can recognize, accept and make the most of those relationships and opportunities. The Youth Empowerment Network utilizes the Project Oz curriculum, a life skills education program designed for middle school students with learning disabilities, a recognized high-risk population. Topics include peer pressure, decision-making, stress management, communication skills, alcohol, tobacco and other drug use information. The format is highly interactive, fun and engaging. Additionally, all students, particularly those with learning disabilities, are encouraged to participate in a student coalition. Participation in the coalition provides students with opportunities for leadership, volunteerism, school and community bonding and empowerment. Their involvement has a positive influence on their attitudes, values and behaviors. Examples of initiatives developed by these coalitions include; planting a school garden, painting a community mural and leading a day of mentoring with first graders. The Youth Empowerment Network staff have been working with community leaders to spawn the development of asset-building initiatives. For example, the Lodi Boys and Girls Club is developing a Family & Youth Resources Project and a Being A Role-Model training. Parents who attended the 3-session parenting seminars have reported that they feel more confident in their parenting ability and are better able to communicate with their children about alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. The program also offers a List-Serv to encourage young people, families, schools and community members to ask questions and share information about asset-building initiatives, events and available resources. To subscribe to the Youth Empowerment Network List-Serv, e-mail: Youth_empowerment_network@yahoogroups.com and start the connection. To learn more about the Youth Empowerment Network visit us at: www.youthempower.org. Back to Top -----------------------
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November Fifteenth Annual Legislative Event and Media Reception On October 1, 2002, the Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse of Bergen, Inc. welcomed Senator Robert W. "Bill" Singer, District 30, to present an overview of Senate Bill S-104, of which he is the prime sponsor, and to preside over the open forum/dialogue which followed. Each year the Council hosts a legislative event for the elected officials who represent Begen County. This year's event was held in collaboration with the Bergen County Association of Student Assistance Professionals and the Hudson and Passaic County Prevention Network (NJPN) members. S-104 supports the employment of Substance Awareness Coordinators (SAC's) by every New Jersey school district. While SAC's are certified by the State of New Jersey as substance awareness coordinators, they are usually reffered to as student assistance counselors by the schools which employ them because they tackle a far more broad-reaching range of problems and situations beyond those related to students' alcohol and drug use. In setting the tone for the afternoon, Ellen Rocca and Bonnie Goad, the Council's Executive Director and Associate Executive Director respectively, noted that today's youth are more effected that ever: - by the number of available drugs which are markedly more potent and dangerous
- by reports of and exposure to traumatic events, and
- by the continually increasing level of school violence and incidents of aggression.
The student assistance counselor in the school often is the only person who can help young people and their families access the resources they need. SAC's play a significant role with early intervention, counseling, and refferal and continue to prove they are strong partners in prevention as well. Of the 80 attendees, 47 were SACs representing Beregen, Hudson and Passaic counties. Legislators in attendance were Assemblyman Peter Eagler (Dist. 34), Senator Byron Bear (Dist 37), Assemblywoman Rose Heck (Dist. 38) and Bergen Freeholder Valerie V. Huttle. Legislators' representatives included Beth Crusius (Assemblyman Sarlo, Dist. 36), Barry Winston (Assemblyman Ahearn, Dist. 38), Jack Fornaro (Senator Cardinale, Dist 39), Ms. Ronnie Schubert accompanying Senator Singer, and Michael Comba and Rocco Mazza accompanying Mr. Eagler and Mrs. Huttle respectively. S-104 and its companion A-2410, co-prime sponsored by Assemblyman Melvin Cottrell and Joseph R. Malone III, District 30, are currently in the Senate and Assembly Education Committees. When these bills come before the full Senate and Assembly, legislators are urged to participate vigorously in the discussions which will follow, and to vote favorably for S-104 and A-2410, therby ensuring the presence of SAC's in every school district in New Jersey. Back to Top -----------------------
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