Research provides more reasons than ever for parents, students, college professionals, and other adults to be alarmed about the effects of underage drinking on Texas college-age youth. Among Texas college students, alcohol is the primary drug of choice – nearly double the use of other substances. Alcohol is linked to poor class attendance and low academic performance, unwanted sexual activity, depression and suicide, and alcohol poisoning.

Registration is free and is available at www.texansstandingtall.org. Participants will receive materials, breakfast and lunch at no charge.

Resource for Article:
Parent notification policies for underage drinking evolve

Texans Standing Tall Regional Forums 2010 Dates and Locations

Do Something: Substance Abuse Ministry DVD

Introducing Do Something: A Substance Abuse Ministry DVD available through the Christian Life Commission. To order, contact Alicia Enriquez at 214.828.5192, or e-mail alicia.enriquez@bgct.org. The cost is $2.

CLC Substance Abuse Ministry Podcasts
Pathways to Prevention Website
www.hazelden.org

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2010 Dates and Locations are:

March 26-San Antonio
Education Service Center, Region 20
1314 Hines Avenue; San Antonio, TX 78208
Directions

April 22-Midland
Region 18 Building
2811 La Force Blvd.; Midland, TX 79711
Directions

Date TBA- Austin
Seton Administration Office Auditorium, 1st Floor
1345 Philomena Street; Austin, TX 78723
Directions

May 14-Amarillo
Education Service Center, Region 16
5800 Bell Street; Amarillo, TX 79109-6230
Directions

Date TBA- Dallas
College Student Forum

For more information about Texans Standing Tall or the Regional Forums, just check out their web page at www.texansstandingtall.org.

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On December 17, 2009, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration published a bulletin update reporting that adolescents perceive a greater risk to using Tobacco Products Than Illicit Drugs or Binge Drinking.  Perceptions of lower risk may influence decisions to experiment with drugs.

Adolescents across all age groups perceive a greater risk to smoking cigarettes than the use of alcohol and other substances including cocaine and LSD.  An individual’s perception of risk about a substance can be a key factor whether they decide to refrain from using.

Interesting facts from the report include:

• Nearly 70 percent of adolescents aged 12-17 perceived great risk from smoking one or more packs of cigarettes per day.  This rate was stable across age groups.
• Only 40 percent of adolescents perceived great risk from binge drinking (having five or more drinks of alcohol once or twice a week), and just over one third (34.2 percent) perceived great risk from smoking marijuana once a month.  About half perceived great risk in using cocaine once a month (49.7 percent) or LSD once or twice (50.9 percent).
• Females were more likely than males to perceive great risk from smoking one or more packs of cigarettes per day, from having five or more drinks of alcohol once or twice a week, and from smoking marijuana once a month; males were more likely than females to perceive great risk from trying heroin once or twice.

It is important for churches, youth groups and adults to discuss the realities and risks of substance abuse with the adolescents that we have the chance to influence.

Do Something: Substance Abuse Ministry DVD
Introducing Do Something: A Substance Abuse Ministry DVD available through the Christian Life Commission. To order, contact Alicia Enriquez at 214.828.5192, or e-mail alicia.enriquez@bgct.org. The cost is $2.

CLC Substance Abuse Ministry Podcasts
Pathways to Prevention
www.hazelden.org

We value your input and suggestions.
Your comments and recommended resources are welcome in the comments box below.

On July 6, 2009, the Washington Times had an interesting article about the importance of family dinners and adolescents.  It seems that the practice of eating dinner together as a family could be the single greatest decision that one can make toward saving the adolescents from poor decisions regarding drugs and alcohol.

For more than a decade, the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University (http://www.casacolumbia.org/templates/Home.aspx?articleid=287&zoneid=32) has been studying the tremendous impact that family meals can have on children. Their research repeatedly shows how children suffer when they don’t spend regular, casual time with their parents gathered around the dinner table. Consider this summary of their findings:

“Compared with teens who frequently had dinner with their families [five nights or more per week], those who had dinner with their families only two nights per week or less were twice as likely to be involved in substance abuse. They were 2.5 times as likely to drink alcohol, and nearly three times as likely to try marijuana.”

Dining together makes huge differences in general family relationships, too. Children from families who don’t have frequent meals together are more than twice as likely to say that their family has strained or tense relationships. And, sadly, they often don’t feel as if their parents are very interested in their lives.

How to save your family from being disconnected
There’s no reason to wonder if lonely meals lead to strained relationships or vice versa – find out by making togetherness a priority. “Just do it.” It might be a worn-out phrase, but as the parent, you need to determine in your heart to make family dinners happen.

And, although they won’t tell you, your teens want you to make it a priority…Really!

As the school year approaches, please consider making Recovery Sunday, October 18 a part of your church calendar for the fall.

Do Something: Substance Abuse Ministry DVD

Introducing Do Something: A Substance Abuse Ministry DVD available through the Christian Life Commission. To order, contact Alicia Enriquez at 214.828.5192, or e-mail alicia.enriquez@bgct.org. The cost is $2.

Pathways to Prevention Website
www.hazelden.org

We value your input and suggestions.
Your comments and recommended resources are welcome in the comments box below.

“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.”

The serenity prayer is composed of wise words that challenge so many.  These are stressful days which provide unique challenges for men and women struggling with addictions.  The church can support, encourage and lead the way in changing part of the world beginning in your own neighborhood. Recovery Sunday is five months away but it’s time to begin to pray about making a stand in your community and congregation on October 18, 2009.  I encourage you to begin to accept the challenge to make a difference and pray for wisdom in the way to communicate Christ-like care and concern to your part of the world.  During the summer, we will be providing helps for your church in preparing for Recovery Sunday.

Do Something: Substance Abuse Ministry DVD

Introducing Do Something: A Substance Abuse Ministry DVD available through the Christian Life Commission. To order, contact Alicia Enriquez at 214.828.5192, or e-mail Alicia Enriquez. The cost is $2.

Pathways to PreventionWebsite

We value your input and suggestions.
Your comments and recommended resources are welcome in the comments box below.

Important Note:  The Substance Abuse Ministry Training conference originally scheduled for Friday, May 1 has been rescheduled for the fall.  We will announce a new date for the conference in the next month.

When parents in your community think about safeguarding their teens from drugs, they usually think of illicit street drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine.  But today teens are abusing prescription drugs more than any illicit drug except marijuana.

The statistics on prescription drug abuse are startling: every day, more than 2,000 kids age 12 to 17 try a painkiller non-medically for the first time**, and 71 percent of persons age 12 and older who abuse these drugs say they get them from a relative or friend.  Perhaps most troubling is that many teens don’t realize these drugs can be just as dangerous as street drugs, so kids who would never try street drugs might feel safe abusing prescription drugs.  

Since the problem of prescription drug abuse is predominantly one of access and awareness, Family Circle magazine and the Media Campaign have joined forces to highlight the danger zones in each room of the home, producing a printed "house tour" that will run in the magazine’s June issue (on newsstands May 12).  Additional copies of this new resource – a supplement to the popular online version that can be found by visiting www.TheAntiDrug.com/dangerzones (Information from The Anti Drug Media campaign).

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Recovery is also experienced through group work.  The following are some group resources that you can contact that can help folks struggling with addictions.

Celebrate Recovery:  www.celebraterecovery.com

AA-Alcoholics Anonymous:

      Austin:  512-444-0071

      Dallas:  214-887-6699

      Houston:  713-686-6300

NA-Narcotics Anonymous:  800-747-8972

Gamblers Anonymous:  888-424-3577

Sex/Love Addicts Anonymous:  800-477-8191

We are excited to announce that the Christian Life Commission Substance Abuse Ministry is now producing podcasts

      ::  Podcast

      ::  Other Resources

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Your comments and recommended resources are welcome in the comments box below.

Our initial podcast will focus on education, prevention and helps for churches to establish substance abuse ministries.  You can find the podcast on I-Tunes by searching "Christian Life Commission" and under podcasts you will find the BGCT logo.  The podcast is also available on the CLC web page.  Additional podcasts will be added monthly and you can subscribe to the podcast through I-Tunes and each time a new podcast is produced it will be added to your I-Tunes account.

Also, I encourage you to put Friday, May 1, 2009 on your calendar.  We will be having our annual Substance Abuse Ministry training.  This year it will be at Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas.  This will be a great opportunity for churches to learn about different substance abuse ministries to see what is a fit for your congregation and for churches to network.  To register just call the Christian LIfe Commission.

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Your comments and recommended resources are welcome in the comments box below.

“Do something” is our focus in Substance Abuse Ministry.  In 2009, there are many options for your church to consider that can make an impact in the community that you live in.

On May 1, we will sponsor a state-wide training event for churches to explore ministry options available for substance abuse ministry.  This will be an important event for churches who want to begin a ministry or churches who are hoping to network and strengthen current ministries.

Recovery Sunday will be on October 18.  I encourage your church to put this important date on your calendar and begin to make plans to take a stand for drug free schools as a part of Red Ribbon Week and support congregation members who are going through recovery.

Also in the works this year, is a podcast that will be broadcast through ITunes and on the BGCT web page.  This will be an exciting opportunity to get information, tools and networking helps into the hands of youth ministers, churches and the community through a communication channel that is new and widely used by many groups in the community.

More CLC Resources…

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December is National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month.

In his proclamation, President Bush stated, “Nearly 13,000 Americans died last year as a result of drunk driving. During the holidays, people are more likely to drive in an impaired state, and in order to better protect our citizens this holiday season, we must educate all Americans about the seriousness of this offense and its devastating consequences. Individuals across America can help prevent drunk and drugged driving by making responsible choices, identifying sober designated drivers, and educating young people about ways to avoid drunk and drugged driving. All Americans can work together to make our roads safer and help save lives by preventing others from driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs.”

The holidays are hopefully a time of happiness and cheer for your family.  However, it is important to understand the seriousness of drinking and driving and stop anyone around you from making this tragic choice.  Also it’s a good time to encourage and support those loved ones and friends who are in recovery to take it one day at a time and continue with their program of sobriety.

View substance abuse resources from the BGCT…

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Your comments and recommended resources are welcome in the comments box below.