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The real deal on marijuana in our country Rx drug and heroin abuse awareness events Youth Network update National Night Out Retirement recognition A mocktail recipe (yum!) and MORE!
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IN S IDE TH I S
I S SUE
What’s the real deal 1
Rx Drug abuse &
heroin events 2
Fed Up! Rally 3
What’s the real deal
contd. 3
Youth Network 4
Marijuana fact 4
Happy re)rement 5
Na)onal Night Out 5
Mocktail recipe 6
T H E
C U M B E R L A N D
C O U N T Y
H E A L T H Y
C O M M U N I T I E S
C O A L I T I O N
A N I N I T I A T I V E O F :
T H E S O U T H W E S T C O U N C I L , I N C .
S U M M E R 2 0 1 4 V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 4
Jessica Kanady Project Director
[email protected] P: 856.794.1011 ext. 302
Michael Regenelli Project Coordinator
[email protected] P: 856.794.1011 ext. 303
Chair Michael DeLeon
Vice Chair Polly Viventi
Editor Brian Kanady
Meetings are held at The Southwest Council, Inc.
1405 N. Delsea Dr. Vineland, NJ 08360
Joseph Williams SWC Executive Director
Reducing substance abuse among youth in Cumberland County
Michael DeLeon
It has been pre/y well established that Big Tobacco lied to
its consumers, the public, Congress and those that sued
them. They conspired a scheme to defraud smokers and,
more importantly, poten)al smokers, by misleading the
American public about the addic)ve nature of cigare/es
and the diseases that they can cause. “Cigare/es, and
nico)ne in par)cular were not addic)ve,” the tobacco
companies said. “Carcinogens and tar were not harmful to
your health and did not cause diseases,” they stated.
“Second-hand smoke was not harmful to those in proximi-
ty to a smoker,” was another claim of the tobacco industry.
Some of those lies were even made under oath to Con-
gress by tobacco execu)ves who were later proved perjur-
ies by memos from those very execu)ves contrary to their
tes)mony. Well, history has a funny way of repea)ng itself.
One of the most destruc)ve lies that Big Tobacco delivered
was that addi)ves were not put into cigare/es to make
them more addic)ve. When in fact, nico)ne levels were
purposely increased to make the product more addic)ve,
which made it harder to quit and, in turn, much more
deadly. According to the Chronic Disease Control (CDC),
more than 480,000 Americans die annually from cigare/e-
related causes - 42,000 of those deaths are from second-
hand smoke. Fast forward to 2014. Big Marijuana has
become the new Big Tobacco.
The fast-growing increase in states legalizing medicinal
marijuana and the legaliza)on of recrea)onal marijuana in
Colorado and Washington, are two of the most divisive
issues among the American public. Much of the main-
stream news is reminiscent of what we saw and heard
during the 70’s and 80’s from Big tobacco. In each case,
there was and is incen)ve. As is oAen stated when one
seeks the truth – Follow The Money. Major financial maga-
zines and newspapers have published stories over the past
few years describing the incredible income opportuni)es
for entrepreneurs that are geDng into the marijuana busi-
ness, and, already, we have seen capitalis)c ventures
expand this industry into the next Big Tobacco. Marijuana
consump)on and demand are not well measured in this
country because of its taboo nature; however, that is
changing. In fact, according to CNBC’s in-depth repor)ng,
the poten)al market for marijuana could reach $100 bil-
lion. Tax revenue es)mates to states could make up to $28
billion. To some, especially poli)cians, the argument stops
there. But what will societal costs be? What will the unin-
tended, and unknown, health care and medical costs be?
It’s oAen purported that we will save substan)al money in
criminal jus)ce expenses since law enforcement will no
longer spend their limited )me and resources prosecu)ng
marijuana crime. But just like historical fables unfolded
with the Tobacco industry, where is the truth?
Over the past few years, I have been studying the progres-
sion of marijuana expansion throughout our country, espe-
cially in Colorado and Washington, where marijuana was
legalized for recrea)onal use. The laws in each state are
different, but both have basically made federal law against
marijuana moot by legalizing the recrea)onal use of the
drug by adults 21 years of age and older. The mainstream
news that we see shows Colorado poli)cians tou)ng their
new-found tax revenue and crowds of happy, stoned pa-
trons screaming with joy over the new legal vice.
The news coverage from Colorado in January of this year
and in Washington a few weeks ago couldn’t be more
skewed or evasive of the truth. The reality of marijuana is
that much of the truth is really unknown. We’re comparing
the marijuana being retailed today to the marijuana we
smoked 30 and 40 years ago as we danced at Woodstock –
and the two products couldn’t be more different. A new
documentary released last month by ABC Australia began
to look at THC levels in retail marijuana currently being sold
in Colorado dispensaries. Some products contained THC
levels in excess of 50% compared to levels in the 70’s that
were between 5% and 12%. It’s a much different product
and, again, it comes down to the financial incen)ve of
entrepreneurs luring consumers away from other weed
retailers. Regula)on dictates what the product can cost,
much like tobacco is regulated to be sold for minimum
prices. The only thing to differen)ate one store from an-
other is quality and potency. Compe))on will increase THC
levels un)l it gets to a point that could be toxic to most
people. Big tobacco did the same thing with addi)ves. It
increased the addic)ve nature of the product. It’s happen-
ing again with marijuana.
Kevin Sabet, the Director
of the Drug Policy Ins)tute
at the University of Flori-
da, published an informa-
)ve book about what he
calls, “Reefer Sanity: Seven
Great Myths About Mariju-
ana.” In it, Sabet outlines
Con�nued on page 3
P A G E 2
Events discuss the harsh realities of the local
prescription drug abuse and heroin epidemic
The final por)on of the conference included a panel
discussion moderated by former Millville Mayor, James
Quinn. The panel included individuals from treatment
agencies, a pharmacist, a doctor, a law enforcement
representa)ve, and an individual involved in a local
support group for parents. The varying experiences of
the panelists provided unique perspec)ves regarding
this local concern.
A panel discussion was also had at the evening commu-
nity awareness event, “Prescrip)on to Addic)on: It
Could be Your Child.” The event was held on May 28
and was well a/ended with over 80 people coming
out. The evening panel consisted of individuals repre-
sen)ng treatment, law enforcement, EMS, and also
included a mother who lost her son to addic)on, and
two young men in treatment. Following the panel dis-
cussion, passionate audience members par)cipated in
a ques)on and answer session that urged the panelists,
hosts, and fellow a/endees to con)nue addressing the
issues that affect so many of our loved ones.
The two events aimed to increase awareness on pre-
scrip)on drug abuse and heroin as well as inform the
audience of how they could be a part of preven)on
efforts. For instance, a/endees were encouraged to
become involved in the two coali)ons’ substance
abuse preven)on ini)a)ves. They were also asked to
share the informa)on they learned in hopes that it
might help others recognize the prevalence of the is-
sue. Addi)onally, a/endees were provided with infor-
ma)on on how and where to dispose of their unwant-
ed, unused, or expired prescrip)on medica)ons.
A/endees were encouraged to advocate for the instal-
la)on of permanent prescrip)on drug drop boxes in
their local police departments if one did not already
exist. The events were no doubt the beginning of a
conversa)on and collabora)on between community
members
and profes-
sionals
addressing
this issue.
In the month of May,
over 200 individuals
were educated on pre-
scrip)on drug abuse
and heroin at two
different awareness
events. Two events
were hosted by the
Cumberland County
Healthy Communi)es
Coali)on, the Salem-
Cumberland Regional
Ac)on Toward Commu-
nity Health (SCRATCH)
Coali)on, and the Cum-
berland County Prose-
cutor’s Office. The events were sponsored in part by
The Southwest Council, Inc., Inspira, Governor’s Coun-
cil on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse (GCADA), and Cum-
berland County College. The en))es joined forces
early in the year to determine the best ways to draw
a/en)on to the growing trend of prescrip)on drug
abuse, which oAen leads to heroin use. It was clear
that educa)on on the issue was a need of the commu-
nity that was necessary to meet.
The first event, “Cumberland County Prescrip)on Drug
Abuse and Heroin Conference,” was organized in
hopes of a/rac)ng professionals who are affected by
this issue either directly or indirectly. The three-part
conference had over 130 individuals in a/endance.
The day kicked-off with a presenta)on from Michael
DeLeon of Steered Straight, Inc. DeLeon spoke of the
reali)es of prescrip)on drug abuse and heroin use.
The harsh truths were made clear when DeLeon
showed a documentary he produced )tled, “Kids Are
Dying.” The documentary consisted of interviews with
ac)ve users who stressed that drug use and addic)on
is not prejudice – those from all backgrounds can and
have fallen vic)m to it. DeLeon also presented at the
evening community awareness event, “Prescrip)on to
Addic)on: It Could be Your Child.”
Following DeLeon’s presenta)on at the conference,
Douglas Collier, re)red DEA agent and Drug Ini)a)ve
Coordinator with the New Jersey Office of the A/or-
ney General - Division of Consumer Affairs, presented.
Collier, who has an impressive professional back-
ground, started his career with the CIA and has also
been featured in several na)onal television shows. In
addi)on to engaging the audience in interac)ve and
purposeful ac)vi)es, he discussed trends in use, addic-
)on as a disease, and what is being done to address
the issue.
P A G E 3 V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 4
When: Sunday, September 28, 2014 from 1:00 to 3:00 PM -- followed by a March to the White House
Where: Rally on The Mall in Washington, D.C. (between 12th and 14th Streets) FED UP! Rally Headquarters- Marriott Metro Center, 775 12th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005
Why: Immediate action from our federal agencies is needed to prevent new cases of opioid addiction, to prevent more overdose deaths and to ensure access to effective treatment for millions who have become addicted.
*The Southwest Council, Inc. will be providing transportation. To sign-up for the bus, please contact Jackie Williams at 856-794-1011 ext. 315 or [email protected]
Marijuana contd.
the seven most common misconcep)ons and
erroneous beliefs about marijuana. It is an incred-
ible book and an important one for not only
parents and educators, but for anyone concerned
about the health crisis that our country now faces
with addic)on.
The percep)on of social disapproval, risk and,
most importantly, harm is consistently decreasing
for youth in America. This is very dangerous be-
cause the more that kids see marijuana as harm-
less, the more likely it is that they will use it.
Marijuana rates among youth are increasing
across the country, and the states that have legal-
ized weed for medicinal use are clustered at the
top of the list with the highest use. That is not a
coincidence. In Denver, 75% of youth surveyed in
the 2013 Monitoring The Future Study stated
they got marijuana from a person with a medical
marijuana card. The more the drug is available
through legal means, the more youth use esca-
lates. The age of first use is cri)cal and I believe
that we need to delay it as long as possible or we
will see record numbers of addicts developing.
Marijuana is addic)ve. One in every 11 people
who start using marijuana become addicted to it
and, in adolescence, the addic)on rates jump to
one in every six. Even those who advocate for
marijuana legaliza)on accept those sta)s)cs -
which come from the Na)onal Ins)tute of Health
- yet they discount the severity of those num-
bers. In my three years of interviewing addicts
for two documentaries on the American addic-
)on epidemic, nearly 95% of interviewees began
their drug use with marijuana. That’s disturbing
and something I believe parents should be very
concerned with when it comes to youth. The
“gateway” phrase seems to cause disagreement,
but for almost every addict I met, it was abso-
lutely that.
Moving beyond addic)on and the gateway to
harder, more deadly drugs, marijuana also nega-
)vely impacts IQ. A recent study by the Na)onal
Academy of Sciences found that those who used
marijuana heavily in their teens and con)nued
through adulthood showed a permanent drop in
IQ of 8 points. A loss of 8 IQ points could drop a
person of average intelligence into the lowest
third of the intelligence range. What will that
mean for their socioeconomic status and their
reliance on social programs? It will mean more
burden on society to support someone incapable
of normal contribu)on because of drug use.
Marijuana use nega)vely impacts educa)onal
achievement. Marijuana use nega)vely impacts
the school environment. Marijuana use nega)ve-
ly impacts communi)es of color. Marijuana use
nega)vely impacts highway safety. And contrary
to what those poli)cians believe about all that
new tax revenue, marijuana legaliza)on will not
result in increased revenue. The increased social
costs that will result from an increase in users
will far outweigh tax revenue. History shows us
from cigare/es and alcohol, that for every dollar
received in tax revenue, we spent $10 on social
and related healthcare costs.
In conclusion, it is simply a historical lesson we
do not need to re-learn. Tobacco and alcohol are
two drugs that literally decimate our country. We
do not need to add a third legal, addic)ve drug to
the two killers we already have. We need to
separate the medicinal marijuana smokescreen
from the truth and study the medical benefits of
THC and CBD, the ingredients in marijuana
wherein those benefits exist. We do not need to
smoke marijuana to get those benefits. We do
not need to legalize marijuana; for if we do,
history will repeat itself and we will find our-
selves regreDng the same mistake we once
made with tobacco. We do not need to learn that
lesson again.
P A G E 4
Michael Regenelli
The CCHCC’s Youth Network had a busy spring sea-
son with a calendar packed with ini)a)ves and
events. Youth Network members par)cipated in sev-
eral S�cker Shock Campaign events in the past sever-
al months. On April 28, the CCHCC collaborated with
the SCRATCH Coali)on to conduct the ac)vity at The
Original Canal’s Liquor Store in Bridgeton. Two addi-
)onal S)cker Shock Campaign events took place on
May 21 at Liquor Mart in Vineland, and on June 30 at
Vineland Discount Liquors. During the ac)vi)es,
Youth Network members placed brightly colored
s)ckers on cases of beer and wine coolers to warn
customers about the legal penal)es for supplying
alcohol to underage drinkers - which include up to six
months in prison and a $1,000 fine. Since many
adults are not aware of these penal)es, and under-
age drinkers oAen get older friends or siblings to buy
alcohol for them, adver)sing these penal)es at the
point of sale helps to dissuade adults from supplying
alcohol to underage drinkers.
S)cker Shock events were not the only ini)a)ve
against underage drinking that the Youth Network
conducted, however. On April 19, the Youth Network
collaborated with ShopRite Pharmacy to put on a
mocktail event. The event promoted serving non-
alcoholic cocktails (mocktails) rather than alcoholic
beverages at par)es and gatherings where youth are
present in order to minimize opportuni)es for under-
age drinking. Sweet alcoholic cocktail beverages are
a/rac)ve to younger drinkers and provide an oppor-
tunity to sneak a drink behind their parents’ back.
Replacing them with alcohol-free alterna)ves helps
prevent this while also providing adults who do not
drink alcohol a fes)ve and tasty choice. Youth Net-
work members distributed free samples of pineapple
FACT: People are not in prison
for small-time marijuana use.
• Statistics on state-level prisoners reveal that only 0.3%
of all state inmates were behind bars for marijuana
possession only.
• 99.8% of federal prisoners sentenced for drug offenses
were incarcerated for drug trafficking.
• The risk of arrest for each joint smoked is 1 in 12,000.
GET THE FACTS! Learnaboutsam.com
Coalition’s Youth Network springs into actionCoalition’s Youth Network springs into actionCoalition’s Youth Network springs into actionCoalition’s Youth Network springs into action cranberry punch, recipes for mocktails, and infor-
ma)on on underage drinking while engaging custom-
ers in conversa)on. The response from the custom-
ers was very posi)ve, with many pledging to serve
mocktails at their next family gathering and thanking
the Youth Network for their work. Coali)on member
and ShopRite pharmacist, Alan Aronovitz, set up the
event with management and provided the Youth
Network members with the ingredients and decora-
)ons.
On April 1, members a/ended “Take Back the Night”
at Cumberland County College. The event, put on by
SERV (Services Empowering the Rights of Vic)ms),
aimed to raise awareness about the problem of sexu-
al assault in Cumberland County. Youth Network
members heard from survivors of sexual assault,
par)cipated in a solidarity walk, and contributed
messages of support to survivors. Raising awareness
about the problem of sexual assault helps the coali-
)on’s cause since drug and alcohol abuse and sexual
assault are oAen intertwined.
Youth Network members also contributed to the
success of the May 28 prescrip)on drug abuse and
heroin forum. Coali)on members donated cookies,
brownies, and other assorted treats for the Youth
Network to sell as a/endees arrived. The bake sale
was well received and the teens raised over $72 to
help pay for future events and ac)vi)es. Following
the bake sale, Youth Network members a/ended the
forum to gain more insight on how prescrip)on drug
and heroin abuse has impacted their community.
The Youth Network looks forward to keeping the
momentum going!
P A G E 5 V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 4
Come Celebrate National Night Out With Us in August Mark your calendar for the 31st annual Na)onal Night Out! Na)onal Night Out began as
an ini)a)ve of the Na)onal Associa)on of Town Watch (NATW) in 1984 in an effort to
promote involvement in crime preven)on ac)vi)es, police-community partnerships,
neighborhood camaraderie and send a message to criminals leDng them know that
neighborhoods are organized and figh)ng back. This year’s Na)onal Night Out is taking
place on Tuesday, August 5, 2014 and begins at 5pm. The event will take place at the
Chestnut Assembly of God in Vineland, NJ. You
won’t want to miss it! There will be food, fireworks,
and a helicopter fly-in. Best of all, the event is free!
The CCHCC will also be there with our friends at
Steered Straight, Inc. with resources and fun givea-
ways for the family. Be sure to visit our tables to say
“hi” and get some goodies!
Without a doubt, the success of any coali)on is due in large part
to the support and dedica)on of their volunteer members. This is
especially true in Cumberland County where every volunteer
member on the coali)on wears mul)ple hats. This issue, we pay
tribute to two of our most treasured members, Keiko Warner
and Polly Viven), as they hang up their professional hat aAer
many years of dedicated service.
Both Keiko and Polly made the big decision to
re)re from their respec)ve jobs this summer. For
Keiko, that means she will no longer serve as the
Student Assistance Counselor for the Millville
School District. As for Polly, she will no longer
serve as the Administrator for the Cumberland
County Youth Services Advisory Council. Though
this chapter in their lives is coming to an end, we
will not soon forget the commitment they have shown not only
to their jobs, but also, the county, and our young people.
Keiko and Polly’s devo)on to the be/erment of youth in Cum-
berland County has made them both ideal members of the coali-
)on. Over the years Keiko has played an influen)al role in the
school’s collabora)on with coali)on efforts. Her support has
been both enthusias)c and unwavering. Polly volunteered for
the posi)on of coali)on vice chair last fall and has been both
an eager and dependable coali)on par)cipant. Polly never fails
to lend a helping hand or send a posi)ve note of encourage-
ment.
With that in mind, we are happy to report that both ladies plan
to stay involved with the work of the CCHCC.
When she’s not working with the coali)on, Polly
is most looking forward to spending )me with her
grandkids and taking trips to local places she has
always wanted to visit. She has also signed up for
Master Gardener training star)ng in January and
plans to travel, exercise more, and patronize the
arts. Like Polly, Keiko is also looking forward to
spending more )me with her family and traveling.
She will remain an ac)ve NJ Student Assistance
Professional, though, she says she will certainly miss direct
service.
Ladies, we can’t thank you enough for all that you have done
to contribute to our success. We look forward to con)nuing
our partnership in serving Cumberland County. Best wishes for
a happy and healthy re)rement!
Contact us for more information on the CCHCC, our Youth Network, or to sign up for our mailing list!
CCHCC
c/o The Southwest Council, Inc.
1405 N. Delsea Drive
Vineland, NJ 08360
Phone: 856-794-1011
Fax: 856-794-1239
facebook.com/CCHealthyCommunitiesCoalition Twitter & Instagram: CCHCC3
The Cumberland County Healthy Communities Coalition was formed to build healthy communities by reducing
substance abuse among youth.
The Coalition is a group of committed community members of all ages and from all walks of life, including
educators, law enforcement, parents, youth, faith leaders, health professionals, media, local government and
businesses.
We need a Healthy Communities Coalition because a group with a common goal can achieve so much more
than an individual alone. Our Coalition promotes coordination and partnership between organizations to create environments that are alcohol, tobacco and drug
free. We build links between local organizations and individuals who are working to accomplish common goals.
The Coalition meets at the Southwest Council’s Cumberland County Office in Vineland. We welcome any interested community members to attend our upcoming
general meetings on NO August meeting
Monday, September 8 Monday, October 6
The Coalition is a community initiative of The Southwest Council, Inc. Funds are provided by the Office of National Drug Control Policy and managed by the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
P A G E 6
Try an Ombré Grapefruit Mocktail at your next get-together!
Ingredients:
• 2 c. grapefruit juice, chilled
• 1 can Sprite or 7Up, chilled
• 1/4 c. simple syrup
• grenadine
• ice
Instructions:
1. Add 1/2 c. grapefruit juice to each glass.
2. Add 2 Tbsp. simple syrup to each glass.
3. Top off each glass with the soda and drop a tsp of
grenadine.
*You can add a stir stick or straw, but don’t stir it until
after it’s served or else it will no longer be ombré!
Recipe and picture courtesy of: http://handmademood.com/loving-the-ombre-
grapefruit-cocktail/