Smoking Prevention in Schools Found to Be Effective Strategy

Photo Credit: blog.childtrends.org

Certain school-based programs that aim to keep kids from smoking cigarettes seem to work, according to a fresh look at some past research.

After examining over a hundred "gold standard" studies, researchers found that school-based programs that teach children life skills and self-esteem were linked to a significant reduction in the number who started using tobacco down the road.

 

READ FULL FEATURE: Science Daily
Research conducted by The Cochrane Library

 

Another Alcopop on the Rise...MoJo Water?

Photo Credit: Mojo Water

 

Next time you visit your local bodega and grab a bottle of water from the cooler, you’d better triple-check to make sure you don't accidentally get a fruity drink with 7% alcohol by volume. That's right, we're talking about a new alcopop product, designed to resemble the most popular of all beverages: water. After finding that markets for alcopops that look like sodas, juice pouches, and even popsicles were all spoken for, an alcohol producer stepped in to take it where no self-respecting company had dared to go.

Read more on what New Hampshire legislators are doing to put a stop to this dangerous phenomenon. Now, it’s our turn to do the same for the safety of our youth!

Full Article: SeaCoast Online

Help Us Stop Urban Outfitters from Selling Product Promoting RX Drugs Abuse

Photo Credit: Urban Outfitters

 

UrbanOutfitters can't stay out of trouble.

 

The latest controversy brewing in connection to the popular retailer is over "prescription"shot glasses and other medical-themed drinking paraphernalia. Urban Outfitters is currently peddling shot glasses, flasks and beer koozies designed to resemble prescription pill bottles, as well as "Syringe ShotShooters" (so you can squirt alcohol into your mouth instead of just drinking it).

 

Tongue-in-cheek products that normalize and promote prescription drug abuse only serve to reinforce the misperception about the dangers associated with abusing medicine and put more teens at risk.

 

Ask Urban Outfitters to remove these products from their stores and website immediately. Feel free to use the information above to help make your point.

 

CONTACT INFORMATION FOR Urban Outfitters:

Send an e-mail to:

Richard A. Hayne; CEO & Chairman
richard.hayne@urbanout.com

 

Write a letter:

Urban Outfitters, Inc.
5000 South Broad St
Philadelphia, PA 19112-1495

 

Sign this Facebook Causes petition:

http://www.causes.com/actions/1749784-stop-urban-outfitters-from-selling-products-that-promote-prescription-drug-abuse

 

When you take action, reply to this e-mail to let us know, share a comment on the blog post – and please forward this message to a friend or colleague.

 

annoucement courtesy of The Partnership at Drugfree.org

 



Connecting People Workshop For East Harlem Service Providers

Connecting People: Training for East Harlem Service Providers

Learn about Benefits | Wellness | Resources

Tuesday May 14, 2013 

9:30 -11:30 AM (9 AM breakfast and networking) 

Silberman School of Social Work 2180 Third Avenue
(@119th Street), NYC 10035

Please join Silberman School to learn the ins and outs of using Benefits Plus and Health Information Tool for Empowerment (HITE) through interactive exercises using these two invaluable information and referral resources.

Click here to RSVP

This training is free but pre-registration is required by May 12th

Sponsored by the East Harlem Community Alliance and the Silberman School of Social Work

Healing and Renewal Feature: 11 Foods That Age You

Photo Credit Shine. Yahoo

 

Welcome back to our monthly Healing and Renewal feature. This article comes to us from Huffington Post. Check out the top 11 foods to avoid that could make you age. This viewpoint is, of course, based on over-consumption, but we want to share this information with you on which foods you should avoid and how it can affect your inner and outer beauty.

Click on view slides and see which foods increase your aging process.

 

Article courtesy of Huffington Post

 

A Message from the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids

Logo: Tobacco Free Kids

You may have seen some intriguing headlines in the news recently: "NYC aims to ban cigarette sales under 21s," or "Hiding the Smokes." Here's what's really happening:

Mayor Bloomberg and the City Council have been hard at work proposing policies that will keep kids from smoking and help smokers quit. These new proposals would prohibit sale of tobacco products to anyone under 21, set minimum prices on products and prohibit the display of tobacco products in stores. 

Sensible Tobacco Enforcement Bill Increases penalties for retailers who evade tobacco taxes or sell tobacco without a license.    Prohibits retailers from redeeming coupons or honoring other price discounts for tobacco products.   Creates a minimum price for cigarettes and little cigars, which are virtually identical to cigarettes, at $10.50 per pack.   Requires that cheap cigars and cigarillos be sold in packages of at least 4, and little cigars be sold in packages of at least 20. Cigars that cost more than $3 each are exempt from the packaging rule.

Tobacco Product  Restriction Bill Prohibits the display of tobacco products to protect children from the marketing of cigarettes through their display at retail counters. Does not inhibit retailers ability to advertise and communicate tobacco product price and information to customers

We need to ensure that these measures are supported, so we need your help! Learn more about these initiatives and tell your friends to support them here. Stay tuned for some more calls to action from us-- the City Council will need to hear from you soon!

Medical marijuana more effective in pill form than smoking: study



Photo Credit: Dr Ottematic WordPress

A study released on Monday suggests that dronabinol, a pill form of medical marijuana may provide relief to patients suffering from pain.

 

The study compared dronabinol and smoked marijuana side-by-side in a trial that involved 30 volunteers submerging their hands in cold water, a procedure meant to replicate symptoms of pain. Interestingly, all 30 volunteers were selected based on a prior history of marijuana use.  However, dronabinol was found to provide longer-lasting pain relief.

 

Read more: New York Daily News