J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 5 V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 1

Welcome to the first HiPE Coalition

newsletter. For those of you who may

not know, our mission is to improve

the quality of life for youth and

families in Region 2000 through

educational programming, regional

advocacy and prevention to reduce

risky behaviors, substance abuse and obesity.

Our vision is to be the healthiest community in Virginia where

the first choice is the healthy choice.

Toward that end we believe that one of our roles is to keep the

community informed of trends and issues that could affect the

health of our community.

On a quarterly basis we will be sending out a newsletter with

articles of interest and updates on the activities of the coalition. If

you would like more information on the coalition please visit our

website at: www.hipecoalition.org

We encourage you to forward this newsletter to any individuals

or organizations who you think may benefit from the

information. We also invite you to send any articles or news

items that you would like us to include in upcoming issues. Contact:

Mike Daly

Director of

Youth, Adult & Community

Services of

Campbell County

(434) 332-9831

mfdaly@campbellcountyva.gov

Check us out Online:

www.hipecoalition.org/

Or “Like” us on

Facebook

P A G E 2

Vaping...Awhole New Set of Smoking Risks By: Cheryl H.Burnette

Centra Health

Use of e-cigarettes, vaping pens and other

electronic nicotine delivery devices has

grown to a $2 billion market which would

help explain why these stores seem to be

popping up on every corner. Lately the

numerous flavored products available such

as Cherry Crush, Chocolate Treat, Snappin’

Apple and Vanilla Dream are enticing a whole new generation of adolescents and

young adults to try “vaping.” These products have only been on the market since 2007

so the long-term safety is uncertain. In addition, there is no jurisdiction to regulate the

composition of e-liquids and no oversight by the FDA currently. Although exclusive use

of these systems is considered to be less risky than smoking combustible tobacco

products there are some of the same carcinogens in both. In addition, it appears that

there is a dual use by purchasers, using the e-cigarettes where smoking isn’t allowed.

A new concern, published in the Journal of American Medical Association earlier this

month, indicates that there is a potential for toxic effects from inhaled flavorings. These

electronic delivery systems are designed to create an ultrafine aerosol that penetrates

deeply into the lungs, and into the lungs of everyone around you. Many of these

flavorings are used in food but are not deemed “generally recognized as safe for

inhalation.” One chemical, diacetyl, is used to give foods a buttery flavor but has been

shown to cause a severe and irreversible lung disease when inhaled by workers

exposed to this in popcorn butter flavoring. The Flavor and Extract Manufacturer

Association issued a report in 2012 stating that any e-cigarette manufacturer who

suggests that flavor ingredients used in their products are safe because they have

FEMA status are giving false and misleading statements.

Among all high school students, 4.5 percent reported using e-cigarettes within the last

30 days. The 2014 Surgeon General’s report found that nicotine use can have adverse

effects on adolescent brain development. Therefore, nicotine use by youth in any form

is unsafe. It is doubtful that smokers fully recognized the addiction potential when

trying out cigarettes for the first time during the pre-teen and teenage years. That is

why there is concern that a whole new generation of nicotine-addicted users will be

generated by the sale of electronic cigarettes.

If and when the FDA begins to regulate the sale and manufacturing of these products,

there may be a potential long-term harm reduction benefit with smokers trying to quit

cigarettes. Until this occurs however, let the buyer beware.

P A G E 3 V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 1

Mental Health First Aid

Did you know that in 2012, 29% of local 12th grade students reported feeling sad or hopeless almost

EVERY DAY for two weeks or more in a row?

Or that 17% of 9th graders seriously considered

ATTEMPTING SUICIDE over the past year?

(2012 Lynchburg Youth Survey Report)

Teenage years can be stressful and challenging yet you

may wonder whether a teen is experiencing just the

typical angst or a real mental health problem. While

adolescence is a difficult time for many teens there is a

difference between “typical” and “troubled.” Mental

health problems in teens are real, painful, and, if left

untreated, can have serious consequences. As a caring

adult, being knowledgeable and taking action will make a real difference in a teen’s life. Research

shows that, if left untreated, mental health problems can become worse over time -affecting a teen’s

school performance, social and emotional life. However, mental health treatment can be effective for

teens. The sooner these disorders are recognized, the greater the likelihood that treatment will be

effective. Horizon Behavioral Health in partnership with the HIPE Coalition, is initiating the Youth Mental

Health First Aid Program in Lynchburg and surrounding counties. Certified Youth Mental Health First

Aid Trainers will help participants who work with you to be able to recognize the difference between

“typical” and “troubled” youth.

Training Opportunity:

Program: Mental Health First Aid is an 8-hour training certification course which teaches participants a

five-step action plan to assess a situation, select and implement interventions, and secure appropriate

care for the individual. The certification program introduces participants to risk factors and warning

signs of mental health problems, builds understanding of their impact and reviews common treatments.

Audience: Youth Mental Health First Aid training is for anyone who works with youth (particularly those

between the ages of 12-18). We encourage parents, coaches, youth pastors, foster parents, school

counselors, teachers or anyone who wants to help youth to attend.

Cost: Regularly, the program costs $50 per participant; this includes the Youth Mental Health First Aid

Resource Book. However, we are waiving the registration fee for the first two training sessions. For

future trainings, scholarships and group discounts are available.

CEU credits are available for an additional cost.

Training Date:

January 7th, 2015 from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm. Location: TBD

Teen Alcohol, Tobacco and Drug Use

Published by CNN on Dec. 17, 2014

(CNN) -- Teens are losing some of their rebellious reputation with this news from the federal government.

The latest Monitoring the Future survey, released by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, finds children are smoking fewer cigarettes,

drinking less alcohol and abusing fewer prescription and synthetic drugs.

Marijuana rates are stable, even with the increase in the number of states that allow people to use marijuana recreationally. Some 6.5% of

eighth graders said they had smoked marijuana in the past month, 16.6% of 10th graders did and 21.2% of 12th graders had, according to

the survey.

In states with medical marijuana laws, 40% of 12th graders who reported using marijuana in the past year said they had it contained in

food. That's compared to 26% who said the same in states where the drug is not legal for any kind of use.

There has been a decline in the number of children trying synthetic drugs like K2/Special, also known as synthetic marijuana, in the two

years the survey has measured this in all three grades. Use among 12th graders this year was 5.8%, compared to 7.9% last year and

11.3% in 2012, the survey said.

There was also a sharp drop in binge drinking among high school seniors, which is now under 20%, compared to 1998 when binge

drinking among high school seniors was at a peak of 31.5%.

The number of young adults who have tried e-cigarettes is up, according to this report, but that's in large part because e-cigarette use has

never been measured before by this survey.

An unrelated study published Monday in the journal Pediatrics found that 29% of teens surveyed in Hawaii in 2013 used e-cigarettes, a

number much higher than reported in previous surveys.

The general decline in drug and alcohol use by teens is part of a two-decade long trend among American teens.

"The main highlight is that for most indicators the news is very good," said NIDA Director Dr. Nora Volkow. A research psychiatrist and

scientist, Volkow said she is encouraged by this significant decline, particularly in synthetic drugs and prescription drugs, which had been

a growing problem for teens. She doesn't, however, think parents and teachers should be complacent. "We need to continue to be very

aggressive as far as interventions and to continue to curb abuse."

Growing number of calls to poison centers involve kids

An increasing number of children have tried e-cigarettes: Some 17% of 12th graders surveyed had used them in the last month. Sixteen

percent of 10th graders did, as had 8% of eighth graders. "If you think about a new device, those rates are very high," Volkow said.

The patterns for other drug use are similar to other surveys. Researchers have seen a decline over the past five years in use of

prescription pain medicine and haven't seen an uptick in use of other drugs like heroin to compensate for the decline. The rate of abuse of

the painkiller Vicodin, for instance, has dropped significantly from the peak abuse use five years ago, according to Volkow. It fell from

9.5% of those surveyed using it to 4.8% now. "This is quite significant because it is so addictive," Volkow said.

She credited an increase in education campaigns and an increased awareness in the health care system about the abuse for slowing the

abuse of these drugs. Government drug buy-back programs have also had an impact, Volkow said.

"We still have a lot of work to do and we can still bring those numbers realistically lower," Volkow said. Compared to other countries, even

with the decline in use, the United States still has a higher drug use rate than many other countries. "We don't (want to) stand out as a

country with high rates of drug abuse among teenagers." http://edition.cnn.com/2014/12/16/health/feat-teen-drug-use-down/index.html

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