Volume 5, Issue 2 “Promoting healthy, vibrant, and productive lifestyles for the New London teens” spring 2015

www.mynlccc.org 120 Broad Street, New London, CT 06320 nlccc@ci.new-london.ct.us

T.I.P.S. Training The Trainer Training April 20 & 21—Call 860-442-1497

This Isn’t Your Parents’ Marijuana By Melanie Savage Reminder Newscontact the reporter AHM Substance Abuse Task Force presented marijuana forum

"This isn't your parents' marijuana," was the message passed on by speakers at a marijuana forum sponsored by the AHM Youth and Family Services Substance Abuse Prevention Task Force, held Feb. 12 in the RHAM High School auditorium. The first speaker at the forum, Alicia Farrell, Ph.D., is a cognitive psychologist and owner of Clear view Consulting. Three years ago, said Farrell, she started to notice a shift in the demographics of her clients. They were younger, said Farrell, "and these were kids that were floundering." These kids shared many characteristics, said Farrell. They were disengaged, unmotivated, showed a lack of persistence or willingness to hang in to get tasks accomplished. And many of these clients, said Farrell, were regular pot smokers. Farrell said that marijuana is much more potent today than it was when the parents of today's teens were going to school. In the 1970s, she said, pot contained approximately 1 percent THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol), which is the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. By 1985, that number had risen to 3.5 percent. Today's marijuana contains, on average, an 8.8 percent concentration of THC, "and some has been found to have concentrations as high as 32 percent," said Farrell. "This is not the drug that we knew of when we were their age," said Far-rell. Many of her clients had starting smoking pot in middle school, said Farrell, and both they and their parents were often under the impression that the drug was not the origin of their problems. But Farrell disagreed. Marijuana is addictive, she said, with 1 in 6 adolescents becoming addicted, compared to 1 in 9 adults. Smoking pot significantly increases the risk of using other drugs, serving as a gateway to even more addictive drugs such as heroin. Farrell pointed out that today, heroin is cheap in comparison to pot, making it an attractive alternative to those who have become addicted but can no longer afford the price tag of marijuana. Marijuana affects brain development, said Farrell, resulting in up to a six-point drop in IQ. Researchers currently believe this drop is permanent, she said. What's more, one study has shown that even light, recreational use can result in changes in brain anatomy, with changes increasing with increased usage of the drug. "This drug is causing damage to our children's brains," said Farrell. Marijuana is worse for the lungs than cigarettes, according to a handout that Farrell provided, containing 50 percent more carcinogens and resulting in greater tar deposits. "One joint has a similar effect to airflow obstruction of up to five cigarettes," reads the handout. Marijuana increases the risk of having other psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia, according to the handout, and can increase the heart rate for two to three hours, making it dangerous for those with heart conditions. Marijuana can mask and/or cause other issues such as anxiety, depression, anger, low self-esteem, sleep disturbances, lack of motivation, lack of interest, academic performance, etc., and rob kids of the opportunity to devel-op life skills such as resilience and persistence within adversity, said Farrell. And marijuana doubles the risk of an automobile accident. "Recovery from an addiction to marijuana is complicated," said Farrell. For all of these reasons and more, Farrell felt that "we, as parents, should have a no-drug policy with our teens." A 22-year-old named Becca spoke after Farrell, sharing her experiences with enter-ing recovery at the age of 16. Today holding a BA in forensic psychology, Becca was in the sixth grade when she first started using marijua-na. Walking into the school lunch room, she said, "was the most stressful part of my day." A little bit of pot, alcohol, or both, "and all of a sudden I was the life of the party," said Becca. Without her crutch, the young teen felt that she couldn't navigate the social pitfalls of mid-dle and high school. By the time she was 16, she was addicted to heroin. "If I could say one thing to parents, the most important thing for me would have been to have validation," said Becca. Teenagers are beset by feelings of doubt and often questioning their own self-worth, she said. "High school kids need a lot of support," said Becca. Supervisory Assistant State's Attorney Francis Carino also spoke at the forum, spelling out the legal ramifications of marijuana usage. Farrell offered several guidelines for parents: educate yourself and your kids; set expectations and consequences (zero-tolerance policy for drugs); follow through; look for signs and monitor technology; know your kids' friends and their families; intervene early (random drug tests—www.drugtestyourteen.com); if your child is already involved, intervene now; have family dinners.

"Remember, a child who reaches age 21 without using illegal drugs, abusing alcohol or smoking is most likely never to do so," said Farrell.

Page 2 “Promoting healthy, vibrant, and productive lifestyles for the New London teens” Spring 2015

NLCCC Offers Free TIPS Seller-Server Training

Call 860-442-1497

Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD)

SADD is a program open to middle school students at Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School. This is an after school program that meets with 8- 10 students weekly on Fridays. Our SADD mission is to empower young people to success-fully confront the risks and pressures that challenge them in their daily lives. SADD fosters a sense of belonging and promotes resiliency, leadership, and advocacy skills so that young people make positive life decisions. We do this through community outreach activities, in school programs and collection drives, and education.

TIPS Train the Trainer The NLCCC and T.I.P.S. (Training for Inter-vention Procedures) is sponsoring a “Train the Trainer” workshop on Monday & Tuesday, April 21 & 22, at the New Lon-don Holiday Inn. The course will run from 8am—4p.m. both days and cost $499. Each participant will get the student video, instructor’s guide, and access to an online tool that allows trainers to track all of their TIPS activity. Once you become a TIPS Trainer, each per-son that you train is required to have a TIPS par-ticipant manuel, exam questions, answer sheet, processing and grading exams, and issuing the certification card.

Call: Linda Finch @ 800-438-8477 ext. 396

Connecticut College & the NLCCC Collaborate on a

Drug-Take-Back-Day

On Thursday, April 16, 2015, from 10:30a.m. to 1:30p.m. at Crozier Hall at Connecticut College the NLCCC in collaboration with Connecticut College will

be sponsoring a Drug-Take Back. Susan Turley, MS APRN, Nurse Practitioner with Connecticut College Student Health Services will be collecting old & outdated prescription medications which will be processed by the New London Police De-partment and destroyed by incineration. The collection process is anonymous and free literature will be distributed.

Drug-Take-Back-Box

There is a permanent drug-take-back box located In the foyer of the New London Police Department

Building at 5 Governor Winthrop Bld. Open 24/7

Recent SADD Activities Jan. 9, - Put “table talkers” on BDJMS cafeteria tables

Jan. 16, - Volunteered at the New London Senior Center

Jan. 21, - Donated stuffed animals to Engaging Heaven Church

Jan. 23, - Learned bullying prevention, helping a friend, and de-flecting bullying

Feb. 6, - Educational talk on bullying and drugs

Feb. 13, - Volunteered at New London Main Street

Feb. 20, - Hang posters at BDJMS, collected books for Whales Tales Book Bank

Feb. 27, - Planning for “The Big Event”

Feb. 28, - Volunteered at “The Big Event” sponsored by New London Recreation

Spring 2015 “Promoting healthy, vibrant, and productive lifestyles for the New London teens” Page 3

Free Mediation Training Who: The New London Community & Campus Coalition, the New London Juvenile Review Board and partners Community Mediation, Inc.,

and Child & Family Agency is offering free mediation training specifically for the Juvenile Review Board community targeting alternative interaction between the juvenile offender, school, police, and the community. JRBs are encouraged to take the training. Up to 20 individuals can take the course.

Call Tony Mollica at 860-442-1497 to sign-up for the course. Acceptance is on a first-come-first serve basis.

What: The basic 40-hour mediation training is designed to give participants the skills and tools they need to serve as impartial third party

mediators. This is an experiential training using a wide range of formats including role plays, videos, lectures, discussions, and skills demon-strations. This training has been designed to meet the 40-hour course requirement many mediation centers, courts, and other agencies use to qualify mediators around the U.S. This workshop is designed for attorneys, mental health professionals, human resource professionals, educators, supervisors, faith community leaders, and anyone who would like to improve their conflict management and communication skills. Participants in this training will learn the Seven-Step Mediation Process from the book “The Mediator’s Handbook”, by Jennifer Beer. Partic-ipants will be given the skills to see conflict in a whole new way. Among the many topics the training will cover:

Overview of alternative dispute resolution

Execution of the mediation process

Role of the mediator

Use of neutral language

Questioning techniques

Legal and ethical issues

Drafting mediation agreements

When: The course is scheduled for 5 consecutive Fridays from 8am-4pm starting on April 17, and continue on April 24, May 8, 15, & 22

Where: 254 Hempstead St., New London, CT (Child & Family Library, across from Child & Family Administration Building)

Food & drink will be provided

Download our new free “Looking For Some-thing To Do?” APP now. It provides you with hundreds of ideas on where to visit, what to see, and how to get around. Go to www.mynlccc.org, click on media and follow the simple directions. It includes; Retail, En-tertainment, Transportation, Education & Information, and Health & Fitness.

Our new Community Report for 2012-2014 is available for public review. It includes several data points, a review of our process (Strategic Prevention Framework-SPF), a list of our Coa-lition members, and our mission and goals. The report outlines our successes and where more resources are required.

What’s New At The NLCCC Check out these new

“Products”

“Stay Drug Free With The NLCCC”

New SEAT bus ads running throughout southeastern Connecticut. Ads are in English & Spanish. Look for them the

next time you are out and about.

120 Broad Street, New London, CT 06320

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Page 4 “Promoting healthy, vibrant, and productive lifestyles for the New London teen community” Spring 2015

A Word from Senator Murphy: When Reforms Take Hold

On January 29th, the Washington Post published the results of a study by the Council

of State Governments Justice Center that focused on how recent reforms have led to plum-

meting incarceration rates in the juvenile justice system across the nation. According to the

study, since 1997, Connecticut has seen the greatest percentage drop in commitment rates in

the United States. Connecticut “cut its youth prison population by almost 80 percent between 1997 and 2011.” Justice Policy Institute

lists some of the major reforms that led to Connecticut’s large statistical change. First, Connecticut focused on reducing overreliance on

confinements and emphasized diverting status offenders away from the court system. The state also improved the way youths were

treated going through the juvenile justice system by raising the age of jurisdiction for juvenile justice programs and reducing arrests for

non-serious offenses at school. All of these reforms led to not only a drop in prison population but also major cost savings and improve-

ment in public safety. The Post article praises the work Connecticut has done to improve our system by saying we could “provide some

guidance to the rest of the nation.” That is why I introduced the Better Options for Kids Act, which builds on what we’ve learned in Con-

necticut to incentivize other states to undertake similar reforms, and would provide new grant funding for community organizations that

implement policies to reduce youth incarceration.

Although Connecticut has made significant strides in reducing our prison population, there is still much

to be done. On February 3rd of this year, Governor Dannel Malloy announced his proposed changes to Connecti-

cut’s criminal justice system to better represent a “second chance society.” The plan includes treating drug pos-

session as a misdemeanor, expediting parole hearings for non-violent offenders, and providing a post-prison

employment program that combines education and skills training. Although these reforms deal with our overall

criminal population, it is important to remember that zero tolerance policies have helped create a “school-to-

prison pipeline,” a trend that is addressed in the Governor’s outline. The Governor’s Second Chance Society will

help to keep non-violent offenders out of our prison system while also helping provide our at-risk youth with the

early intervention they need.

Update on the New London Juvenile Review Board The New London Juvenile Review Board (NL JRB) was recently awarded a state grant from the De-partment of Children & Families that will permit the NL JRB to increase the hours of our case manag-er, allow us to follow cases for up to six months, and increase the number of cases we are able to handle. This will allow us to keep more NL youth out of juvenile court and be able to continue their life without a court record.