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Show Some Successful Steps Toward Alcohol and Drug Prevention and Treatment Following are some examples of groups and organizations that have had successful results with alcohol and drug " abusers. There are thousands more in the State of Utah. Utah Federation Drug-free. That's what all of Utah 's young people should be, according to this all-volunteer organization. The Utah Federation is a statewide volunteer organization set up to provide education and prevention services to Utah's parents and young people and to complement treatment, intervention and after-care services, provided by other public and private organizations around the state. For further information on how you can join the fight for a drug-free environment, environ-ment, call 533-6532. S.T.O.PP. In February of 1985, concerned University of Utah students began a drug and alcohol prevention and education program called S.T.O.P.P. (Students to Organize Participative Prevention). The group works with the Cottage Program International, faculty members, and leaders of the fraternitysorority system to provide information on the effects of drugs and alcohol, encourage personal, responsible decision-making, and give students the motivation and skills to carry out those decisions in pressure situations. Speakers at fraternitysorority events, freshman orientation and other programs are successfully spreading the message of S.T.O.P.P. Family at the Crossroads Often the family or friends of a drug abuser are more eager to seek help than the abuser themself. Those close to an abuser need help and support as much as the abuser. "Family at the Crossroads" has organized a volunteer program to aid these significant others in cases of drug and alcohol abuse. A volunteer explains that substance abuse is a family illness. Friends and family members are reminded that you cannot change another's behavior, but you can change your own. They learn to show abusers, through their own actions, the importance of overcoming problems of dependency. PTAPTSA Grassroots Effort Utah 's PTAPTSA is making a significant contribution to a drug-free community. Realizing that substance abuse is everyone's problem, they have made a plea to all citizens to become involved. And people are responding. They are learning about drug effects, symptoms of abuse, and dangers to health and family. They are informing local governments, state legislatures and national lawmakers. They are telling schools, other parents and young people about the problem. They are learning to teach their children the value of healthy living ... not to use chemicals as a substitute for life. Walt Disney said, "Our greatest national resource is the minds of our children. " The PTAPTSA is helping people protect that resource. A.C.C.T. In 1983, Layton High School students started a group to help students understand and cope with the ever-increasing abuse of alcohol and drugs. The group is called A.C.C.T. (All Chemical Control Team). A.C.C.T. has now evolved into a regular Applied Psychology course. Members of the class develop visual and oral presentations on drug abuse. The skits are performed for other students. Class members also learn peer facilitating and support skills. The class is intended to be a peer support group for students who choose not to use drugs and alcohol, who want to stop abusing drugs and alcohol, or who simply want more information. Fellow students, school teachers, parents and administrators are all taking advantage of the A.C.C.T. program. The Davis Alliance Adult Support Group As a parent or any adult who is concerned about youth, you must realize that you are not alone. There are many parents out there hurting just like you. There are many parents that have sought help from professional psychiatrists, psychologists, counselors and the church. There are scores of others who care. The young people know that their strength derives from numbers, and so they gather the support of their friends . . . their peers. As adults, we are rediscovering redis-covering that we can help each other ... to help our young people. The Adult Support Group of The Davis Alliance is based on this concept. The group, composed of parents and other . adults who care about youth, meets each Wednesday from 7:30 to 9:00pm at 470 East Medical Drive in Bountiful. Each meeting consists of an education presentation followed by time for personal application and problem solving. Anyone is welcome to attend at any time and as often as he or she desires. Salt Lake County Education and Prevention Services Coordinating the activities of the many substance abuse education and prevention services in Salt Lake County is a -difficult but necessary job. The Salt Lake County Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services Division oversees twenty one providers, including school and parent groups, to assure education and prevention services are available for anyone needing help. In addition, the Division provides direct services such as training and technical assistance to community and parent groups. The Division is primarily concerned about satisfying the special needs of youth, elderly, parents and minorities. Educational presentations, a speaker's bureau, and a resource library are all part of the Division's services. Task Force Attacks Drug pushers beware. The Utah Task Force on Drug and Alcohol abuse is determined to make it hot for you. But for youths needing treatment, the same group is bent on seeing that they get help. According to Senator Jack M. Bangerter, the sixteen member group will "clean out the drug abuse problem in Utah." Working with other on-going efforts, the task force is implementing an all-out attack by every law enforcement agency, school, parent and social service organization in the state. The task force recognizes the immensity of the problem, but promises "we will get the job done. " Helping Families vnth Alcohol Problems by Public Communications Dept. The Church of Jesus Christ "' of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of flood of women, the wives and mothers religious sincerity. It counters this Latter-day Saints has long had a of this country, who are joining the stereotype with another picture: "Many profound concern for the well-being of ranks of alcohol abusers, is also of deep alcoholics are prominent, successful the family, recognizing it as the basic concern to our Church. business people with good educations." unit of our society. The cumulative Since it's early beginnings, the The goal of the program is to help effects of alcohol on the home and Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day non-drinking family members acknow- family are often many times greater Saints has maintained a firm stand ledge the alcoholism and then help than the simple effect of alcohol on the against alcohol use. However, it also them to deal with it. Using the manual, individual family member who drinks. acknowledges that some of its resource persons support family Non-drinking family members, often members drink and that some of these members with lessons and exercises children, are the first to feel the brunt abuse alcohol. Because Chruch leaders that increase self-esteem, teach of abusive drinking behavior. Wasted recognize this situation, a "Resource - communication skills, and provide family resources, lost jobs, physical Manual for Helping Families with techniques for reducing stress, culti- abuse, interrupted schedules, shame . Alcohol Problems "was developed and vating good friends and resisting social and disgrace, insecurity, separation or distributed to Church leaders. The pressure. Strengthened as individuals divorce are all common ingredients in manual focuses entirely on actions that and as a family unit, nonprinting the lives of family members decayed by will help the alcoholic and his or her family members "will be more alcohol abuse. All too often the end family. . successful in helping their drinking result is a repeated vicious cycle of The purpose of the manual is to loved one." The manual offers a broken lives. No family member is provide "resource persons," usually lay program of support and assistance for immune to the influence of this drug. leaders of the Church, with material Church members with a drinking Despite the disheartening realities of that will enable them to assist the problem that is both pragmatic and the destructive effects of alcohol on family with an alcoholic member. compassionate. - youth, current reports indicate The manual describes in detail the In Utah we should be proud that we continuing decreases in average ages classic signs of alcoholism and outlines have the lowest per capital consump- at which drinking begins and, the characteristic stages of the disease. tion of alcohol in the nation. But we incredibly, that many teenagers who It takes pains to dispel the myth that should continue to combine our efforts begin to drink do so at home under alcoholics are people of weak will, with in reaching out to those who are the parental supervision. The increasing low moral standards, lacking in victims of alcohol abuse. i Healthy Aging and the Wise Use of Medication by the Weber Department ! of Alcohol and Drug Abuse The problem of drug and alcohol Alcohol and Drug Abuse, heads one her was a tranquilizer, abuse is not limited to the young. The of these education programs. Nikki The elderly are also urged to use elderly make up about eleven percent and two other professionals have their pharmacist and other avail- ofthe population, but they consume designed a highly successful able resources to get accurate nearly thirty percent of all drugs used. program utilizing films, lectures, information about drugs. Learning Because they are legitimately using brainstorming activities, booklets to recognize drug side effects is many drugs, senior citizens are more and evaluations. Their objective is crucial and pharmacists can help, likely to develop dependence problems to help Utah's senior citizens Finally, the program offers systems than younger Utahns. become informed and careful drug for taking medicine so that daily Drug abuse is not something people users. doses are neither duplicated nor outgrouw. One-third of elderly alcohol Nikki finds that many senior forgotten, abusers developed their problem after citizens are confused about the Nikki credits much of the entering their senior years. The purpose of drugs they are taking. program 's success to three elderly pattern of abuse among senior Few understand the possibility and women who participate in the citizens typically involves small, dangers of drug interaction or drug presentation. "These ladies are but frequent, doses of legal sub- side effects. To change this, the the real core of our program. We stances. Problems with drugs program encourages senior know the information we are giving among senior are caused primarily citizens to give and receive clear is excellent, but none of us have by misuse and inappropriate use. information when visiting the been a senior yet. Ruth, Vel and To combat the growing problems doctor. Many times, the elderly Evelyn have; they can aid us in of drugs and the elderly, the State take unnecessary or inappropriate translating what we know into how Division of Alcohol and Drugs medication because they have it works." offers workshops for the elderly on incorrectly identified their Above all, the program teaches the wise use of medication. Nikki symptoms. An elderly woman the elderly that drugs are neither Lovell, a prevention specialist for suffering from tiredness and lack good nor bad. It is how they are the Weber County Department of of enthusiam was shocked to used that makes the difference. discover that a drug prescribed for . Conssquoncos and Penalties SS3& of Drunli Driving : : 1 I : 1 : Drunk driving is a crime. It has increase. IF you are convicted a third time always been a misdemeanor in Utah IF you are a first-time offender, you within five years, you could face a jail with a maximum fine of $299 and a jail could face two to ten days in jail or do term or community service for no less sentence of up to six months. But in community service work. You will have than 30 days, but no more than 90. And 1983, Utah adopted a slightly tougher to attend and pay up to $150 for a treat- the treatment fee is $299. The possible law. ment program. And you will pay $100 maximum fine, six month jail term and The crime is still a misdemeanor into the fund for victims of drunk victim restitution fee are the same, and the maximum fine and sentence drivers. Then there is still the possible It used to be that if you were are the same, but today, a person found $299 fine and six month jail sentence. convicted of driving drunk you lost your guilty of driving drunk faces a manda- IF you are convicted of DUI a second license for a year, but a restricted work tory jail term or community service time, within a five year period, you permit was available. Today, with the work. This person has to attend a treat- could do community service or be in new law, your license is only revoked ment program and pay for it. And all jail for up to 30 days. And the treat- for 90 days, but there are no excep- convicted drunk drivers pay into a DUI ment fee can be as high as $299. The tions. Work permits for convicted fund for victims of drunk drivers. With additional maximum fine, jail sentence drunk drivers are part of the past, each offense the consequences and victim restitution fee are the same. School Alcohol and Drug Prevention Programs Help Kids to Say 'No' by Mary Lou Emerson ... ' Utah State Office of Education Utah 's teachers, parents and skills over a number of years, the programs, young people intervene on a students are all involved in a statewide program helps to ensure that young one-to-one basis with their peers, parti-effort parti-effort to prevent youth substance use people will be able to make responsible cularly in regard to decisions that teen-r teen-r and abuse. Through a variety of decisions about their personal behavior agers are constantly faced with making programs in Utah's schools, young including decisions about sub- about their own personal behavior and , people are learning how to say "no" to stance use when the time comes. the values which influence their alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. Parents also have an important role actions. Peer Counselor and Peer Utah's Alcohol Drue and Tobacco to play in prevention education. The Helpers receive training to develop Prevention Education Program Cooperation Program" is a their communication, listening and home instructional component problem-solving skills. The most extensive primary designed to reinforce classroom Junior high and high school prevention effort is the Utah Alcohol, instruction and involve the whole students throughout Utah are involved Drug and Tobacco Prevention Educa- family in practicing healthy life skills in another kind of program Impro- tion Program. The program begins in through activities in the home. visational Theater. Improvisational the first grade and extends through lrwHTWro Theater students create performances high school, with lesson plans and utner&cnooi-Basea urograms designed to increase awareness about I activities designed for each grade level. In many of Utah's schools, the the sensitive issues surrounding Utah's prevention education students are taking a leadership role. adolescence, especially about the use program focuses on student needs and Young people not only care about and of alcohol and other drugs. Perfor-involves Perfor-involves young people actively in the want to be involved with their peers, mances encourage communication learning process. Through a variety of but they are finding that they can work among teenagers, parents and teachers educational media, students receive . effectively with them in preventing and help the audience and the cast to current and accurate information alcohol and drug problems. While peer view reality from a new, and often about alcohol, tobacco, and other pressure may often be viewed as a different, perspective, drugs, including the physiological, negative influence, Utah's Peer Project Graduation, another school-psychological, school-psychological, social and economic Leaders, Peer Counselors, and Peer based program, is aimed at eliminating aspects of substance use and abuse. Helpers are involved in programs that the senseless loss of young lives due to ' Beyond the factual information take advantage of young people's drunk and drugged driving. With an about substances, the prevention ability to influence their peers in a emphasis on positive peer pressure, Vj education program places an even positive way. students work together with parents, ' stronger emphasis on the importance The Peer Leadership Team is made educators and community leaders to of self-concept and life skills. This up of high school students interested carry out prom or graduation activities approach is based on the belief that in helping themselves, their schools, that are free of alcohol or other drug feelings of self-worth, accompanied by and their communities prevent the use use. decision-making, problem-solving, and abuse of alcohol, tobacco, and These programs represent only a few coping, resistance to persuasion, and other drugs. Team members attend a of those being implemented in Utah's interpersonal relationship skills will three-day training program to improve schools. For further information about enable young people to use the factual their personal life skills and to learn Utah's school-based prevention efforts, information in a positive way and will about the problems of substance abuse. please contact the Utah State Office of strengthen their ability to say "no" to They then work to implement alcohol Education, the State Division of Alco- alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. By and drug prevention activities in their holism and Drugs, or the alcohol and providing opportunities for students to high school and community. drug agency in your local community, acquire and practice these and other In Peer Counseling and Peer Helper |