Turning Point Times Spring 2024

By turningpc | April 1, 2024

Spring Update

Turning Point Coalition supported multiple trainings for community members, employees, and students. These trainings increased knowledge of substances and their effects, how to recognize signs of impairment and use, and gave participants prevention skills to use in their daily lives.
Trainings
  • Alcohol Literacy Challenge - 37 seventh grade students were taught about the differences between physical and mental effects of alcohol, and how alcohol marketing conditions people to look past the physical effects of alcohol.
  • Hidden in Plain Sight - 13 Orrville City Schools staff members learned about different methods teens use to hide substance use. This training taught them to recognize warning signs of potential substance use as well as the different methods teens use to hide substances.
  • RAPA Presentations - RAPA members taught 20 seventh grade students about the dangers of vaping, and talked to 25 eighth grade students about what they should expect when they get to high school.
  • TiPS OnSite Alcohol Vendor Training - 14 Wayne County employees and business owners participated in Training for Intervention Procedures (TiPS) for onsite alcohol vendors including 8 participants working at Orrville businesses. Participants learned the ins and outs of Ohio's sales and service laws, how to recognize signs of impairment, how to refuse a sale or service, and how to detect fake IDs and handle underage customers.

Upcoming Events

 

Our annual Pizza & Books event will be held at Orrville Public Library on Thursday, April 18th from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM.

This FREE, family-friendly event is open to all ages and will be filled with fun activities. Pizza, drinks, and other treats are part of the celebration. While supplies last, each middle school student will receive one FREE book recommended by library staff for summer reading.

Pizza & Books exists to remind families about the importance of spending quality family time together, which both strengthens family bonds and protects against risky behaviors. Reading is critical to child development and gives parents a good way to connect with youth by talking about stories and books.

The Orrville Public Library and Turning Point Coalition (TPC) will co-host this event. TPC is a community-based volunteer organization that works to create an environment that will help keep youth alcohol, tobacco, and drug free.

For more information about Pizza & Books or Turning Point Coalition, contact Robert Bean at beanr@one-eighty.org or visit us at TurningPointCoalition.com

Turning Point Coalition will be participating in a Parents Who Host Lose the Most campaign from Mid-April through June. This campaign raises awareness of social host liability and encourages parents to not be a party to underage drinking. Keep an eye out for campaign signs and banners as the end of the school year approaches.

Underage drinking rates continue to decline. Findings from SAMHSA's annual National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) showed that underage drinking rates declined significantly from 2002 to 2021. Past 30-day use of alcohol declined about 60% on average for youth ages 12 to 17 during that time; however, this decline does not mean that the risks of underage drinking have changed. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) Facts About Teen Drinking website provides resources for teens to learn how alcohol effects their health, how to recognize signs of a problem, and where they can go for help. Here are some of the highlights:

Alcohol and Your Health - Underage drinking can lead to a variety of risks to youth health both mentally and physically. It can lead to poor decision making, a decreased ability to recognize when you are in danger, and it can also have a negative effect on academic performance. Here are some additional negative outcomes:

  • Blackouts - One study found that 20% of adolescents who drank in the past six months experienced an alcohol-induced memory blackout.
  • Alcohol Overdose - If you believe someone is experiencing an alcohol overdose then get medical help immediately.
  • Alcohol Use Disorder - Research has shown that underage drinking creates a higher risk of developing an alcohol use disorder later in life.

Early Warning Signs of an Alcohol Problem - These signs can be difficult to spot because they can be similar to what is considered normal teen behavior. Here are some of the signs:

  • Mood and personality changes
  • Depression
  • Health and hygiene issues
  • Changes in relationships with friends and family
  • Disengagement from school

Please check out this link for a list of questions to evaluate if you may have a problem with alcohol as well as suggestions on how to reduce drinking and cope with stress.

Getting Help - There are many options available to anyone struggling with alcohol. Adolescents should start by speaking with a trusted adult or professional about problems they are having. If further treatment is necessary, be sure to find a professional who specializes in working with youth. Visit this link if you or someone you know is seeking treatment.

Please visit the links below for more information.

Resources

NIAA Facts About Teen Drinking
NIH - Alcohol-Induced Blackouts as Predictors of Other Drinking Related Harms Among Emerging Young Adults
NIH - Alcohol's Effects on Health
SAMHSA - Results from the 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: A Companion Infographic
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Find Treatment

Vaping Stealth Devices

Youth vaping is an ongoing issue. 2.13 million students who participated in the 2023 National Youth Tobacco Survey reported e-cigarette use. Vaping can negatively impact youth health because it contains nicotine, which can impact brain development and cause addiction. E-cigarettes come in a variety of flavors that are popular with youth including fruits and candy. Another reason youth choose to vape is because of a popular belief that vaping is not dangerous, or at least is not as dangerous as smoking traditional cigarettes. Vaping is an easy habit to hide because the vapors do not have a strong smell, and there are several vaping "stealth devices" that can be hidden in plain sight. Here are a some examples from the Tobacco Education Resource Library:

Other examples include highlighters, key fobs, USB drives, and smartphone cases. Common items like these are easy to mod and turn into a vaping device, and most of them are easy to find for sale online. These would not look out of place at home or at school. Here are some ways you can identify a "stealth device":

  • Educate yourself on what vaping devices look like
  • Examine any items your child consistently puts up to their mouth
  • Check suspicious items for hidden buttons, plug-ins, or chargers

One of the best approaches to prevent youth vaping is to talk to your child about the dangers of vaping. Please visit the links below for more information and resources to prevent this problem from getting worse.

Resources

Meeting Times

When: The second Friday of the month at 8:30 AM
Where:  Orrville High School Board of Ed and Zoom

Upcoming Meetings

April 12th
Speaker: Deanna Nichols-Stika - Executive Director of Wayne County Children's Services
May 10th
Speaker: Dawn Geiser - Teen Services Specialist at Orrville Public Library
June 14th
Speaker: Kelly Dremann - Tobacco Cessation Coordinator at Holmes County General Health District
To receive the Zoom link, message us on Facebook or email CoalitionsCommunication@gmail.com
 

 
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Turning Point Coalition (TPC) was launched in 2004 by a group of concerned citizens working to help create a community environment where youth strive to be alcohol, tobacco, and drug free. Sixteen years later, the coalition continues its mission with education, information, and advocacy.
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Copyright © 2024 Turning Point Coalition. All rights reserved.

This publication is developed in part under grant number SP020543-10 from the Office of National Drug Control Policy and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The views, policies, and opinions expressed are those of the Coalition and do not necessarily reflect those of ONDCP, SAMHSA, or HHS.

Turning Point Coalition
c/o 104 Spink St.
Wooster, OH 44691

TurningPointCoalition.com
CoalitionsCommunication@gmail.com
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