Our Prevention Specialists Ladonna Boyd and Norm Noggle recently completed a 8 week alcohol prevention group for 5 High School students. During the once a week meetings it became clear that the problem of underage drinking was more widespread in our community then what we originally anticipated. For example several students said there is the expectation to drink alcohol after a sporting event and if they didn't they felt like an outsider. As a result of this and recent events involving juvenile crime where drinking was involved, we began to gather information on just how wide spread this problem is in our community. A State organization "Community United to Reduce Bingeing" (CURB) has been involved in several "Town Hall" meeting around the State and is willing to fund a dinner where community members and representatives from various local social service programs can meet and begin to share information regarding needs we have in our community to address this problem and help insure our children remain safe. With the help of our County Prevention Coordinator Jamie Wrote we are planning to have a Town Hall Meeting dinner meeting at our School in February. More information about the details will be forthcoming soon. In the meantime we have included some common myths about alcohol that some of our students need to be aware of:
1. Myth: Binge Drinking is 10 or More Drinks Fact: Binge drinking is 4-5 drinks in a two-hour span
2. Myth: Alcoholism only affects adults Fact: Young binge drinkers often become old binge drinkers. Teenagers who begin binge drinking in their teens are more likely to develop long term alcohol problems
3. Myth: Coffee Can Sober Me Up Fact: Drinking coffee or taking a shower won't help sober you up. Time is the only factor that sober's the body. It takes about one hour to remove an once of alcohol from the body.
Girl Power Conference
This years "Girl Power" conference is moving forward nicely. We have financial contributions from several sources which when combined with the $20.00 student fee will completely fund this years 2 day event at Chewelah Peak Learning Center. We have contracted with a Nationally recognized speaker who has appeared on several television talk shows on subjects of Girl to Girl Bullying reduction, Internet Safety, and waging peace in the schools. Donna Clark-Love will also be at our school the day before the event on March 5th to meet with our girls in small groups throughout the day and address this problem and its cure. The conference will begin on Friday March 6th and end at 12:00 noon the following day. Girls will have a minimum of one chaperone per 6 girls and will be spending the night at the dorm at Chewelah Peak. A 20.00 student fee will pay for all of the meals and other expenses at the conference. The fee can be waived if a student isn't able to afford the contribution. It is anticipated that 96 middle school girls will be attending this years event. Several one hour classes will be held covering subjects ranging from Nutrition, Yoga, Communication skill building, Wonderful world of puberty, Goals and dreams, Body image and the media, Healthy mind and spirit,Developmental effects of Substance abuse, and Internet safety. There will also be evening activities which will include Making Native Dream Catchers, movies, and a DJ Hip Hop girls dance.