Date:  

January 11, 2007

Facilitator:  Maureen Cary

Location:

3 Blue Streak Blvd., 2^nd floor, School District Administrative Offices

Recorder: Robin Ambrosino

Attendees:

S. Lang, D. Tallman, D. Lagoe, A. Metzler, B. Boehmke, R. Demartino,
K. Sephas, D. McGarry, K. Pettigrew, S. Bold, K. Cushing, R. Goliber,
R. Alderman, L. Beer, M. Cary, M. Daley, P. Laudicina, M. Laudicina,
T. Moon, B. Quinn, K. Behrens, B. Jean, B. Loggins,
 

Materials Distributed:

Saratoga Mentoring Flyer, Girls Inc. Flyer, Wave Riders flyer, Meth360 fact sheets, printout about increased use of prescription drugs

Overview

News & Announcements

Problem Gambling Prevention Program Director is looking for adult volunteer chaperones to gauge whether underage youth are able to buy lottery tickets. It's not illegal for kids to purchase, but for people to sell them. Intent is not for clerks to get into trouble, but to see when/if kids can make the purchase. Anyone with kids under age 18 is encouraged to participate.

There will be a Martin Luther King Day celebration at the Saratoga Springs Public Library on Monday, January 15th  from 2-4 p.m.

There will be a retirement party on Friday, June 15th at the City Center for outgoing School Superintendent John MacFadden. More details to come.

There will be a three-part Wave Riders teen grief program from 2 - 4 p.m. on Sundays, starting January 21 and ending February 4. For more information, call the Community Hospice of Saratoga County at 694-4968.

There will be a retirement party Open House for Prevention Council Community Educator Marie MacPherson on Friday, January 26 from 3 - 5 p.m. in the Community Room at the Saratoga Springs Public Library. Everyone is welcome to come.

The first Profiles in Character column ran in The Saratogian on Tuesday. Maureen passed it around so partners could see it. People have been excited about the positive reinforcement kids are getting through the column. Nominations are ongoing. Click here for more information.

A group of Partnership members attended Teen Town in Scotia-Glenville to see if a "kids night out" at the middle school might be possible here in Saratoga. Staff conducted focus groups with middle school kids to see what they thought, and they were very excited about the possibility.

 

Meth 360
Presentation

New York's Capital Region is one of four pilot sites across the country to roll out the Meth 360 initiative, which brings prevention, treatment and law enforcement professionals together to speak to communities throughout the Capital Region about ways to combat methamphetamine. Meth is a problem not only because of its role as an addictive substance, but also because of the toxic waste and fumes produced as byproducts of methamphetamine labs.

The Meth 360 initiative was established to use education and prevention to help keep the problem from developing locally. Arrests related to meth have taken place regionally in Oneonta, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Washington, and Warren counties.

Meth can be created in crude, home-made labs by using toxic substances to break down the chemical properties of basic household items. It's typically used by 18 - 25-year-olds, such as students, truck drivers, working moms, and professionals looking for ways to stay awake and alert. Meth use increases the feel-good chemical dopamine, and is extremely addictive.

The Prevention Council has trained two staff members as Meth 360 presenters, and the goal is for these staff members to give as many presentations as possible to raise awareness and increase the perception of risk related to meth's production and use.

To schedule a presentation, call 518-581-1230. For more information, go to www.drugfree.org/meth.

Stephanie Lang asked if she can share this information with the district. Tim Moon offered to come give another presentation this spring. Stephanie will contact Tim later this spring if the district is interested in a presentation.

Preliminary
Youth Survey
Results

Staff asked for partners' input so it can be incorporated into survey report. Looking for input about what concerns people have, what's working, what else to focus on -- what information jumped out.

Several people commented that they were glad to have gambling information included.

Stephanie Lang has noticed poker games at lunch tables, in corners at the high school campus. Kids are playing liberally in school. Anecdotally, over the past two years kids are having fights over gambling debts. Also happens openly with parents on the weekends. Gambling was the lowest perceived risk by parents, followed by marijuana. This is the first time gambling questions were included on parent survey.

Rich DeMartino said he is also seeing a lot of prescription drug use.

Karen Pettigrew said her impression was that use between 6 & 8 kids is better, but then 10th and 12th graders goes the other way. Staff agreed that that is the main summary for this year's survey. Staff mentioned that this year's 12th graders are the 10th graders whose scores were high in 2004.

Rich DeMartino asked to see comparisons to other communities of privilege. He is curious about why Saratoga is so much higher. Tim Moon said that Saratoga is right in the middle of the mix -- higher than some of the 5 other districts surveyed and lower than others.

Communities with poverty have different risk factors - we have risk factors particular to communities of privilege. May be connected to Saratoga being a party town.

Tim Moon said it may not be that we're necessarily a permissive community. When you  look at the overall picture we do okay. Something to focus on may be parents' sense that they're sending a strong message  when kids don't see it that way.

Karen worries that when bad things happen -- i.e., kids in the emergency room at homecoming -- then we're not doing our jobs.

Saratoga Rowing Association called The Prevention Council after the majority of kids in the club were found drinking. They want to do something about it and develop a policy and code of conduct that families have to follow. Sending the right message to kids is important, but more important is giving parents the tools about how to send clear no-use messages.

Rich recommended a parent education component on the topic of prescription drugs - that's where kids are getting it.

Bob Loggins pointed out that 40% of population has had the All Stars summer camp experience -- our efforts may have had some effect, too.

Stephanie would like a more open school environment at the middle school -- including possible dance nights.

Kids said that they get health education in 8th grade, but that they don't have health again until 11th grade. 9th and 10th is where experimentation is going on - not only for sexual activity, but also drug use.

Rich said that the hardest thing is going to be for kids to buy into protective factors -- i.e., an after prom party. Hard to break the social norm.
 

Next Meeting

The next Partnership meeting will take place on Thursday, February 8th in the administrative offices at 3 Blue Streak Blvd. at 3:30 p.m.