Happy Holidays from HCI

December 10, 2015 Leave a comment


Healthy Communities Initiative (HCI) coalition is a substance abuse prevention coalition serving the counties of Burt, Cuming, Stanton, and Madison. HCI believes it is vital to protect our most precious commodity–our youth–by reducing easy access to alcohol.

 

Underage drinking is a persistent problem especially during the holiday season. Many of the holiday festivities encourage alcohol use and possibly drunk driving.

 

Most teens who drink get their alcohol from “social” sources—older friends and family, or by taking it from a home without permission. The key to reducing teen drinking is reducing teens’ easy access to alcohol. Parents need to keep track of alcohol at home and speak up when underage drinking is discussed.

 

Parents need to be frank–tell other parents that you don’t want them serving alcohol to your teen or condoning teen drinking. Talk to adults who host teen parties. Let them know that it is not okay to serve alcohol to someone else’s child.

 

HCI would like to wish everyone a safe, sober and happy holiday season! Remember, please DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE. The life you save, may be your own. For more information about HCI go to www.elvphd.org or call 402-529-2233.

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Alcohol Compliance Rates Backsliding

December 2, 2015 Leave a comment


Healthy Communities Initiative (HCI), is a substance abuse prevention coalition, serving Burt, Cuming, Stanton, and Madison Counties. HCI reports that the rates of alcohol compliance failure for businesses selling alcohol to underage youth has been increasing in the past two years. Alcohol compliance checks are a type of prevention strategy that deters alcohol outlets from selling alcohol to underage youth. The Nebraska State Patrol or local police officials supervise undercover youth who try to buy alcohol; if the attempt is successful, the business is penalized. Compliance rates in 2013 were 96% and they have decreased to 88% in 2015. Selling alcohol to a minor is against the law. Allowing a person who is under the legal age of 21 to buy alcohol not only puts the business at risk, it also puts its staff and our youth at risk.

HCI provides FREE Responsible Beverage Service Training classes to On Premise and Off Premise businesses. This class, TIPS (Training for Intervention Procedures) is free to all business owners, managers, and staff involved in the sale of alcohol and liquor. TIPS training is designed to help liquor license holders and staff in identifying intoxicated customers, checking ID’s, confidently intervening and resolving troublesome situations. The training is a one-time 3-5 hour class. TIPS training is approved by the Nebraska Liquor Commission and taught by local certified trainers. Persons successfully passing the TIPS training are certified for three years.

Businesses that recently failed the alcohol compliance checks have been contacted by HCI and encouraged to attend a TIPS training. The class is provided free of charge and are scheduled at the convenience of the business. Businesses that recently passed the compliance checks are also invited to attend a TIPS training. It is important that all servers and sellers of alcohol learn how to encourage responsible drinking.

This FREE training is being made available through grant funding provided to the Elkhorn Logan Valley Public Health Department. If you are interested in attending a TIPS training, please contact Kathy Becker at 402-529-2233 or email her at kathy@elvphd.org.

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HCI Elects New Board Members

May 14, 2015 Leave a comment


Healthy Communities Initiative (HCI) is a substance abuse prevention coalition serving the counties of Burt, Cuming, Stanton, and Madison. The board meets three times per year and is made up of community leaders from the four counties representing 12 distinctly separate sectors including: youth, parents, business, media, schools, police, religious or fraternal organizations, civic or volunteer groups, minorities, health care experts, state, local, or tribal government agencies, and other organizations involved in reducing substance abuse.

At the May 7, 2015 HCI board of directors meeting, the board elected two new members representing the government and media sectors. Byron Brogan, City Director and Economic Development Director for Madison, NE, was approved as the new government sector representative. Jeffrey Steffen, Operations Manager at WJAG 106 KIX and Lite Rock 97.5 in Norfolk, NE, was selected as the new media sector representative.

Kathy Becker, Coordinator for HCI, stated, “The board looks forward to working with Messrs. Brogan and Steffen serving on the HCI board. Their expertise and passion for youth and substance abuse prevention make them invaluable to achieving HCI’s goals and mission.”

If you are interested in learning more about HCI, attending a meeting, or becoming involved, visit            our website at www.elvphd.org (Programs/Services—Drug & Alcohol Abuse Prevention) or call              (402) 529-2233.

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A Unified Message for Prom and Graduation Parties

April 10, 2015 Leave a comment


Prom and graduation is often associated with peer pressure to drink alcohol, do drugs, drive dangerously, and have sex. However, parents can play a major role in their children’s choices about alcohol, tobacco or other drugs. As a parent, it is important to discuss the dangers of underage drinking and drug use prior to their children attending prom or graduation parties.

 

Parents who knowingly allow a person under age 21 to remain on their property while consuming or possessing alcoholic beverages can be prosecuted and face a jail sentence, fines and loss of property. There are many heath-related consequences of youth consuming alcohol including negative effects on brain development, deviant behavior including stealing and skipping school and a greater risk of becoming alcohol-dependant later in life.

 

Adults providing alcohol to underage youth send a mixed message and can only add to a teenager’s confusion about the acceptability of drinking. They are also sending the message to teens that they do not have to obey the law. Research shows that most teenagers appreciate it when their parents set boundaries and establish expectations that are fairly enforced. Our youth deserve to live and grow to adulthood in an environment where alcohol is not misused. Let’s be unified in our message, and host alcohol-free parties with plenty of fun activities to show our youth that we care about their future.

 

For more information or to join the Healthy Communities Initiative (HCI) Coalition, please contact Kathy Becker at (402) 529-2233.

 

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Healthy Communities Initiative (HCI) Opposes LB330

February 19, 2015 Leave a comment


Healthy Communities Initiative (HCI), a substance abuse prevention coalition, is strongly opposed to LB330 introduced, at the request of the Liquor Control Commission, by Senator Tyson Larson. This bill, among other items, eliminates mandated off and on-sale alcohol business hours, taxes “hard cider” at the lower rate reserved for beer, allows sale of confiscated alcohol by state liquor regulators, and would allow “powdered” alcohol to be sold.

The changes introduced by Sen. Larson are those which research has found exacerbate alcohol abuse in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds the cost of excessive alcohol consumption in the United States reached $223.5 billion dollars by 2006. Three-quarters of that cost, or approximately $165 billion, was related to binge drinking. The costs were attributed to loss in workplace productivity, health care expense, and automobile crashes due to impaired driving. Costs not studied include pain and suffering experienced by the excessive drinker, their friends and family, and their victims. Excessive alcohol consumption affects every citizen by increasing health care costs, costs associated with both intentional injuries (domestic violence, sexual assault, and firearms), unintentional injuries (falls, burns, drowning), unintended pregnancy, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders and alcohol poisoning.

The Community Preventive Services Task Force has recommended evidence-based strategies to prevent excessive drinking. Among the best practice strategies: increasing alcohol excise taxes, which Sen. Larson’s bill contradicts by seeking to lower the tax on “hard cider” beverages. Reducing the days and hours of alcohol sales has also been found to reduce excessive alcohol consumption and the associated social and health costs. Again, Sen. Larson’s bill is contrary to evidence based research and practice.

Powdered alcohol can be used by snorting, and drank after being mixed with water, or ingested in its powdered form. Powdered alcohol is easy to transport, even in large quantities. Powdered alcohol is relatively new, and not even fully marketed throughout the United States. Research on this, the potential physical harms this product may cause, is still incomplete.

People, adults and children both, are our most precious community resource. Sen. Larson’s bill, again noting introduction at the request of the Liquor Control Commission, devalues our resources and demonstrates disrespect of the people of the State of Nebraska.

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Permanent Medication Disposal Site

February 10, 2015 Leave a comment


West Point and surrounding community citizens looking to dispose of unwanted and expired prescriptions and over-the-counter medications no longer need to wait for a specific take-back event to clean out their medicine cabinets. The West Point Police Department has a permanent, safe and secure drop-off site. Medications can be dropped off Monday thru Friday from 9am to 5pm at the West Point Police Department.

Funding for the program was provided by Healthy Communities Initiative (HCI) coalition and incineration fees by St Francis Memorial Hospital.

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