Town of Brookline

The Brookline Coalition Against Substance Abuse (B-CASA) engages multiple sectors of the community in the prevention of alcohol/drug problems and associated high-risk behaviors. The Coalition brings together the wealth of community resources to develop and implement effective strategies to address the risk factors and underlying issues contributing to the problem of teen substance abuse in Brookline.

DID YOU KNOW?

* 30% of BHS 9th graders in 2003 admitted to having smoked marijuana.
* 65% of BHS 9th graders in 2003 reported using alcohol, 32% recently.
* 14% of BHS 9th graders in 2003 admitted binge drinking within the last month.
* 23% of BHS 9th graders in 2003 report recent riding with a driver who had been drinking — In fact, BHS students cite the problem of drinking and driving as one of their greatest concerns.

("Healthy Brookline's Youth Risk Behavior Survey" of 2004 offers a wealth of eye-opening information. It is available through the Brookline Department of Public Health.)

EXPERT ADVICE — STRATEGIES THAT WORK

Q: My son, who is high school freshman, is invited to a party Friday night. I am concerned that some of his friends might be drinking or smoking marijuana. How do I find out if a responsible adult will be monitoring the event? What rules should I establish? My son tells me that none of the other parents check up on their children to this extent and that I'm embarrassing him.

A: Your son's reaction to your parental concern and involvement is not at all uncommon. In fact, many of his friends are probably telling their parents that they are the only parents checking up on their children! Communication, between you and your child and between you and other parents is a key to establishing clear expectations for your child and to being reasonably assured that your child is in a safe, structured environment when he is outside of your home. LINK

First, talk with your son. Listen to what he has to say about his friends, parties, his experiences and even his embarrassment concerning your interest and involvement. Convey to him your expectations concerning his behavior. Let him know that you will be checking to make sure the party is overseen by a responsible adult. Don't be discouraged by his insistence that you are the only parent who is interfering in their child's life to this extent. Separating psychologically from you is an important developmental task of adolescence. Your task is to keep him safe by establishing clear rules and limits. This will give him a frame in which he can begin to test his independence.

Second, talk with other parents. Many parents are establishing formal and informal networks amongst themselves to address similar concerns. As you talk with your son's friends' parents and learn what their rules and expectations are, you may find that they have similar concerns or unique ways of addressing tricky issues. You may gain support and you may develop a more complex understanding of the important issues.

Finally, call the household where the party will be held to make sure a responsible adult will be monitoring the party on Friday night. As your son matures and you both have more experience with these situations, you can transfer more responsibility to your son.

(Submitted by the Brookline Community Mental Health Center)

SPOTLIGHT: BROOKLINE COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH CENTER

For nearly five decades Brookline Community Mental Health Center has provided high quality, comprehensive, culturally responsive outpatient mental health services to people of all ages, regardless of income, insurance, illness or disability, or cultural/language differences. A private, non-profit organization, the Center has a staff of more than 50 social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, and psychiatric nurses who provide a full spectrum of outpatient care. We have brought mental health services into the community and schools, protecting families, defusing crises, and helping neighborhoods respond to threats and losses. Services include a variety of therapy and rehabilitation programs, medication services, and crisis/conflict/mediation services. In addition, New Pathways Emergency Host Home Program provides brief respites for teens aged 12 - 17 and families, and Transition to Independent Living Program offers help for young men ages 16-22.
The Center's main office is at 43 Garrison Road in Washington Square; the satellite office is located at 40 Webster Place in Brookline Village. Both are open Monday - Thursday 8 - 8, Friday 8 - 5, and Saturday 9 - 12 noon. 617-277-8107, http://www.brooklinecenter.org

PARENTS' CORNER
NEWS: A group of 7th grade (now 8th grade) parents at Devotion Middle School have found their own way to communicate and keep in touch concerning what was going on in their children's lives. It started with a presentation to parents of Devotion 7th graders from Hope Schroy and a group of Brookline High Peer Leaders. To parent Roylene Hunt, it seemed that too many of the parents in attendance were listening to what was being said and thinking to themselves, "This is not my kids." She felt that this was a very dangerous mentality. It spurred her and some of the other parents to organize a follow-up meeting to discuss issues in the 7th grade at Devotion. These meetings continued and eventually grew into a network of more than 30 parents getting together and creating an e-mail list to discuss whatever their concerns might be. These issues have ranged from curfews and unsupervised activities to missing items from the 8th grade camping trip. These parents are still in communication a year later and say that they intend to continue their network into the high school. This network has allowed the parents a small scale setting where they can feel comfortable raising questions, confident that at least one other parent in the group has gone through a similar situation and may have some advice. This is just one example of caring and concerned parents joining together to keep their children safe.

ESSAY: NOT MY KID: A Parent's Perspective

You see it hundreds of times before your eyes open. For some of us, it takes years. It's a phase. Lots of kids are doing it! It's the company s/he is keeping! Well, at least it is only alcohol on the weekends. NOT MY KID! PLEASE!!
Time passes, some days better than others. None are very good, but once in awhile there is a glimpse of the wonderful child of season's past. Maybe you are overreacting. You tentatively test the "issues" with friends at the gym who, you are sure, must have similar concerns with their kids. No takers. You argue with your partner/spouse about the seriousness of the "issue" and you take turns being fearful, angry, frustrated, helpless, full of blame and oh so alone. PLEASE, NOT MY KID.
And then, as in the turn of a kaleidoscope, the pieces fall into place and your eyes are at long last torn open. LINKThe pieces of the long journey — the school issues/absences, the missing money from the check you think you cashed for groceries, the erosion of relationships with you, his/her peers, and other significant adults in your child's life. And the lies. Oh the lies, the angry confrontations, the brushes with the law, the tears and misery. All come together around the pile of beer and blackberry brandy bottles, nips, cough medicine containers — at least fifty, maybe a hundred of them behind the hedge outside of your child's window. YES, MY KID! MY VERY OWN MUCH BELOVED CHILD!
Is he/she struggling with a disease as real as any chronic and ultimately life threatening disease or is it a case of the moral depravity of a rebellious adolescent? Are there just plain "bad" kids? In my quite moments, I have held other parents accountable for the behavior of their children. Is this my mess? A painful and restless silence fogs your view of the universe. Nothing is clear. You have entered the vast empty space where parents who think they have in some way failed their children reside. Here you find parents who feel that they are the only parents in Brookline struggling, parents clinging to the hope that it is just a phase, parents who think the "system" has failed them and their children, parents who feel "blamed" by the system, parents who feel shame, parents who feel unloved and unappreciated by the young stranger who occupies space in their home and willingly uses their hard earned resources to further what appears to be a self- destructive downward spiral. But our family has strong values. We believe in our children. What must people think? What is there left to try?

"To act or not to act, that is the question." I don't think there is a rule of physics or of psychology that explains this theory in a scientific way. I do know, from personal experience, that when the pain of not acting becomes greater than the pain of taking a difficult and painful stand, the time is ripe for action. This is where the violins crescendo and the voice over will reassure you that you are not alone. As cliched as it may sound, it is true. The best resource you have available is the support of other parents who have traveled a similar road. Most of us never wanted or expected to be on that particular journey. Once you have traveled the road as a parent, you never forget the directions, the short cuts, the detours, the wrong turns. Each journey is individual, but the successes and pitfalls have similar "signs."

Accessing the support of experienced travelers requires that you sacrifice the "family perfect" image you hope you have, thus risking exposure of the secret that we all know from personal experience — nothing and no one is perfect. Wonderful children can have struggling parents, and wonderful parents can have children who continually struggle with life's challenges. Don't be afraid to ask for help.
***
In the next newsletter look for YES, MY KID: A Parent Acts.

(Marcia H. is a member of the Brookline School Committee and part of the B-CASA Steering Committee. Early in her professional career, she was a counselor and trainer in an adolescent drug and alcohol prevention and rehabilitation program, where she developed and trained parent self-help groups. You can reach Marcia at 617-277-0858.)

STUDENT'S CORNER
Helping Your Child Make Better Decisions, by Kim Ly- peer educator at BHS

The teenage years offer a plethora of experiences, from entering high school to going out on one's first date. These experiences are not always positive, however, and in fact, are often not. Peer pressure seems to be one element of the teenage experience that never seems to fade. As serious as peer pressure is, I can't stress enough that the solution lies in us — with the teenagers who experience such pressure, and with the parents who teach their teenagers the essential values. LINK

Drugs, drinking, and sex are all issues that parents are highly concerned about. What can I do to prevent my child from smoking? What can I do to prevent my daughter or son from having sex? The truth is, you can't prevent these experiences. Children will experience what they want when they want. It's no secret that you can't hold your child's hand every step of the way. What you can do is impart a sense of what's right and wrong and teach them values. Reiterate the fact that drugs are bad. Reiterate the value of independent thought, so your child is less susceptible to peer pressure. Reiterate following rules, but more importantly, taking responsibility. No one forces your child to smoke or drink, but undoubtedly, the forces surrounding such decisions are influential. Reiterate the fact that there are consequences to doing drugs and having sex. And do not be afraid to make rules. You are the parent, not the best friend. Rules are not bad. In fact, they are a way of life in any and every institution, whether it is school or government, and are meant to be followed. Home should not be any different. For example, curfews are perfectly fine to establish between you and your child as long as the set time is rational and agreeable. Obviously compromise will be needed. House arrest or grounding your child in response to breaking such rules as curfew or being caught drinking, etc., are also perfectly reasonable regardless of how your child might protest.

It is important to understand that you cannot prevent situations like drinking and drugs, but it is important to know that you can help your child make better decisions based on what you teach them and how you react when they do break the rules.

B-CASA PROJECT UPDATES

Policy Committee: The Policy Committee has joined forces with BHS legislature to look at possibly expanding the current BHS substance abuse policy to penalize all students caught under the influence or in the presence of substances by denying participation in extra curricular activities. They are also looking at other consequences such as loss of open campus Furthermore, the committee is discussing ways to increase substance abuse education at school as well as clarifying support systems. The policy committee viewed smoking as a concern at BHS and has decided to make no recommendations for changes of the current policy but to offer a six-week smoking cessation group beginning in March. Hope Schroy will facilitate the group. The next Policy Committee meeting is Wed. Feb. 2 at 7:30 a.m. in room 385.
* * * * *

Decision Making and High Risk Behaviors: This committee is focusing on three initiatives:
1. Alcohol-free Social Activities — The committee has been researching venues to hold a "sober activity" on the weekend to provide a social alternative to parties and drinking. We have been discussing having an activity at a bowling alley or arcade and we have been researching local places. We also talked about organizing theme dances at the high school on a regular basis so students have opportunities to have fun and socialize. There was also interest in finding a place to have a regular "coffee house" where students could listen to music and hang out with friends. Our goal is to organize and/or raise awareness about the variety of accessible social, cultural, and sports alternatives to drinking, and we discussed the possibility of publishing a weekly "BHS Weekend Guide."
2. Education — We are collecting data and articles about drinking and plan to develop an educational bulletin board to raise awareness about the prevalence and consequences of drinking and driving. We also are previewing a new documentary, "Sudden Impact" , which looks at the lives of four people involved in a drunk driving accident and we are discussing ways to use it to educate students.
    4. "Safe Rides" Program — We have been investigating the need, feasability and potential use for a "Safe Rides" program, whereby students could get free cab rides home instead of drinking and driving or getting in the car with someone who has been drinking.

WE NEED MORE PARENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO JOIN OUR COMMITTEE, so please contact Deb Levy if you are interested — 617-713-5097, Deb_Levy@brookline.k12.ma.us
* * * * *

Community Outreach Committee: We would like to thank everyone who participated in the B- CASA Forum on November 9, 2004. As a result of forum feedback and suggestions, the Committee developed an action plan that includes the following projects:
   1.Alcohol Server Training — Committee members Gerry Trombley, Brookline Health Department, Captain John O'Leary Brookline Police Department, and Manny Daphnis, Brookline Substance Abuse prevention Program, will host a training for all liquor licensees in Brookline. Training will include how not to serve anyone under the age of 21, identifying fake identification, and dealing with minors trying to purchase alcohol from liquor stores.
   2. Alcohol advertisements on the MBTA buses and trains — The Committee is addressing strategies to encourage the MBTA to establish reasonable standards for placement and content of youth-oriented liquor advertising. Manny Daphnis and Mary Minott offer public comment at thea MBTA Riders Oversight Committee meeting. Peer educators from our committee are writing a letter to the local newspapers on their view on alcohol advertisements on the train and how it affects teens.
3. A parent forum on underage drinking in Brookline — in cooperation with the BHS and elementary school PTO's.
   4. Training to coaches and team captains on changing the culture of teen drinking.
* * * * *

Parent Network Commitee: The first Sophomore Parents Network get-together focused on a lively discussion about the pervasive role of alcohol and pot in the socialization of Brookline High School teens. Substance abuse counselor Mary Minott led off the dialogue with some sobering facts and reports on recent events, including information about alcohol poisonings and one recent sophomore house party that was crashed by hordes of teens and led to ten students being caught by the police. This led to animated questions and suggestions as to why our teens find alcohol and pot so necessary for socializing and what we as parents could be doing to address the issue. LINKThree peer educators from the senior class were very open in expressing their opinions and offering ideas for helping our kids make safe decisions.
The general consensus was that alcohol and pot use are so integrated into the social fabric of our teens that the question is not so much how to keep our kids from trying alcohol and marijuana, but how to keep them safe from the associated risks and how to keep adolescent experimentation from escalating into regular use and dependence. Most concurred that periodic talking about events, situations, etc. was important to keep the lines of communication open and to keep reminding your teen how you feel about the issues, what your values are. (And in this group, values ranged considerably, from those who regularly let their children have a little wine on social occasions to those favoring a total abstinence policy.) The seniors believe, however, that kids probably already know our values by sophomore year, and that we need to give them some room to develop their own. Effective reasons not to drink include the dangers of making risky decisions while under the influence (the tragic tale of Manny Parent is a sobering case in point) and the fact that the teen brain is developing more during these high school years than at any other time except the first year of life, and alcohol and drugs can significantly thwart that growth. The reason not to drink until 21 is partially justified by the teen brain not being able to process alcohol well during this critical time of growth.

It was also mentioned that it can be very helpful to provide your child an escape hatch by telling them that if they ever find themselves in any kind of risky situation, they have the option to call you and you will come them, NO QUESTIONS ASKED. While some may question the lack of consequences for being involved in an unsafe situation, others felt strongly that by calling and admitting they needed help signified good judgement (as opposed to getting in the car with someone who had been drinking) and that a lesson was probably already learned.

Peer Educators cite drinking and driving as a serious issue among Brookline High School Students. A group of students working on strategies to reduce the incidence of drinking and driving is looking for parent volunteers to join their B-CASA Committee. If interested, please contact Deb Levy at 617-713-5097.

B-CASA FORUM REPORT

If it takes a village to raise a child, then Brookline is on its way. On Nov. 9, B-CASA hosted a "Community Forum to Reduce Underage Drinking and Drug Use," uniting roughly 100 Brookline High School staff, parents, and students along with concerned members of the community to share resources and brainstorm. LINKAfter introductions by B-CASA Coordinator Mary Minott, BHS Headmaster Robert Weintraub spoke of the school's major problem of drugs and alcohol. He believes the root of the problem is a nationwide culture in which "kids can't function socially without drinking." He urges that we as a community face the issue head on and dedicate ourselves to creating a unified adult voice to, if not eliminate, at least minimize underage substance abuse.
Peer leaders Alla Epshteyn and Aaron Belson spoke about the pressures students face to drink in the social scene at BHS. Both seniors, the two were invaluable sources of information, making a number of sobering assertions regarding the pervasiveness of alcohol:
   1. By 10th grade, kids have a number of alternatives for obtaining alcohol, including parents.
   2. By 11th grade, many kids have fake ID's and the word "party" implies that there will be alcohol available.
3. By 12th grade, drug/alcohol use every weekend is the norm for most kids and many have developed dependencies.
   4. They believe the social culture is heavily influenced by television, which often pictures kids getting drunk to have fun.

Sergeant William Riley of the Brookline Police confirmed the pervasiveness of substance abuse by relating a number of alcohol/drug related incidents, including unsupervised house parties that get out of control, parties in local hotel rooms, and frequent alcohol poisoning by inexperienced drinkers. He stressed the health and liability dangers of parents allowing kids to drink in their homes, and mentioned prescription drugs as an overlooked area of abuse parents should be aware of. He urged combating problems with community mobilization and teamwork, encouraging people to call the police if they suspect underage drinking in any situation. The police want to address the problem through education and enforcement. They will often refer kids to the Diversionary Program (which includes drug testing and counseling) rather than court to preserve a child's record.Anthony Schatz, General Manager of the Holiday Inn, where the forum was hosted, trains his service personnel in various intervention procedures to prevent serving alcohol to minors and discourage drunk driving.
Shari Sprong introduced the Greater Boston Center For Healthy Communities, and encouraged forum participants to examine the how changing the environment (such as community norms and availability of alcohol) can help reduce underage drinking. The issue was broken into three levels:

   1. Prevention — teaching kids the facts; groups like SADD and DARE; police and community vigilance; liquor store compliance.
   2. Intervention — BHS' stringent "chemical health" rules and consequences; substance abuse programs; Diversionary Program as a safety net and reinforcement
   3. Repair/Support — court intervention; rehab programs.
The heads of each of B-CASA's action committees gave a brief report on their goals and projects. (See "B-CASA Project Updates") before the forum broke into small group discussions.
* * * * *

The next B-CASA meeting, which is open to all, is scheduled for
March 4, 8:30-12 in the MLK Room.

Please join us for the quarterly Brookline Coalition Against Substance Abuse (B-CASA) Meeting on Friday, March 4th from 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. in the MLK room at Brookline High School. This topic for the meeting is "Strategies to Reduce Drinking and Driving in the BHS Community," and it will feature a presentation on the prevalence of drinking and driving at BHS, including student and police perpectives and current research on effective prevention strategies. We will also discuss current strategies being considered by B-CASA's Decision Making and High Risk Behaviors Committee and we want to hear ideas from PARENTS! The meeting is open to everyone and we encourage you to attend all or part of the meeting.

Please RSVP to Deb Levy at Deb_Levy@brookline.k12.ma.us or at 617-713-5097
by Monday, February 28th.

NEWS

LIQUOR ADVERTISING INITIATIVE by Paul Dryfoos
Have you noticed the catchy whole train liquor ads running through the heart of our community? I'm sure your children have. B-CASA is asking for your help to change the MBTA's policy on controlling liquor advertising targetting youth. The MBTA is about to re-bid a ten year advertising contract. If the contract is awarded without change, then the current practices could be locked in for the next ten years, and we will be stuck with Bacardi trains running through our community and near our schools. The Riders Oversight Committee Meeting will in Boston Monday February 1st, at the State Transportation Building, 10 Park Plaza in meeting rooms 1,2,3 from 4-6 pm, and again on February 28, time and location TBA. MBTA General Manager Michael Mulhern and Secretary of Transportation Daniel Grabauskas are expected to be in attendance at the 2/28 meeting, and there will be opportunity for public comment at both meetings.

First, the basic facts of the situation; then some suggestions about how you can help.
Basic Facts

1. The MBTA carries extensive liquor advertising throughout the system. However, there appears to be a concentration of liquor advertising placement in certain neighborhoods. This includes Brookline and Allston-Brighton, probably because of the large college student and young adult population.
2. In Brookline and Allston-Brighton, the most visible manifestation is the whole-train and whole-bus wraps used in branding campaigns for liquor brands such as Bacardi, Captain Morgan's and Tanqueray. These branding campaigns are clearly youth-oriented, using blatant sexual imagery, and tie-ins with online access to computer games, video downloads and screen savers. While these features are not directly present in the MBTA advertising, the MBTA ads are part of an overall youth-oriented branding strategy. These whole-vehicle wraps run through the heart of our community and are visible far beyond the MBTA right-of-way. They run in close proximity to some of our primary schools.
3. Research indicates that advertising has an effect on the age of first alcohol consumption, frequency and quantity of consumption. Also, surveys indicate that youth are actually exposed to more liquor advertising than those of legal drinking age, and that liquor brands are highly familiar and attractive to youth.
4. There are a growing number of communities that are instituting limits on liquor advertising on public transit. These include Philadelphia, San Francisco and Chicago.
5. In November 2004, the MBTA Rider's Oversight Committee (established by the T in 2003) requested that the T perform an analysis of the impact that a ban on liquor advertising would have on MBTA finances. Anticipating that the financial impact of a total ban would be unacceptable, the Oversight Committee requested consideration of more incremental measures, including implementation of standards to assure that liquor ads are not targeted on specific communities, limiting or eliminating liquor ads that wrap around whole trains and buses, and more prominent display of cautionary warning labels. On January 7th, the Boston Globe reported that MBTA General Manager Michael Mulhern told the Oversight Committee that he will not ban alcohol advertising on the T. The news report did not make clear whether he had considered, or was receptive to the incremental measures.

Here's what we can do

We need to be clear about the response that we are seeking from the MBTA. We understand that a total ban on liquor advertising is probably not financially feasible. However, instituting reasonable standards for placement and content of liquor advertising is feasible and responsible. It is irresponsible and unacceptable for the MBTA to sign away its authority for the next 10 years to institute such standards. Therefore, we insist that the MBTA include a provision in its request for proposals securing the MBTA's authority to limit placement and content of liquor advertising based on the public interest. Here is our specific request, which we have sent to Mr. Mulhern, Secretary Grabauskas and Governor Romney (and received no reply).

1. The MBTA should not enter into a contract with an outside vendor to manage its advertising program without explicit language preserving the T's authority to establish and enforce reasonable guidelines for content and placement of alcohol advertising. (the T has issued an RFP for a 13 year advertising contract).
2. Advertising that is blatantly youth-oriented, such as the "Bacardi Party Train" should be discouraged.
3. Advertising that projects far beyond the MBTA right-of-way should meet a higher standard for content, especially if it is visible in proximity to an elementary, middle or high school.
4. Warning messages, which are currently required, should be in reasonable scale to the advertising message.

Here are specific actions that concerned citizens can take

1. Express your support for responsible limits to T liquor advertising at MBTA Riders Oversight Committee meetings.
2. Spread the word to any media contacts that you might have, and to potential allies in other communities within the MBTA service area.
3. Express your concern by e-mail to the following legislators and public officials:

**Sen.Steven Tolman (Allston-Brighton) Steven.Tolman@state.ma.us
**Sen. Cynthia Creem (Brookline) Cynthia.Creem@state.ma.us
**Rep. Frank Smizik (Brookline) Frank.Smizik@verizon.net
**Sen. Steven Baddour, Transportation Committee Chair Steven.Baddour@state.ma.us
**Rep. Joseph Wagner, Transportation Committee House Chair Rep.JosephWagner@hou.state.ma.us
**Michael Mulhern, General Manager of the MBTA:gm@mbta.com
**Daniel Grabauskas, Secretary of Transportation: Daniel.Grabauskas@mhd.state.ma.us

Please let me know what you are doing and if you have any other ideas about how to respond to this situation -- Dryfoos@rcn

UPCOMING FUN

Winter Blues? For fun, substance-free activities for the winter, peer educators agree -- you have to make friends with winter and go sledding, skating, skiing, snowboarding, and ice-skating. If you really can't stand the cold, stay home and make a ginger bread house or tie dye T-shirts. Bowling and disco roller skating are always fun. Don't forget to go cheer on BHS teams and watch basketball, hockey, wrestling and track. There are also performances at BHS, such as "The Wiz," the Improv troupe, dance and music concerts. And if all else fails, you can always go sky diving!
***
For a full listing of upcoming athletic and performing arts events at BHS, access the Community Links section of the BHS website at http://BHS.Brookline.mec.edu

LOCAL SUPPORT SERVICES

The Brookline Substance Abuse Prevention Team at Brookline High School provides information, counseling and support to students and their families for any alcohol or drug related questions or problems. All services are free and confidential to Brookline residents. Whether they have questions, concerns about their own use of alcohol or drugs, or worries about how to help a friend, program counselors will provide confidential information and guidance. Offices are located at BHS in room 149 next door to the Nurses' Office, and at the Brookline Public Health Department (11 Pierce St.). Parents and students are welcome any time during the school day. Program counselors can also be reached by phone and school e-mail: Mary Minott, 713-5155, Mary_Minott@town.brookline.ma.us (for grades 10 & 12); and Hope Schroy, 713-5156, Hope_Schroy@brookline.k12.ma.us (grades 9 & 11).

OTHER RESOURCES

The MA Dept. of Public Health's free "7 Ways to Protect Your Teen from Alcohol and Other Drugs" is an excellent little booklet to have on hand — call 1-800-952-6637.

Students Against Destructive Decisions is another valuable resource for youth-related information, http://www.saddonline.com
The Prevention Resource Center's Resource Link, http://www.resource.prev.org, provides information and practical guidance on how to combat alcohol and other drug abuse and misuse.

USEFUL WEBSITES

www.theantidrug.com
www.teens.drugabuse.gov
www.ParentlinkRI.org
www.abouthealth.com
www.wordscanwork.com

Referral programs:
ASAP (Children's Hospital's Adolescent Substance Abuse Program) 617-355-2727

CeASAR (Center for Adolescent Substance Abuse Research), 617-355-5433 or www.ceasar-boston.org/

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