|
|
| May
20, 2002 |
| FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
| Contact:
Ryan Hurd (619) 474-8844,ext. 29 |
|
|
COMMUNITIES
JOIN FORCES TO |
|
COMBAT
SUBSTANCE ABUSE |
|
Summit
VII Concludes with |
|
Workshops,
Honors, Calls to Action |
|
| San
Diego County’s ongoing commitment to
reducing drug and alcohol abuse brought
together nearly a thousand people from diverse
interests for Substance Abuse Summit VII.
Participants representing education,
healthcare, youth, community, government,
business and other fields converged at the
Town and Country Convention Center May 13-14
to share their experiences, assess progress
over the past year and identify a course of
action for the future. |
| “The
key to the success of the annual Substance
Abuse Summit has been the ongoing effort to
reach out and create broad community awareness
and support,” said San Diego County
Supervisor Greg Cox. “I firmly believe that
success in targeting substance abuse is based
on all sectors of the community working
together.” Cox addressed the conference’s
closing session May
14 and introduced the Director of the Office
of National Drug Control Policy, John P.
Walters. |
| Consisting
of an annual conference and a year-round slate
of multi-sector activities, the Summit provides
a framework for community partners to identify
mutually beneficial ways to decrease the
substantial costs of alcohol and drug abuse in
San Diego. Substance Abuse Summit VII focused
on expanding relationships with institutions
of higher education to overcome substance
abuse problems on campus, as well as improve
the community’s utilization of prevention
research and resources available through local
colleges and universities. |
| A
1998 County study showed that substance abuse
problems cost county taxpayers $1.8 billion
per year, and recent studies by the Harvard
School of Public Health show that 44 percent
of college students nationwide are binge
drinkers. |
| “Working
jointly with all County partners is the most
effective means of reducing the impact of
substance abuse,” said Rodger G. Lum, PhD,
Summit co-chair and director of the County of
San Diego Health and Human Services Agency.
“No one sector can tackle these major social
problems alone.” |
| The
conference began with an interactive community
forum in which youth and adult leaders
discussed the roles of students, parents,
community systems and political leaders in
efforts to reduce the risk of alcohol, tobacco
and other drug problems. |
| Later
that day, Citizen-Athlete Awards were
presented to local high school students by Ron
Mix, former San Diego Charger and NFL Hall of
Fame inductee. Breakout seminars covered
topics like “Drug Use and Trafficking
Trends,” “An Environmental Approach to
College Binge Drinking” and “From Local to
State Tobacco Policy: The Tot Lot
Experience.” |
| Members
of the Summit’s Youth and Parent Workgroups
also highlighted the results of recent surveys
they conducted among residents of San Diego
County. In
a poll of more than 700 high school students,
81% agreed that “alcohol is easy to get,”
with 32% indicating it’s “okay to use in
general.” A separate survey of more than 500
parents showed that 85% are either “very
concerned” or “somewhat” concerned about
binge drinking in colleges and universities,
and 96% agree that binge drinking negatively
impacts the quality of life around college
neighborhoods. |
| The
youth plan to use their findings to highlight
the role of adults in preventing underage
access to alcohol, while the parents are
seeking community initiatives to reduce
high-risk drinking among students headed for
or currently enrolled in college. |
| During
Tuesday’s session, the Exemplary Achievement
in Education Awards were presented to local
educators by County Supervisor Pam Slater.
After a keynote address on campus-community
coalition building and another set of breakout
sessions, the Substance Abuse Summit Media
Awards were presented
to journalists and media outlets by
Bonnie Helander, Executive Director of San
Diego’s chapter of Mothers Against Drunk
Driving. |
| For
more information on the Summit, visit www.substanceabusesummit.com.
Journalists covering issues related to alcohol
and drugs will find a range of resources —
including fact sheets, contact information,
and recent reports — at the Substance Abuse
Newsroom: www.alcoholdrugnewsroom.org |
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