Reaching out with a helping hand is the way young people in Fairfield County have helped each other fight alcohol and drug addictions.

Whether at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting or with a personal phone call or visit, peer-to-peer support has a proven track record of success, said Donna Aligata, executive director of Connecticut Turning to Youth and Families.She will be one of seven panelist speaking at the free program "Celebrating Recovery: The Power of Positive Peer Support Overcoming Alcohol and Drug Problems" Monday from 7 to 9 p.m. at Ridgefield Playhouse.Aligata, a nurse who worked in drug and alcohol clinics for 34 years, said, "We believe that on a grass-roots level we can build a system of support. This program is to make young adults feel safe to come out and ask for help."Two films produced and directed by Greg Williams, 25, of Newtown, who overcame drug and alcohol problems, will be shown. Both are about peer support as a model for recovery."After getting sober at 17, I got to witness hundreds of other young people succeed in recovery from drugs and alcohol, and then got to watch them take their personal experience and turn it around to offer recovery support to their peers," Williams said."I was inspired, and I knew that if I could tell their stories on video, others could see, hear and feel the power of peer support," he said.Williams' film "Central Pride" is about the peer-to-peer recovery program at Central High School in Bridgeport. Started four years ago with just three students, it now has more than 300 participants who help each other live drug and alcohol free.
Ridgefield addiction counselor Liz Jorgensen will be another panelist. "In my 23 years of experience, I have found that positive peer support is the difference between people staying sober and drug free and those who chronically relapse or die from the disease," she said.Jorgensen said the greater Danbury area has "the largest" community of young adults in the state who support each other this way.
"They take care of each other, drive each other to meetings, will take in another person who has been kicked out of their home, and work to get them back on their feet. It's a whole underground community. They do it because it keeps them sober, too."Ridgefield therapist Karen Walant, who wrote the book "Creating the Capacity for Attachment: Treating Addiction and the Alienated Self," will also be on the panel. Walant cited research that suggests the brain releases chemicals when a person is in a highly attached relationship. These chemicals make people feel good, she said. Addiction, on the other hand, is a "detachment disorder.""When people are isolated, the brain stops releasing these bio-chemicals," she said. "It's like an opioid withdrawal, with real feelings of pain from not being connected to others."
Peer support can provide the attachment that releases the bio-chemicals and helps end the withdrawal symptoms. At an AA meeting, when people share "their darkest emotions from the depth of their addiction, they get this release, this feeling, by getting peer support in reaction," Walant said.And that, she said, allows people to overcome their addictions and stay sober and drug free.

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OLGA - On-Line Gamers Anonymous.

It says it’s is a, “fellowship of people sharing their experience, strengths and hope to help each other recover and heal from the problems caused by excessive game playing”.Need Help NOW? - it asks, going on, “For immediate assistance, the following options are always available »»»If someone is in our chat room, you can join in and get live help and support by clicking the “Chat Room” link at the top.
Are you considering suicide?If so, please contact your local Crisis Center. Call 911, to get connected, OR call the Suicide Hotline at 800-784-2433. You can also go to any emergency room. They have to help you, even if you have no money. Tell them that you are considering harming yourself.Suicide is a mental illness.(period) No sane mind thinks that “killing myself” is a way to resolve something. It is highly common in bipolar disorder. It is very treatable. Don’t think you can “work it out”, if you were healthy you would have never even thought like that.“YOU are WORTH saving, and YOU are the only person that can do anything about it!” - it adds.And as with most 12-step programmes, it also offers help to the relatives and other people who find themselves powerless over the addictions of their loved ones.

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California man has been sentenced to 50 years to life in prison for shooting to death his Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor at a meeting.

Jurors in Long Beach convicted Scott Gordon Reynolds of first-degree murder in the slaying of 33-year-old Uriel Noriega.The 29-year-old Reynolds was sentenced Thursday. He testified he snapped after Noriega told other members at an AA meeting two years ago that Reynolds is gay. It's a secret confided by Reynolds to only his mother and AA sponsor.Reynolds claimed he brought the weapon to the meeting at a church because he planned to commit suicide in front of fellow AA members. But prosecutor Patrick O'Crowley says that motive was never substantiated during the trial for Reynolds.

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Canterbury mother-of-five Terri would drink all night, then, after a short doze, pile her five children in the family car and drive them to school.

Canterbury mother-of-five Terri would drink all night, then, after a short doze, pile her five children in the family car and drive them to school.Eventually, she allowed her 13-year-old daughter to take the wheel for the school run.Terri spoke of her own experiences yesterday after reading about a Christchurch mother who was stopped by police and charged with drink-driving on two consecutive mornings last week as she took her children to school.Terri is urging the woman to get help, as she did after her battle with alcoholism put her children in danger.
The 66-year-old, who did not want to give her full name because she belongs to Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), has been sober for five years and five months.Terri said she was married at 22 and had five children by the time she was 29.When the children were younger, the family would often spend afternoons at barbecues and backyard cricket matches with friends."Then we'd bring the party back home. It never occurred to me that one of us should stay sober for the children," Terri said."I was putting my children in danger all the time and not realising the sort of people we were allowing into our house around four vulnerable daughters and our son."Terri said she was not a morning drinker but would drink through the night, believing two hours of sleep would drain her system of alcohol.Today, four of Terri's grown-up children are in AA and she said she "walks on eggshells" around her fifth child, who she believes also has addictions."I looked at that story (about the Christchurch mother) and thought, `what's the poor woman hiding?' and I prayed for her."If you get into the room (of an AA meeting) for long enough and hear the message, then, beyond your wildest dreams, you'll find happiness," Terri said."A different world opens up and there is peace in my house today."

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Shasta County atheist sued top state corrections officials Monday, claiming a violation of his constitutional rights when he was returned to prison

Shasta County atheist sued top state corrections officials Monday, claiming a violation of his constitutional rights when he was returned to prison after objecting to participation in a program with religious overtones as a condition of parole.
Barry A. Hazle Jr., 40, was released from prison in February 2007, after doing a year for drug possession. He was required to complete a 90-day drug treatment program, and was assigned to one in Shasta County.The Redding computer technician says he objected several times to being compelled to participate in a program based on the 12-step recovery method originally developed by Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous, according to the lawsuit filed in Sacramento federal court. He aksed to be reassigned to a secular recovery program.
The 12-step program required "acknowledgment of the existence of a supernatural God,....deference to a monotheistic 'higher power,' and participation in prayer," the suit alleges.He was subsequently arrested for violating parole and sent back to prison for four months, the suit alleges."The First Amendment....guarantees that the state cannot require anyone to participate in these types of religious activities, nor penalize those that resist," said Hazle's lawyer, John Heller of Chapman, Popik & White in San Francisco."Courts across the nation have recognized that the 12-step method is religious in nature," Heller added.The suit seeks an unspecified amount of monetary damages for Hazle and an injunction prohibiting such use of state funds in the future.A spokesman for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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AA has a strict privacy policy, so none of the members can have their names published while in the program.

recently conducted an interview with a young woman who had graduated from the 45th Judicial Circuit Family Dependency Treatment Court. I couldn't publish her name because she was (and still is) in Alcoholics Anonymous. AA has a strict privacy policy, so none of the members can have their names published while in the program. For the purpose of this article, her pseudonym is Natasha.
Talking with Natasha, I couldn't get over the fact that she was near my age (possibly even younger). Unlike most of my contemporaries, she has already faced one of the most difficult events that she will ever encounter, dealing with a dangerous addiction, and overcoming it. Natasha shared with me that before the family dependency treatment her life was very rough and very dark. She drank everyday and drove with her two children in the car.
"I drank until I passed out every evening," she said. She said that one time her neighbors spent all day trying to wake her up because her children were outside playing unsupervised and naked. They brought the kids into her apartment and shook and slapped her in an attempt to rouse her.
"I have no idea what it must have been like for my children. They just found snacks in the closet. I don't know because I wasn't any type of mother to them," said Natasha.She stated that her relationship with her boyfriend was very unhealthy. She said that they would break-up and get back together, and at one point she filed a restraining order against him, but then got back together with him. At one point, they fought with the neighbors, and the police were called. They arrested her boyfriend because of the restraining order.
"So I drove to the police station. My phone wasn't working. I decided to drive to the police station to find out when he would get out of jail, even though I had been drinking. See I thought that no one could tell that I was trashed, even though I looked horrible and probably smelled," she said. She remembered that she prayed on the way to the station, even though she stated she did not believe in God at the time. She prayed for His help because she was just so tired of the way her life was. She hated life. She made it to the police station and found out that her boyfriend would get out the next morning. As she was leaving the station, the officers ran after her. "They said, 'Ma'am did you drive here.' I said, 'yeah,' and I even had my youngest with me. They wouldn't let me drive back home, they ended up driving me back," she stated. Once home, they asked her to do a breathlizer test. She refused.
"So they were there for a while, on their cell phones and things, and they ended up taking my youngest son into custody right then. Then they told me that DFS (Division of Family Services) would get in touch with me," she said.
The next day she talked to DFS about family drug court, which she was told she would have to participate in to get her children back. Her older child was not taken into custody, but could not be with her and had to stay with his father.
She was in the program a little over a year, sharing that she did the best she could to do everything that they suggested. She attended AA meetings, NA (Narcotics Anonymous) meetings and four meetings a month for drug court. Additionally, DFS (and her drug court case worker) did in-home visits. She also attended parenting classes, which was a requirement of family drug court.Through her hard work and dedication, her children were returned to her in approximately two months, which is quite a feat in that it often takes longer to regain custody of children.
"The way I saw things was so twisted. You know, I thought these people kidnapped my kids, what's wrong with the government? I didn't trust them," she stated. She explained that even though she was suspicious of drug court, she had no other choice but to go. She described her time without her children, "as extremely devastating."
After awhile in the program, she realized that the government and individuals involved in the program were on her side and they wanted the best for her. Looking back, she stated that DFS stepped in and took care of her kids when she could not.
She admitted to her own mistakes during that time and did not try to rationalize her actions. She took responsibility, speaking honestly and directly, being much more adult and mature than many older individuals that I know.Even though she has completed family drug court, she still regularly attends AA meetings and is active in the Drug Court Alumni organization. Drug Court Alumni is composed of those who have graduated the program and those in the latter phases of it. The Drug Court Alumni group offers support and keeps the participants united in their efforts to maintain a sober lifestyle. They also like to give back to the community through various fundraisers, for example they have donated funds to the American Red Cross to benefit flood victims. "I am really grateful for them (those involved in drug court) because they showed me a new way of life and they showed me how to live clean and sober. They really helped me out a lot," said Natasha. She went on to say she could never make up for what drug court has given her back- her life

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"The Last Ride," a tribute to Dr. Bob Smith, the co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, who is buried in Akron.

"The Last Ride," a tribute to Dr. Bob Smith, the co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, who is buried in Akron.

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If you drink too much you put yourself at risk of liver cirrhosis (pickled liver), gastritis (stomach ulcer and inflammation), depression,

Abstinence is better than excess but not better than a small amount daily. People who do not drink are slightly worse off in terms of overall health than those who drink one glass of wine or similar a day.
If you drink too much you put yourself at risk of liver cirrhosis (pickled liver), gastritis (stomach ulcer and inflammation), depression, sexual dysfunction, heart disease, high blood pressure, road traffic accidents, certain cancers, and obesity (three pints or glasses of wine is the equivalent of an extra meal a day!). Alcohol in pregnancy can be very harmful to the unborn baby's development.
Anyone who shows signs of withdrawal after a day or two of not drinking is alcohol dependent. The signs of withdrawal include nausea or feeling sick, trembling, sweating, anxiety and a strong desire to have a drink. People whose work is affected by alcohol consumption, who drink by themselves or early in the day, or who try to conceal the amount they drink, are likely to have an alcohol problem.
Like any drug it can take time, effort and support to regain control. For some, this will mean stopping drinking alcohol completely. Few alcoholics can maintain a low intake without relapsing into heavy drinking again.
If you think you need help or know someone who does, your GP can point you in the right direction and may support you with advice and support on how to cut down.
Alcoholics Anonymous have their own website at www.alcoholics-anonymous. org.uk and can be reached on 0845 769 7555. For family members affected by drinking, AL-Anon Family Groups provide support on 0207 403 0888 or online at www.al-anonuk.org.uk.

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Treatment Staff Referrals, Participation Expectations, and Perceived Benefits and Barriers to Adolescent Involvement in Twelve-Step Groups

Treatment Staff Referrals, Participation Expectations, and Perceived Benefits and Barriers to Adolescent Involvement in Twelve-Step Groups
Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly: Volume: 26 Issue: 4. pp. 427 - 449
Adolescents treated for substance use disorders (SUDs) appear to benefit from participation in Alcoholics Anonymous/Narcotics Anonymous (AA/NA). However, as compared with adults, fewer adolescents attend, and those who do attend do so less intensively and discontinue sooner.
It is unknown whether this disparity is due to a lowered expectation for youth participation by the clinicians treating them, as they may adapt the adult-based model to fit a less-dependent cohort, or whether recommendations are similar to those of clinicians who work with adults and other factors are responsible.
All clinical staff (N= 114) at 5 adolescent programs (3 residential, 2 outpatient) were surveyed anonymously about referral practices and other beliefs about 12-step groups. Staff rated AA/NA participation as very important and helpful to adolescent recovery and referral rates were uniformly high (M= 86%, SD= 28%). Desired participation frequency was over 3 times per week. The theoretical orientation and level of care of the programs influenced some results.


Findings suggest lower adolescent participation in 12-step groups is not due to a lack of clinician enthusiasm or referrals, but appears to be due to other factors.

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sponsor and sponsorship is practiced, is Alcoholics Anonymous or simply AA. AA is a meeting society

A widespread organization, where the term sponsor and sponsorship is practiced, is Alcoholics Anonymous or simply AA. AA is a meeting society that is informal in nature, with the goal of helping alcoholics achieve sobriety. A twelve-step program devised early on is used as the guidelines for which recovering alcoholics follow.

Historically, AA began with practicing sponsorship. This sponsorship entailed an alcoholic sharing his experience, hope and strength with a fellow alcoholic. This was overtime formalized and developed as a great tool in achieving permanent sobriety among alcoholics.

Each member of AA is eligible in becoming a sponsor. As a sponsor, they are given an opportunity to help other new members who wish to ’sober up’. This type of sponsorship is in no way financially-based; rather it is regarded as a type of personal support-system in recovery.

Sponsors are regarded as a teacher, friend, tutor, older brother or sister, and experienced guide to the sponsees. Basically, a sponsor in the AA program is someone who has also gone through the twelve-step recovery guide. This way, a sponsee is able to relate with his/her sponsor by leading them through a mutual sharing of experiences and stories.

What to look for in a sponsor

For a recovering alcoholic, matching up with a sponsor is like choosing a best friend. Sponsees are given free reign on deciding who their sponsor should be, and this is often a good process for them. Looking for the best sponsor, however, is not as easy as it seems. The qualifications may differ from each available sponsor, leaving sponsees sometimes confused.

A solution to choosing sponsors is through temporary sponsors. This member type provides an easier transition for a sponsee before he/she finds the right sponsor — this is done by providing the necessary information every recovering alcoholic should know. Temporary sponsors also serve as a temporary guide in answering any clarifications or questions a sponsee may have regarding his or her situation and progress as an AA member.

As a suggestive guide, the factors to look for when deciding on a sponsor are the following:

The potential sponsor should be able to relate with the sponsee

He/she has had more time in recovery than the sponsee

He/she is available for personal meetings, phone conversations and group discussions

Lives by the guidelines of the twelve-step program

Can be a friend and also a firm guide to the sponsee

Can emphasize the spiritual aspects of the program

He/she can ‘walk the talk’ in all affairs

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Jason Alan Humphreys had a clean record - no trouble with the law - until he made the mistake of driving drunk in January 2005 and killing a pregnant

Jason Alan Humphreys had a clean record - no trouble with the law - until he made the mistake of driving drunk in January 2005 and killing a pregnant woman, prosecutors said.The 33-year-old Diamondhead man will serve 10 years in prison for choosing to drive impaired while returning home from a Mardi Gras parade in Waveland. The crash claimed the life of 22-year-old Jaimee Hart Anderson, who was five months pregnant.Harrison County Circuit Court Judge Roger Clark sentenced Humphreys on Thursday to 20 years and suspended 10 years, leaving 10 to serve. He faced a maximum of 25 years. The victim's family was willing to accept Humphreys' guilty plea, entered July 29, said Assistant District Attorney Joel Smith. Humphreys wanted sentencing delayed so his family and friends could be present.
"He was just an average guy with a family and a job when he made that bad decision, thinking he was sober enough to drive," said Assistant District Attorney Charlie Wood.At the time Humphreys was the manager of the Sonic Drive-In restaurant in Waveland.Anderson, whose husband had recently deployed for military service in Iraq, and her mother were returning home from Wal-Mart. They were on Edwin Ladner Road near Vidalia Road outside Pass Christian when Humphreys lost control of his vehicle.Humphreys, his wife in the car with him, swerved off on the shoulder of the road and overcompensated. His car crossed the road and turned sideways in the women's lane, striking their vehicle, prosecutors said. His blood-alcohol level was 0.12. The state's legal limit is 0.10.Humphreys was charged with only one count of DUI causing death. Prosecutors said laws in effect at the time didn't consider a fetus a life.Anderson's mother, who was driving the other car, was seriously injured in the crash.Anderson's husband and the couple's other child moved to Texas after the wreck.

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Allegedly too intoxicated to walk a straight line, a prominent South Florida lawyer charged with drunken driving early this morning after an accident

Allegedly too intoxicated to walk a straight line, a prominent South Florida lawyer charged with drunken driving early this morning after an accident in Fort Lauderdale still reportedly retained his legal skills.Al Milian blamed his flat feet for his inability to perform the field sobriety test and refused to take a Breathalyzer test, reports the Miami Herald. And as far as the damage caused by veering off the road and driving across the lawn of a two-story apartment building along U.S. 1 was concerned, he allegedly offered a different explanation.''He never once apologized for ruining my property,'' says property owner Susanne Morton. "Instead, he said that I didn't have enough lights. There are lights over U.S. 1.''
Milian worked as a Broward County prosecutor for 12 years before becoming a staff attorney for the Miami-Dade Police Benevolent Association and then going into private practice four years after that, the newpaper reports. He ran unsuccessfully for the office of Miami-Dade State Attorney in 2000 and 2004.
He couldn't be reached for comment by the Herald. However, the Sun-Sentinel says Milian disputes that he was drunk, but declines to discuss the incident further.
In addition to having a problem walking a straight line at the accident scene, Milian also couldn't stand on one foot and count, according to a police report. "He repeatedly put both feet on the ground and said the number four twice," the Sun-Sentinel writes.The article says Milian apparently drove onto the apartment building lawn after he misjudged a right turn he was attempting to make onto Southeast Sixth Street.

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William H. Duty of Williamson lost his West Virginia law license

William H. Duty of Williamson lost his West Virginia law license, after showing he needed to lose it.Duty, having failed to appear for a Supreme Court of Appeals oral argument where he might have saved his license, tried to reschedule.He moved for reargument, though he hadn't argued at all.He hadn't even filed a brief.Too late, the Justices agreed. They annulled his license Feb. 15, for harming clients and undermining public confidence in the legal profession. Duty, a member of the bar 22 years, blamed his errors on painkiller OxyContin.He sought treatment when the Office of Disciplinary Counsel brought charges against him, but the Justices would not excuse rule violations on account of that."Duty's chemical dependency upon OxyContin, although warranting continuing treatment, did not rise to the level of avoidance of responsibility," they held.They ordered Duty to pay $2,000 restitution to former client Randy Stiltner. Duty told Stiltner he hadn't received a $2,500 check when he had.Stiltner learned the truth by calling the attorney for the defense.
The Justices also ordered Duty to reimburse the Lawyer Disciplinary Board for the proceeding and warned that if he doesn't, they could hold him in contempt.They found "particularly egregious" the commingling of Duty's money and a $25,000 settlement he obtained for sisters Rachel Lockhart and Rita Sammons."Duty opened a checking account in his own name at the Bank of Mingo in Mingo County, West Virginia, with the $25,000 and used that account for his personal and office expenses," the Justices wrote.In nine days the balance plunged to $7,634.12.
Duty restored the full amount, after the sisters complained. He tried to coax Sammons to withdraw the complaint, but she persisted.Under oath on March 31, 2005, Duty swore he didn't embezzle.On the same day, Sandy Gillman filed a complaint claiming he let the statute of limitations run on her injury claim.Duty had given Gillman three days to pay a filing fee, without explaining that her claim would expire on the fourth day.Gillman didn't pay the fee and couldn't find another lawyer.
Duty shared a fee with his secretary, Sheria Fields. She referred car crash victim Ernest Prater to Duty, who told her she would receive half his fee.A rule of professional conduct states that, "A lawyer or law firm shall not share legal fees with a nonlawyer."Duty asked his associate in the Prater case, Christian Harris, to withhold $3,500 from a $100,000 settlement.Although Duty later telephoned Harris and told him to forget the $3,500, disciplinary chief Lawrence Lewis counted the request as a rule violation.Lewis charged that Duty broke 15 rules in all, including five that he broke twice."While there is evidence in the record that Respondent has been addicted to OxyContin for two to three years, it cannot be said that this chemical dependency caused his misconduct," Lewis wrote to the Court last year.Glen Rutledge of Williamson represented Duty in the disciplinary process. When the case reached the Court, Duty acted "pro se" -- for himself.The Justices left a door open for Duty, providing for reinstatement if the Office of Disciplinary Counsel guides him through a narcotics or alcoholics anonymous program.He would have to take 12 hours of classes in legal ethics and practice for two years under supervision.

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Unmanageable Perth businessman has been arrested and detained in Venezuela, charged with having a trafficable quantity of cocaine on a yacht.

Perth businessman has been arrested and detained in Venezuela, charged with having a trafficable quantity of cocaine on a yacht.It is understood the 44-year-old was charged along with a US citizen.A Sydney man has also been arrested in connection with the drug haul.The Department of Foreign Affairs says the Perth man's case is being monitored by staff from the Australian embassy in Brazil.

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local man opened the back of his new flat-screen television Tuesday to figure out why it would not work, he received quite a shock

local man opened the back of his new flat-screen television Tuesday to figure out why it would not work, he received quite a shock -- and not the electrical kind. Instead of faulty wiring, the man found a kilogram of cocaine bundled up inside the electronic device, according to Newnan Police. Detective Sgt. Danny McDonald said the Newnan man bought the 22-inch television at a postal auction in Atlanta on Friday, along with other items. When he tried to plug it in, the TV would not play. Searching for an explanation, the man reportedly removed the back panel of the set and discovered a plastic-wrapped brick of the illegal drug inside. McDonald said the man immediately called the police, who are still investigating the origin of the cocaine. The street value of the drugs is estimated at between $30,000-$35,000, according to authorities.

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restore apartments for nonprofit Over-the-Rhine Community Housing

Every Saturday morning, Matt Hidy heads to Moeller High School, gathers a crew of 10 to 20 fellow students and carpools to Over-the-Rhine.There, they pick up hammers, drills and other tools and they help restore apartments for nonprofit Over-the-Rhine Community Housing.Last Saturday, they stopped working for a little celebration. Their latest project, a storefront they helped transform into a nonprofit coffeehouse, will be ready to open soon.Called Choices Café, the shop will provide coffee and conversation for a donation - probably 75 cents or so per cup - on weekends. Volunteers will staff it. Community groups and other organizations including Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous will hold meetings.For Matt, Choices already symbolizes positive choices for him. "Sometimes I may not feel like I'm doing a lot for the community, but I'm doing the best I can," said Matt, 17, a Moeller senior who lives in Liberty Township.Two years ago, when he began working on rehab projects in Over-the-Rhine, Matt was so nervous driving in the neighborhood that he'd turn down his car stereo to be less conspicuous. Now, he and his teammates wave and chat with residents."It's such a nice, polite community in the day," Matt said. "At night it turns different ... but it's just like any other place."Mike Moroski, a Moeller English teacher, has involved Moeller students like Matt in rehabilitation and other work in Over-the-Rhine for about eight years. Each year, 150 to 200 boys volunteer. Many, he said, develop a close relationship with fellow rehab leader Mike Rogers, who works for and volunteers with Over-the-Rhine Community Housing. Rogers, who helped name Choices, shares his story of recovering from drug addiction with the boys."The relationship between him and them is the real story," Moroski said.Rogers, an Ohio University graduate who works in maintenance, said he credits the kids with helping him stay clean for three years so far. "Those kids have changed my life dramatically," he said. "They have no idea. They allow me to mentor them."Miami students designed the interior of Choices and built its front counter. Another Miami student is writing a business plan, and some Moeller parents are completing its nonprofit paperwork."It's really bringing a bunch of different people from different backgrounds together so we'll be able to understand that we're all just humans at the end of the day, " he said.

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an attempt to curb underage drinking

Teenagers will be targeted through new and inventive school lessons in an attempt to curb underage drinking in Norwich.Alcohol awareness sessions will be given to teenagers between 16 and 18-years-old who are likely to be going out in the evenings and might be tempted to drink alcohol.The sessions will take the form of an alcohol workshop which will help young people understand about unit measurements of alcohol, weekly recommended limits, what constitutes binge drinking and the risks of alcohol, such as violent incidents and sexual consent issues and under-age sales of alcohol.The Norwich Safer Drinking City Programme, currently funded by Norwich Neighbourhood Renewal Fund, has asked the Norwich based Matthew Project to pilot five alcohol awareness sessions with young people aged between 16 and 18-years-old.Shirley Magilton, consultant for the Norwich Safer Drinking City Programme, said: “You can either teach young people on a one to one basis or you've got to go where young people are, which is schools and youth clubs.“All you can really do is give them the information but it can save young people getting into the criminal justice system.“Otherwise there is the potential for them to drop into it and become low level offenders.“So many people come to Norwich and we want it to be a safe city. That's to the benefit of the whole of Norwich.”Lessons are designed to be interactive and fun and help youngsters to make sensible decisions about drinking and stay safe if they are drinking at night.Workshops will include activities such as physical experiments with bread and alcohol to demonstrate the effects of alcohol and asking youngsters to take part in activities such as Giant Jenga while wearing goggles to simulate how drinker's eyesight can be affected by so-called “beer goggles”.The Matthew Project has been tasked with delivering the project in schools.The youth team currently works with young people all across the county of Norfolk, delivering drug and alcohol education and outreach sessions to around thousands of young people, mainly aged between 10 and 25 years-old.Graeme Stewart, youth team manager at the Matthew Project, said: “The sessions are being designed to be interactive, relevant and informative, helping young people access the knowledge they need to make sensible decisions about drinking, and also helping them to have a plan for staying safe if or when they do enter the night time economy.”

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24-hour drinking laws were likely to remain in place

majority of Britain's 13-year-olds have drunk alcohol, marking a worrying "tipping point" for underage drinking, the home secretary, Jacqui Smith, warned today, as she promised to step up enforcement.The home secretary gave a clear hint that the 24-hour drinking laws were likely to remain in place.Smith indicated that Home Office research will be published later this month will show that longer opening hours have not had a dramatic impact on crime and disorder.She reiterated her concern about irresponsible drink promotions such as "50p shots until midnight" and "all you can drink for a tenner" nights, announcing that consultants KPMG are to report by March on how well the drinks industry is implementing its own standards to curb the practice.Although legislation to ban cut-price promotions - some of which have led to supermarkets selling alcohol at cheaper prices than bottled water - has not been ruled out, the home secretary said there were clear signs that drinks companies were taking their responsibilities more seriously.A decision on whether to legislate will not be taken before a Department of Health internal review delivers its report in June on possible links between cut-price alcohol and harm to health.Ministers promised at the end of 2007 to change the law if necessary to curb what is termed "deep discounting" - selling alcohol below cost price - by shops and supermarkets.Smith used a Home Office conference in north London on alcohol enforcement to warn of the dangers of underage drinking and confirmed that she was prepared to tighten 10-year-old police powers to confiscate alcoholic drinks from under-18s in public places.She said: "I will listen to the police and give them extra powers to make it illegal for under-18s to drink alcohol in public so that they don't have to prove reasonable suspicion, if needed."But the home secretary made clear, by highlighting the fact that more than 333,000 13-year-olds have drunk alcohol, that she wants to tackle underage drinking.She announced an £875,000 enforcement campaign over the coming half-term to confiscate alcohol from under-18s drinking in public. A similar campaign which ran in 23 local police divisions last autumn led to 3,700 litres of alcohol being confiscated - equal to 6,500 pints.This year the campaign, from 9-24 February, will involve 175 local police divisions across England and Wales.Smith warned parents they must act, stating that nearly half

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campaign by the university to combat irresponsible drinking

campuses in South Carolina, California shed light on dangers of drinking
Here's hoping college faculty in Kansas and across the nation take good notes about something 40 professors at Fresno State have started doing in their classrooms.
Or, more accurately, something the professors aren't doing.As part of a campaign by the university to combat irresponsible drinking, the Fresno State instructors have taken a pledge to watch what they say to students about drinking.No more jokes during Monday morning labs about weekend hangovers. No more TGIF talk during the last lecture of the week.Michael Caldwell, an associate music professor who organized professors to take the pledge, said he took the initiative partly in reaction to the alcohol-poisoning death of a 19-year-old Fresno State student in January 2006.In taking the pledge, Caldwell and 39 of his colleagues agreed to become familiar with laws and campus policies about alcohol, and become aware of programs and services for students seeking help for alcohol problems. They agreed to promote responsible attitudes toward alcohol in classroom discussions, and they further pledged not to make comments suggesting that all college students drink to excess. Caldwell said students have told him their instructors have made comments to the effect of, "Everybody enjoy partying this weekend," and, "OK, it's the weekend. Let's go party.""It's easy to make flippant comments about alcohol, and bring your own life or the college atmosphere into the classroom," Caldwell said. "It's usually very innocent and unintentional."Although Caldwell said the pledge isn't designed to blacklist anyone or make faculty uncomfortable, the initiative has caught on with only a tiny fraction of the university's 1,300 part-time and full-time faculty. One faculty member said the pledge was a restriction on speech and raised questions about academic freedom.What a sad reaction.It's hard to see how taking a voluntary pledge would cause any harm.What's not so hard to see is that excessive drinking is a problem on college campuses.The same day The Associated Press distributed a story about the pledge, the AP also circulated a story saying three fraternity members at Clemson University were charged in connection with the alcohol-related death of a freshman during an off-campus party.The fraternity members' activities weren't directly connected to the student's death, a prosecutor said, but the three were charged with transferring beer and liquor to a minor and using fake identification to buy alcohol. The students facing charges are 19, 20 and 21 years old.The deaths at Clemson and Fresno State happened a nation apart, but they're not isolated incidents. Alcohol abuse has led to medical problems and fatalities on campuses elsewhere.In reaction, college administrators are taking steps to curb excessive drinking.The pledge at Fresno State is a grassroots step in that direction, and it's worth pursuing on other campuses.

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