Boby is a dog whose master, Fred, sometimes forgets to feed and pet him – and he doesn't know why. Boby thinks he must have done something wrong to make Fred behave like this. And he is too ashamed to tell other dogs about the problem.

It's only when his friend Felix talks about the experience of another dog and her mistress, and explains that the bottles in the dustbin show that Fred is ill, that Boby realises not only that it isn't his fault, but also that there is hope for Fred. …

The Boby book ... is designed to raise the awareness of anyone who reads it, so they too can play the role of Felix to a child's Boby.

That's why the new campaign is being launched via post offices: local branches, used by most people, are seen as a good way of raising public awareness as a whole about the issue. It is also hoped that greater public understanding will help parents accept their dependence as an illness that can be treated.

Labels: alcoholism, awareness, children, parents, switzerland

Palmer said he began his path to sobriety by going through the Dunklin County Drug Court and by getting involved with a faith-based meeting at Malden in April of 2004. After becoming sober, Palmer said he got back with his wife and kids and began working in substance abuse counseling ...

He recently became known nationally after becoming involved with an anti-meth campaign through the Office of National Drug Control Policy. ... The campaign, which kicked off on Sept. 1, 2009, is scheduled to run through the end of Nov.

Palmer said he has heard that the commercials are getting people's attention and has had a "good response so far."

Palmer said he got into the campaign to try to "give hope" to those who feel hopeless.

Labels: addiction, awareness, meth, methamphetamine, recovery

Gordie was 18 and a freshman at the University of Colorado five years ago when he drank whiskey and wine as part of a fraternity hazing, was left to "sleep it off" and died of alcohol poisoning.

The Lanahans could have withdrawn into their pain. Instead, they turned it into the Gordie Foundation, which establishes Circle of Trust chapters to address the dangers of peer pressure and hazing, teach the signs of alcohol poisoning and encourage young people to pledge to call for help as needed.

The event is offered in conjunction with National Hazing Prevention Week (sponsored by HazingPrevention.org) in recognition that this is a likely week for hazing.

Labels: alcohol poisoning, alcohol_abuse, awareness, hazing

[Jim] Langford said the campaign will focus on preventing meth use among the state’s most vulnerable population, its young people. According to the Department of Health, 51 percent of people entering treatment for meth abuse in Georgia are between the ages of 12 and 25, substantially higher than the national average.

In 2007, 32 percent of federal drug offenses in Georgia involved meth, according to the Office of National Drug Control Policy. Langford said Northwest Georgia had some of the highest incidences of meth use in the state of Georgia.

Langford said the Georgia Meth Project is based on similar programs in Montana and Arizona, the first two states to launch Meth Project prevention campaigns. Those states saw 45 percent reductions in teen meth use in two years, he said.

Labels: awareness, meth, methamphetamine

"When the series had its final bow, she took up a hard-partying lifestyle in Hollywood, using drugs including cocaine and Quaaludes. She struggled to regain her earlier success, landing some TV and movie roles, but developed a reputation for unreliability due to her addiction, even botching an interview with Steven Spielberg for a role in 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' because she was high."

Labels: awareness, celebrities, influences

"Their main source of drugs such as OxyContin, Percocet, Vicodin and Ritalin: 'the medicine cabinet,' says Elizabeth Planet, director of special projects for CASA. 'Another big source of these drugs are their friends.'"

Labels: access, awareness, prescription_drugs

"With the money, the city will study and develop strategies to address underage drinking and substance abuse. The project - dubbed the 'Health Peabody Collaborative' - will involve a multitude of stakeholders in the community, including teachers, parents, law enforcement and outreach groups."

Labels: awareness, communities, prevention

"Local teens contacted by the Daily Sun are well aware of the prevalence of drugs, saying it's easy to get their hands on their substance of choice, often from dealers who are their peers. Local authorities acknowledge that teens have a role in the drug trade..."

Labels: awareness, death, schools

"...he contacted 48 fellow students at random and asked them to sign a contract without divulging the contents to anyone, even their parents... Each agreed to be taken out of their classrooms, a few students every 30 minutes, by Island County Sheriff Deputy Laura Price. The number, 48 in all, represents the number of kids who die from drugs or alcohol every day in the United States."

Labels: awareness, contract, peers

"[Q} Would a kid get drunk or high faster than an adult? [A] You bet. A drug can have a larger effect on a child for many reasons. One reason is that children's and adult's brains are different."

Labels: anti-drug_programs, awareness, prevention

"'I believe in the mission of SADD that students are the best people to influence other students about not making destructive decisions. It's something I'm passionate about... I've witnessed the effects of alcohol abuse firsthand. I've seen what it can do. And because I've seen it, I can stand against it and I can try to help others stay away from it, too."

Labels: awareness, prevention, SADD

"'The students (with faces painted white) cannot talk to anyone and teachers cannot call on them because they are the students who are now dead because of a drunk driver,' said Veronica Cain, Ontario Schools substance abuse coordinator."

Labels: awareness, education, prevention

"As noted in the proclamation, alcohol contributes to adolescent motor vehicle crashes, traumatic injuries, poor school performance, and health and safety problems. Research shows that the younger individuals are when they start to drink, the more likely they are to become alcoholic."

Labels: alcohol, awareness, death

"Teen meth use is reportedly down nearly 45 percent. The number of employees testing positive for meth has dropped nearly 72 percent. In 2005, when the Montana Meth Project began, there were over 1,200 meth-related offenses reported by the state Board of Crime Control. In 2007, just 473."

Labels: awareness, community_programs, meth

"Parents can play a powerful role in influencing their children's attitudes. Parents' drinking behaviors and favorable attitudes about drinking are associated with adolescents' initiating and continuing drinking. Research indicates that children are less likely to drink when their parents are engaged in their lives and when they and their parents report feeling close to each other."

Labels: alcohol, awareness, communication

"'They don't look at it as an issue generally. They don't talk about it in the same way they might about sex or other issues,' [Tony] Mollica said. Alarmingly... an overwhelming majority of teens are getting alcohol at home or from a friend - approximately 94 percent."

Labels: awareness, prevention, underage_drinking

"[Dave] Baxter has quickly educated himself and what he's learned frightens him, especially when users admit they want someone sober around when they take the drug. 'They talk about the need for a sitter.' A sitter is someone to watch out for and protect salvia users."

Labels: awareness, experimentation, hallucinogenics

"The good news from this survey is that Westchester parents overwhelmingly disapprove of teen alcohol and tobacco and marijuana use. But the survey shows that they have more permissive attitudes than their national counterparts, especially when it comes to beers and wine coolers and punishing teens when they break rules."

Labels: acceptance, awareness, prevention

"Muskegon High School has a network of teachers, student specialists, administrators and guidance counselors who are alert for signs that students may be using drugs...If such changes are noted, school officials will talk to the student, at the same time including parents and guardians. Counseling, tutoring or even outside resources may be offered."

Labels: awareness, high school, prescription_drugs

"The state Office... created the tool to help New Yorkers track prescription and over-the-counter medicines in their home. It's intended to be filled out weekly."

Labels: awareness, prescription_drugs, prevention

"[For parents], Talk with your children about substance use from an early age and continue these conversations through college. Have a comprehensive discussion about substance use - its risks, your expectations, and the consequences you will enforce should they violate the rules - during the summer before their departure to college."

Labels: awareness, parents, prevention

"Dr. Alan Barton, a Fort Mojave pediatrician, said in the past year he has seen an increase of young people abusing prescribed drugs such as OxyContin, which he said physicians falsely tout as less addictive. Barton said he has four female patients addicted to Soma, a pain reliever. His youngest patient is a 13-year-old who uses cough medicine and marijuana."

Labels: awareness, parents, prescription_drugs

"Kicking off the event will be special guest Brian Parker, a therapist who works exclusively with troubled teens. Parker will share some insights for both teens and parents, arming them with information that can help them find answers."

Labels: awareness, crisis, support

Labels: awareness, binge_drinking, gateway_drugs

"More importantly, we aim to identify solutions and strategies to address this issue. Audience members will be encouraged to join in the dialogue with questions and ideas."

Labels: abuse, awareness, prescription_drugs

"Afghan heroin typically flows into Canada through two main trafficking arteries, Mr. Nadeau said: the porous border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, and then onto India and, finally, Canada; or from Afghanistan to western Africa, then through the United States into Canada."

Labels: awareness, heroin, rise_in_use

"Kendall County Farm Bureau manager Dan Reedy said that one of the main reasons Kendall County is a shopping ground is access to a key substance. 'Anhydrous ammonia is one of the main ingredients for making meth and the easiest place to get anhydrous ammonia is through swiping anhydrous tanks either on the farms or from the local fertilizer dealers,' he said."

Labels: awareness, meth, prevention

"[Mike] Donahue said one goal is to develop a curriculum of courses on the subject and to offer college credits that will count toward an associate's degree and that can be transferred to other colleges. Although nothing has been finalized, Donahue hopes the program of study will be available by fall 2008."

Labels: awareness, education, schools

"The key to drug, alcohol and substance abuse prevention is education, and the first line of defense against it is parenting, [Nina] Nieves said. 'The values that we impart is what they're going to give back to us. If I say "You cannot drink until you're 21, and then drink in moderation," I have to enforce it so they (my children) can learn by example,' Nieves said."

Labels: awareness, education, prevention

"Rather than celebrating such a 'holiday', educators, law enforcement officers and health advocates want students to bungee and bounce their way to a sober and drug-free life choice at their annual anti-420 event."

Labels: awareness, education, marijuana

"To recognize the serious problem of alcohol abuse... April 8 marks the annual observance of National Alcohol Screening Day. At locations across the United States, people can be screened – anonymously – to see if their drinking habits may be risky."

Labels: alcohol, awareness, drug testing