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CALL TO ACTION
SURGEON GENERAL IN THE STATES
In response to the U.S. Surgeon General’s Call to Action To Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking, Leadership members are participating in the national rollout with Acting U.S. Surgeon General Kenneth Moritsugu to publicize the Call to Action and its goals.
The Surgeon General is visiting Leadership States across the country to meet and speak to State and local leaders, prevention professionals, and the public. The first State tour occurred in Hawaii on May 23, 2007.
HAWAII STATE TOUR
Lieutenant Governor James R. “Duke” Aiona, Jr., Co-Chair of Leadership to Keep Children Alcohol Free, hosted Dr. Moritsugu's visit to Hawaii (his place of birth) to promote the Call to Action.
The full day of activities included media interviews, followed by a visit to an inner-city Honolulu elementary school, where Lt. Governor Aiona conducted a teach-in, engaging students in an interactive, lively discussion and delivering a presentation on Too Smart to Start, a SAMHSA-sponsored underage alcohol use prevention initiative. Dr. Moritsugu, Lt. Governor Aiona, and Leadership Foundation member Hope Taft also met briefly with Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle to discuss the Call to Action.
Members of the Hawaii Partnership to Prevent Underage Drinking (HPPUD) had the opportunity to meet with Vicky Cayetano, former First Lady of Hawaii and Vice President of the Leadership To Keep Children Alcohol Free Foundation, Dr. Moritsugu, Lt. Governor Aiona, and Mrs. Taft, at which time Dr. Moritsugu announced the release of three companion publications to the Call to Action—A Guide to Action for Communities, A Guide to Action for Educators, and A Guide to Action for Families—and requested HPPUD’s assistance in disseminating them.
The day’s events concluded with a Town Hall meeting sponsored by HPPUD at which 120 university researchers, health care providers, Department of Health officials, policymakers, law enforcement personnel, educators, business representatives, members of the faith-based community, youth, and parents were in attendance.
For more information on the event, see Lt. Governor Aiona's May 24 newsletter.
Media coverage
First Lady Karen Baldacci is leading Maine's response to the Call to Action and is working with State health officials, pediatricians and young people to implement its goals. On March 6, 2007, she spoke at a press conference in Augusta to announce the release of the report. (See Press Release and Mrs. Baldacci's Photo Gallery).
On June 11, Mrs. Baldacci hosted Acting U.S. Surgeon General Kenneth Moritsugu's visit to the State, to introduce the Call to Action. The visit began with a press conference on the steps of the State House attended by the First Lady, Dr. Moritsugu, Maine Attorney General Steve Rowe, and community leaders.
Dr. Moritsugu urged parents to take responsibility for preventing their children from drinking by setting limits and modeling good behavior. He stressed the importance of a zero tolerance policy for alcohol use for anyone under age 21. Both Dr. Moritsugu and Attorney General Rowe emphasized that underage drinking is a community problem that needs a community solution.
The Surgeon General also met with Governor Baldacci and leaders of the Maine Senate and House of Representatives. He later gave the keynote address at the annual New England School of Addiction Studies, which is an intensive week-long experience for participants to further their knowledge, skills, and experience in the field of substance abuse.
As part of Maine’s response to the Call to Action, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Substance Abuse (OSA) has announced the second phase of a statewide media campaign, “Find Out More, Do More,” targeted to parents. OSA is disseminating brochures and school-based information and posting information on www.maineparents.net. OSA also plans to run several television ads in September.
Maine's press kit for State tour
Brochure (Reminds parents of the things they do that can sometimes have unintended consequences)
Count ME In! (Provides steps anyone can take to prevent underage drinking)
Media coverage
Brunswick Times, June 13, 2007 (story on New England School of Addiction Studies, appearing on America’s Partners to Prevent Underage Drinking Web site)
Rear Admiral Steven K. Galson, M.D., M.P.H., the Acting U.S. Surgeon General, spoke in Lincoln, Nebraska on April 14, 2008 and in Omaha, Nebraska on April 15, 2008 to teachers, parents, students, and others who are concerned about the dangers of underage drinking. He was invited by Nebraska’s First Lady, Sally Ganem. The message is that parents play a key role in helping young people choose not to drink, and prevention is the best strategy to curb underage drinking. For more information, see a news release from the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.
Media Coverage
KPTM Fox 42, Omaha News, April 14, 2008
NEW MEXICO STATE TOUR
First Lady Barbara Richardson welcomed U.S. Acting Surgeon General Kenneth Moritsugu to New Mexico on September 25, 2007 for a 2-day visit promoting his Call to Action To Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking. New Mexico is the sixth State Dr. Moritsugu has visited to encourage parents, health-care providers, educators, and community leaders to do more to stop America's 11 million current underage drinkers from using alcohol. Dr. Moritsugu participated in a medical roundtable discussion and addressed a public forum in Santa Fe about underage drinking and its significant role in risky sexual behavior, unplanned pregnancies, death from injuries, academic failure, and the effect it has on the developing brain. Dr. Moritsugu also visited Albuquerque to discuss "Helping teens make good decisions about alcohol" as part of Governor Bill Richardson's DWI Research Speaker Series. In a Santa Fe New Mexican interview, Dr. Moritsugu stressed the important role of parents. He discouraged parents from serving alcohol to their underage children in their own homes even though it is legal.
Media Coverage
Dr. Moritsugu's prepared remarks for New Mexico events:
Governor's DWI Speaker Series:
Press release, September 25, 2007
NORTH CAROLINA STATE TOUR
On September 12, 2007, Dr. Moritsugu joined North Carolina First Lady Mary Easley to announce that “Media Ready,” a media literacy substance abuse prevention program developed in North Carolina, will be taught in middle schools across the State next year. The curriculum has already been implemented in Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools and Chatham County Schools. A training workshop on the curriculum for educators from across the State is to be held in January 2008.
The trained educators will in turn train teachers in their school districts, who will then implement the program in their middle-school classrooms. The Surgeon General praised North Carolina for working together to answer his Call to Action by sharing Media Ready with middle schools across the State.
During Dr. Moritsugu's North Carolina visit, he also met with State legislators, policy makers, education leaders, and representatives from the Governor's Office, the judicial system, law enforcement, and health and substance abuse prevention organizations that work on the State and local levels to address underage drinking in North Carolina. In addition, he spoke about his Call to Action at North Carolina State University's Millennium Seminar. See a press release for more information.
Media Coverage
North Carolina State University press release , August 30, 2007
The Daily Tar Heel , September 12, 2007
WXII12.com: News story, September 12, 2007
Leadership Weekly Update, September 13, 2007
NORTH DAKOTA STATE TOUR
Dr. Moritsugu visited North Dakota on September 10 and 11, 2007, where he and First Lady Mikey Hoeven attended events to promote his Call to Action. The Surgeon General and the First Lady spoke at the 2007 Alcohol & Substance Abuse Summit, in Bismarck. Local newspapers reported that he told the summit audience that the cost to North Dakota in medical care, work loss, pain, and suffering because of underage drinking is $2,200 per year for each young person. He said there are better ways in which the State could help youth with that money. He called on the audience to help make community attitudes less tolerant of underage drinking.
Dr. Moritsugu and Mrs. Hoeven also visited Horizon Middle school in Bismarck, where Dr. Moritsugu introduced the students to statistics about the dangers of underage drinking.
Media coverage
KFYRTV.com: (News story and video), September 10, 2007 Leadership Weekly Update, September 13, 2007
Acting Surgeon General of the United States Steven K. Galson visited Ohio on February 27, 2008 to discuss the Surgeon General’s Call to Action To Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking and to address other prevention efforts. First Lady Frances Strickland and Director Angela Cornelius of the Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services were in attendance to greet the Surgeon General, and both spoke at one of the events. Admiral Galson presented the Call to Action to Ohio college and university presidents and other official members of the Ohio College Initiative to Reduce High Risk Drinking, a program of the Drug-Free Action Alliance.
Media Coverage
Acting Surgeon Steven K. Galson spoke on the topic "Start Talking Before They Start Drinking” in Oklahoma City as part of a national tour to address the public health problem of under-age alcohol use. ASG Galson’s talk took place at a Town Hall meeting open to the public at the Oklahoma History Center in Oklahoma City on January 30. Dr. Galson spoke the following day on "Youth Drinking: A Public Health Challenge” at the University of Oklahoma College of Public Health.
Media Coverage
(Please click on the picture below to view a larger image)
Acting Surgeon General, Rear Admiral Steven K. Galson discusses Call to Action guides at University of Oklahoma College of Public Health press conference.
University of Oklahoma College of Public Health Ground Rounds Video, January 31. 2008
KSBI-TV.com (News story and video), January 31, 2008
Leadership Weekly Update, January 24, 2008
Leadership Weekly Update, February 7, 2008
OREGON STATE TOUR
Acting U.S. Surgeon General Kenneth Moritsugu visited Portland, Oregon, on September 17, 2007, where he promoted his Call to Action at a news conference at the annual meeting of the National Prevention Network. Dr. Moritsugu told the group that about one-third of people under age 21 drink illegally, which lays the groundwork for future addiction and health problems.
Oregon Attorney General Hardy Myers also spoke at the news conference, where he stated, “Today, we stand before you not only as representatives from federal and state government teamed up with private individuals, but as one unified force committed to combating underage drinking in Oregon.” The Attorney General announced he is reconstituting a State underage-drinking task force that will examine binge drinking on college campuses, energy drinks that contain alcohol, and the possible creation of a driver's license suspension program for minors caught with alcohol.
The Task Force had worked on three laws passed during the last legislative session. A license-suspension proposal failed to pass the Legislature in that session. For more information on the news conference, see a news release.
Leadership Weekly Update, September 20, 2007
WYOMING STATE TOUR
The Wyoming First Lady's Initiative To Reduce Underage Drinking hosted U.S. Acting Surgeon General Steven K. Galson's Wyoming visit on March 24th and 25th, 2008, in Riverton and on the Wind River Reservation. Dr. Galson visited to bring attention to the Surgeon General's Call to Action, and to ask local communities to do more to stop underage drinkers from using alcohol and keep other young people from starting to use.
On March 24th, the Surgeon General, the First Lady, and local and State government officials took part in a Town Hall Meeting on the Central Wyoming Campus that highlighted not only the Surgeon General's information but also the prevention efforts under way across the State. This event also served as the kick-off meeting for the national Town Halls. In addition, Wyoming Public Television taped a discussion of underage drinking issues including the Surgeon General, Wyoming youth involved in prevention activities, and community members, which was aired March 27.
For more information, see the Wyoming First Lady's Initiative Web site.
Media
Casper Star Tribune, March 23, 2008
SAMHSA Town Hall Press Release, March 21, 2008
Leadership Weekly Update, March 27, 2008
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