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.

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.”

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

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.

fabricated significant incidents in the book

James Frey has received the ultimate penalty — expulsion from Oprah's Book Club. After being invited into the club — resulting in best-sellerdom for his memoir about his drug addiction, alcoholism and treatment, A Million Little Pieces — it was revealed that Frey fabricated significant incidents in the book.

Negating the validity of alcoholism.

Research has shown that alcoholism is a choice, not a disease, and stripping alcohol abusers of their choice, by applying the disease concept, is a threat to the health of the individual.
In a recent Gallup poll, 90% of people surveyed believe that alcoholism is a disease. Most argue that because the American Medical Association (AMA) has proclaimed alcoholism a disease, the idea is without reproach.
But, the fact is that the AMA made this determination in the absence of empirical evidence. After reviewing the history of the decision, it would not be unreasonable to suggest that the AMA has been pursuing its own agenda in the face of evidence negating the validity of alcoholism.

Alternative viewpoint

While A.A. with its 12-step approach has helped millions of people over the last 60-plus years, but there is no evidence that A.A. is better than other approaches for everyone.
Some people just don't find A.A. attractive or constructive for their particular situations.
based on recent research, people don't join A.A. or find it helpful because of many diverse reasons:
"It's just a substitute dependency."
"It's too religious."
"There is too much dogma."
"I don't feel I fit in."
"My problem isn't as bad as theirs."
"I haven't hit my bottom and I don't want to wait until then to make a change."
"They say I am powerless, but I feel I'm not powerless."
"It's like a cult."
"I don't feel I am an alcoholic" "I don't have an addiction."

serious gambling addictions

A study published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) finds that people who gamble online may have more serious gambling addictions than gamblers who wager in land casinos.
The APA issued a health advisory on Internet gambling.
The study questioned 389 users of the dental and medical clinic at the University of Connecticut. Thirty one of the study participants had gambled on the Internet; 14 of those reported doing so weekly.
"We're not seeing a lot of recreational gambling on the Internet," said Nancy Petry, associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Connecticut Health Center and one of the study's authors.
"The Internet seems to attract people who are prone to or who have already developed a gambling problem."

women prefer to affirm that they have the power to choose

"We admitted we were powerless over [our addiction]-that our lives had become unmanageable." The purpose of this step is to crack through denial or an inflated ego and acknowledge a destructive problem. It can be helpful to say "I am powerless to change my partner," but many women abuse chemicals or stay in harmful relationships because they feel powerless in their lives. Thus, many women prefer to affirm that they have the power to choose not to use chemicals or have dependent relationships. So, alternatively:

We acknowledge we were out of control with but have the power to take charge of our lives and stop being dependent on others for our self-esteem and security.

concept of sickness

A. A.'s did not use the concept of sickness to absolve our members from moral responsibility. On the contrary, we used the fact of fatal illness to clamp the heaviest kind of moral responsibility on to the sufferer. The further point was made that in his early days of drinking the alcoholic often was no doubt guilty of irresponsibility and gluttony. But once the time of compulsive drinking, veritable lunacy had arrived and he couldn't very well be held accountable for his conduct. He then had a lunacy which condemned him to drink, in spite of all he could do; he had developed a bodily sensitivity to alcohol that guaranteed his final madness and death. When this state of affairs was pointed out to him, he was placed immediately under the heaviest kind of pressure to accept A.A.'s moral and spiritual program of regeneration -namely, our Twelve Steps. Fortunately, Mr. Link was satisfied with this view of the use that we were making of the alcoholic's illness.

Women who question "the program,"

Women who question "the program," as it's often called, have been shamed, called resistant, and threatened with abandonment. They have been trained to believe that male models of nearly everything are better than whatever they might create for themselves.
Some women are grateful for what 12-step programs have given them: a generally available peer model providing support and understanding at no cost. Yet no one way works for everyone. The steps were formulated by a white, middle-class male in the 1930s; not surprisingly, they work to break down an over inflated ego, and put reliance on an all-powerful male God. But most women suffer from the lack of a healthy, aware ego, and need to strengthen their sense of self by affirming their own inner wisdom.
Research strongly suggests that alcohol addiction has links to genetic predisposition. A vital point that seems overlooked in AA is that in the case of nearly all substance abuse, the brain chemistry and the body ecology need extensive healing in order to prevent the protracted withdrawal syndrome of depression, anxiety, volatile emotions, and obsessive thinking that can last for years. Too often women endlessly attend groups, have psychotherapy, or take antidepressants when their emotions are actually being influenced by a chemical imbalance that could be helped by proper nutrition and exercise.

Other addictions and codependency (as well as the will to recover), are influenced by cultural oppression, which includes poverty, battering, racism, sexism, and homophobia. Treatment programs need to incorporate understanding - and advocacy - regarding these concerns.

Parental attitudes and habits influence kids.

Several interesting studies indicate that if teens believe that their parents are against drinking and drug use, teens are less likely to try them. Parental disapproval acts as a "buffer" against peer pressure. Children of "permissive parents" who are more accepting of drugs and liquor or who leave decisions about them to their teens are more likely to have children who abuse substances.

Genetics count less than we once thought.

Studies of identical twins show that although there is a genetic component to alcoholism and drug abuse, genetics does not trump environment. You can have a genetic predisposition for alcoholism or drug abuse, but environmental factors have to come into play for it to develop.

Besides genetics, risk factors for teens are undiagnosed learning disabilities, bi-polar disorder, childhood traumas, anxiety, depression, and feelings that they do not fit in with their peer groups. Any teen who says that he or she loved drugs or drinking from the first try is also at greater risk. The earlier a teen starts using, the more likely he or she will be addicted. Latchkey children who are home alone after school are at more risk than supervised children. Finally, growing up around heavy drinkers is another big risk factor.

Genetics count less than we once thought.

Studies of identical twins show that although there is a genetic component to alcoholism and drug abuse, genetics does not trump environment. You can have a genetic predisposition for alcoholism or drug abuse, but environmental factors have to come into play for it to develop.

Besides genetics, risk factors for teens are undiagnosed learning disabilities, bi-polar disorder, childhood traumas, anxiety, depression, and feelings that they do not fit in with their peer groups. Any teen who says that he or she loved drugs or drinking from the first try is also at greater risk. The earlier a teen starts using, the more likely he or she will be addicted. Latchkey children who are home alone after school are at more risk than supervised children. Finally, growing up around heavy drinkers is another big risk factor.

Alcohol is a factor in 66% of student suicides.

Around 28% of college dropouts result from alcohol abuse.
Alcohol is a factor in 66% of student suicides.
Alcohol is a factor in 60% of sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV.
Alcohol is a factor in 40% of academic problems.
Around 87% of college students who do not engage in binge drinking have experienced problems resulting from their peers abusing alcohol, including physical assault, sexual harassment and abuse, disrupted sleep, and disrupted study sessions.
The Journal of American College Health published a survey stating that 73% of assailants and 55% of rape victims used drugs of alcohol prior to their assault.
Financial problems have resulted from the money spent on alcohol, which is more than is spent on books, soda, coffee, juice, and milk combined.

found dead in the Mississippi River

Lucas Homan, a 21-year-old student from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse was found dead in the Mississippi River with the equivalent of a case a beer in his system. He was preceded by 8 young men who were also found dead in the river after a night of binge drinking. He had begun drinking the night before at a house party to celebrate the Oktoberfest. He continued drinking at downtown bars with a hometown friend who had been visiting. One of those friends was found stumbling around on the street and was taken to an alcohol detoxification center. Homan's body was found 2 days later

drinking a massive amount of alcohol

18-year-old Gordie Bailey was found dead in the Chi Psi fraternity house at the University of Colorado at Boulder after drinking a massive amount of alcohol in a college hazing ritual. He had been told to drink four 1.75 liter bottle of whiskey and six 1.5 liter bottle of wine in 30 minutes before returning to the fraternity house. After he passed out, the group wrote racial slurs and other demeaning slogans on his body in another fraternity ritual. Previously, he had been named to the club lacrosse team and had excelled in athletics, music, and drama in his high school in Massachusetts, where he was co-captain of the varsity football team, playing both middle linebacker and offensive guard. He had also been given the "Class of 2004 Award of Excellence in Drama."