HFM Prevention
Council
Volume 26, Issue 4
December 2014
2014 into 2015: Moving Forward
As 2014 is drawing to a
close, I look back at all of
the accomplishments of the
HFM Prevention Council
during the past year. I am
extremely grateful to our
Board of Directors, to our
staff, and to all of our community partners for their
encouragement, support,
and hard work.
2014 has brought new
growth, new faces, new opportunities, and new successes to the Prevention
Council. Our prevention
educators; Yvonne, Margaret, Stephanie, Danielle,
and Dorean have been welcomed to bring prevention
programs into many area
schools.
Rachel and Dom did a fantastic job completing the
SPF-SIG grant which ended
in June. Rachel has accepted a position with the
NYS Office of Alcoholism
and Substance Abuse Services, and we are lucky to
be able to continue working
with her in her new capacity. Dom has returned to
work with us part time for a
few months on the Four
Rivers Alliance Mentoring
Grant.
2014 brought the end of the
VETCORPS/VISTA project.
Jake Cummings, our first
VETCORPS volunteer, traveled all the way from South
Dakota to work with us for
the benefit of our local veterans, military personnel,
and their families. We were
very lucky to have our second VETCORPS volunteer,
Julianna Mendez. Julianna
picked up where Jake left
off, and worked diligently
with our local veterans and
military personnel and their
families. Unfortunately, the
Federal Government has
discontinued the VETCORPS/VISTA Program.
A highlight of our year was
our Recovery Art Show and
Recovery Wall at the Fulton
Montgomery Regional
Chamber of Commerce Office/gallery in Gloversville
during the month of September. We were very
pleased this year to have
much artwork from our
friends in recovery and from
local artists. The new and
expanded Recovery Wall has
a permanent home in our
training room.
Dave Hayes, a local artist
and poet, won first prize at
the NYS Recovery Fine Arts
Show for one of his paintings. Dave was honored in
a ceremony at the Hilton in
Saratoga Springs. Congratulations, Dave!!
In addition to ASAPP’s
Promise, the Fulton County
Community Coalition, we
are honored to be working
with the Four Rivers Alliance, which is the Hamilton
County Community Coalition, and with Montgomery
Allies in Prevention (MCAP),
the Montgomery County
Community Coalition. The
basic goals of all three coalitions are to prevent underage alcohol and other substance use and to promote
healthy life styles.
I am grateful for the wonderful year which is soon
coming to a close. I look
ahead to 2015 with hope
and anticipation for another
year filled with new opportunities and new successes.
All of the staff of the HFM
Prevention Council wish you
and your loved ones a safe
and happy holiday season
and a healthy, joyous new
year!!
~ Ann Rhodes
Executive Director
Art & Recovery: A Winning Combination
By Stephanie Cook
Friends of Recovery - New York recently awarded
David Hayes of Gloversville first prize for mixed
media in their statewide Recovery Arts Festival.
Hayes, who is well-known locally for his art and
poetry chronicling his recovery from crack cocaine
addiction, submitted “Can You See Me Now?” In
this piece, a pair of eyes has been painted on a
mirror, with a recent photo of Hayes in the pupil of
one eye. In the pupil of the other eye, which is
bloodshot, is a photo of Hayes from sixteen years
ago, when his appearance showed clear and visible
signs of the ravages of his then-active drug
addiction. Above the eyes, the question reads,
“Can You See Me Now?” According to Hayes, this
question serves to ask people to look beyond his
addiction and see who he is as a person today. He
was presented with his award at a reception at the
Hilton in Saratoga on October 19.
Recovery Art Show
September 2014
Clockwise from upper left:
Artwork in a variety of media
was contributed by our
recovery partners, as well as
by friends of HFM Prevention
Council; an abstract ink drawing by Peter S.;
a life-size ink drawing by Cory Spraker;
community members enjoy the reception;
wood-burning on a table by Amsterdam
Mayor Ann Thane; Senator Cecilia Tkaczyk
(left) and Ann Rhodes join Mayor Thane
(center) in looking at her work; the Recovery
Wall, on permanent display at HFM
Prevention Council, has more than doubled
in size since
it was originally created in 2012.
Page 2
HFM Prevention Council
Coming in May 2015!!
HFM Prevention Council
Board of Directors
PRESIDENT:
Carm D’Amore
VICE PRESIDENT:
Judy Perry
TREASURER:
Thomas Ryan
SECRETARY:
Sara Luck
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT:
Linda Jurica
Volume 26, Issue 4
HFM Prevention Council
Staff
Doreen
Ashabranner
Ann Rhodes,
Executive Director
Francis Caraco
Dominick Baggetta
Margaret Clark
Stephanie Cook
Danielle DiGiacomo
Linda Jurica
Yvonne Major
Dorean Page
William Doran
Jean Karutis
Tom Romeyn
Bryan Rudes
Page 3
THE
S
E
C
I
O
H
C
M
A
R
G
O
R
P
AN EXCITING
THERAPEUTIC
OPTION in
ADOLESCENT
SUBSTANCE
ABUSE and
MENTAL HEALTH
Now available for teens
in Montgomery
and Fulton Counties
518.736.8188
Ext. 102
For a QUICK QUIZ (14 questions)
on Holiday Traditions, go to:
www.webmd.com/balance/rm-quiz-holiday-traditions
Find out the meaning of the phrase “Auld Lang Syne”
and learn what was the very first balloon character
in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade.
While you’re visiting WebMD, check out
their other great information on healthy living.
Page 4
HFM Prevention Council
YOU(th) DECIDE!
By Yvonne Major
Gambling is more prevalent
 Underage gambling is not
According to the National
now than ever before. The
Council on Drug and
safe.
New York State Council on
Dependence, about 48
Fulton County first place
Problem Gambling is
percent of seventh through
winner of $100 is Rhys
working with local
Floyd; second place of $75 is twelfth graders reported
Prevention Councils
they had gambled in the
Allison McDonald; and the
statewide to educate people, third place winner of $50 is
past year. Approximately
especially parents of school- Paul Bush. These students
140,000 adolescents have
age youth, about problem
had problems due to
are all in Mrs. Diane
gambling and to encourage
gambling and another ten
Campos’s Health classes at
them to discuss the
percent are at risk.
issue with their
Steps parents can
children. HFM
take to educate their
Prevention Council is
children about
offering parent
problem gambling
presentations for area
include:
school and community
Explain that
groups.
gambling is an
HFM Prevention
occasional activity
Council sponsored a
meant for
YOU(th) DECIDE
entertainment only,
Poster Contest in
not as a way to
conjunction with the
make money.
New York Council on
From left, Yvonne Major of HFM
Discuss the risks
Problem Gambling.
Prevention Council, winners Rhys Floyd,
and possible
The posters’ theme
Allison McDonald, and Paul Bush, with
negative confocused on the NY
B-P Middle School Principal Wayne Bell.
sequences
Council’s facts about
associated with
Broadalbin-Perth Middle
gambling. Topics included:
engaging
School and had the
 Good luck charms play no
in gambling activities.
administrative support of
part in winning or losing.
Mr. Wayne Bell, Principal.
 Discourage friends and
 Most people who gamble
We appreciate their efforts
family from giving Lottery
lose.
in helping to spread the
tickets or engaging in
 Gambling can become an
word about problem
other forms of gambling
addiction.
gambling.
with their children.
See all the winning posters at:
Get help or more information today:
https://www.facebook.com/YouthDecideNY
Volume 26, Issue 4
Page 5
CVS Stops Selling Tobacco 2014
Contributed by Stephanie Cook, with thanks to Reality Check
Everyone deserves the opportunity to play, live
and grow up in a healthy community.
Key Message #1:
Key Message #2:
Key Message #3:
Restricting the sale of
tobacco in pharmacies
helps reduce the
consumption, availability, visibility and
social acceptability of
tobacco use in our
local communities.
Pharmacies are a trusted
partner in healthcare and
should not sell tobacco, the
only legal product sold in
America that when used as
directed kills up to half of
its long-term users.
The CVS
decision to stop
selling tobacco
is a call to
action to
communities to
end tobacco
sales at all
pharmacies in
New York State.
Pharmacists and health
professionals who overwhelmingly support a ban
on pharmacy sales of
tobacco products includes:

the American
Pharmacists Association;

the American Society of
Health-System
Pharmacists,;

the American Medical
Association; and

the American Academy of
Pediatrics.
The Pharmacist Society of
the State of NY has passed a
resolution supporting
restricting the sale of
tobacco in pharmacies.
New Yorkers widely support
prohibiting tobacco sales in
pharmacies. In fact, 69
percent of residents of the
Capital District think
pharmacies should not sell
tobacco, a figure consistent
with averages in other parts
of the state.
Page 6
The United States is the only
country in the world where
tobacco products can be found for
sale in a pharmacy.
Pharmacies promote themselves
as a trustworthy healthcare
provider, yet over half of New York
pharmacies sell tobacco including
the large chains: Rite Aid,
Walgreens and Duane Reade.
Tobacco is the deadliest product
sold in the U.S. and is responsible
for the deaths of 23,600 New
Yorkers every year.
The availability of tobacco
products in pharmacies
legitimizes its use, and falsely
suggests that pharmacists
support tobacco consumption.
As the role of pharmacies in the
U.S. becomes more integral to the
delivery of health care, the sale of
tobacco in these facilities becomes
a greater conflict of interest.
Pharmacies cannot completely
assume the role of “public health
facilities” while encouraging the
use of a product that is harmful to
the public’s health.
The sale of tobacco
products at
pharmacies creates
a clear conflict of
interest.
Pharmacies should
not profit from the
sale of tobacco
products and then
profit from
medicines to treat
expensive and
deadly illnesses
caused by tobacco
including heart
disease, COPD,
emphysema, and
cancer.
Thanks to
CVS
for leading
the way in
helping us to
stay healthy!
HFM Prevention Council
December is
Drunk
and
Drugged
Driving
Awareness Month
,
HFM Prevention Council, ASAPP’s Promise, and Montgomery County Allies for Prevention (MCAP).
Volume 26, Issue 4
Page 7
86 Briggs St., Suite 5
Johnstown, NY 12095
Phone: 518.736.8188
Fax: 518.736.8192
www.hfmprevention
council.com
Please email [email protected] to receive your newsletter electronically.
What’s inside this issue:
Letter from the Executive
Director: 2014 Into 2015
Front
Cover
Quick Quiz Link: Holiday
Traditions
4
Art and Recovery: A
Winning Combination
2
YOU(th) DECIDE!
5
Elks Drug Quiz Show
May 2015
3
CVS Stops Selling
Tobacco 2014
6
HFM Prevention Council
Board of Directors
3
Lights On For Life
7
HFM Prevention Council
Staff
3
The Choices Program
4
BEST WISHES FOR A
HAPPY AND HEALTHY 2015!