Undead Take Over Morris County Universities

"New Social Engine" (NSE) student groups at Fairleigh Dickinson and Drew Universities recently organized a "Humans vs. Zombies" game where hundreds of students participated. Humans vs. Zombies is a survival game where "human" players fight off increasingly large numbers of "zombies." If a human is "turned," then that player becomes a zombie in turn.

NSE is becoming increasingly popular on college campuses in the area, and students are participating in the activities of the group as an alternative to engaging in high risk behaviors, such as binge drinking or drug use.

Drew University's student newspaper, The Acorn, published a full page article on students' experiences with NSE and the campus-wide Humans vs. Zombies game.

Students are also getting involved in NSE through Facebook groups, which exist for each NSE chapter on college campuses in Morris County. Some students even participated in creating video advertisements for the Humans vs. Zombies game, which are posted on YouTube.



NSE is a project of Morris County Prevention is Key and is funded through the Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grant (SPF-SIG), a program designed to prevent and reduce the harmful consequences of alcohol use among 18-25 year olds in Morris County. For more information please contact Dave Bratton at 973-625-1998 or dbratton@mcpik.org.

CTI Coalition Helps Pass Alcohol Awareness Proclamations in Randolph and Pequannock Townships

The Community Trials Intervention (CTI) Coalition, a project of Morris County Prevention Is Key (MCPIK), plays a critical role in reducing high risk and underage drinking in Dover, Randolph and Pequannock Townships and in implementing strategies to change community norms and attitudes surrounding alcohol use. The coalition is comprised of concerned citizens and community representatives and is open to anyone who lives or works in its three target towns.

CTI employs a set of environmental interventions implemented by local community coalitions to create changes in policies and systems that decrease high risk drinking patterns, which include binge drinking, alcohol-related vehicle crashes and violent assaults.

One of CTI’s current initiatives is to pass proclamations in its three target towns to raise awareness about this issue. Randolph and Pequannock Townships each adopted proclamations declaring April as Alcohol Awareness Month, which were signed by Mayors Jay Alpert and Edward Engelbart, respectively. In the proclamations, the mayors also urged each of their constituencies to join them in supporting the CTI Coalition and its work in the community.

For more information about CTI and its efforts to reduce high risk drinking in Dover, Randolph and Pequannock Townships, please call Heidi Brotzman at 973-625-1998 or e-mail hbrotzman@mcpik.org.

CTI is coordinated by Morris County Prevention is Key, which provides educational resources and programs on substance abuse and related issues. Funding for CTI is provided by the New Jersey Division of Addiction Services (DAS).

Community Survey on Youth Substance Use

Community Coalition for a Safe & Healthy Morris (CCSHM) recently rolled out a community-wide survey on youth substance use in Morris County. The survey is open to ALL who live or work in Morris County communities, and is intended for ALL ages 12 and over. We will be collecting responses on an ongoing basis, and encourage our partners to forward widely and display on their organizations' websites, if possible.

CLICK BELOW TO BEGIN:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/morriscountysurvey

For more information, please contact Michelle Toon at 973-625-1998 or mtoon@mcpik.org.

CCSHM is a project of Morris County Prevention is Key and is funded by the federal government's Drug Free Communities Support Program. CCSHM's mission is to prevent and reduce youth substance use in Morris County through collaboration, education and community-wide change. Consider joining us for our next meeting at 9am on Wednesday, June 9 at the Randolph Municipal Building, 502 Millbrook Avenue, Randolph.

New Social Engine Hosts College Night at Funplex

New Social Engine student groups from Fairleigh Dickinson University, Drew University and County College of Morris recently hosted a free night out at the Funplex in East Hanover on Thursday, April 8th. Over 600 college students attended!

New Social Engine (NSE) is a project of Morris County Prevention is Key and is funded through the Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grant (SPF-SIG), a program designed to prevent and reduce the harmful consequences of alcohol use among 18-25 year olds in Morris County. For more information please contact Dave Bratton at 973-625-1998 or dbratton@mcpik.org.

Parents and Teens Turn Out for Town Hall Meeting at Drew University

Around 100 parents and teens from Morris County attended a town hall meeting on underage drinking on March 31 at Drew University. Keynote speaker Dr. Walter Rosenfeld, Chairman of Pediatrics at Goryeb Children's Hospital, provided an overview of the problem of youth alcohol use and touched on effective parenting strategies. The meeting featured a panel of experts who provided information on a variety of topics including legal consequences of underage drinking, effects of alcohol use on the teen brain, and the "40 Developmental Assets" essential to youth success. The audience also heard from a parent and a teen who discussed parenting, communication styles and substance use. The event was made possible through a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). MCPIK and several community partners worked together to organize the meeting, including Community Coalition for a Safe & Healthy Morris (CCSHM), Morris County Partners in Substance Abuse Prevention, Morristown Memorial Hospital, Goryeb Children's Hospital, and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

2010 DFC Application Submitted!

In March, MCPIK and the Community Coalition for a Safe & Healthy Morris (CCSHM) submitted an application for federal funding from the Drug Free Communities (DFC) Support Program. The DFC Program was started as a result of the passage of the Drug Free Communities Act of 1997. Since its inception, the program has funded more than 1,600 community coalitions addressing youth substance use. For more information about Drug Free Communities, visit http://www.ondcp.gov/DFC/. Pictured above are Michelle Toon, CCSHM Coordinator, and Melody Runyon, Financial Manager, with the completed application boxed & ready for shipping.