PPAC Central

Monday, September 22nd, marks the 25th Anniversary of Family Day: Making Every Day Special, founded in 2001 by the Center on Addiction.  Research by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University has consistently found that the more often children eat dinner with their families, the less likely they are to smoke, drink, or use other drugs.  Conversations during mealtime are a way for parents to stay connected and involved with their children.  Including youth in meal prep and clean-up instills a sense of responsibility and they are likely to feel like part of a team.  In addition to family bonding, kids who eat with their families are more likely to learn healthy eating habits, eat smaller portions, do better in school, and are less likely to stress about food.  Depending on weather, a picnic with board games would be a fun way to enjoy nature and appreciate each other’s company.

Televisions, cell phones, and other mobile devices should be turned off during dinner so each person can share the day’s events without distractions.  (The exception would be if a family member is separated by distance and phone/virtual technology is the primary means of communication.)  Trips in the vehicle can also be used as teachable, quality bonding time, as parents have a “captive” audience.  The earlier parents start connecting with their kids, the better.  If kids aren’t used to talking to their parents about what’s going on in their lives when they are eight or ten, it will be more difficult to get them talking when they are older.    

Teens are at greater risk of substance abuse as they move from middle school to high school, so, parents need to be especially attentive during this transition period.

Teens are at greater risk of substance abuse as they move from middle school to high school, so, parents need to be especially attentive during this transition period. If parents are unsure of how to start an age-appropriate conversation, they can access tips in the Parent Toolkit on the CASA Family Day website. Other valuable information can also be found in the toolkit, such as “connecting” with kids, preventing substance use, background facts on substance use, family activities and worksheets, and tips for talking to kids about substance use. Parents can also sign up on the website to receive a parent newsletter. Family photos and/or videos can be shared on social media using #MyFamilySelfie If you share family photos tag PPAC Central on Facebook or Instagram to show us and other families how you enjoy spending time as a family.

Be creative!  Ask family members what healthy, positive activity they would like to try as a family unit.  Embrace this “silver” milestone with extra motivation and a special meal! Below are some ideas to get the creativity flowing.

• Host a family meal: This is the original focus of National Family Day, and research shows that eating together regularly can strengthen family bonds.
• Create a photo memory book: Work together to create a physical or digital scrapbook of favorite family photos and memories. Apps like Canva or iMovie can help you create a fun photo montage or video.
• Have a family game night: Get out the board games, card games, or even team-based video games. This activity builds cooperation and creates lots of laughter.
• Volunteer as a family: Give back to your community by volunteering at a food bank, animal shelter, or other local charity. This is a great way to solidify family values.
• Cook or bake together: Try a new recipe, make homemade pizzas, or bake cookies. Giving everyone a role in the kitchen builds teamwork and creates a delicious reward. 

Celebrate with parents nationwide and pledge to commit to being a STAR:

Spend time with your kids by playing games, taking a walk on local trails, or enjoying another family activity.

Talk to them about their friends, interests, and the dangers of using substances.

Answer their questions and listen to what they say.

Recognize that parents have the power to keep their kids substance-free! A warm, supportive relationship between parents and their children is linked to better judgement, increased self-control, and resilience, which are strengths that help reduce the risk of future drug use. It is okay to not have all the answers to their questions, let them know you have to look something up. Information and facts on alcohol, nicotine, THC, and other substances can be found at TalkItOver.org.

Remember, parental engagement does make a difference, and prevention works!

August 31 is recognized as International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD) the world’s largest annual campaign to end overdose, remember those we have lost to an overdose, acknowledge the grief of the family and friends left behind, and renew our commitment to end overdose and related harms.

The campaign raises awareness of overdose, which is one of the world’s worst public health crises and stimulates action and discussion about evidence-based overdose prevention and drug policy.

This IOAD, we encourage unity andcollective action against overdose.

• Overdose knows no boundaries, so our efforts must connect the many voices impacted by overdoses.
• We are united in grief, empowered together to transform loss into hope and action.

The goals of IOAD are to:

• Honor the lives of loved ones who have died from overdose.
• Show support to people who use drugs and those in recovery that they are valued.
• Continue to raise awareness about the risks of drug overdose.
• Share information on available prevention, treatment and recovery support services.
• Promote evidence-based practices and strategies to prevent and reduce drug-related harms.

In January a partnership between the Allegany Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, Inc, (ACASA), Jones Memorial Hospital, and Medication for Addiction Treatment & Electronic Referrals (MATTERS) placed a harm reduction vending machine by the Emergency Room Parking lot at Jones Memorial Hospital. The vending machine gives community members access to Naloxone. Which reverses the effects of overdose, as well as fentanyl and xylazine test strips.  All supplies are free of charge. Since the vending machine has been operational ACASA staff have heard from grateful community members because they have friends and family members going through addiction and the supplies in the vending machine might allow them to save their lives. “The truth is, none of us can recover or make changes if we’re not alive to do it,” states Cassi Stives, Certified Peer Recovery Advocate for ACASA. “Harm reduction keeps that door open. No one is disposable and your recovery matters!”

Since January hundreds of supplies have been distributed to community members. “It has been a very positive collaboration with these organizations on providing these harm reduction resources to those in our community,” says Chad Sebastian, Executive Director of ACASA. “As it has been a valuable resource for those individuals and families impacted by a substance use disorder.”

If you or someone you know is looking for help with addiction they can contact ACASA at (585) 593-6738 or visit www.alleganycouncil.org for more information on services that are available to them. For more information on International Overdose Awareness Day visit https://www.overdoseday.com/.

Happy August! It’s the perfect time to soak up summer sun, go on picnics and enjoy vacations. It’s also National Wellness Month, a perfect time to address tobacco use and making a dedicated effort to quit.

Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death and disease in New York State, killing more than 22,000 New York residents annually. Each year an estimated 10,600 New York youth become new regular, daily smokers, and an estimated 280,000 youth currently alive in New York are projected to die early from smoking-related diseases.

When it comes to youth, e-cigarettes are the most commonly used tobacco product. Over 2 million middle and high school students used e-cigarettes in 2023. This public health crisis of vaping collides with another increasing threat to young people: mental health. Vaping nicotine can intensify symptoms of depression and anxiety and increase stress levels. Current e-cigarette users have double the odds of having a diagnosis of depression compared to those who have never vaped, according to a 2019 Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) study of nearly 30,000 current e-cigarettes.

Nicotine pouches are a relatively new type of nicotine product gaining popularity, particularly among younger adults. They are small, discreet pouches containing nicotine powder, designed to be placed between the lip and gum. Unlike traditional tobacco products, they don’t produce smoke, vapor, or odor. While some see them as a safer alternative to smoking, concerns exist about their addictive nature and potential health impacts. 

“Nicotine is a highly addictive drug, and the tobacco industry has a long history of employing various strategies to maintain and expand its customer base, including introducing new products designed to appeal to new users, particularly young people,” says Jonathan Chaffee, Reality Check Youth Coordinator for Tobacco Free Chautauqua, Cattaraugus and Allegany counties (TF-CCA). “The good news is that there’s a service available to help tobacco users quit and begin a life independent from tobacco, e-cigarettes and nicotine products.”

That service is the NYS Quitline

Anyone who lives in New York State may contact the NYS Quitline by calling 1-866-NY-QUITS (1-866-697-8487). They can also visit nysmokefree.com to reach a specialist through an online chat, request a call-back or order free nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) medications. The NYS Quitline additionally offers a variety of free texting programs for those seeking help at their fingertips. Learn2QuitNY and Vivir Sin Tobaco Es Vida (culturally tailored for Spanish-speaking communities) provide daily texts and weekly goals; text QUITNOW or DÉJELO YA NY to 333888 to register. The NYS Quitline’s latest texting service, DropTheVape, supports young people and young adults in their efforts to overcome nicotine addiction. Registration and more information is available at DropTheVape.com.

25 Years of Saving Lives

This year, the NYS Quitline, a service based at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, is celebrating 25 years of saving lives. Officials estimate more than 600,000 people in New York State have become tobacco-free through the NYS Quitline’s services, which include not only NRT medications but also individualized coaching and self-help materials. While fewer than 1 in 10 American adults achieve success upon trying to quit smoking, approximately 35 percent of NYS Quitline participants report continued abstinence upon a 7-month follow-up call by comparison.

New York State’s Pledge to Reducing Smoking-Related Death and Disease

The New York State Department of Health, Bureau of Tobacco Control funds TF-CCA to increase support for New York State’s tobacco-free norm through youth action and community engagement. Efforts are evidence-based, policy-driven, and cost-effective approaches that decrease youth tobacco use, motivate adult smokers to quit, and eliminate exposure to secondhand smoke.  TF-CCA is a program of Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center.

The Allegany County Department of Health would like to remind any residents doing home renovations that there are ways to keep lead dust to a minimum. Allegany County has many older housing units and those that were built before 1978 most likely contain lead paint. Lead is a metal that can harm children and adults when it gets into their bodies. Lead can be found in dust, air, water, soil, and in some products used in and around our homes.

Do-it-yourself projects can easily stir up dangerous lead dust. Lead paint dust or chips can cause serious health problems, especially for children and pregnant women. Children and pregnant women must not do any lead paint removal work, and they should stay out of the work area until clean-up is complete. If you’re not sure you can clean up every day, arrangements for temporary living quarters should be made.

As a homeowner you can do the work yourself, however, the Allegany County Department of Health has grant funding to help address lead-based paint hazards in privately-owned homes and rental units that were built before 1978; with priorities set for homes with children under the age of six and pregnant women due to the long-lasting effects that Lead poisoning can have on them.  Remediation work may include painting, enclosure, removal, and replacement of windows, doors, moldings and other surfaces or components that contain lead hazards. The deadline to apply for the free home repairs is December 1^st, 2025. Visit https://www.alleganyco.gov/departments-health-lead/ to learn more.

But if you choose to do the work yourself, there are ways to keep health risks to a minimum. Protect your family and home during renovation projects by setting up safely, controlling the dust and cleaning up completely. Always use a method that creates the least amount of dust.

IF YOU ARE GOING TO DISTURB LEAD-BASED PAINT FOLLOW THESE PRACTICES:

• WORK SMART
  • Choose paint removal methods that minimize dust.
  • Avoid sanding, burning, and grinding; and replace building components rather than removing paint when possible.
  • Wear disposable coveralls, shoes, hair covering, goggles and a properly fitting respirator.
  • Only HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) respirators will filter lead dust and fumes. Simple paper or fabric dust masks will NOT protect you from lead dust.

• WORK WET
  • When paint removal is necessary, use water while working to reduce dust.
  • Use a water spray bottle to wet any surface to be scraped or sanded.

• WORK CLEAN
  • Prepare the work area. Use plastic sheeting to cover floors, furniture and other items that may collect dust.
  • Close Windows and cover doorways to work areas with plastic sheeting.
  • Plastic sheeting isn’t expensive and must be thrown out after the job is done.
  • Clean up carefully. Before leaving the work area, dispose of coveralls, and remove dust from your clothes with a HEPA filtered vacuum cleaner.
  • Shop vacs should not be used for cleanup because they can spread lead dust.
  • Shower as soon as you can, so you do not spread lead dust around your home or elsewhere.
  • The Allegany County Department of Health has HEPA filtered vacuum cleaners available to borrow.

What is lead poisoning?

Lead can harm a young child’s growth, behavior, and ability to learn. Children under six years old are more likely to get lead poisoning than any other age group. Most often, children get lead poisoning from breathing in or swallowing dust from old lead paint that gets on floors and windowsills, hands and toys. Lead can also be passed from mother to baby during pregnancy.

What you should know about lead testing:

Children who may have been exposed to lead-based paint should have a blood lead test to see if they have elevated blood lead levels. All children one and two years of age, or who may have been exposed, should be tested. Other children under six years of age, or who may have been exposed, should be tested if their doctors think they are at risk.

For more information and methods on making your home lead-safe:

For lead testing call the Allegany County Department of Health at 585.268.9250, follow us on Facebook or visit Allegany County Department of Health.

While plastic bottles are often the first topic to come up when discussing plastic pollution, the most abundant type of plastic litter in the world is cigarette butts. They are the single largest form of litter by count, and despite their small size, they are found practically everywhere and are a significant form of plastic pollution.

“According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 4.5 trillion cigarette butts are littered every year, making them the most littered item on the planet,” says Jonathan Chaffee, Reality Check Youth Coordinator for Tobacco-Free Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Allegany counties (TF-CCA). “That’s a problem because cigarette butt filters are made of a nonbiodegradable plastic called cellulose acetate. These microplastics are leeching toxins into our environment, including our soil and water, and can impact human health”

More on why cigarette butts are such a problem:

• Significant Source of Plastic Pollution: Cigarette filters are made of cellulose acetate, a type of plastic that doesn’t easily break down in the environment. When littered, these butts can persist for years and break down into microplastics, which contaminate soil and water.
• Most Littered Item: Cigarette butts are the most frequently littered item globally, with an estimated 4.5 trillion littered every year. This makes them a major contributor to plastic waste.
• Toxic Chemicals: Filters contain and absorb toxic chemicals from cigarette smoke, such as nicotine, tar, and heavy metals. These chemicals can leach into the environment and harm wildlife.
• Environmental and Health Risks: Microplastics from cigarette butts can enter the food chain and potentially accumulate in human tissues, raising concerns about potential health impacts like intestinal damage, infertility, and DNA mutations.
• Growing Problem: With the increasing popularity of e-cigarettes, another source of plastic waste is emerging, as their cartridges and pods are often single-use and challenging to dispose of properly. 

How to take action this Plastic-Free July:

• Proper disposal: If you do smoke or vape, always dispose of cigarette butts, e-cigarette cartridges, and other waste in designated receptacles, not on the ground. 
• Educate yourself and others: Learn about the environmental impact of tobacco products and share this knowledge with friends, family, and colleagues. 
• Participate in cleanups: Volunteer for local cleanups to remove tobacco waste from parks and public spaces. 

By addressing cigarette butt litter, we can support quit attempts made by people who smoke.

Reducing the environmental impact of tobacco waste can raise awareness and potentially encourage people who smoke or vape to consider quitting for their own health and the health of the environment. For additional help, the New York State Quitline is a free and confidential service for all New York State residents who wish to overcome dependence on commercial tobacco products, including e-cigarettes. Free offerings include individualized coaching and assistance with quit-planning from highly trained tobacco treatment specialists, text and online chat support and free shipping of stop-smoking medications such as nicotine patches, nicotine lozenges or nicotine gum for those 18 and older.

 Residents of all ages may contact the Quitline for support and educational materials. In addition, the Quitline encourages teens and young adults (ages 13-24) to text “DROPTHEVAPE” to 88709 to join “This Is Quitting,” a free texting support program for help with quitting vaping. For more information, text QUITNOW to 333888 or call 1-866-NY-QUITS (1-866-697-8487) seven days a week, beginning at 9 a.m.

Washington, DC – As Altria Group Inc. shareholders held their annual virtual meeting on May 15, approximately 50 youth advocates, including William Washburn and Grant Smolen, students at Fillmore Central School, held a first amendment assembly encouraging the public “Don’t Get Caught in Altria’s Web of Lies.” Several students logged into the Altria meeting through share ownership and submitted questions to the CEO about the lies and deceit, demanding truth and corporate responsibility. Watch the collaborative outside the Altria Lobbyist Office during the shareholders meeting at Mobilize Against Tobacco Lies on Facebook.

“I’m so proud of the local youth for exposing the misleading claims and deceitful marketing tactics used by Altria and other tobacco companies to attract young people,” said Jonathan Chaffee, Youth Coordinator at Tobacco-Free Chautauqua, Cattaraugus and Allegany (TF-CCA). “Now that they have shared their voice in Washington, D.C., they plan to continue to address the challenges of tobacco use in their communities back home, as well as mobilize their peers to take action.”

This year marks the tenth consecutive year that Mobilize Against Tobacco Lies (MATL), a tobacco prevention group made up of several active youth groups from around the nation including Reality Check from New York, Dover Youth to Youth from New Hampshire and Wisconsin FACT. Their efforts are supported by the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, Corporate Accountability, Truth Initiative and Counter Tools.

Big Tobacco has been lying about the deadly effects of cigarettes and manipulating the American people for decades, marketing to children and minority populations, and lying to the public about the dangers of smoking.

For more than two decades, Altria’s tobacco companies claim to have made significant investments to reduce youth use of tobacco yet during those years Altria has targeted young people with candy- and fruit-flavored products, making them more appealing and accessible. 

Now, Altria has adopted a new product, ON! Nicotine pouches, as the latest marketing frontier for deceit.

ON! comes in seven different flavors and also contains the same addictive nicotine that trapped millions of youth in Altria’s scaly grip.

The lies don’t end there. Tobacco companies falsely denied that they can and do manipulate the level of nicotine in their products to create and sustain addiction and have been since at least 1954.

– Tobacco companies falsely denied, distorted and minimized the link between cigarette smoking and disease. – Tobacco companies concealed evidence and publicly denied that nicotine is addictive.

– Tobacco companies falsely marketed and promoted low tar and light cigarettes as less harmful than regular cigarettes to keep people smoking and sustain revenue

– Tobacco companies internally acknowledged that secondhand smoke is hazardous to non-smokers yet still gave false and misleading public statements denying this fact.

For more information follow Mobilize Against Tobacco Lies on Facebook, Instagram, and X.

Reality Check New York empowers youth to become leaders in their community in exposing what they see as the manipulative and deceptive marketing tactics of the tobacco industry. The organization’s members produce change in their communities through grassroots mobilization and education. Reality Check in this area is affiliated with Tobacco-Free Chautauqua, Cattaraugus and Allegany (TF-CCA). Tobacco-Free CCA is a program of Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center.

For more information about Reality Check, visit realitycheckofny.org. The NYS Tobacco Control Program is made up of a network of statewide contractors who work on Advancing Tobacco-Free Communities, which includes Community Engagement and Reality Check, the Health Systems for a Tobacco-Free New York, the NYS Quitline and Surveillance and Research. Their efforts are leading the way toward a tobacco-free society. For more information, visit TobaccoFreeNYS.org and NYSmokeFree.com.

This past Saturday, April 26 from 10am to 2pm the Allegany Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, Inc. (ACASA), the Allegany County Sheriff’s Office, Cuba and Wellsville Police and Volunteer Fire Departments, and Partners for Prevention in Allegany County (PPAC) held their biannual pill drop event in conjunction with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) National Take Back Day. 19 cars brought over 73 pounds of unused or expired medications. The agencies use the pill drop events to educate the community on proper disposal of medications and needles and the availability of the fourteen Take It to the Box locations that are throughout Allegany County. The Take It to the Box locations offer community members the opportunity to dispose of medications year-round for free. Allegany County residents also can dispose of needles at any of the Allegany County Transfer Stations for free. Community members are asked to put needles into a puncture proof container like a laundry detergent bottle with the cap securely on. Allegany County is one of the very few counties in New York that offers this service for free.

Cuba and Wellsville were chosen to be the Spring Pill Drop locations to help educate about the Take It to the Box locations at Cuba Police Department, Cuba Pharmacy and Jones Memorial Hospital, Nicholson’s Pharmacy, and Wellsville Police Department. “The pill drop program provides a unique opportunity for community education in addition to giving citizens of Allegany County a method to safely dispose of unwanted pharmaceuticals,” states Undersheriff Walt Mackney. “This helps the environment while benefiting the “At Risk” population of the county,” states Undersheriff Mackney.

In the past people were advised to flush medications down the sink or toilet. Unfortunately, scientific studies have shown that flushed medications end up in our water supplies and fish, which led to the first medication take back programs. Pill Drop events have been held in Allegany County since 2008. It is now recommended that if someone has medications to dispose of them by dropping them off at a pill drop or collection site, such as the Take It to the Box locations in Allegany County. Agencies ask that community members keep the medications in their original packaging or a container, please do not put loose pills in the drop boxes. All medications are collected by the Allegany County Sheriff’s Office and taken to an incinerating location that makes the medications harmless to the environment and unusable by people.

“It is important for people to not hold onto medications that they are no longer using as studies have shown that youth and adults who abuse medications usually get them from friends or family members without their knowledge,” states PPAC Coalition Coordinator Jon Chaffee.

The partners would like to “Thank” the Cuba and Wellsville Police and Volunteer Fire Departments for providing space and support for the 2025 Spring Pill Drop.

The next pill drop event will be held in October of 2025. To find out where all the Take It to the Box locations are located throughout Allegany County visit www.ppaccentral.org/takeittothebox/. If you want to know more information about the National Take Back Day or find other locations you can visit https://www.dea.gov/takebackday. For questions people can also reach out to Coalition Coordinator Jonathan Chaffee by emailing ppac@alleganycouncil.org or calling (585) 593 – 1920.

Remember Prevention Works!

More than one billion people in 200 countries around the world will celebrate Earth Day on April 22. Reality Check teens started the celebration early by participating in a 3-day Earth Day Summit in Niagara Falls from April 13-15.

The Summit, a collaboration of leaders and youth from tobacco control and prevention organizations from across Western New York and the Finger Lakes, focused on the environmental impact of tobacco products and the tobacco industry’s manipulative and deceptive marketing tactics that attract and addict youth to nicotine.

The Summit was broken into two parts:

1. Monday, April 14 – a day of education with speakers from the Public Health Law Center, Smoking and Health Action Coalition of Livingston and Monroe Counties, and Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, and sessions with youth leaders from all regions.
2. Tuesday, April 15 – “A Day of Poster Making” where youth created posters promoting cleaner, greener tobacco-free environments for Earth Day to display in their communities. Messages encouraged audiences to “Make Every Day Earth Day,” by eliminating tobacco product use and picking up tobacco product litter polluting our environment.

“This summit provides a platform for young people to share their ideas, concerns, and solutions for environmental challenges caused by tobacco products and the tobacco industry,” said Jonathan Chaffee, Reality Check Coordinator, Tobacco-Free Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Allegany (TF-CCA). “It also helps shape the next generation of environmental leaders who will not only become active participants in protecting our environment, but to become champions for policy changes and solutions in their communities.”

“Over 4 disposable vapes are thrown away each minutes in the United States,” said William Washburn, a student at Fillmore High School who attended the Youth Summit. “Lithium batteries that are found in vapes(e-cigarettes) are dangerous to our environment is so many ways.”

Niagara Falls lights up for Earth Day message

On Sunday, April 13, Niagara Falls was lit up in green to recognize Earth Day and the work the youth engaged in to preserve and protect the natural surroundings of this natural wonder.

Tobacco trash is an eyesore, as well as toxic litter. 

All tobacco litter, including cigarette butts. is harmful to the environment because they contain non-biodegradable plastic filters and leach toxic chemicals into the soil and water, impacting wildlife and ecosystems. The USDA estimates that about 360 billion cigarettes are consumed in the U.S. each year. Close to two-thirds of those butts — 234 billion — are tossed as litter.

Cigarettes make up the largest category of tobacco products and are the most polluted product, but as e-cigarette sales continue to rise, their contribution to environment waste is growing.

Harmful Components:

· Cigarette butts contain filters made of non-biodegradable plastic (cellulose acetate) that can take years to decompose. 

· These filters contain and trap toxic chemicals, including nicotine, pesticides, and heavy metals (like arsenic and lead) that can leach into the environment. 

· These chemicals can contaminate soil, water, and harm wildlife. 

Environmental Impacts:

· Water Pollution: Cigarette butts can be washed into drains and waterways, contaminating rivers, beaches, and oceans. 

· Soil Contamination: The chemicals from cigarette butts can seep into the soil, potentially harming plants and organisms. 

· Wildlife Harm: Animals can ingest cigarette butts, leading to poisoning or other health problems. 

· Plastic Pollution: Cigarette butts are one of the most common types of litter, contributing to the overall problem of plastic pollution. 

Beyond Cigarette Butts:

· The entire tobacco lifecycle, from cultivation of tobacco crops to disposal of cigarette butts, has significant environmental impacts. 

· Tobacco farming can lead to deforestation, soil erosion, and water pollution. 

·  Tobacco product packaging also contributes to waste and litter. 

By addressing cigarette butt litter, we can support smokers in their quit attempts.

Reducing the environmental impact of tobacco waste can raise awareness and potentially encourage smokers to consider quitting for their own health and the environment. For additional help, the New York State Quitline is a confidential service for all New York State residents who wish to overcome dependence on commercial tobacco products, including e-cigarettes. Free offerings include individualized coaching and assistance with quit-planning from highly trained tobacco treatment specialists, text and online chat support and free shipping of stop-smoking medications such as nicotine patches, nicotine lozenges or nicotine gum for those 18 and older.

Residents of all ages may contact the Quitline for support and educational materials. In addition, the Quitline encourages teens and young adults (ages 13-24) to text “DROPTHEVAPE” to 88709 to join “This Is Quitting,” a free texting support program for help with quitting vaping. For more information, text QUITNOW to 333888 or call 1-866-NY-QUITS (1-866-697-8487) seven days a week, beginning at 9 a.m. 

Reality Check New York empowers youth to become leaders in their community in exposing what they see as the manipulative and deceptive marketing tactics of the tobacco industry. The organization’s members produce change in their communities through grassroots mobilization and education. Reality Check in this area is affiliated with Tobacco-Free Chautauqua, Cattaraugus and Allegany (TF-CCA), a program managed by Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center

The New York State Department of Health, Bureau of Tobacco Control funds TF-CCA to increase support for New York State’s tobacco-free norm through youth action and community engagement. Efforts are evidence-based, policy-driven, and cost-effective approaches that decrease youth tobacco use, motivate adult smokers to quit, and eliminate exposure to secondhand smoke.

This April marks the 39^th Annual Alcohol Awareness Month, sponsored by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD) since 1987.  Alcohol-Free Weekend has traditionally been observed the first weekend in April, which was April 4-6.  This is a time when parents and other adults are asked to abstain from drinking alcoholic beverages for 72 hours to show our youth that alcohol isn’t necessary to have a good time.  If participants discover they cannot go without a drink during this period, they are urged to call the Allegany Council’s outpatient clinic at 585-593-6738 for signs and symptoms of a possible alcohol use disorder. (Anyone unaware of Alcohol-Free Weekend is encouraged to designate a weekend in April and apply the above suggestion.)

No other substance is more widely used and abused by America’s youth than alcohol, making alcoholism and alcohol-related problems the number one public health problem in the United States.

Many youth drink because of social pressure to “fit in” with their peers, while others may drink alone because they are bored or depressed.  This puts them at greater risk for developing alcohol-related problems.  Drinking is also associated with the leading causes of death among young people, including car crashes, murder, and suicide.  Even though teenagers know that people should not drink and drive, almost a third of teens will accept rides from someone who has been drinking.

According to SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration), those who regularly engage in underage drinking are at a higher risk of using other drugs, engaging in risky behavior, doing poorly in school, and having serious health issues, such as depression and anxiety.

Research has shown that one of the biggest protective factors in reducing the likelihood that a child will develop a substance abuse problem is strong parental disapproval of alcohol and other drug use.  Fostering healthy and responsible attitudes, talking openly and honestly, encouraging supportive relationships, and showing children that their opinions and decisions matter, are all ways to help prevent the use of alcohol and other drugs.

Since 2012, Allegany Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, Inc., has partnered with local businesses for “Sticker Shock,” a campaign in which red and white stickers in the shape of a stop sign are placed on multipacks of beer and other alcoholic beverages.  The message on the stickers states that “It is illegal for any person 21 or older to purchase or provide alcohol to minors.  Fines are up to $1,000.00 or 1 year in jail.”  Thanks to Cuba Giant and Cuba Police Department for supporting this campaign during Alcohol Awareness Month for the past several years.

According to a New York State survey, over half the students in grades 7-12 reported that their parents had never talked to them about the dangers of underage drinking.  According to the 2023 Risk and Protective Factor Survey, administered to 6^th, 8^th, 10^th, and 12^th graders in Allegany County, 85% of students do NOT use alcohol!  Let’s continue to help keep kids safe from alcohol and other substances by starting the conversation.  For tips on how to do this, visit SAHMSA’s Talk. They Hear You and TalkItOver.org.  You can also download the Talk. They Hear You mobile app for your phone.

For additional information and resources, visit ppaccentral.org.  Let this be your call to action, and remember, PREVENTION WORKS!

Hello there! My name is Noah Merritt, author of the children’s books ‘Gruntbrush Goes to Town’ and ‘Gruntbrush Finds a Friend’

Who is Gruntbrush? That’s hard to explain, but simply put, he’s our protagonist. Not a hero perse, but he is indeed the character we follow. A strange little green creature, covered in thick slimy ball of something. It might be fur, but honestly, I don’t know, and that is kind of the point. He’s a simple, silent creature that goes on misadventures and digs through trash.

I’m lucky to have someone who would put with such an idea, let alone bring it to reality. My mother, Kimberly Merritt, made all the excellent artwork for both books. I’m blessed to be related to such a talented illustrator! The whole idea started late one evening, my mother and joking back and forth while she worked. We got stuck on the two words making up our titular characters name for a time, until I had to borrow her stylus and quickly draw what the creature this name belonged to.

His design didn’t change much since that first sketch, only colors and details being filled in. A weird, slimy cloud shape, a round nose in the middle, and two scrawny legs with a pair of sneakers at the end. He was perfect.

So, I have our central character, but what to with him? I’d been wanting to write a book for some time, inspired by my mother’s own published works, but not I knew what to write about.

While we joked, inventing this horrible goopy character, she was working and I watched on. Working in her field, most children books are wrapped around some sort of message. Either lessons of ‘don’t do this, that, or the other thing’, or ‘look at how polite this kid is. Don’t you also want to be a polite child? Please?’

Not to say lessons or morals are bad. In my experience, however, those stories were not my favorite growing up. My favorites were Mercer Mayer’s “Little Critter’ series, and “How the Trollusk Got His Hat’. That’s what I loved the absolute most, stranger creatures, oddball situations, and often some level of manic chaos. I mean, truly, what was the lesson of Mo Willem’s ‘Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus’, other than not letting said pigeon drive the a forementioned bus?

That’s what I wanted to do with Gruntbrush, I wanted to make something fun, and funny, something that kids would ask to read again. Something that older kids and adults can enjoy as well, like the absurdity of “The Stinky Cheese Man and other Fairly Stupid Tales’ by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith.

The core is, when Gruntbrush is around, things happen. They could be his fault, they also not be his fault, but in either situation, he doesn’t quite know what he’s doing ever. An innocent troublemaker, just as confused about this troublemaking as anyone else affected.

With the second book out now, we’re excited to make more books in the series! The trouble, as always, is getting myself around to it.

Diagnosed with Asperger’s when I was about 10, it helped explain a lot of my tendencies. It helped us find direction on how to deal with the less pleasant ones as well. But, all this time later, I still struggle here and there.

Doing things is hard. We are in a world that is fast and distracting, and I can distracted, fast. Planning the books is a struggle, writing the books is a struggle, making page descriptions is a struggle, even now, writing this post I found difficult to focus and do the work.

My brain doesn’t make it easy, pushing me towards work with a constant thrumming that I could be doing something important, and pulling me away with a desire to do anything else. I’ve tried calendars, reminders, everything, but it still is so hard to keep on track.

But hey, I’m two books in. That must count for something? Even more than that, I know what’s coming next, and I’m excited to make it. If you want to but the books in paperback or on Kindle, you can find the collection here, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F2B5JT6Q .

Keep an eye on that link, as we should be adding more books, year after year!