Welcome to the Straight Up blog! We are excited about this opportunity for teens and young adults to share their view points, opinions and experiences and to help facilitate important community dialog around the issues of underage and binge drinking and impaired driving. Read More »
This article was written by Launch Education Asia Chidekel. Asia is a senior at New Community Jewish High School and will attend the University of Puget Sound in the fall. Click through to the Launch Education site for the whole article.
Performing the ‘Reality Party’: A Tool for Parents of Party-ers
The “reality party” is an experience that shocks, educates, and demonstrates for parents what the reality is today in the teenage partying world. These reality parties are created by an organization called “Straight Up”, located in Ventura County. The home page states, “Many adults feel drinking and drug use is a rite of passage and think teen parties are the same as when they were young. Straight Up Youth wants parents to face the current realities and learn why and how we need adults to help change these dangerous social norms in Ventura County.” Read More »
This post was written by a Ventura County high school student.
While his views are not necessarily the viewpoint of Straight Up, we are grateful for his honesty and openness about difficult subjects.
If you are struggling with alcohol or drugs, or have hopeless thoughts, please get help.
- In Ventura County, call the Suicide Prevention Center Crisis Line at 877-727-4747 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week).
- For children, call Casa Pacifica Centers for Children and Families’ Crisis Line at 866-431-2478 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week).
- In the U.S., call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (800-273-8255) to reach a trained counselor for free, confidential help, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
I am sitting here, thinking of ideas of something to write about, something meaningful. Writing about anti-drug work even though I don’t completely believe in all Straight Up says and is about. I sit here puffing on a E-cig, trying to think, A complete hypocrite of the organization I am making this blog for as I fill my lungs with water vapor, flavoring, and nicotine. Read More »
A California family lost their 13-year-old daughter to huffing — unfortunately, this scenario is not as uncommon as you may think.
Huffing is the act of sniffing chemicals (often sprayed into a bag) and inhaled. This may cause a reaction is similar to alcohol intoxication — drowsiness, lightheadedness, and a lack of inhibition. Read More »
Volunteer with Straight Up!
Straight Up volunteers (from left): Raquel, Laura, Natalie, Matthew and Ryan.
We’re looking for Ventura County residents ages 12-25 to get involved, in creative and interesting ways, to raise awareness about alcohol/drug use and other destructive behaviors that are dangers to young people. Read More »
Please read and TAKE ACTION to stop Leno’s 4am Bar Bill
Senator Mark Leno has introduced SB 635 to extend drinking hours in California from 2 a.m. to 4 a.m.
California already suffers $38.4 billion in alcohol-related harm every year, with 10,000 lives lost and hundreds of thousands of additional injuries. Two more hours of alcohol-driven profit for bar and restaurant owners will produce even more harm and loss. Read More »
Images of young people using smokeless tobacco products. Creative Commons license.
While teenagers across the nation have heard and embraced the “no smoking” message – smoking among teens has fallen more than 45 percent since 1997 – they don’t seem to equate the dangers of nicotine and other toxins with smokeless tobacco.
About 20 percent of teenage boys and 2 percent of teenage girls use smokeless tobacco, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Read more on the Patriot-News (PA) website
Read More »
From Straight Up’s Program Director Katherine Kasmir.
This story breaks my heart:
2 Ohio HS football players convicted of raping drunken girl; charges against others possible
Two members of Steubenville’s celebrated high school football team were found guilty Sunday of raping a drunken 16-year-old girl, and Ohio’s attorney general warned the case isn’t over, saying he is investigating whether coaches, parents and other students broke the law, too.
Trent Mays, 17, and Ma’Lik Richmond, 16, were sentenced to at least a year in juvenile prison in a case that has rocked this Rust Belt city of 18,000 and led to allegations of a cover-up to protect the Steubenville High team, which has won nine state championships. Mays was ordered to serve an additional year for photographing the underage girl naked.
They can be held until they turn 21.
Read more on the Washington Post website Read More »
Straight Up was honored to be included in two recent health and safety events on Ventura County campuses. We provided information to students about the issues of alcohol, drug use and more. Read More »
A promising study shows the effectiveness of community-based, substance abuse prevention interventions begun during middle school years.
Middle school students from small towns and rural communities who received any of three community-based prevention programs were less likely to abuse prescription medications in late adolescence and young adulthood. The research, published today in the American Journal of Public Health, was funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), theNational Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, and the National Institute of Mental Health, all components of the National Institutes of Health.
Many thanks to the Thousand Oaks Acorn for writing this article about our recent Reality Parties for Parents.
Drugs. Sex. Booze.
They’re all commonplace at your average high school “rager,” say members of Straight Up Ventura County.
Immaturity, risk-taking and excessiveness have long been a part of the teenage party scene, but do parents really know what their child could be getting into when out with friends on a weekend night?
Straight Up, a youth advocacy group that works to curb teen alcohol and drug use, will host a series of “reality” parties over the next six weeks intended to show parents what goes on at today’s teenage bash.
READ MORE ON THE TO ACORN WEBSITE
More hours means more harm to our community
Please read and TAKE ACTION to stop Leno’s 4am Bar Bill
Senator Mark Leno has introduced SB 635 to extend drinking hours in California from 2 a.m. to 4 a.m.
California already suffers $38.4 billion in alcohol-related harm every year, with 10,000 lives lost and hundreds of thousands of additional injuries. Two more hours of alcohol-driven profit for bar and restaurant owners will produce even more harm and loss. Read More »