Robert Lustig, in recent news from Yahoo News and CBS, a medical doctor in UCSF’s Department of Pediatrics, compares added sugar to tobacco and alcohol (coincidentally made from sugar) in that it is addictive, toxic and has a negative impact on society, thus meeting established public health criteria for regulation. Lustig advocates a consumer tax on any product with added sugar.
The researchers propose regulations such as taxing all foods and drinks that include added sugar, banning sales in or near schools and placing age limits on purchases.
This is an interesting proposal. Obesity is a marker of high risk health concerns that lead to premature death. The affect on the brain is the same as alcohol and tobacco. Would this regulation address the underlying cause of major health concerns? Do we need to protect our children from becoming addicted to sugar at an early age, limiting their ability to make healthy choices later in life?
Reported by Christopher Wanjek is the author of the books “Bad Medicine” and “Food At Work.” His column,Bad Medicine, appears regularly on LiveScience
In appreciation of our Executive Director’s new baby Zoe, we wanted to share some great parenting news. Written by parenting experts, check out this great resource from CSU. Click here for resources from prenatal through 5 years old.
Summit Prevention Alliance (SPA) is a community-based non-profit organization whose mission is to actively support and promote healthy lifestyles and behaviors through education and prevention services in the diverse community of Summit County. SPA currently leads several community-based prevention initiatives and programs focusing on youth development, positive parenting, volunteering, healthy eating and active living, tobacco education and prevention, and youth alcohol and drug use including the Drug Free Community Coalition, This Is Us, Asset Builders of the Summit, The Tobacco Coalition, PANTS, The Food Policy Council, gardening committees and Make A Difference Day. Summit Prevention Alliance partners with a number of community non-profits, schools, businesses and governmental entities to educate the community on key health and safety issues.
The This Is Us Youth Intern will be an energetic and positive youth who can perform a variety of office tasks and is a This Is Us team player and youth leader. The position is between 5-10 hours per week based in SPA’s Frisco office. The This Is Us Youth Intern reports directly to the This Is Us prevention coordinator.
Specific responsibilities include:
Support of This Is Us student committee, including typing meeting minutes and notes, reserving meeting rooms, responding to email, scheduling meetings;
Completion of This Is Us student committee administrative tasks and office communications including making phone calls to other committee members, taking notes at This Is Us meetings, delivering and distributing notes, basic knowledge of office machines including copier, printers and computers;
Assistance with financial affairs including coordinating student committee budget, receipts of monthly records, filing, timely thank you notes to contributors;
Support and organize This Is Us’ donation campaigns;
Assistance with and/or coordination of special Summit Prevention Alliance projects that are youth oriented;
Attend Drug Free and Tobacco Community Coalitions
Completion of other duties as assigned.
General requirements include:
Integrity, initiative, multitasking, and flexibility;
Organizational skills and attention to details;
Strong PC computer skills in Microsoft Office: Word, Excel, Publisher and Access and the ability to learn program-specific database entry and development;
Excellent people/customer service and problem-solving skills;
Interest in health and commitment to This Is Us campaign, mission and values;
Social Media skills a must
This Is Us committee member a plus.
Outcome Experience Acquired from this Internship
Time management
Responsibility
Meeting Deadlines
Professionalism
Office Etiquette
Please email your resume to Liliana@SummitPreventionAlliance.org
The beginning of the year is a popular time for people to try to quit tobacco. Please know that there are many resources available to help you succeed. Please contact Summit Prevention Alliance for any assistance or referrals to proven smoking-cessation programs.
A wonderful look at what to do with 23 and 1/2 hours a day, and how to invest in your health. This doctor and all the studies that accompany this video will inspire you. Please take a moment to look at this and decide how you can find 10 minutes 3 times a day, or 30 minutes….or even more to see dramatic improvement in your life! How can you include your family in this activity and how can you inspire your children to develop good habits early.
Click here to see a short video from Dr. Mike Evans.
Summit Cove Homeowners are looking to improve the walk-ability and bike-ability within the Cove. After years of sharing a narrow roadway with fast cars, walkers and bikers want improvement. Local parents and citizens are proposing to issue a special assessment bond to finance roadway improvements within the Local Improvement District throughout all of Summit Cove.
A “Loop” that will allow year round walking & biking out of traffic through the “Cove” on Summit Drive & Cove Blvd. Especially giving safe access to children to bike and walk to and from school.
Why?:
Increase safety of all walkers, bikers and drivers to alleviate pressure on high traffic congestion access roads of the “Cove”
Allow for year round car free travel, recreation & exercise
Access to the Summit Stage
Get people to open space and trails for additional back-country recreation
Increase access to the coffee shop, neighborhood pub, school and neighbors houses
Reduce dependence on cars
What?
An on grade alternative to a side walk with this proposed road improvement allows for reasonable year round maintenance by county snow removal.
Most affordable option for the diverse needs of our high alpine community.
County Engineers have researched the work project and propose the project to cost almost 1 million, which will be equally spread across all homeowners in the area and can be paid as a one time or added to mortgages. This monthly collection can be paid to the county through homeowners payment of tax bill and approximate $10.00/month (depending on finance charges).
All improvements within the county easement so no property owners will lose any private land.
Who?
Currently there are supporters for this improvement from:
Summit Cove Elementary School
Summit Cove Parent Teacher & Student Association
Summit Cove Wellness Team
Safe Routes to School
Summit Prevention Alliance
Anyone who loves to walk, run, bike & be safe
What will happen?
Interested citizens and community members are looking to gain 60% of owners within the Limited Investment District to sign acceptance of the Special Assessment issuance of Bonds to finance the estimated $1 million road improvement by March 31, 2012
Then once approval signatures are obtained, the Board of County Commissioners will add to the ballot a request of the voters within the Limited Investment District to gain 51% of approval for this assessment during November 2012 to accept the Assessment.
Community members needed to commit:
Fundraising, donating $, sponsoring the path or other financial assistance
Community outreach – get petitions signed, present to HOA’s
Join the Steering Committee to direct the campaign
We want to take seven high school kids and three adult supervisors to the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America’s National Youth Leadership Initiative in Washington, DC taking place February 6-9, 2012.
We want to help the students learn how to design, implement and evaluate action strategies to address community problems surrounding the growing pressures on kids to use drugs, tobacco and alcohol and the increasing depression and suicidal thoughts high school students are experiencing in Summit County.
We need your help. We are reaching out to the community to help this dream come true for a few dedicated youth who have spent years raising awareness about making positive healthy choices and serving as role models to their school.
Please consider donating to This Is Us so we can take a few deserving students to Washington, DC to learn how to be the best leader possible.
If you would like to donate, Click here to donate for our kids.
BodyWorks is a program designed to help parents and caregivers of adolescents ages 9-14 improve family eating and activity habits. Available in English and Spanish, the program focuses on parents as role models and provides them with hands-on tools to make small, specific behavior changes to prevent obesity and help maintain a healthy weight. Summit Prevention Alliance is proud to announce that they will be sponsoring three class sessions in 2012. All classes will be held in the evenings at the Senior and Community Center in Frisco. The first class is in Spanish and starts Thursday January 19th at 5pm. If you have any questions or want to sign up for the class, email here or call Jannine Walldan at 425-218-0997. To see more inforamtion about the healthy program, please click here to visit the BodyWorks at their website.
At Summit Prevention Alliance, we are always researching how to be a better parent, and when I find interesting articles/resources I try to share. Hope this is helpful: click here to read more.
A recent opinion article out of the New York Times has some interesting points and the key take away: “when parents read a book with their child, when they talk about things they have done during the day, and when they tell stories to their children…..& by Monitoring homework; making sure children get to school; rewarding their efforts and talking up the idea of going to college. These parent actions are linked to better attendance, grades, test scores, and preparation for college,” How have you planned each of these actions into your day? click here to read the entire article.
You have an opportunity to learn more and network with other parents at our Dialogue Over Dinner, so schedule to come to our next Dinner: Signs of Substance Abuse, Drew Mikita Wednesday, February 15, 2012 : click here to register.
