Information for 2010 Grant will be posted: AUGUST 01, 2010.

YOUTH GRANT 2010

For 2010, we have set aside one $2500 grant specifically for YOUTH. If you know any younger leaders that are looking for extra money to help celebrate a week of “LIVING THE GOOD LIFE”, the please do not hesitate to send them to THIS link, enabling them to chance to win $2500 for their community events!

Alternatively, you can print the PDF for them.

COMMUNITY GRANT 2010

Last year (2009), the NAAAW campaign office received 165 applications for 30 community event grants! The NAAAW team had the extremely difficult task of reading and rating the these applications for community grants. If we could – we would have funded almost everyone one. It was awe-inspiring to witness all of the creativity and enthusiasm that these communities have for NAAAW week. One immediate rule that eliminated a few applications were the dates chosen to celebrate the events. We ONLY fund those events during the week of NAAAW! And now, setting this obvious rule aside, we would like to share with you the criteria that we used to rate the applications:

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We were fortunate to speak with the good people from Hay River Drug Strategy and they let us know about their free downloadable posters, resources and most importantly their Drug Strategy.

Their Drug Strategy is open for all to see and, maybe, emulate!? What if everyone followed an actual strategy outlined like this? click HERE to see it (PDF).

If your community also has a Drug Strategy, let us know!

taken from: CBC

A new report says people employed in Canada’s oil and natural gas industry are seeking help for alcohol dependency in extremely high numbers and face working conditions that put extraordinary stress on families.

The study by the Shepell.fgi Research Group says in the past three years the number of energy industry employees seeking counselling for drinking problems was up 481 per cent.
(continue reading…)

from Google News

WASHINGTON — The United Nations’ drug czar is urging Canada to take action on a UN report that identifies Canadian gangs as the leading suppliers of ecstasy in North America and increasingly proficient producers of methamphetamine for markets around the world.

“Canada has emerged an important hub for ecstasy and amphetamines,” Antonio Maria Costa told a news conference Wednesday in the U.S. capital as he released the agency’s 2009 World Drug Report.

Costa said the lucrative underground industry of manufacturing amphetamines has migrated north to Canada since both the U.S. and Mexico banned the chemical precursors used to make the drugs.

“These important measures taken by countries inevitably tend to create a problem somewhere else unless similar measures are undertaken,” he said.

“So I am inviting Canada to be equally proactive in taking the measures which are preventive strikes to avoid the proliferation of manufacturing of amphetamines in that country.”

An anti-gang bill currently before Parliament is being held up by the Liberal majority in the Senate, said Rob Nicholson, Canada’s justice minister.

“Under the new legislation, these people are looking at two-year prison terms as a minimum,” said Nicholson, who blamed the holdup on Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff.

“I am asking him to do something, call people, get this bill moving through the system. I am hoping this increases the pressure on him to make this a priority and get this bill passed.” (continue reading…)

from Google News

TORONTO — One in every 25 deaths worldwide can be linked to diseases or injuries related to alcohol consumption, concludes a Canadian-led study, which equates the libation’s burden of harm to that of smoking almost a decade ago.

In 2004, the most recent year for which global statistics are available, 3.8 per cent of all deaths were attributable to alcohol (6.3 per cent for men and 1.8 per cent for women), the study found.

Most of the deaths blamed on booze result from injuries, cancer, cardiovascular disease, liver disorders like cirrhosis and violence, say the authors, whose study is one in a series of papers on the global impact of alcohol published in The Lancet this week.

The high death toll attributed to alcohol is even more startling when viewed in the context of overall global consumption.

“Worldwide, more people abstain than drink,” principal researcher Jurgen Rehm, a senior scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, said Thursday. (continue reading…)

from: abc.net
Rally highlights drug, alcohol concern

Posted Wed Jun 24, 2009 2:20pm AEST
rally at Parliament House

A march along King William Street in Adelaide has tried to boost awareness about the need to tackle alcohol and drug problems in Aboriginal communities.

The so-called sober walk went from Victoria Square to Parliament House in North Terrace, where a number of speakers addressed the rally.

Major Sumner from the Aboriginal Sobriety Group says more education is needed to help stop alcohol-fuelled problems.

“This is about supporting each other against alcohol, against drugs, against violence in our communities, against all the negative issues that alcohol brings to communities,” he said.

The following is a brief overview of our most recent and planned activities:

• Sports tournaments – IRC Cup – Feb 13 – 16 – set up a booth for cultural activities – storytelling and a Northern Games exhibition – at the booths made available harmful affects of hard drugs
• Sports tournaments – supported various adolescent and youth tournaments in the following; basketball (Jr boys), volleyball (Sr girls) and soccer(Borden Bowl-regional tournament in Inuvik-various school ages)
• SHSS Turtle Concepts – grades 7 – 12 (including grade 6 – first time, this workshop has been delivered and building on the success from previous workshops)
• Healthy Foods North – continuing to develop and deliver nutrition information. Currently reviewing the survey completed last fall, identified deficiencies in specific nutrients and age groups – men and women we need to focus and promote nutrition – traditional and modern food groups to address deficiencies. Pedometer Challenge – various businesses enrolled employees to participate in which company logs more kilometers – walking to work.
• Alternative activities – drumdancing(elementary school – 3 X a week), Youth on The Land Program ( working with local Hunters & Trappers Org) a camping/trapping trip Mar 16-24, Beaufort Delta Regional Skills Competition – Inuvik – Mar 14 – first ever competition in town.

That is so far – in a nutshell, we focus more on alternative activities and healthier choices for our people and donations for those programs and activities we feel are providing healthier alternatives.

As sent to us from: Chad Katsenhake:ron Diabo

Greetings, it is an honour to share with you what has been happening in our community since National Addictions Awareness Week.

This year N.A.A.W. was included in a campaign called Spirit of Wellness here in Kahnawake. The Spirit of Wellness, is an initiative that runs for the entire year and starts over each November. When N.A.AW. First came to our community back in 1987, we found that a week was not enough time to host and run all our events. At that time we took the whole month of November to host our activities. Four years ago, we again re-developed this campaign to encompass the whole year. (continue reading…)

Here is a list of activities continued in Pabineau in regards to “living the good life”.

As a part of the living an Alcohol & Drug free lifestyle, we had volunteers gather our women through dance. We started belly dancing fun classes on a bi-weekly basis. Every Second Tuesday evening from 7:30pm to 9:00pm our community women gather and have fun dancing;

Continuous weekly AA’s & GA’s meetings; and information sessions;

February 17, 2009 – Aids Awareness information session. Presented by Healing our Nations Two groups – Adults in the morning, Youth in the evening. Again, in conjunction with Crime Prevention Program.

February 19 & 20, 2009 – Suicide Prevention Model. Suicide First Aid Training. Again in conjunction with Crime Prevention Program.

Winter Bunnies Carnival – took place on March 14, 2009. In conjunction with the Aboriginal Diabetes Initiatives, Alcohol & Drug program, and Crime Prevention Program. A Whole day of activities which include: sliding, snow sculptures, belly dancing, gloggers, snowshoeing, crazy carpers for the kids, and give-a-ways such as Emergency Response Plans, Diabetes Information, many door prizes, and a feast. Along with hot chocolate, hot tea & coffee all day.

From: CBC.CA

Four girls became seriously ill while attending a wedding celebration on the Paul First Nation, west of Edmonton, early Sunday morning and were taken to hospital after allegedly taking what they thought was ecstasy. (continue reading…)