Midland Teen Court, Inc.
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Midland Teen Court, Inc.
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Midland Teen Court works with
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Prevention through education has proven to work against this popular form of substance abuse. This is why the National Inhalant Prevention Coalition has developed National Inhalants & Poisons Awareness Week (NIPAW), an annual media-based, community-level program that takes place the third week in March. NIPAW is designed to increase understanding about the use and risks of inhalant involvement. It is an inclusive program that involves youth, schools, media, police departments, health organization, civics groups and more. It has proven to be an effective means of mobilizing communities to reduce inhalant use. More than 800 organizations from 46 states participated in the last NIPAW campaign.
Does NIPAW work? Yes. Results from Texas, where extensive state-wide NIPAW campaigns have been conducted, have been remarkable. Between 1992 and 1994, there was a reduction of more than 30 percent in elementary school inhalant use and a reduction of more than 20 percent at the high school level (based on state agency surveys of more than 176,000 students). This translates into over 100,000 students who may have used inhalants but didn't.
Who should join? NIPAW Partners have included sponsors from state government agencies (education, health, alcohol & drug, etc.), state associations such as retailers, medical and pharmacy groups, state alliances of the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, local anti-drug coalitions, community and regional drug and alcohol councils, police departments and DARE officers, district attorneys, scout troops, firefighters, the National Guard, PTO/PTA chapters, faith communities, civic and voluntary organizations, student councils, local retailers, schools, individual parents, Poison Control Centers, local medical communities (hospitals, emergency medical services, individual doctors and nurses, retailers, pharmacists, etc.) and TV and radio stations - just to mention a few. If you fall into any of these groups and want to prevent or reduce inhalant use in your community, this campaign is for you. The campaign can be conducted anytime and anywhere there is a need for inhalant awareness education.
Synergies, a non-profit corporation based in Austin, Texas, founded the National Inhalant Prevention Coalition (NIPC) in 1992. The NIPC grew from a state-wide prevention project in Texas called the Texas Prevention Partnership which began in 1990. NIPC is a public-private effort to promote awareness and recognition of the under publicized problem of inhalant use. NIPC is funded in part by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and is led by Synergies, a non-profit corporation founded by Harvey J. Weiss.
The NIPC serves as an inhalant referral and information clearinghouse, stimulates media coverage about inhalant issues, develops informational materials, produces ViewPoint (a quarterly newsletter), provides training and technical assistance and leads a week-long national grassroots inhalant education and awareness campaign.
NIPC works with state agencies, schools, businesses, trade associations, media, civic organizations, law enforcement, Poison Control Centers and interfaith groups throughout the country to educate and devise multifaceted awareness and prevention campaigns designed to educate youth and adults about the debilitating effects of these dangerous gateway drugs. NIPC also provides inservice training for educators.
Through NIPC's quarterly newsletter, resource bank, media relations, targeted initiatives and national contacts, NIPC puts organizations and individuals in touch with the latest research, the best ideas and news of successful programs to enhance local efforts.
NIPC can be reached at:
National
Inhalant Prevention Coalition
2904 Kerbey Lane
Austin, TX 78703
phone: 800-269-4237 or 512-480-8953
fax: 512-477-3932
e-mail: nipc@io.com
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