Prom season has arrived, and so did hundreds of area young men and women who participated in the March 31, 2012 BuzzFree PROMises Dress & Tux Giveaway.

This 11th annual event provided dresses and tuxedos/suits free of charge to area high school students who pledge to stay drug and alcohol free on prom night. The program reinforces healthy behavior while allowing the students the opportunity to have a memorable and safe prom experience that otherwise would not be possible. At this one-day extravaganza, students attended workshops designed to promote healthy behavior, enjoyed a fashion show and chose a free prom dress or tuxedo/suit for their special night.

It is as emotional, memorable and impactful as it sounds! Want to get involved? Contact Natalie Buxton at The Council (214.522.8600 ext. 228) if you would like more information on joining the event planning team or donating to the event.

Do consider making this event part of your impact on our community. Local companies and individuals are key. The event is the collaborative vision and product of more than 10,000 volunteer hours from The Council on Alcohol & Drug Abuse, The Dallas Area Drug Prevention Partnership, The Prevention Resource Center, CONTACT Crisis Line, Dallas County Juvenile Department, Dallas ISD Safe & Drug Free Schools, Dallas Police Department, Jones 2000 & Beyond, Mosaic Family Services, McGladrey, St Luke Community United Methodist Church, Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, and the Texas Department of Transportation.

WhatchamaCallit Fashions is the single largest retail contributor donating more than 1,000 dresses to the 2012 event. Additional thanks to financial and in-kind donations from McGladery, Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center, and Starbucks Coffee.

Participating districts, included: Bishop Dunne High School, Bishop Lynch High School, Cedar Hill ISD, Corsicana ISD, Dallas ISD, DeSoto ISD, Duncanville ISD, Grand Prairie ISD, Irving ISD, Lancaster ISD, Princeton ISD, Quinlan ISD, and Red Oak ISD.

The Council on Alcohol & Drug Abuse manages BuzzFree PROMises Dress & Tux Giveaway as the fiscal and programmatic agent. The event is a natural extension of The Council’s 66-year emphasis preventing problems with alcohol and other drugs before they occur, intervening when they do and promoting recovery for people already addicted.

Denton County Health Department presented the 2012 Public Health Advocate of the Year Award to Tobacco Free North Texas (TNT).  TNT is a community coalition dedicated to reducing the burden and impact of tobacco use through education, action, and smoke-free initiatives in Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, and Tarrant counties. TNT’s areas of focus are prevention, education, and advocacy.

The Council on Alcohol & Drug Abuse manages TNT as the fiscal and programmatic agent. TNT is a natural extension of The Council’s 66-year emphasis preventing problems with alcohol and other drugs before they occur, intervening when they do and promoting recovery for people already addicted.

L to R: Donielle Smith, TNT Prevention Team Co-Chair and Health Promotion & Substance Abuse Coordinator at Univ. of Texas at Arlington; Adam Philyaw, (Tobacco Prevention Specialist at The Council on Alcohol & Drug Abuse); Bing Burton, Ph.D., Director of Denton County Health Department; Natalie Buxton, Coordinator for the Dallas Area Drug Prevention Partnership at The Council on Alcohol & Drug Abuse; Latoya Oduniyi, TNT Prevention Team Co-Chair and Health Promotion & Substance Abuse Educator at Univ. of Texas at Arlington

More than seven million Americans currently abuse prescription-type psychotherapeutic drugs (National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2010) and more than one in five teens (23%) have used prescription pain relievers not prescribed to them by a doctor (Partnership at Drugfree.org Attitude on Tracking Study, 2010). This is the second most prevalent illicit drug use category. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including the home medicine cabinet. Therefore, removing unnecessary and/or expired prescription drugs is essential! (Note: flushing them down the toilet is not advised because it contaminates our water supply.)

The Council continues to work collaboratively with the Dallas Area Drug Prevention Partnership, the Dallas Police Department, the Dallas ISD Police, University Park Police Department, 12th Step Ministry and the Drug Enforcement Administration to reduce access to and excess of prescription drugs. You can turn in your unused or expired medication for safe disposal at specified locations and times on April 28 and other dates TBD. See www.drugfreedallas.org for more information.

Nelson West (name changed to protect identity) came to The Council’s HIV Early Intervention case management program in 2006. He had a history of marijuana abuse and was HIV+. Nelson admitted having sexual relationships with people using crack and heroin. This put him at further risk to abuse additional substances and further endangering his health. Nelson had been on the verge of eviction and loss of electricity on many occasions. His employment landscape proved stark for an individual with a felony charge and time served in prison. Working diligently with his Council HEI case manager, Nelson received vision care and transportation assistance. His case manager advocated for additional services in the community, including assistance with rent and utilities to avoid homelessness. Truly through his own perseverance and consistent contact with his Council HEI case manager, Nelson secured employment in April 2012, is practicing risk reduction strategies, is adhering to medication and is in good health.

Are you surprised by the HIV-oriented programming? Recognizing a strong cause-and-effect linkage between substance abuse and HIV, The Council added HIV street outreach and HIV case management services to its network of programs in the 1990’s.