Featured
News:
A new bill in Congress, to fix the faulty records
in the National Instant Criminal Background Check
System, has won the support of groups on all sides
of the gun issue.
Representatives John Dingell (D-MI) and
Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) introduced a new bill
on gun safety, the Our Lady of Peace Act (H.R.
4757), which was approved by the House Judiciary
Committee in July by a vote of 30 to 2. The bill,
which would fix the faulty records in the National
Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS),
has won the support of groups on all sides of
the gun issue: Americans for Gun Safety; National
Rifle Association; the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence;
and the Brady Campaign. Senators Larry Craig (R-ID),
Charles Schumer (D-NY), John McCain (R-AZ) and
Edward Kennedy (D-MA) introduced a companion bill,
S.B. 2826, in the Senate. For more detailed information
about the legislation, visit www.neahin.org/gunsafety.
As
Seen in this Month’s NEA TODAY:
“Helping
Parents Talk About Drugs”
(Parenting Web Site Offers Anti-Drug Tips)
Parents
are the key to preventing kids’ illicit drug use.
But parents’ schedules, are already jam-packed.
To make it easy for parents, a new At Work program
gives them access to detailed information—where
they work—on how to talk with their kids
about drug prevention. Encourage parents to visit
www.theantidrug.com.
NEA HIN is an active partner in the At Work program,
a part of the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign.
October
is Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Education employees die from breast cancer
at a higher rate than women in general. Help save
a life! Organize a cancer education activity for
your school community. Visit HIN’s Project REACH
Breast and Cervical Cancer Website, www.neahin.org/reach/,
for simple, creative ideas and free cancer education
materials. Education is the best protection!
Advocating
for Better Indoor Air
Breathing clean air is fundamental to
life and to learning. NEA HIN is compiling examples
of contract language, policy and regulations,
and organizing efforts on indoor air quality.
Please send your examples to [email protected]
or to 1201 16th St. NW, Suite 521, Washington,
DC, 20036.
Excerpts
from “Some Things You Should Know About
Media Violence and Media Literacy”
© American Academy of Pediatrics
Media
violence can lead to aggressive behavior in children.
Over 1,000 studies confirm this link. The level
of violence during Saturday morning cartoons is
higher than the level of violence during prime
time. There are 3 to 5 violent acts per hour in
prime time, versus 20 to 25 acts per hour on Saturday
morning.
Parents can help children develop media literacy
skills by:
o Helping children distinguish between fantasy
and reality.
o Teaching them that real-life violence has consequences.
o Watching television with children and discussing
it with them.
To read the complete version, visit:
http://www.aap.org/advocacy/childhealthmonth/media.htm
To
see the American Academy of Pediatrics’
policy on Media Violence, visit http://www.aap.org/policy/re0109.html.
15+ Make Time to Listen/Take Time to Talk
SAMHSA/CMHS Parent/Child Communication Campaign
The 15+ campaign is part of the CMHS School Violence
Prevention Initiative and is designed to provide
practical guidance to parents and caregivers about
“how to” create time to listen and take
time to talk with their children. For more information
and access to free materials designed to help
facilitate positive, meaningful communication
between parents and their children, visit http://www.mentalhealth.org//15plus/default.asp.
California
Teachers at Higher Risk for Breast and Other Cancers
California’s teachers have significantly higher
than expected rates of breast, endometrial, ovarian
and several other cancers, according to researchers
from the Northern California Cancer Center, the
University of Southern California, the University
of California at Irvine, and the California Department
of Health Services. The study showed that teachers
have lower rates of lung and cervical cancers,
though. The research team’s findings appear in
the September issue of the medical journal Cancer
Causes and Control click here to subscribe: http://gort.ucsd.edu/newjour/c/msg02531.html
September
Survey Finds High Rates of Drug Use Among Teens
The National Household Survey on Drug
Abuse found that 15.9 million Americans age 12
and older used an illicit drug in the month immediately
prior to the survey interview. This figure represents
about 7.1 percent of the population, compared
to an estimated 6.3 percent in 2000. To learn
more about the survey, click here http://www.samhsa.gov/news/content/2001nhsda.htm
Wal-mart
toughens its policies on gun sales
This summer, Wal-mart, the nation’s
biggest seller of guns, decided to toughen its
policies on gun sales. This was a surprise move
that highlighted flaws in the system that is used
to keep guns out of the hands of criminals. Under
federal law, if authorities cannot complete a
criminal background check on a gun buyer within
three business days, retailers can sell the firearm
even though the buyer’s status is unclear.
Wal-mart store managers were told to take the
extra step of withholding firearms from would-be
buyers when it is unclear whether they are legally
allowed to own a gun. Access this story by visiting
www.americansforgunsafety.com/breaking_news.asp?id=131
Teens’ Closeness With Their Mothers Linked to
Delay in Initiation of Sexual Activity, Study
Says
Teenagers
who have close relationships with their mothers
are more likely to delay the onset of sexual intercourse
than teens who are not close to their mothers,
according to a report released yesterday and published
in the September issue of the Journal of Adolescent
Health, the Washington Post reports (Sessions
Stepp, Washington Post, 9/5). The findings come
from two University of Minnesota studies involving
data gathered from the National Longitudinal Study
of Adolescent Health. One study examined 3,322
boys and girls in eighth through 11th grades,
while the second looked at a sample of 2,006 14-
and 15-year-olds.
To access this story and related links online
visit www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=13275
“VERB:
It’s What You Do” campaign promotes healthy
lifestyles and motivation in youth.
The VERB campaign will encourage young
people to get outside, get active, and move around,
in an effort to fight off the steadily increasing
levels of child obesity. The VERB campaign targets
children between the ages of 9 and 13 — sometimes
referred to as “tweens” – encouraging
them to pick a verb, any verb, and be active.
With the average child watching 4.5 hours of television
a day, and only 1/3 of students in physical education
classes, it is no wonder that the percentage of
young people who are overweight has doubled in
the past 20 years. There are 8 million overweight
young people in America, and 13% of Americans
between the ages of 6 and 17 overweight. The campaign
will use the media, as well as parents, coaches,
schools and communities to help America’s young
people become more active. For more information
on visit www.verbnow.com/.
White House Drug Czar Releases Guide on
Student Drug Testing
John P. Walters, Director of National
Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) released a new publication
entitled, What You Need to Know About Drug
Testing in Schools. The publication is being
released as millions of young people return to
school, and is designed to assist educators, parents,
and community leaders in determining whether student
drug testing is appropriate for their schools.
In June of this year the Supreme Court ruled in
favor of allowing drug testing for students who
participate in competitive extracurricular activities
or teams.
What You Need to Know About Drug Testing in
Schools is available at www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/pdf/drug_testing.pdf
Free Kit Available to Help Increase Healthy Eating
and Encourage Physical Activity in Schools
Are you, or is someone at your school interested
in promoting a school environment that supports
nutrition and physical activity? Start a local
coalition! The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture has developed
a very useful kit designed to help educate school
personnel, parents and policy makers on effective
ways to create a healthy school environment for
nutrition and physical activity. Appealing, comprehensive,
and easy to use. “Changing the Scene- Improving
the School Nutrition Environment- A guide to Local
Action” Click
here for more information www.fns.usda.gov/tn.
”
ABCs of Healthy Schools” Primer, released
by the Center for Health, Environment, and Justice’s
(CHEJ) Child-Proofing Campaign
The
Healthy Buildings Committee of the Childproofing
Our Communities Campaign recently released “Creating
Safe Learning Zones: The ABCs of Healthy Schools”
Primer. The primer is intended as a resource to
school boards, PTA/PTOs, community groups and
others who want to ensure that our children’s
schools are free of environmental hazards. The
report is available to interested organizations
and individuals at www.childproofing.org/ABC.pdf.
The Campaign is looking for groups and individuals
who can spread the word about the new report and
generate further interest in the idea of building
“Healthy Schools.” If you would like
more information about the primer and the assistance
needed, please contact Paul Ruther, Campaign Coordinator,
at (703) 237-2249 ext.21 or [email protected]
and check out our the Healthy Buildings Committee
Update. For information on how to use the primer
in your community, visit www.childproofing.org/GettingInvolved.html.
Other
reports that are available from the Child-Proofing
Campaign:
Poisoned
Schools: Invisible Threats, Visible Actions
Creating
Safe Learning Zones: Invisible Threats and Visible
Actions