Welcome to MCSAAC
We are an organization devoted to understanding and preventing substance abuse. If you live in Middlesex County there's a good chance that MCSAAC is already connected with your business, school, or town government. We've been promoting healthy kids and healthy communities for over twenty years.
MCSAAC works to reduce substance abuse in Middlesex County. Underage drinking, tobacco, and illegal drugs are our primary concerns, along with prescription drug abuse and addictive gambling. The health of children and young adults comes first: almost all addictive behavior begins in the teens!
MCSAAC is a prevention organization. Our intent is to delay — or completely prevent — the use of addictive substances before they become a medical problem. We rely on the insights of parents, teachers, coaches, health professionals, law enforcement, youth group leaders and teens themselves to plan educational and "asset building" programs. Many exciting activities of Local Prevention Councils (LPCs) are chronicled in this website.
Check for LPCs near you
National Prevention Week (May 20-26, 2012) is a new SAMHSA-supported annual health observance that will celebrate the work that community organizations and individuals do year-round to help prevent substance abuse and promote mental, emotional, and behavioral well-being. For the Full understanding, and for more information on National Prevention Week click below: http://www.samhsa.gov/preventionweek/about.aspx To Consider [...]
Friends’ Parents Can Sway Teens’ Odds for Drinking, Smoking
May 16, 2012 01:34 pm - Posted by MCSAAC Staff‘Good’ parenting helps kids steer clear of risky behaviors, researchers say Tuesday, May 8 (HealthDay News) — Everyone knows teen behavior is highly influenced by their friends, but a new study finds even a friend’s parents can influence whether or not a teen drinks alcohol or uses drugs. If the parents of your teen’s friends [...]
12-Step Meetings May Help Teens Beat Alcohol, Drug Abuse
May 16, 2012 01:26 pm - Posted by MCSAAC StaffPrograms such as Alcoholics Anonymous seem to work as well in teens as in adults, study finds. Monday, April 16 (HealthDay News) — Teens undergoing treatment for alcohol or drug abuse can benefit from the 12-Step program used by groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA), researchers say. While these programs are [...]
The social hosting bill passed the House this evening. The amended version can be found here- http://www.cga.ct.gov/2012/amd/H/2012HB-05389-R00HA-AMD.htm. It is a much better bill then was originally proposed as it not only includes parents who knowingly provide alcohol to a minor but also those who do so recklessly or with criminal negligence and removes the requirement [...]
Medical Marijuana Passes Senate, Awaits Governor’s Signature
May 09, 2012 07:11 pm - Posted by MCSAAC StaffAs you may have heard in the early morning hours of Saturday the Senate passed a bill legalizing the use of medical marijuana. The bill is limited to those diagnosed with cancer, glaucoma, HIV, AIDS, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis or epilepsy. The Governor will sign the bill into law in the coming days and [...]
Connecticut Doctors Reap Drug Company Benefits
Mar 09, 2012 09:00 pm - Posted by MCSAAC StaffDisciplined Docs Reap Drug Company Benefits by Lisa Chedekel, Connecticut Health I-Team March 5, 2012 9:00pm In 2010, as state health officials were investigating allegations that Dr. Gerson Sternstein of Berlin was overmedicating patients, three pharmaceutical companies were showering thousands of dollars on the psychiatrist for meals and speaking engagements. Some of the payments continued even [...]
Free Training for Coaches in March & April
Mar 09, 2012 08:40 pm - Posted by MCSAAC StaffCoaches! Come learn how you can prevent prescription drug abuse with young athletes. “Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Workshops” for coaches will be conducted on: March 15th from 6-7:30pm at Cromwell HS, March 20th from 7 – 7:45pm at Westbrook Town Hall, and April 11th from 6-7:30 pm at Haddam-Killingworth HS. Aidan Charles of Charles Coaching [...]
Hijacking Happiness: Tobacco and Your Brain, the prevention video produced by MCSAAC, premiered Feb. 24, 2012 to an enthusiastic audience. Youth actors from the video received certificates printed with golden Oscar statues from Marion Storch of the CT Department of Public Health and Betsey Chadwick, MCSAAC Director. The CT DPH Tobacco Use Prevention and Control [...]
Lisa Mason, Community Health Liaison, Middlesex County Substance Abuse Action Council (MSAAC) CT General Law Committee Re: H.B. No. 5021 An Act Concerning Competitive Alcoholic Liquor Pricing and Hours of Operations for Permittees Public Hearing, February 28, 2012 Sen. Doyle, Sen. Leone, Rep. Taborsak and the Honorable Members of the General Law Committee, my name [...]
Medical Marijuana Proposed Again The CT Judiciary Committee held a hearing on House Bill 5389 An Act Concerning the Palliative Use of Marijuana. While this bill improves on past legislation with clearly defined regulations, the CT State Medical Society and the CT Society of Eye Physicians oppose the bill because the medicinal use of marijuana [...]