The SCRATCH Post

The Salem-Cumberland Action

Toward Community Health

(SCRATCH) coalition launched

its new quarterly newsletter in

November of 2013.

The newsletter will focus on

current Alcohol, Tobacco and

Other Drugs (ATOD) local

trends, coalition and coalition

partner events and initiatives,

and will feature a coalition

member or partner in each

edition.

Articles by any coalition

member will be accepted for

review. Send all potential

submissions to coalition

coordinator Beth Mayers.

Congratulations to Melissa

Niles, whose SCRATCH Post

submission was chosen as the

newsletter title!

We hope you enjoy this first

issue and look forward to future

editions.

Caption describing picture or graph-

ic.

SCRATCH Coalition Launches Newsletter

The SCRATCH Coalition

has assessed the community

needs in the region and

prepared its strategic plan.

Now SCRATCH is prepared

to take the next step in the

Strategic Prevention

Framework process: planning

and implementing

community interventions.

“Our members bring unique

talents and insights to the

coalition,” said Ian

Gershman, coalition chair.

“They look forward to the

challenge of finding and

implementing the most

effective interventions to

create lasting environmental

change.”

Starting in 2014, SCRATCH

coalition workgroups will

get the opportunity to turn

their creative ideas into

reality. We truly are a

coalition on the move!

Looking Ahead - Diversification

SCRATCHING Out Substance Abuse Since 2012

November 2013

Volume 1

What is SCRATCH? 2

Butane Hash Oil 2

Kids are Dying Documentary

2

'Molly' is a New Name Given to an Old Problem

3

Prescription Drug Abuse Billboard Design Contest

3

Coalition Central - With a Spotlight on: Ian Gershman

4

Inside this issue:

Special points of interest:

Next SCRATCH

meeting: December 11,

2013; 9am.

Next CTG meeting:

December 11, 2013;

10:45am (immediately

following SCRATCH

meeting.)

RX Billboard Design

Contest judging:

January 8, 2014 at

regularly scheduled

meeting.

Salem-Cumberland Regional Action Toward Community Health

SCRATCH Members Hard at Work,

Making a Difference in Their Community

The Salem-Cumberland

Regional Action Toward

Community Health

(SCRATCH) coalition

works to reduce substance

abuse and promote healthy

living in Salem and

Cumberland Counties.

SCRATCH seeks to:

Eliminate underage

drinking

Reduce prescription drug

abuse

Reduce the use of illegal

substances

Reduce exposure to

secondhand smoke

Increase opportunities for

healthy eating and active

living

Increase awareness of

clinical services within the

community

Please consider joining the

coalition’s efforts. There are

many ways to do this, such

as attending meetings, taking

part in letter-writing

campaigns, recruiting for

and attending coalition

events, collaborating with the

coalition on projects, etc.

Your time and efforts will be

appreciated and can lead to

positive changes in

community norms.

For more information,

contact Beth Mayers,

coalition coordinator at

856-794-1011 x318.

over 300 hours of footage and

hopes to have the film

completed by February, 2014.

The film will expose the ties

between prescription drugs

being sold on the street,

organized crime and street

gangs.

The progression from abusing

prescription drugs to using

heroin will also be addressed.

Michael DeLeon of Steered

Straight (steeredstraight.org)

saw youth dying from

prescription drug overdoses

and knew he needed to

educate the public about this

epidemic. His idea? A

documentary using real

people, in real situations.

Using donations and his own

funds, Michael has collected

Mr. DeLeon has agreed to

present the trailer from Kids

are Dying at the December

11 SCRATCH coalition

meeting.

To learn more about this

deadly trend, please plan to

join us at Inspira Hospital,

501 W. Front Street, Elmer,

NJ from 9-10:30 AM. All

are welcome.

What is SCRATCH?

Kids are Dying Documentary

Michael DeLeon

KidsAreDying.org

“budder,” “dabs,” “earwax,”

“shatter,” etc.) are then

smoked or vaporized.

Explosion and fire incidents

related to manufacturing

attempts in homes have

been reported.

The Associated Press

reports that such incidents

in the United States have

primarily been in those west

coast states which permit

medical marijuana.

In July, 2013, Michigan, which

permits medical marijuana,

reported 2 home explosions

attributed to BHO.

While hash oil is not new, this

process is relatively new, and

dangerous.

Butane Hash Oil (BHO)

Butane hash oil use is

increasing in popularity in the

US. The high concentration

of THC levels in this

cannabinoid makes it

attractive to curious users.

Butane hash oil is made by

passing butane gas through

a tube filled with cannabis

plant matter. The resulting oil

or gelatinous mass (known as

“In October, 2013

Butane Hash Oil was

linked to three powerful

explosions in Northern

California.”

KABC-TV Los Angeles, CA

Page 2 The SCRATCH Post Volume 1

You can Play a Role in Healthy

Community Change!

“Molly” is a New Name Given to an Old Problem

Prescription Drug Abuse Billboard Design Contest

Molly (Powdered MDMA)

Parents Who Host Lose

the Most Billboard

I work in the substance

abuse prevention field, and

have been receiving

questions from parents over

the past few months

regarding the drug known as

“Molly.”

Molly has been referenced

by several famous artists

over the past year, including

Kanye West and Madonna,

but gained a great deal of

attention over the summer

when Miley Cyrus sang

about it in her song, “We

Can’t Stop.”

While it may seem like a

new problem, you may

recognize MDMA (the

chemical name for the drug)

by its early 2000s nickname,

Ecstasy. In fact, MDMA has

been abused since the early

80s, and is typically abused

by teens and young adults

who frequent clubs and

dance festivals, but has also

shown up at parties.

While the Molly of today is

sold as a powder and last

decade’s Ecstasy was sold in

pill form, MDMA has the

same dangerous side effects

no matter how it is taken.

MDMA drastically increases

a user’s body temperature,

putting the user at a high

risk for heat stroke, and

causing dehydration due to

excessive sweating. This

danger is increased by the

high caused by MDMA,

which tends to make users

unaware of their symptoms

until it is too late.

The hot and densely packed

venues at which the drug is

typically taken may also

intensify the high and the

danger. Withdrawal from

MDMA causes acute

temporary depression, and

frequent users can become

addicted trying to avoid this

down period.

In addition to the dangers

posed by the drug itself,

users are at additional risk

because many dealers sell

MDMA mixed with other

drugs such as cocaine or

meth. The mixture can

cause dangerous drug

interactions. Users can never

truly be sure if what they are

buying is actually Molly, and

can end up taking these other

dangerous drugs.

The good news is that this is a

drug that tends to lose

popularity rapidly as the public

becomes aware of its dangers

and parents begin to discuss it

with their children. For more

information, please visit

teens.drugabuse.gov/drug-

facts/mdma-ecstasy-or-molly.

Mike Regenelli

Project Coordinator, Cumberland

County Healthy Communities

Coalition

Salem High School.

The focus can be on

statistics, consequences or

alternatives to prescription

drug abuse.

The winning design from

each county will be

displayed on a billboard that

will include the artist’s name

and the name of their

school.

The SCRATCH coalition

has offered an opportunity

for high school students to

design a billboard with

information about

prescription drug abuse.

Five area high schools have

students participating:

Millville Senior, Millville

Memorial, Penns Grove,

Pennsville Memorial and

Submissions are due by

January 6, 2014. All

coalition members are

asked to make a special

effort to attend the

January 8 meeting,

when a winner from

each county will be

chosen.

For a list of 2014 meeting

dates, please see page 4.

“Users can never truly

be sure if what they are

buying is actually

‘Molly,’ and can end up

taking cocaine, heroin,

methamphetamine and

more.”

Page 3 The SCRATCH Post Volume 1

The Salem-Cumberland Regional Action Toward Community

Health (SCRATCH) coalition was founded in 2012 as an

initiative of The Southwest Council. The coalition is funded by

grants from the New Jersey Division of Mental Health and

Addiction Services and the Centers for Disease Control.

SCRATCH Vision: Empowering our communities to create a

new and dynamic norm by changing the social climate and

acceptance of substance use and abuse.

SCRATCH Mission: SCRATCH engages community partners

in Cumberland and Salem Counties to establish and sustain the

environmental changes necessary to eliminate substance use and

abuse. We will consistently develop and promote healthy

opportunities and permanent change for current and future

generations.

SCRATCH is always welcoming new members. Please contact

coalition coordinator Beth Mayers at 856-794-1011 x318 or at

bethmayers@southwestcouncil.org.

The Southwest Council, Inc.

1405 N. Delsea Drive

Vineland, NJ 08360

Check us out on Facebook:

www.facebook.com/ScratchCoalition

He has since moved up

through the ranks of

leadership in the

organization and is

responsible for all Daytop

treatment services across

the state.

Prior to joining Daytop, Ian

was the director of

substance abuse services for

Kennedy Memorial

Hospital.

Before that, Ian spent ten

years working in the United

Kingdom in the field of

substance abuse and mental

health. With an MBA from

Regis University and a

Master of Arts in Education

and Counseling from Hull

Ian Gershman has

served for two years

as the SCRATCH

Coalition Chairperson, since

its inception in 2012. His

leadership has enabled the

ongoing success of the

coalition.

Ian is the Vice President of

Treatment Services at Daytop

Village. Daytop New Jersey is

designed to meet the treatment

and educational needs of kids

from 13 - 18 years of age. The

Pittsgrove, New Jersey facility

offers residential services.

Ian Gershman joined Daytop

New Jersey in 2004 to help

open the South Jersey facility in

Pittsgrove.

University in the UK, Ian

has eighteen years of

experience working in and

managing substance abuse

treatment services.

Despite a hectic schedule

and demands on his time,

Ian makes a point of being

at every SCRATCH meeting

he can.

Ian was instrumental in

helping the coalition choose

not only its name, but also

its Vision and Mission

Statements.

Many thanks, Ian, for

supporting the coalition’s

work, and for stepping into

a leadership role from day

one!

Coalition Central - With a Spotlight on: Ian Gershman

Phone: 856-794-1011 x318

Fax: 856-794-1239

E-mail: bethmayers@southwestcouncil.org

Salem-Cumberland Regional

Action Toward Community Health

Mr. Ian Gershman Vice President, Treatment Services - Daytop Village