Youth 411: Youth News Articles June 16-30, 2007

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Youth in the News

Volume 2, Number 11, June 16-30, 2007

Contents
State Watch
Research
Government

STATE WATCH

Michigan’s Department of Human Services launched a new website that provides information to youth aging out of foster care on issues including, education, employment, housing and health.
The Philadelphia school district will use a federal grant to help serve teen mothers, dropouts, chronic truants and at-risk youth.
A youth gang and violence prevention program in Cleveland, Ohio involves parents in their effort to reduce violence.
In order to prevent summertime violence, a program in Pittsburgh offers work opportunities to at-risk youth.

RESEARCH

A new report shows teens who use marijuana are more likely to engage in violent and delinquent behavior.
A study shows the young smokers do not take advantage of proven smoking cessation treatments when trying to quit.
Underage youth are more likely to see alcohol product advertisements than “responsibility” advertisements that address underage drinking and drinking-and-driving.
Research links teenage violence to domestic violence later in life.

GOVERNMENT

Legislation introduced in Illinois would allow schools to discipline cyberbullying even if it occurs off of school grounds.
Ohio bill would ban teens from using tanning beds.
Members of Congress are sponsoring legislation to amend an act that supports summer community and service-learning programs for youth.
North Carolina’s legislature bans the use of alcohol vaporizing machines, also know as an AWOL machine (Alcohol Without Liquid).
Legislation is introduced in Congress to combat the dropout rate.
Policymakers in Tennessee hope that an increase in the cigarette tax will reduce the number of young smokers.
The New York legislature is trying to increase voter turnout among young adults by requiring that voter registration cards be distributed to high school graduates and made available at universities.
Legislators in Vermont are examining how to allocate funds to help engage youth in the work force.
Using a cell phone behind the wheel becomes a secondary offense for youth in Virginia.
In Illinois, dropouts and habitual truants are at risk of losing their driver’s licenses or permits.

ARTICLES

MICHIGAN
Leaving the foster system
Web site gives advice for youths leaving the network for adulthood
June 28, 2007
By Craig Trudell, The State News

Three years ago, William Daniel's younger brother escaped a cracking belt and beating at the hands of his mother long enough to call 911.

At 11 years old, Daniel watched as police handcuffed his mother and drove her away in the back of a police car.

"They saw from the bruises, scars and marks on my brother's face and back that the situation we were living in was unhealthy," Daniel said.

Daniel and his brother became two of more than half a million children in the country living in foster care. For youths like Daniel and his brother, as well as adults who have outgrown the foster care system, the Department of Human Services (DHS) launched a new Foster Youth in Transition Web site.

Services and support on major issues facing foster youth, including education, employment, housing and health, can be found at www.michigan.gov/fyit.

Daniel will be able to turn to the new Web site when moving out of his parent's house becomes a priority and when attending college becomes a concern. He says MSU's Air Force ROTC program is his first choice.

While he isn't old enough to get his driver's license, the Air Force Junior ROTC member hopes to get in the driver's seat of a jet and become a fighter pilot after college.

The home of his foster parents is four blocks away from the house he grew up in - the one his mother formerly owned. The site of the house brings about mixed memories for Daniel.

"I still pass by the house every day and just stand there sometimes," he said. "We had pretty good times, and we had bad times. But I'm in a foster home where I'm being loved and cared for. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else."

However, when Daniel turns 18, he will leave foster care, or "age out." In 2006, 536 former foster youth aged out of care in Michigan, where research shows they are at a greater risk for poverty, homelessness, unemployment and other negative outcomes.

A statewide task force formed to stop this trend suggested in 2006 that DHS construct a Web site. More than 100 members of public and private organizations contributed throughout the last nine months in creating it, including youth representatives from state foster care organizations.

"This Web site was developed with youth input, down to the colors (of the font)," DHS representative Kate Hanley said.

"It will be helpful to many other youths in this state when they're looking for services, not just foster youth, but that's what we've focused on."

Input about what information youth would be looking for came from Jillian Jones, a Traverse City high school student who spoke at the unveiling of the Web site Wednesday in Lansing.

"What's most helpful about the Web site is that it's 24/7," she said. "The DHS office is only open from 9-5 p.m. With this, you can get on at 3 a.m. and get the information you need."

Representing the Wayne County board of the Michigan Youth Opportunities Initiative as president, Daniel also attended the unveiling. He enjoys talking with foster youths at his high school and other MYOI members about how to deal with their similar situations.

"I tell them although they're going through trials and tribulations, they can't let it affect their ability to learn and grow," he said.

MYOI consists of 90 youth boards in 30 counties across Michigan, coordinator Shannon Brower said. The fact that the state put together the Web site in the midst of what she called "serious budget challenges" impressed Brower.

"DHS has continued to recognize that, regardless of what funds are available, the need is still there," she said.

PHILADELPHIA
Federal grant will help expand program for at-risk students
June 29, 2007
By Larry Eichel

The School District of Philadelphia will receive an immediate injection of $4.8 million from the federal government to help expand the district's Project U-Turn for older at-risk students.

The 15-month grant from the U.S. Department of Labor was announced yesterday by Sen. Arlen Specter (R., Pa.), who helped secure it in a supplemental appropriations bill.

Officials said that the grant, which was twice as large as Philadelphia had sought, will allow the district to work with an additional 1,200 young people. Those to be served include teen mothers, dropouts, chronic truants and youths who have had contact with the juvenile justice system.

The district plans to use the money on four fronts:

Creating a 200-seat accelerated high school to provide technical education.

Developing a "bridge" program for older teens with minimal ability to read or use numbers.

Expanding the existing E3 (Education, Employment and Empowerment) Power Centers to train out-of-school youth.

Starting up a "Learning to Work" program focusing on at-risk students inside four high schools.

"These are programs designed to help these youths stay away from the violent crime that can come with being unemployed and undereducated," said Courtney Collins-Shapiro, director of the district's Multiple Pathways office.

James Nevels, chairman of the School Reform Commission, thanked Specter for the grant, saying it would "allow us to seriously address the needs of out-of-school youth and other youth at risk of dropping out."

Other locales receiving similar grants were Baltimore, Chicago, Milwaukee and Orange County, Fla.

OHIO
Marshals aim to prevent gangs by helping families
June 28, 2007
By Leah Boyd

After 10 years of teaching kids about the dangers of gangs, the Gang Resistance Education And Training program is going after their parents.

The family has become a major focus for GREAT, a federally funded, school-based youth gang and violence prevention program instructed by law enforcement officers across the country.

The organization's spin-off program - GREAT Families - focuses on developing the family structure.

"When kids join gangs, they join for family, they join for love," said Deputy U.S. Marshal Miranda Holloway. "But if they get that support at home, they don't have to turn to the streets."

Holloway was appointed to teach GREAT Families full time by Pete Elliott, U.S. marshal for the Northern District of Ohio.

"Violence is not just a law enforcement problem; it's a community problem," Elliott said.

"It takes a whole community working together to address these issues."

The kickoff of GREAT's three-day Midwest regional conference was Wednesday in downtown Cleveland. The family initiative will be a focal point of the conference, said Regional Administrator Raj Ramnarace of the La Crosse Police Department in Wisconsin.

"From a law enforcement standpoint, we know if families are doing well, we see decreases in domestic violence, drug abuse, juvenile delinquency and gang involvement," he said.

Family members participate in the program through churches that agree to offer it. Classes meet one night a week for six weeks and cover issues involving communication and parenting.

Holloway said representatives from Kent State University conduct surveys at the beginning and end of each six-week session to map the program's success.

"The surveys show families see a significant positive change in their homes," she said. "It's very rewarding to have parents come to me and thank me."

PITTSBURGH
'At risk' youth at work in Pittsburgh neighborhoods
June 21, 2007
By Kevin Crowe

Uwe Calloway was waiting for something positive to happen for young people in his Beltzhoover neighborhood.

Neighborhood feuds got out of control in the mid-1990s, he said, because young people had nothing better to do.

"I was one of those guys," Calloway, 30, said Wednesday.

City officials and community representatives say violence is on the rise again, but this time they want to quell it early.

Two years ago, Calloway entered a pilot program aimed at getting "at-risk" youths off the street and working for about five weeks during the summer.

The Summer Youth and Violence Prevention Effort -- now in its third year -- will give up to 400 young men ages 15 to 22 the chance to work, Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato said.

Participants drawn from 19 neighborhoods in Pittsburgh and four municipalities in the county will work on community service projects like cutting grass, painting basketball courts and cleaning graffiti for five weeks starting July 2.

Applications for the 400 spots were handed out early last week and the program was full by Thursday, said Calloway, who is a senior program manager at YouthPlaces and will serve as a crew supervisor this summer.

The county Department of Human Services put the program together with Voices Against Violence, the Homewood-Brushton YMCA, One Hood and YouthPlaces.

Last year, the organizations raised $182,000 and hired 262 young people. For this summer, $350,000 was raised and the county contributed $46,000.

Those participating in the program for the first time will be paid $500 for the five-week period, and crew leaders in neighborhoods will make $750.

But the program isn't just about working, said Richard Carrington, executive director of Voices Against Violence. The participants will work four days a week, with the fifth day reserved for mediation.

"In our neighborhoods, we tend to get into combative attitudes," Carrington said.

The mediation services will be aimed, in part, at helping the young people find nonviolent resolutions to problems. At the end of the summer, all of the participants will come together for community-building activities, Carrington said.

The gathering at the end of the program last summer was instrumental in calming feuds between residents of the Beltzhoover and St. Clair Village neighborhoods, said Jerome Jackson, the program coordinator for the Manchester Citizen Corp.

Jackson said there aren't many programs that deal with at-risk youths, and he thinks this one has been successful so far.

"They're trying to stop violence before it happens, and that's a difficult task," he said.

MARIJUANA
Early Marijuana Use a Warning Sign for Later Gang Involvement
New Report Shows Teens Who Use Drugs Are More Likely to Engage in Violent and Delinquent Behavior
June 19, 2007
Prnewswire.com

John P. Walters, Director of National Drug Control Policy, today released a new Special Report showing that teens who use drugs are more likely to engage in violent and delinquent behavior and join gangs. Early use of marijuana -- the most commonly used drug among teens -- is a warning sign for later gang involvement.

The report, "Teens, Drugs, and Violence," released by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) today in Philadelphia, shows that teens who use drugs are twice as likely to commit violent acts than those who do not. It also shows that the more drugs a teenager uses, the more likely they are to engage in violent behavior. They are also more likely to steal and use other illicit drugs and alcohol than non-users.

"It is time -- in fact, it is past time -- for us to let go of 60's-era perceptions about marijuana," said ONDCP Director John Walters. "Today's research shows what too many families and communities have had to learn through painful experience: Drug use by teenagers isn't a 'lifestyle choice' or an act of 'personal expression;' it is a public health, and, increasingly, a public safety dilemma."

Although overall teen drug use has declined by 23 percent in five years and youth marijuana use is down by 25 percent over the same time period, more teens use marijuana than any other illicit drug. Research shows that other than alcohol, marijuana is the most widely used substance in gang life, and children who use marijuana are nearly four times more likely to join gangs.

The report also shows:

Teens who use drugs, particularly marijuana, are more likely to steal and experiment with other drugs and alcohol, compared to teens who don't;
One in four teens (27%) who used illicit drugs in the past year report attacking others with the intent to harm;
Nearly one in six teens (17%) who got into serious fights at school or work in the past year report using drugs;
Teens who use marijuana regularly are nine times more likely than teens who don't to experiment with other illicit drugs or alcohol, and five times more likely to steal; and
Teens who do abstain from drug use, particularly marijuana use, function better than users during the transition to young adulthood.

"As our city works to create the Blueprint for a Safer Philadelphia, it's important to examine this link between teens using marijuana and being more likely to engage in violence," said youth behavior expert Ivan J. Juzang, Founder and President of Motivational Educational Entertainment Productions Inc. "Taking a prevention focus to ending youth violence means providing them with knowledge, support and positive alternatives so that they don't start using marijuana, which ultimately keeps our schools and communities safer."

The report also shows that parents remain the most powerful influence on their kids when it comes to illicit drugs. The majority of teens say the main reason they don't use drugs is fear of upsetting their parents or losing their respect. And teens who are supervised or involved in structured activities during after school hours are less likely to engage in risky behaviors, such as drug and alcohol use and violent or delinquent behaviors, than those youth who are unsupervised. Participation in after school activities can actually lead to better grades and improved behavior in teens.

Youth Service America (YSA), an organization that expands the impact of the youth service movement with communities, schools, corporations, and governments, is partnering with ONDCP to promote youth service as a tool to positively engage young people in communities across the United States. To reach parents across the country, YSA will electronically distribute a tip sheet on the benefits of youth service that will reach 9,000 organizations across the country.

"We know that kids who have a connection to their community are more committed to learning and personal achievement," said Steven Culbertson, YSA President and Chief Executive Officer. "Young people are our greatest resource and all have tremendous energy, passion, ingenuity, and idealism to help solve some of our most challenging problems."

With many young people out of school for the summer, ONDCP is calling on parents and community organizations to ensure that teens are supervised and participating in activities that keep them away from drugs and other risky behavior. Traditionally, the summer months are risky times when it comes to drug use. Teen drug use rates have spiked during the months of June, July, and August. Other important steps parents can take to keep their kids drug-free include:

Setting expectations and clear "no drug use" rules and enforcing the consequences;
Know where your teen is on and offline. Monitor his real and digital world activities, such as Internet usage, text messaging, and social networking sites;
Talking to them about the importance of staying drug-free by outlining the risks of drug use and engaging them in regular discussions about rejecting peer pressure to use drugs;
Encouraging teens to become involved in productive after school and summer activities and staying in tune with community programs and available opportunities;
Staying involved in their teen's life and establishing a regular weekly routine for doing something together; and
Being observant and looking for indications that their child may be involved in drugs or other risky behavior.

For more information about what parents can do to keep their teens away from drugs and other risky behaviors, visit the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign's Web site for parents: http://www.theantidrug.com/. The full report on "Teens, Drugs, and Violence" can be accessed at http://www.theantidrug.com/advice/advice_gangs.asp.

Since its inception in 1998, the ONDCP's National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign has conducted outreach to millions of parents, teens and communities to prevent and reduce teen drug use. Counting on an unprecedented blend of public and private partnerships, non-profit community service organizations, volunteerism, and youth-to-youth communications, the Campaign is designed to reach Americans of diverse backgrounds with effective anti-drug messages.

For more information on the ONDCP National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign, visit http://www.mediacampaign.org/

SMOKING
Young Smokers Want To Quit, But Don't Seek Proven Treatment
June 30, 2007
University of Illinois at Chicago

Despite tried and true methods to quit smoking, young adults do not take advantage of these proven smoking cessation treatments that can double their chances of quitting, University of Illinois at Chicago public health researchers report.

The research is published online and will appear in the August issue of the American Journal of Public Health.

Young adult smokers are highly motivated to quit -- almost half have tried to quit in the past year -- but they are much less likely to use certain proven treatments to help them quit smoking when compared to adult smokers, said Susan Curry, director of the UIC Institute for Health Research and Policy and lead author of the study.

Using data from the 2005 National Health Interview Survey, the researchers compared young adult smokers (ages 18 to 24) to older smokers (ages 25 and older). They found that young adults are more likely to smoke (24 percent) compared to other smokers (20 percent).

Approximately 70 percent in both age groups said they wanted to completely quit smoking, but only 4 percent to 5 percent of smokers in both age groups use any evidence-based behavioral treatment. As few as 1 percent reported using specific types of behavioral treatment such as group classes, quit lines or internet programs.

According to researchers, only 17 percent of young adults used pharmacotherapy -- approved drugs such as nicotine gum, nicotine patches or bupropion -- in their most recent quit attempt. Among adult smokers, 32 percent reported using pharmacotherapy.

Smokers in both age groups reported support from friends and family as the most common form of stop-smoking treatment.

"Receiving advice from health care providers, having higher educational attainment, and having health insurance that might cover the cost of treatment are associated with using proven treatments," Curry said. "However, young adults are less likely to have health insurance, less likely to go to the doctor, and when they do go to the doctor they are much less likely to be asked about their smoking and to be advised to quit."

Even though young adults were less likely to see a health care provider than other adults, 74 percent reported seeing a provider at least once in the previous year.

Other studies have shown that younger smokers tend to have many misconceptions about treatment, said Curry. For example, young smokers incorrectly believe that nicotine replacement therapy is dangerous or that nicotine causes cancer.

Curry suggests it may be necessary to correct misconceptions about treatment and to take advantage of missed opportunities during health care visits to address smoking and promote treatment.

"We don't know from this study whether the issue is lack of interest in treatment, lack of awareness of treatment, or lack of treatments that appeal to young adult smokers," Curry said. "There's definitely room for more research to understand how we might spur demand for treatment among young adult smokers."

Co-authors include Amy Sporer, Oksana Pugach, Richard Campbell, and Sherry Emery of the UIC Institute for Health Research and Policy. The study was funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

The research appears in a special issue of the American Journal of Public Health focused on young adults and tobacco. The issue is sponsored by the Youth Tobacco Cessation Collaborative, which includes the American Cancer Society, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the American Lung Association, and the National Cancer Institute.

ALCOHOL
Alcohol Companies' Product Advertising on Television Dwarfs 'Responsibility' Ads From 2001 to 2005
Youth 239 times more likely to see ads promoting alcohol products than industry spots discouraging underage drinking.
June 27, 2007
PRNewswire-USNewswire

Alcohol industry "responsibility" advertisements comprised less than three percent of the nearly 1.5 million alcohol industry television advertisements that aired from 2001 to 2005, according to a new study released today by the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY) at Georgetown University.

The report, titled "DROWNED OUT: Alcohol Industry 'Responsibility' Advertising on Television 2001-2005," analyzed the industry's "responsibility" advertising because it is the largest source of such advertising.

In addition to looking at the number of ads, the study analyzed spending and found that of the $4.9 billion spent to advertise alcohol on television from 2001 to 2005, just 2% (or $104 million) was spent to air 41,333 "responsibility" advertisements.

The CAMY report showed that from 2001 to 2005, underage youth were 239 times more likely to see an advertisement selling alcohol than one of the industry's "responsibility" advertisements, designed to educate about the dangers of underage drinking. Additionally, during that same period underage youth were 32 times more likely to see an advertisement selling alcohol than a "responsibility" advertisement about drinking-and-driving and drinking safety.

"The primary messages kids get about alcohol on television are from alcohol product ads that not surprisingly promote their use and enjoyment," said David Jernigan, CAMY executive director. "To look just to the industry for messages on responsibility is clearly not smart public policy."

The CAMY analysis also found that:

In 2001, youth ages 12 to 20 who saw alcohol advertising on television viewed an average of 217 alcohol product advertisements and 11 "responsibility" advertisements on television. By 2005, they saw an average of 309 alcohol product advertisements and 21 "responsibility" advertisements.
Only 8 of 109 alcohol companies that bought television advertising time ran "responsibility" ads on television from 2001 to 2005 (and 6 of 56 in 2005). All the other companies ran product advertisements only.
More alcohol brands aired "responsibility" advertisements in 2005 than in any prior year. Of the 174 brands that placed product advertising on television in 2005 at a total cost of $1 billion, 19 brands sponsored "responsibility" advertisements on television at a total cost of $28 million.
"Responsibility" advertising spending varied widely among companies who ran such ads. Of the 8 companies that ran "responsibility" ads, Diageo plc invested the most in these advertisements over the 2001-2005 period, both in terms of dollars spent (nearly $66 million) and percentage of advertising dollars (18% over the five-year period). Over the same period, Anheuser-Busch Companies spent the second largest dollar amount (almost $20 million) on "responsibility" ads. This constituted about 1% of A-B's television advertising budget for the period.

Alcohol is the drug most widely used by America's young people ages 12 to 20, and underage drinking is responsible for 5,000 deaths per year in this age group, according to the U.S. Surgeon General.

In 2006, the Sober Truth on Preventing Underage Drinking Act (STOP Act) was signed into law and authorized $1 million for a national media campaign on underage drinking. It also requires the Department of Health and Human Services to report annually to Congress on underage drinking, including the rate of exposure of youth to advertising and other media messages encouraging and discouraging alcohol use. The STOP Act, however, is only authorizing legislation, and Congress is considering this year whether it will fund these activities.

"Our findings clearly show that the alcohol industry's efforts to fight underage drinking through television advertising are never going to match its product advertising," said Jernigan. "We need a substantial national commitment if we expect our children to get a balanced message from television."

About the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth The Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth at Georgetown University monitors the marketing practices of the alcohol industry to focus attention and action on industry practices that jeopardize the health and safety of America's youth. The Center is supported by grants from The Pew Charitable

Trusts and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. More information on the Center and a full text of this report can be found at http://www.camy.org.

TEENAGE VIOLENCE
Teenage Violence Linked To Later Domestic Violence
Researchers tracing the development of violent behavior have found a link between teenage violence and domestic violence
June 26, 2007
ScienceDaily.com, University of Washington

Adolescents who engaged in violent behavior at a relatively steady rate through their teenage years and those whose violence began in their mid teens and increased over the years are significantly more likely to engage in domestic violence in their mid 20s than other young adults, according to a new University of Washington study.

"Most people think youth violence and domestic violence are separate problems, but this study shows that they are intertwined," said Todd Herrenkohl, lead author of the study and a UW associate professor of social work.

The study also found no independent link between an individual's use of alcohol or drugs and committing domestic violence. In addition it showed that nearly twice as many women as men said they perpetrated domestic violence in the past year including kicking, biting or punching their partner, threatening to hit or throw something at their partner, and pushing, grabbing or shoving their partner.

Data from the study came from the on-going Seattle Social Development Project which has been tracing youth development and the social and antisocial behavior of more than 800 participants. It began when they were in the fifth grade and continues to follow them into adulthood.

That project earlier showed four patterns of youth violence taken by teens between the ages of 13 and 18.

Non-offenders, the largest group (60 percent), did not engage in violent behavior in adolescence.
Desisters (15 percent) engaged in violence early on but stopped by age 16.
Chronic offenders (16 percent) began violent behavior early and it persisted at a moderate level up to age 18.
Late increasers (9 percent) became involved with violence in mid adolescence with the behavior increasing up to age 18.

The new study found that individuals from the last two groups were significantly more likely than non-offenders to have committed moderately severe forms of domestic violence when they were 24 years old. At that age, nearly 650 of the original students had a partner and about 19 percent of them, or 117 individuals, reported having committed domestic violence in the past year.

The finding that a perpetrator's use of alcohol is not significantly related to domestic violence was somewhat surprising since other studies have shown such an association. The reasons for this are unclear, according to Herrenkohl, who speculated such a relationship may have shown up if more severe forms of domestic violence, such as those requiring hospitalization had been measured.

The study also showed a number of personal characteristics, partner characteristics and neighborhood conditions that increased an individual's chances of being involved in domestic violence as a young adult. Being diagnosed with a major episode of depression or receiving welfare were significantly related to committing domestic violence, as were having a partner who used drugs heavily, sold drugs, had a history of violence toward others, had an arrest record or was unemployed.

Disorganized neighborhoods where attitudes toward drug sales and violence were favorable also increased a person's likelihood of committing domestic violence.

"Individuals who have a history of anti-social behavior may be more likely to find a partner with a similar history and re-create what they experienced as children. They may also be more likely to be in places in their communities where they interact with people with the same types of behavior," said Herrenkohl.

"The take-home message from this study is that it may be possible to prevent some forms of domestic violence by acting early to address youth violence. Our research suggests the earlier we begin prevention programs the better, because youth violence appears to be a precursor to other problems including domestic violence."

Co-authors of the study were Rick Kosterman, a research scientist; W. Alex Mason, a research analyst; and J. David Hawkins, professor of social work. All are affiliated with the UW's Social Development Research Group. The paper appears in the current issue of the journal Violence and Victims and the research was funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institute on Mental Health.

ILLINOIS
Teens caught in bullies' Web
Online Abuse | One in three teens has faced threats, name-calling, rumors, study says
June 28, 2007
By Art Golab and Barrett Newell

It's a lot easier than tripping someone in the school hallway or shoving them on the playground.

Nowadays, all it takes to be a bully is a keyboard, computer and Internet hookup, according to a new study.

Nearly one in three teenagers who use the Internet say they have been harassed online, according to a report released Wednesday by the Pew Internet & American Life Project.

The harassment ranged from e-mailed threats of violence and mere name-calling to the spreading of nasty rumors and posting of embarrassing pictures.

"In some cases what we heard was that adolescent cruelty had simply moved from the school yard, the locker room, the bathroom wall and the phone onto the Internet," study author Amanda Lenhart wrote.

It's happened to Joe Carlos, 19, of Chicago.

"I was talking to a friend online, on MySpace and her boyfriend had her password to her MySpace account" and eavesdropped on the exchange, Carlos said.

So the boyfriend e-mailed him a message from the girl's account, stating: "Stop talking to my girlfriend or I'll kick your ass," Carlos said.

Online bullying is even more attractive to bullies because they can do it secretly.

"It's easier to have muscles online," said Carlos, a Northern Illinois University student.

And bullying on the Net can cause even more damage than old-style bullying.

Teen girls targeted more

"I think there's a greater potential for emotional harm from cyberbullying because it occurs 24-7 and the audience is much wider," said Nancy Willard, executive director of the Oregon-based Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use.

"Online communications tend to be even more vicious and uncontrolled, and it's all occurring outside the view of adults," said Willard, author of the book Cyberbullying and Cyberthreats.

Willard has heard reports of students so traumatized by what has been posted about them online that "they are unwilling or unable to go to school."

It can get worse. Willard knows of two suicides in her area, and news reports tell of a 15-year-old Florida boy who committed suicide in 2005 after a cyberbully spread rumors he was gay.

According to the study, a telephone poll of more than 900 kids ages 12 through 17, girls are more likely to be the cyberbullying targets than boys, by 38 percent to 26 percent.

Bullies also zero in on teens with their own Web sites or who are active on social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook.

In Illinois, pending legislation would allow schools to discipline students who threaten teachers or other students online, even if the threats are made off campus.

OHIO
Ohio bill would ban teens from using tanning beds
Zanesvilletimesrecorder.com

Teenagers would be banned from using commercial tanning beds without a doctor's permission under an Ohio legislative proposal that resembles others simmering across the country.

Citing a rise in skin cancer cases across the nation, California passed a law in 2004 that bans children under age 14 from using tanning booths without a doctor's prescription. At least 25 other states and four counties now similarly regulate the use of tanning facilities by minors, according to the nonpartisan National Conference of State Legislatures.

The Ohio bill would prohibit anyone younger than 18 from using a commercial tanning bed without a doctor's prescription for ultraviolet radiation treatments.

However, Dr. Louis Barich, a Hamilton dermatologist who helped persuade the bill's sponsor to make the proposal, said the only medical use for ultraviolet radiation is in the treatment of one form of psoriasis. Other treatment options are less dangerous, he has never written such a prescription in his 40 years in practice, he said.

Ohio law currently requires minors to have parental permission before using a tanning bed.

"I don't believe parents are educated to the fact of how dangerous these tanning rays can be to a young child," said Rep. Courtney Combs, a Hamilton Republican who sponsored the proposal. "Surely to God, if you knew that, you wouldn't allow your child to go into a tanning bed."

According to the legislative conference, 15 states introduced bills on this topic this year and, as of May, three have become law.

Barich said people get 80 percent of their damaging exposure to ultraviolet radiation before the age of 18.

"People who don't go to tanning beds are not as likely to develop a skin cancer," he said.

But the chairman of the committee hearing the bill, Rep. Tom Brinkman Jr., a Cincinnati Republican, dislikes the proposal.

"I'm kind of for freedom," he said. "If you're going to ban this, should we ban tattoos and piercings?"

Robert Quinn, president of Tan Pro USA, which operates 13 salons in the Columbus area and 30 in Ohio, said if you consider the intensity of the noon sun in Phoenix, there is no difference between indoor and outdoor tanning.

Although people under 18 make up less than 10 percent of his business, Quinn said the bill "would absolutely have an impact on us."

The Ohio State Board of Cosmetology regulates tanning parlor safety, hygiene and sanitation. Director Kevin Miller said there has been just one age-related violation since March 2005.

Inspectors check tanning salon log-in sheets to verify customer ages and that minors have provided signed parental permission.

Combs argues that the current parental requirement is not well enforced.

"If a teenager gets an older sibling to come in with them, a lot of times they don't even ask them to sign," he said. "It's kind of a wink and a nod."

The proposed ban goes too far, said Stephanie Geldis, 18, who works at a pool in suburban Columbus.

"If you have your parents' permission, they should allow you to do it," said Geldis, who started going to tanning salons when she was about 16, often before major events such as spring break or the prom. "It's your own body. It's your own choice."

Her mom, Debbie Geldis, also said the bill is inappropriate.

"I'm generally not a fan of tanning in a booth," she said, "but I still think that it should be a personal choice.”

CONGRESS
Summer of Service: A New Rite of Passage for Young Teens
June 20, 2007
By Shirley Sagawa, Americanprogress.org

The beginning of summer vacation across the country brings delight to teenagers, especially those young teens who are graduating from middle school and looking forward to high school in the fall, alongside collective groans from their parents. As any parent who’s been through the rollercoaster years of middle school can attest, young teens increasingly exhibit spots of grown-up behavior—some good, some not so good.

The summer months between middle school and high school can be a particularly testing time when children are redefining themselves and in the process making decisions that may well determine who they will be as adults, for better or worse. For working parents, too, these next several months are a particular challenge. Their kids are too young for paid jobs and too old to be “babysat.”

Economically well-off families can afford a host of summer camps offering learning opportunities from language immersion to lacrosse. But in too many communities, offerings for older youth are limited and prices steep, making summer a time of particular peril.

Congress is examining one way to fill this void. Legislation sponsored by Sens. Christopher Dodd (D-CT) and Thad Cochran (R-MI), and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), would support community efforts to engage young teens in intensive service as a “rite of passage” during the summer before high school. This legislation would amend the National and Community Service Act, which may be reauthorized this year.

In the 15 years since its enactment, national service has grown from a demonstration program to a large-scale system engaging more than 75,000 Americans a year in substantial service in exchange for an AmeriCorps education award. A less well-known program, Learn and Serve America, pays for “service-learning” for K-12 and college students, helping them connect their academic studies to real world applications through service.

These two programs lay the groundwork for a new “stream” of community service—summer learning for students in the middle grades. Imagine if every student spent the summer before high school serving full-time in his or her community. Research shows that service-learning promotes positive youth development like few other programs can, motivating students to achieve and teaching personal, social, and civic responsibility. By making the summer service experience a “rite of passage” for young people in transition to high school, whole communities could be transformed.

Unfortunately, research also shows that the young people who need this sort of experience the most are also the least likely to be engaged. According to the Corporation for National and Community Service, disadvantaged teens are far less likely to volunteer than their peers from more advantaged backgrounds, by a 43 percent-to-59 percent margin. However, those disadvantaged youth who do serve hold more positive civic attitudes, discussing politics, believing that they can make a difference, and planning to go to college at higher rates than their low-income peers who do not volunteer.

Using AmeriCorps members and college students to lead the younger students in service offers the dual benefit of keeping costs reasonable and offering positive role models. Programs such as Citizen Schools in 16 cities across the country and City Year, an AmeriCorps program, have used this model effectively to expanded service for middle school students during out-of-school time. The Dodd-Cochran-DeLauro bill encourages this staffing model.

Middle-schoolers who perform a “summer of service” under the bill would also earn a $500 scholarship. At a time in life when students and their families need to begin thinking about college, this feature would positively brand participating youth as college material—even those who never considered the possibility—and could set these students and their families on a course of saving for college.

Not only would students and their families benefit, communities would as well. Existing programs have mobilized middle-school students to manage recycling programs, educate the community about environmental hazards, and tutor younger children. In Manatee County, Fla., for example, more than 80 percent of the county’s 12- to 18-year-olds volunteer through ManaTEENS, started 10 years ago by a 12-year-old.

ManaTEENS has transformed the local community, particularly for the elderly population, which outnumbers youth by a factor of 12 to 1. Club members provide free house painting, provide emergency supplies, and conduct home safety assessments and improvements along with dozens of other projects, many initiated by the students themselves. One project, a Meals on Wheels for pets, was created when students realized that low-income seniors could not afford pet food and were sharing their own meals with their dogs and cats.

The ManaTEENs have become a vital resource in this hurricane-prone area. More than 300 ManaTEENs have Community Emergency Response Team certifications, having completed the necessary 100 hours of training, and they run the Volunteer Reception Center “when they’re not in school,” according to Adriane LaRoza, executive director of Volunteer Services of Manatee County. In the wake of 2004’s Hurricane Charley, which left 17,000 people homeless, the students interviewed, registered, and deployed more than 5,000 volunteers.

The kind of awareness, empowerment, and responsibility built through the ManaTEENS program could be exhibited by teens everywhere. For $100 million, we could provide 100,000 students a Summer of Service and $500 college scholarships, helping them to put their lives on a positive trajectory and become a vital resource for their communities. It’s time for all parents who’ve struggled with their kids through the summer months between middle school and high school to get behind congressional efforts to help these kids help themselves and their communities.

NORTH CAROLINA
What's an 'AWOL machine'?
June 29, 2007
By Rev. Mark H. Creech, webcommentary.com

While attending the annual convention of the American Council on Alcohol Problems (ACAP) in September of last year, Dan Ireland, president of that organization, came up to me and asked: "Mark, when are you folks in North Carolina going to do something about those AWOL machines being marketed out of Greensboro." My response was one of complete surprise, responding: "What's an AWOL machine?" That's when Ireland educated me about one of the newest and worst forms of alcohol abuse, I believe, ever known to man.

AWOL stands for "Alcohol Without Liquid" -- a device consisting of an oxygen generator and a hand-held vaporizer into which the user pours his or her favorite alcoholic beverage. The device produces a mist of alcohol inhaled through the mouth, allowing the alcohol to enter the bloodstream through the lungs and traveling straight to the brain. Many medical experts say the machines, marketed as "the ultimate party toy," produce a quick and intense high off alcohol.

Some have gone so far as to say AWOL is to drinking what smoking crack is to snorting cocaine. Teresa A. Barton, interim executive director of the Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy, said the devices have "no purpose other than to get you drunk."

AWOL, invented by British entrepreneur Dominic Simler, was introduced in the United States in 2004 by Greensboro-based Spirit Partners, Inc., who owns the sole rights to marketing the machines in America. Spirit Partners president, attorney Kevin Morse, contends the idea that AWOL gives its users an instant buzz is a myth. Yet Simler, the machine's inventor, says the vapor produces an instant "high."

That's confirmed in a report by DRAM (Drinking Report for Addiction Medicine) which argues that when a person uses AWOL, the alcohol vapor bypasses the consumer's stomach and liver. The liver's function is to break down harmful substances like alcohol; but with AWOL, the liver doesn't filter the alcohol absorbed through blood vessels in the lungs. DRAM contends "inhaling as a route of administration usually permits psychoactive drugs to cross the blood brain barrier most rapidly compared to other routes of administration. Similarly, the subjective effect of inhaling is that of a more potent drug experience."

When considering what the medical community has to say about AWOL, the health dangers involved are incredibly frightening. Michael Silver, a specialist in pulmonary and critical care at Chicago's Rush University Medical Center, examined AWOL in 2005 and discussed its dangers with the Philadelphia Inquirer. "Alcohol is a potentially toxic substance when applied directly to living tissue," he said. Unlike the stomach, "which can take a huge amount of insult, your lungs aren't built for that."

The further danger is that once the alcohol is inside the lungs, the body has no way to quickly force the toxin out. Unlike drinking too many drinks, which may induce vomiting, with AWOL the body can't fight back. In short, "there is no throwing up from the lungs," said Richard Dalby, a professor at the University Of Maryland School Of Pharmacy.

Dalby contends little is known about the effects of alcohol on the lungs and that inhaling such substances could bring bacteria and mold into the lungs and cause anything from food allergies to anaphylactic shock and death.

Certainly, the scariest aspect of AWOL is its appeal to youth. Today more than a third of young people begin drinking by eighth grade, and five-million high school students binge drink at lease once a month. Two out of five college students are binge drinkers; approximately 1,700 college students die every year due to an alcohol-related incident.

Susan K. McComas, a delegate to the Maryland Legislature, has no doubt that AWOL is being aimed at youth. The mother of four boys drafted anti-AWOL legislation after finding a flyer advertising the machine on her car while she was parked at a community college.

Laurie Dudgeon, executive director of Kentucky's Office of Drug Control Policy, is also convinced that AWOL is attractive to underage users. "It's something that can be passed at parties," she told WAVE 3 reporter Janelle MacDonald. "It's going to have a certain lure that's going to appeal to children and youth that may not appeal to an adult." [2] Indeed, for many youth in today's party atmosphere, the concept of "huffing" alcohol would be just a new way to get high.

Armed with these facts, when the North Carolina General Assembly convened in January, I took this matter before lawmakers and they agreed our state needed a ban on AWOL machines. Legislation was introduced by Senator Steve Goss (D-Watauga) and passed both the House and Senate by a unanimous vote. The bill was signed by Governor Mike Easley on June 27.

As of April 2007, alcohol vaporizing machines have been banned in 21 states. North Carolina makes 22. But North Carolina's law has a potential national impact in that it will make it illegal for Spirit Partners to continue to sell or possess the AWOL devices in the Tar Heel State. That means they'll have to give up the AWOL business or move to another state where it's not illegal. Although the former scenario is preferable, if I were a betting man I'd bet on the later.

Perhaps before reading this article, you asked, as I once did: "What's an AWOL machine?" Well, now you know. And if you live outside of North Carolina or the other 21 states where the devices are banned -- Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wyoming -- then the question to you is similar to the one that was put to me almost a year ago: "When are the folks in your state going to do something about those AWOL machines?"

DROPOUTS
Hinojosa introduces legislation to combat dropout crisis
June 29, 2007
Team4news.com

Congressman Rubén Hinojosa (D-TX), Chair of the Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness, today introduced the Graduation Promise Act, which would set aside $2.5 billion each year to reform America's "dropout factories" - an estimated 2,000 high schools where a high percentage of students never graduate.

Currently, almost one-third of America's high school students, about 1.2 million every year, fail to finish in four years. The situation for minority students is even worse: Only about 55 percent of African-American students and 52 percent of Hispanic students graduate on time, compared to 78 percent of white students. In fact, only half of African-American students and 60 percent of Latino students-compared to 89 percent of white students-attend high schools in which graduation is the norm.

"One of the most distressing aspects of our education system is the slow disappearance of students-especially African-American and Hispanic youth-from our nation's public schools," said Hinojosa. "If we are to remain competitive in today's global economy, we must do more to ensure that every student graduates prepared for the 21st century workplace."

Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA), an original co-sponsor of the bill and senior member of the House Education and Labor Committee, commented: "I commend Rep. Hinojosa for introducing the Graduation Promise Act to address the needs of our low-performing schools. Now, more than ever, a high school diploma is essential for success in college and the workplace. "The Graduation Promise Act is a comprehensive bill that will target resources in an effective way to help solve America's dropout crisis."

For decades, federal funding has largely been spent on grades Pre-K through six and on higher education. Dramatically less has been allocated to middle and high school. Graduation Promise Act aims to reverse that trend by authorizing a $2.4 billion High School Improvement and Dropout Reduction Fund to support states' efforts to identify and reform high schools with low graduation rates.

The legislation also authorizes $60 million in competitive grants for the development and implementation of effective models to help struggling students and dropouts. Another $40 million in competitive grants will go toward supporting states' efforts to achieve the goal of college and career-ready graduation for all students.

"The time is right to make certain that the needs of our country's high school students are no longer ignored," said Hinojosa. "By improving America's lowest performing schools, this legislation will help move the nation from ‘no child left behind' to ‘every child a graduate.'"

TENNESSEE
Experts say Sunday's cigarette tax hike will produce flurry of benefits
June 30, 2007
By Nevin Batiwalla

Smokers may grumble when they go to buy cigarettes and feel the burn of a tax hike that takes effect Sunday.

But that 42-cents-per-pack increase should keep some 33,700 Tennessee kids from starting to smoke, said Eric Lindblom, director of policy research at Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids in Washington, D.C.

And it could save 16,800 Tennesseans from smoking-caused deaths, he said.

Then there are the financial benefits: The estimated $200 million additional annual tax revenue will help ease the cost of Tennessee's health system, Lindblom said.

With fewer smokers the state should expect $809 million in long-term health care savings, because smokers cost the state $17,500 more on average than non-smokers, even though smokers don't live as long, he said.

The new revenue also will pay for a big chunk of the $588 million increase the legislature allocated to schools, plus $21 million in grants to farmers and $10 million a year for trauma-center hospitals like the Regional Medical Center at Memphis.

Wasim Maziak, with the Center for Community Health at the University of Memphis, said kids are less likely to start smoking if cigarettes cost more.

Studies show that for every 10 percent the tax goes up, youth smoking goes down by 6 percent and overall smoking goes down 4 percent.

He said the increase also will cause many younger smokers to quit because they are not as addicted as older smokers.

While the tax increase "got the ball rolling," Maziak said, legislation restricting smoking indoors in public and reducing exposure would reduce smoking among youths.

"If smoking should become isolated and out of the norm, young people are less likely to start because they are influenced by normative behaviors more than adults," Maziak said.

Gov. Phil Bredesen acknowledged during a recent Editorial Board meeting at The Commercial Appeal that the behavioral benefits of a bigger cigarette tax hadn't been discussed much during the recent legislative session.

"People hear tax and they start getting all sweaty," he said.

But he said the studies he had read led him to believe fewer young Tennesseans would smoke, deterred by the higher cost.

Opponents of the tax hike argue it disproportionately affects the poor. Lindblom said that is exactly the point.

"That's what's terrific. The poor are more likely to quit," he said. "Low-income smokers can't afford to get cessation assistance or over-the-counter products. An increase in tax reduces smoking much more powerfully for poor smokers than high-income smokers."

State Rep. Mike Kernell, D-Memphis, favored a tobacco tax hike, but he took issue with how the money was to be spent. Instead of paying for education, Kernell said, the money should be have been directed toward health care "because smokers should pay for the health-care problems they cause."

If the money had been allocated to TennCare, the federal government would have matched it two dollars for one, tripling it, Kernell said.

"We could have turned $200 million into $600 million. That would have had a great impact on health care," Kernell said.

Rep. Jim Coley, R-Bartlett, who taught in Memphis City Schools for 10 years and in Shelby County Schools for four, said reducing youth smoking was reason enough to support the bill. He supports the money going to schools.

"We don't have too many sources we can use to fund education," Coley said. "We can't afford to lose any more children."

At 20 cents per pack, Tennessee's tax ranked third lowest tax on tobacco. After the increase to 62 cents per pack, the state will move to 16th on that list.

Although the Tennessee tax will be below the $1.04 per pack national average, it will be the highest among tobacco-growing states, Lindblom said.

"I hope other tobacco states see what Tennessee has done and see all of the benefits Tennessee gets and follow Tennessee's lead," Lindblom said.

NEW YORK
Encouraging Young New Yorkers to Vote
June, 2007
By Andrea Senteno and Melissa Mohammed

As high school graduates begin their summer vacations, are they thinking about who they will vote for in the February 2008 presidential primaries – and indeed whether they will vote at all? If recent voting trends can serve as a guide, probably not.

Voter turnout among 18 to 24 year olds has been on the decline nationally since the voting age was lowered from 21 to 18 in 1971. And voter turnout among young people in New York is not much different. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in the 2004 presidential election, 49 percent of youth in the state voted, compared with approximately 60 percent of New York’s whole population. By way of comparison, in 1972, 61 percent of 18 to 24 years olds turned out at the polls.

And these trends are even more dismal in non-presidential election years. According to research by the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning & Engagement, in the 2002 midterm elections, only 21 percent of New Yorkers aged 18 to 29 voted, compared to a national voter turnout of 49 percent and total voter turnout in New York State of approximately 44 percent.

To reverse the trend of declining voter turnout, legislation has passed both nationally and at the local level to encourage more young voters to register to vote. “Voting is the keystone to our democracy and it is imperative that we send the right message to our children,” said Councilmember Eric Gioia, a lead sponsor of a 2004 bill to increase youth voter registration.

But declining voter turnout rates leave one to wonder if in fact this message is being broadcast loud enough.

Graduate – and Register

In 2004, Gioia introduced the Young Adult Voter Registration Act requiring, in part, that the New York City Department of Education provide voter registration forms to all public school graduates when they receive their diplomas. The bill unanimously passed the City Council and Mayor Michael Bloomberg signed it into law in July 2004.

According to the Department of Education and Future Voters of America, a non-profit organization that works to empower youth, registration forms are sent to graduates in their graduation packets, yet it is not apparent how many students fill them out and send them in. The forms are not specifically coded for tracking when submitted to the Board of Education, making it difficult to gauge how many high school graduates register to vote as a result of the effort. But a survey by Future Voters found that most students do not complete the forms.

“In many ways the kids seem to sense that the forms they get in their diplomas don’t have a lot of meaning because they aren’t educated about voting,” says Future Voters of America associate executive director Diane Gravicz. She suggests that in the excitement of graduation most recipients toss out the material. “Civics has been pulled from school curriculum and they don’t realize that this piece of paper is the key to their empowerment,” she said.

At that time the “Young Adult Voter Registration Act” was being debated in the Committee on Education, a coalition of groups, including the Black Youth Vote, Brennan Center for Justice, Citizens Union, Common Cause/NY, New York Public Interest Research Group and People For the American Way supported the bill but argued that distributing voter registration forms at graduation would not be enough to reverse the trend of declining voter turnout. They pushed for additional measures, including distribution of voter registration forms earlier in the year, perhaps on primary election day; and more discussions of civics in classrooms to inspire young people to be more civically active. Currently, these programs have not been implemented in the schools.

Registering Colleges Students

Among the state’s colleges and universities, attempts to increase voter registration on campus have not fared any better. New York State legislation implementing the 1993 National Voter Registration Act (Motor-Voter Act) requires that all public colleges make voter registration forms available to all of their students. Earlier this month New York State Senator Jeffrey Klein released a report, “Youth At the Polls: A Survey the Effectiveness of Voter Registration at New York Colleges,” on these efforts and found that many colleges and universities in New York fail to make registration materials accessible. The report’s findings show that only 8 percent of the City University, State University and private schools surveyed provided every student with a voter registration form either in the mail or in orientation packets.

“Voter registration is an issue of increasing importance as the country head into the 2008 election cycle,” Klein said. “Our young people are our greatest asset and if we don’t make a serious effort to teach them the value of their vote by making it as simple as possible to participate in our democracy, then we have disenfranchised them from their birthright as citizens of the United States of America.”

Klein’s report made a number of recommendations to improve current law and ensure that all young adults in New York receive a voter registration form when they become eligible to vote. His recommendations included passing legislation that would require the Board of Elections to mail voter registration forms to all eligible voters in New York State when they turn 18, and allowing people to register (but not vote) in advance – when they are 17. In addition, the report recommends ways to ease the process of registration by allowing eligible voters to register online and arranging free postage for voter registration forms.

Lowering the Voting Age

On a national scale, efforts like Rock the Vote, Choose or Loose and Declare Yourself all participate in a growing campaign to engage and educate young voters. A number of non-profit organizations around the city have been pushing for civics education in schools as well as a greater awareness among young people about exercising their political rights and being an educated and active citizen. Some advocates say that targeting young voters early is one of the most effective ways to create a vibrant democracy.

“All of the research shows that we build citizens during the developmental years of high school because most kids are still home and they are attached to the teachers,” said Gravicz.

To accomplish this, some advocate lowering the voting age in New York City municipal elections to 16 years old. Councilmember Gale Brewer was introduced a bill to this effect in 2006. Coupled with comprehensive civics education, proponents believe this may be a more effective way to increase young voter participation as it engages voters at an even earlier age.

Turning Out in 2008

Graduating seniors who turn 18 before February 5 will have their first opportunity to vote for presidents in the 2008 primary. (Hint, hint, click here to register to vote). And with New York’s primary date moved up to February 5 each vote in New York will be much more important than it has been in past primaries — or so the theory behind the recent change of date goes.

While voter registration laws are important to ensuring that voters are able to access the polls and vote in upcoming elections, they provide no guarantee that voters will turn out on Election Day. Perhaps the opportunity to help decide who the next president will be provides incentive enough. We’ll have to wait and see.

VERMONT
One third of Vermont youth drop out of work force
June 27, 2007
By Susan Allen, timesargus.com

Roughly one-third of Vermont's youth are "drifters," young people who are making it through high school but without the skills or training to go to college or into a profession that pays a decent wage.

That was the word Tuesday from William Stenger, president of Jay Peak Resort and chairman of The Next Generation Commission. He was speaking to members of the Central Vermont Workforce Investment Board, outlining the findings of the commission.

One-third of high school students go to college, Stenger said. One third move into solid jobs. But one-third fall though the cracks and end up on the public dime.

"They are probably in the unemployment line this morning," Stenger told the gathering of board members, who represent business, education and service interests. The drifters might be receiving welfare checks or even sitting in a jail cell, he added.

Reaching those youth early and effectively – giving them the job training or education to stay in Vermont and fill any number of good-paying, open positions – is critical, Stenger said.

"We need to look at the big picture – Vermont is in a global economy," agreed Allen "Chip" Evans, executive director of the Vermont Human Resources Investment Council. "A high school diploma is no longer enough."

Evans said Vermonters traditionally earn between 83 percent and 86 percent of the national wage. Workers here should be earning 100 percent of that wage, he said.

"The opportunity is there if we choose to take it," Evans said.

The Central Vermont Workforce Investment Board invited Stenger and others to discuss the challenges facing employers and businesses in Vermont, as well as the problems too many young people must overcome to secure the education and training to fill the best jobs.

The Next Generation Commission was charged by Gov. James Douglas and the Legislature with that task, essentially given the job of deciding the best use of $12 million in state funds to provide the college scholarships and job training to ensure young people stay and work in Vermont.

Any discussion about scholarships "could have been a short conversation. That's a pretty easy task," Stenger told the group. Reaching the drifters is the harder and more important challenge.

Rep. Michele Kupersmith, D-South Burlington, who introduced the New Generation legislation at the Statehouse earlier this year, said employers have the jobs, but Vermont lacks the trained workforce to take those positions. At the same time, one-third of the state's high school graduates who could fill those spots are instead leaving school without the training and unable to fill the posts.

Kupersmith said the situation is aggravated by a demographic shift – working-aged Vermonters moving out of the state – that is real and worsening. The New Generation work outlined the services needed to help college-bound liberal arts students, students seeking job training, older workers who are transitioning into new careers and others.

"It serves the drifters," she said.

Vermont Labor Commissioner Patricia Moulton Powden agreed that the workforce is dwindling.

She said the state has restructured existing training programs and created new ones to ensure specific programs result in a job placement; create internships for high school and college students; expand funding for adult technical education; provide exposure to job options to students in grades seven through 12; and target programs for youth at risk of dropping out of high school.

She said the state programs also balance the needs of the college-bound with the challenges of those seeking workforce training.

"It has to be about lifting the drifters," the commissioner agreed.

Vermont is not isolated in facing this problem. "The challenges we have in Vermont are not confined to Vermont," Stenger said.

But it is imperative that this state move forward now to tackle the problem and reverse the demographic trend, he said, adding that all Vermonters should support the goals and become cheerleaders for the state's businesses and workforce.

"In a state with 600,000 people, a small community, we need to act as a community of supporters," Stenger said.

VIRGINIA
Phone law is the talk of teens
Starting Sunday, young drivers can face fines for chatting on their cellphones at the wheel.
June 29, 2007
By Erinn Hutkin, Roanoke.com

She can't help it. Every time she drives, Jasmine Noel talks on her cellphone and sends text messages.

The 17-year-old Roanoker tries keeping it to a minimum, mostly just talking to her mom ... or her boyfriend ... or her dad.

She's not bored, just practicing a phrase invented by workaholics before her: "multi-tasking."

Some people, she explained, don't know how to do that. Jasmine does not consider herself one of those people, calling herself a "very cautious driver."

"Who doesn't do it?" she said. "You got a cellphone, you're going to use it."

But starting Sunday, the temptation to drive and dial could leave teens such as Jasmine with a ticket.

Virginia will join 13 other states and the District of Columbia in banning drivers younger than 18 from using cellphones. That means no talking, no texting and no taking pictures. Even no hands-free devices.

Because the ban is a secondary offense, officers can't pull over teens just for being on the phone. But if a teen is stopped for something else -- speeding, for instance -- the teen can also be fined for the phone.

Convictions can cost up to $250. A second offense can lead to a license being suspended for up to six months.

Those who favor the ban feel it has potential to save lives. And while Roanoke Valley teens agree the idea is well-meaning, many feel it's unfair to target a certain age group. Even chitchatting adults, they say, can get distracted while driving.

Because the law is a secondary offense, many young adults also wonder if the ban will have much impact on teens' phone habits.

"I think people would be more scared if it was a first offense," said Taylor Ferguson, a 16-year-old enrolled in driver's education this summer. "A second offense is pretty intense, too. You got to watch what you're doing."

Meanwhile, teens such as Jessica Hannon, a 17-year-old Patrick Henry High School graduate, say the law should apply to everyone.

"It doesn't matter your age," said Jessica, who makes calls when she's stopped at a red light but doesn't text because her mother won't pay for the service. "You can be any age and get in a wreck because you are on the phone."

Yet on the road, statistics say teens are most at risk. According to AAA, car crashes are the leading cause of death among 16- to 19-year-olds. The age group's per-mile fatality rate is four times that of adults.

Research also shows teens and phones can be dangerous. A 2005 study by two University of Utah professors concluded that talking while driving turned the average 20-year-old's response time into that of a 70-year-old. Ford Motor Co. research says teens are four times more distracted than adult drivers while using cellphones.

Virginia's new law was introduced by state Sen. Jay O'Brien, R-Fairfax County. For three years, he tried pushing the ban through the General Assembly before the bill overwhelmingly passed both chambers, 86-10 in the House and 36-3 in the Senate (members of the Western Virginia delegation in the minority were Dels. Morgan Griffith, R-Salem, Onzlee Ware, D-Roanoke, Terry Kilgore, R-Scott County, and Sens. Charles Hawkins, R-Chatham, and William Wampler, R-Bristol).

O'Brien, the father of four teenagers, said the ban is "even more compelling now" because text messaging has created another distraction for tech-savvy teens.

The phone ban is the latest in a list of regulations for the state's young drivers, who carry provisional licenses until age 18. In Virginia, provisional license holders may not drive between midnight and 4 a.m.; or for the first year, have more than one passenger younger than 18. As for the phone ban, the only exception is during emergencies.

Those who fought for the law, such as Martha Meade, manager of public and government affairs for AAA Mid-Atlantic, said the ban is not aimed at ticketing countless teens, but rather, providing a deterrent. She says the law will give parents oomph when warning kids not to use the phone.

"We know that distracted driving is a serious problem," she said. "Why would we give them keys to a car ... and then allow them to talk on a phone or text message?"

Paul Barnard is also in favor of the law. As a driver education teacher for 35 years at Roanoke County's William Byrd High, he knows how teens act on the road. Even without phones, there are distractions -- fellow teenagers in the car, food, sodas, the radio.

The problem with the law, he predicts, will be enforcement.

"You've got a law, but you can't enforce it unless you're doing something else," he said.

However, some teens already police the phone. Kathlyn Sowers, who just got her license at age 17, said answering text messages in the car is tempting, but too scary. She's even nervous when riding with friends who text. Not long ago, while traveling home from a North Carolina beach, her friend behind the wheel kept texting people in Roanoke, letting them know where they were on unfamiliar stretches of highway.

"I was like, 'Um, maybe you shouldn't be texting right now,' " Kathlyn told her friend.

As a solution, Kathlyn was handed the phone while the driver dictated messages.

Because talking and texting is as ingrained in their lives as reality TV and iPods, Kathlyn doubts the law will change many teens' behavior.

But young drivers such as 17-year-old Natalie Blanton of Roanoke are willing to try.

"I'll probably wait till I'm stopped at a light now to call them back," she said before pausing, then giggling. "We'll see."

ILLINOIS
New laws target truants, uninsured motorists
June 29, 2007
Chicagotribune.com

Two new laws affecting Illinois motorists will take effect Sunday.

The first cracks down on drivers who don't have insurance. Under the law, motorists convicted of driving without insurance will lose their driver's license and license plates for three months. If another offense occurs within that three-month period, a motorist's license and plates will be suspended for six months. Under current law, only the driver's license is suspended.

Motorists convicted of driving without insurance will be required to pay a $100 fee to reinstate their driver's license and a $100 fee to reinstate their license plates.

The second new law would cancel or deny driving privileges, including instruction permits, to students under the age of 18 who are certified by their school districts as dropouts or chronic or habitual truants. To become eligible to drive again, the teenager's school district must notify the secretary of state when the student has re-enrolled or has resumed regular attendance.