Colorado Launches “Don’t Be a Lab Rat” Youth Marijuana Education Campaign

Colorado Launches “Don’t Be a Lab Rat” Youth Marijuana Education Campaign

Campaign aims to increase awareness among youth ages 12-15 of risks
associated with underage marijuana use

                                                                                                     

Grand Junction-Stocker Stadium– The State of Colorado, has launched a new public education campaign – “Don’t Be a Lab Rat” – targeting youth ages 12-15 with the goal of increasing their awareness of the risks associated with underage marijuana use.

The statewide campaign was funded primarily by grants from the State Attorney General’s Office and a handful of civic-minded organizations, including the Anschutz Foundation and the El Pomar Foundation. The campaign was 

developed by Denver-based Sukle Advertising & Design (Sukle) in conjunction with all of the partners and in consultation with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE).

The campaign uses the theme “Don’t Be a Lab Rat” to illustrate to kids that if they choose to use marijuana, they are consuming a substance that has effects on teens’ developing brains that are not yet fully understood, and that by doing so they essentially volunteer as the subjects of research about those effects.

“While much still needs to be learned about the effect marijuana has on the brain, enough information is available to cause concern in terms of the negative effects marijuana can have on the developing brains of teenagers,” said Dr. Larry Wolk, CDPHE’s executive director and chief medical officer. “The core premise of the ‘Don’t Be a Lab Rat’ campaign acknowledges that more research is necessary, but it also poses the question of whether or not teens should risk the potential negative effects of using marijuana.”

Specific components of the campaign include:

• Experiential “Lab Rat Cage” installations in high-foot-traffic areas with messages communicating the potential damage marijuana has on a teen’s brain and the notion that Colorado’s youth are the test subjects for continued observation
• A microsite (www.dontbealabrat.com) serving as a quick resource providing links
  to related articles and research and including easy share functionality to social
  media pages
• Advertising in movie theaters
• Installation of a “Lab Rat Cage,”
• Commercials on YouTube targeted to Colorado teens

“From the most recent Healthy Kids Colorado Survey, we know that the percentage of high school kids who think using marijuana poses risks to their health has gone down, which has raised the concern of health experts who worry the normalization of marijuana in Colorado could lead more kids to try it,” said Governor John Hickenlooper. “We have a civic and public health obligation to do everything we can to make our children aware that there are risks for teens when they use marijuana. This campaign is designed to grab the attention of teens and their parents, and provide them with the facts to have an informed discussion and make informed choices.”

“We want to ensure this new industry is making a safe contribution to our city, and that means educating our young people about the possible effects on their development,” said Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock. “In the way that tobacco prevention campaigns have resulted in decreased use, our goal is to have a similar impact on teen marijuana use in Denver and across Colorado.”

In developing the campaign, Sukle conducted in-depth qualitative research with more than 100 people – youth and experts – across the state. This included 46 teens ranging in age from 12-20, and included a representative mix of gender, ethnicity and socio-economic backgrounds. Sukle also conducted one-on-one interviews with treatment and youth prevention experts, and engaged in careful study of existing research on marijuana’s effects on the developing brain in consultation with CDPHE.

This research revealed that kids and teens are concerned about the possible harmful effects of marijuana on their brains, that they are responsive to facts and honest information about the risks of marijuana use, and that they prefer to have this information so they can be empowered to make informed decisions about marijuana. These findings became the basis for the theme and structure of the campaign. The 12-15 age group was targeted because they were found to be the most persuadable in terms of shaping their attitudes about marijuana. The goal is therefore to reach this age group with accurate information before they are introduced to marijuana by others.

STATEMENT & Foster/Kinship Care Policy - White

The following is an official statement in regards to the ongoing investigation of Sydney Danielle White:

This is currently an open child welfare investigation. For that reason, until further notice the Mesa County Department of Human Services is unable to provide comment at the advice of the Mesa County District Attorney.

Any public information in regards to this incident is public information contained in the Arrest Affidavit on file with the Grand Junction Police Department.

Colorado Rules for Foster Care Homes 

Colorado State Rules for Certification for Foster Care and Kinship Waivers. Volume 7 Rules Regulating Kinship & Foster Care. 

Colorado State Department of Human Services 7.202.75 Assessment, Reporting, and Review of an Incident of Egregious Abuse or Neglect Against a Child, a Child Near Fatality, or a Child Fatality [Rev. eff. 3/2/13] 

Western Slope Caregivers & Respite Resource Fair

Respite for you=better care for your loved one

The Western Slope Caregiver & Respite Resource Fair will be held on Tuesday September 30, 2014 at the Mesa County Community Services Building 510 29 ½ Road, Grand Junction, Conference room 1060 from 4:00-7:00pm.

Statistics show most Americans will be informal caregivers at some point during their lives. During any given year, there are more than 44 million Americans (21% of the adult population) who provide unpaid care to an elderly or disabled person 18 years or older. In the United States informal caregivers provide 80 percent of the long-term care.

To help provide information on services and resources in Western Colorado, the Colorado Respite Coalition is hosting a Caregivers Resource Fair. This fair will offer resources for those caring for someone with special health needs of all ages. Whether you are a caregiver for a loved one or a healthcare agency, resources are available to lighten the load for those who serve children, youth or adults.

“People who take an active, problem-solving approach to caregiving issues are less likely to feel stressed than those who isolate themselves and never seek the resources available in Mesa County.” said Colleen Roahrig, Resource Fair Organizer “This Resource Fair will offer valuable tools to help family members, professionals and volunteers providing care to ailing individuals.” added Roahrig.

Western Slope Caregivers & Respite Resource Fair

Human Services Sends Welfare Fraud Case to DA for Prosecution

Mesa County, Co. — The Mesa County Department of Human Services (MCDHS) Fraud and Recovery Unit recently sent a suspected fraud case to the Mesa County District Attorney’s office totaling over $27,200. The suspected fraud occurred between September 2005 and April 2014.  Welfare Fraud investigators uncovered enough evidence to allege $19,509 in SNAP (aka Food Stamps), $2686 in Medicaid, $414 in LEAP (Low Income Energy Assistance), and $1263 in TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families) benefits had been fraudulently obtained during that time period.  The total restitution also includes over $3300 in administrative costs related to the investigation. Case number 2014 CR 0991.

Intentionally defrauding public assistance programs consists of falsely reporting information on an application including household composition, household resources or household income. Punishment includes repayment of benefits issued and may result in a 1-year to lifetime ban from receiving public assistance benefits and/or criminal prosecution.

“Knowingly providing false information on a public assistance application in order to receive benefits is a crime and it is something we take very seriously,” said Tracey Garchar, Executive Director for the Mesa County Department of Human Services.  “These benefits are in place for people who are eligible and genuinely need them in order to help provide basic needs for their family,” added Garchar.

If you or someone you know suspects welfare fraud, please call the Mesa County Department of Human Services Welfare Fraud Hotline at 256-2421.

Domestic Violence Assistance Available in Colorado

Domestic violence does not discriminate – people from any geographic location, ethnicity, race, age group, socioeconomic status, education level, country of origin, sexual orientation, or gender can experience abuse. Nearly 13 million people are physically abused, raped, or stalked by an intimate partner every year in the United States. In  Colorado, the Domestic Violence programs respond to nearly 70,000 calls for assistance each year, and serve more than 25,000 survivors of domestic violence and their dependents annually. Coloradans can call 1-800-799-7233 for domestic violence advice and counsel. Call-takers can all make referrals referrals for local victim services and shelter. For more information, visit our website at http://www.colorado.gov/cdhs/dvp.

EVENTS FOR WORKERS AND EMPLOYERS TO HIGHLIGHT WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT MONTH

Mesa County Workforce Center to Hold Job Fair Boot Camp

Governor John Hickenlooper has declared September as Workforce Development Month in Colorado. During the next few weeks, state and county run employment offices called Workforce Centers will partner with the Department of Labor and Employment to spotlight a variety of services and resources available to the state’s 2.7 million men and women in the state’s labor force and the 170,000 Colorado businesses that hire them. Workforce Development Month began modestly in 2004 with a handful of events.  Today, ten years later, the annual series of events has grown to include a wide array of workshops, open houses, hiring events, employer seminars and online features. For Workforce Development Month 2014, the Mesa County Workforce Center, in collaboration with the Western Colorado Human Resources Association and the Department of Labor and Employment’s Veterans Unit at the Mesa County Workforce Center is presenting the Job Fair Boot Camp on September 24. During the day, four workshops will be led by Human Resource Professionals within the Mesa County community.  Each workshop will teach you: Determining what you want your resume to convey; Learning how to refine your resume to reflect appropriate skills and language; Understanding what an employer wants to see; and What you need to know about the application process from submission to interview to job offer. Each session is 20 minutes with a 10 minute question & answer period.  The Job Fair Boot Camp will help prepare job seekers for the big Job Fest Job Fair on September 30. A skilled workforce is a key to business performance and supporting Colorado’s competitive advantage and Workforce Development Month focuses Colorado on building that workforce.  In his proclamation, Governor Hickenlooper notes that “breaking down the barriers that keep people from following their dreams and reaching their goals is critically important if Colorado is to remain economically robust and globally competitive.”  Workforce Development Month is a time to begin focusing on those dreams. Other Mesa County Workforce Development Events in September  -Customer Appreciation Hot Dog Day Sept 10th -Anti-discrimination Workshop September 16th 7:30 to 9:30 -Governor's Summer Job Hunt Celebration Lunch Sept 16th 11:30am -Job Fair Boot Camp Sept 24th 2-4pm, workshops designed to  prepared job seekers for the job fair -Jobfest Job fair Sept 30th 8-9 exclusive to vets, 9 to 2 open to all