So as promised here is the first recap of our Holiday Tips, with a little bit of extended thoughts and insight around staying safe this holiday season.

1) Holiday Tip #1: During the holiday season, always make sure to have plenty of non-alcoholic drinks available to your guests.

It is always good to have options, and to give your guests the ability to have a drink without alcohol. With holiday parties coming up any day, we all begin traveling more and more to see friends and family. During this festive time (and all other times as well), it is important to make healthy decisions around drinking, and drinking and driving.

2) Holiday Tip #2: Parents, talk with your children and set clear guidelines and expectations around drinking. You have more influence on your child then you might think.

It is shown that consistent expectations, clear boundaries, and regular conversation does set it, and makes a big difference. Even if you think your teen is ignoring you, tuning you out, and otherwise unwilling to listen…the message is still getting through. Make sure that you know your teens plans, they know your rules, and that everyone has a safe, happy, and healthy holiday season!

3) Holiday Tip #3: Always serve plenty of food at a party, when you plan on having alcohol available.

We are not against alcohol at DanversCARES, we just want you to make healthy and informed decisions. If you are going to serve alcohol at your holiday party (or any time) make sure that you offer your guests plenty of food and snacks. Eating before drinking helps your body process alcohol, and having food options at a party will often reduce the rate your guests will drink.

Have a safe, healthy and happy thanksgiving, and we will see you next week!

…Thanksgiving is only a week away!

After you are done giving thanks, eating turkey, and gorging yourself on your favorite side dishes and deserts, we all go headlong into the “Holiday Season”.  With this transition from the warm shades of fall, into the snow covered depictions of winter in New England, we all feel a bit festive, and tend to spend more time with friends and family.  During this festive time, we often find ourselves being offered a variety of “Holiday Cheer”.  This holiday season we have decided to reach out to you, and offer up a variety of “Tips” to help you navigate the season, enjoy your time with friends and family, and keep you and your family safe.

If you want to follow along with our holiday “tips”, like our page on facebook, and follow along.  In addition to our daily “tips” on facebook, we will be posting a weekly recap on the blog every Friday between now and January!

Enjoy the holidays, have fun, and stay safe!

As the summer approaches the weather gets nicer, we spend more time outside, and there are more and more reasons to celebrate.

Just this past weekend we celebrated Memorial Day, and many of you, myself included, probably attended a cook-out or party.  With high school graduations, the fourth of July, and a host of other celebrations coming up, we would like to remind you of a couple of things you can do to send a positive message to our youth.

1) Do not allow youth to drink. I know this one is simple and to the point.  That said, it is just a reminder that you are in control, and responsible for setting limits at your home.

2) Don’t make it easy for youth to access alcohol. We often don’t think anything of putting out a cooler full of beer for our guests at a cookout or outdoor party.  As responsible as your children and their friends may be, it is always better to not provide them with the temptation.  Keep alcohol within your sight, and monitor it throughout the party.

3)     Know where your children are going and check in with them. If your children know that you are checking in on them, and are calling ahead to find out the supervision level of their activity, they are less likely to engage in risky behavior.

Just a reminder that Holiday weekends see a 11-15% increase in emergency room visits related to underage drinking.  Lets do our part in preventing this from happening in Danvers, and setting a positive example for our youth.

Have a great happy, healthy, and safe summer!  We hope to see you in the community!

We are excited to announce that The Generations Project has finished filming, and we are editing like crazy!

For those of you who have not heard, we have been working with a group of students from Holten-Richmond Middle School, and a group of senior citizens from Danvers, MA for the last 4 months.  The project met every Monday afternoon, and was an opportunity for the two groups to interview each other, tell stories, and share insights.

The original goal of The Generations Project was to have the participants interview each other on societies views, as well as personal experiences with drugs, alcohol and tobacco during their teenage years, and throughout their lives.  During the four months that we spent with each other, this did occur.  In addition to the interviews, stories were shared, life lessons were learned, friendships formed, and memories were documented.

On May 17th, 2010 we will be sharing this experience with Danvers at The Danvers Council on Aging. The first screening of this documentary will be for participants, family, friends, and the community.  After sharing this project locally, it is our goal to share this project with the world.  We are currently submitting The Generations Project to many film festivals, and are working with organizations nation wide to have this project reach as many communities as possible.

All of our generations have a story to tell, a message to share, and room to learn.

We were just lucky enough to be able to capture a small piece of the story here in Danvers.

We hope to see you soon,

Jason

Tuesday, 15 December 2009 11:10 Sarah Mart

An attractive female beams her message across the opening page: “Wanna go home with me tonight?” No surprise here: Budweiser is using sex to sell its latest public relations campaign, the “Budweiser Designated Driver.” Anheuser-Busch InBev (the global giant owner of Budweiser) has taken the old adage “sex sells” to heart, featuring beautiful people who drink too much, and do so often, as they tell us over and over in the campaign’s ad.

Among the many things wrong with this campaign, here are a few that rise to the top of the ridiculous list:

1. Despite listing “DD” on two web page tabs, Budweiser’s campaign does not define what a DD is. Before saying “that’s crazy, everyone knows that a designated driver is someone who has not ingested any alcohol”–check out the options at urbandictionary.com. DD also means “designated drunk.” “Designated driver” also means someone who is the least drunk out of a group of friends—not a driver who is actually sober.
2. Actors in the ads also use the words “fun,” “awesome,” and “safe” to describe going home from a party or bar with a DD when they were drunk. Equating being drunk with a fun and safe activity is simply false. Many perpetrators of sexual violence seek out potential victims who are drinking and are too drunk to resist their attackers.
3. The actors also repeat the idea that they needed someone else to drive them home, spreading the message that they commonly drink enough alcohol that they know they can’t drive a car. This cements the idea that dangerous drinking is common and acceptable into the public psyche.
4. Another of the 30-second Budweiser ads makes fun of a police officer conducting a sobriety test.
5. The final frame of the ads say “Thank you” above a Budweiser logo. Is the audience supposed to thank Anheuser-Busch InBev for frequent dangerous drinking, potential alcohol-related violence, drunken or unwanted sex, or mocking police officers enforcing alcohol-related laws?

A quick click on the About Bud DD link takes you to a statement about how Budweiser has spent more than $750 million dollars over three decades “to implement dozens of community-based programs and national ad campaigns to promote responsibility and the use of designated drivers.” That might seem like a lot of money over 30 years, with an average of $25 million per year. Until one realizes that Anheuser-Busch InBev recently announced its very successful third quarter (for 2009 alone), with profits that doubled to more than $1.55 billion from $690 million a year ago.

Let’s compare $750 million over 30 years ($25 million per year) to $1.55 billion in three quarters of a year.

Now let’s imagine the real impact Anheuser-Busch InBev could have if they actually want to decrease alcohol-related harm from their products, and put that same amount of money into prevention strategies that work.

Imagine you’re a college student studying in your school’s library when a woman approaches holding a clipboard. She says if you’ll complete a short survey about technology – how you use computers, cell phones, iPods, etc. – she’ll give you five dollars. You make a quick calculation (a tall latte and a muffin for very little effort), and follow her to a study hall where about a hundred other students are gathering.

You complete the questionnaire and receive an envelope containing five singles. As you pocket the cash, you notice the envelope also contains a letter from Save the Children asking you to donate some of the money to help fight hunger in Africa. The solicitation contains statistics about food shortages in Malawi, lack of rain in Zambia, and the dislocation of millions in Angola. You make another calculation (skip the muffin) and drop a couple of bucks in a donation box conveniently located near the exit.

Outside the study hall you run into a friend who’s just completed the same survey. “Did you give your money to Rokia, too?” he asks. When you look at him quizzically, he shows you the letter that was in his envelope. It’s also from Save the Children, but instead of using numbers to make the case for a donation, the letter tells a story:

“Rokia, a 7-year-old girl from Mali, Africa, is desperately poor and faces a threat of severe hunger or even starvation. Her life will be changed for the better as a result of your financial gift. With your support, and the support of other caring sponsors, Save the Children will work with Rokia’s family and other members of the community to help feed her, provide her with education, as well as basic medical care and hygiene education.”

Moved by this appeal, which includes a picture of Rokia, your friend has donated all five dollars. And as you look at the two letters side by side, you begin to realize that the research project you just participated in wasn’t really about technology after all.

Lesson One: A Story Beats Data
This experiment about “the identifiable victim effect” was conducted at Carnegie Mellon University in 2007 by Deborah Small, George Lowenstein and Paul Slovic. The reactions of the two students are fairly representative of the results. On average, students who received the fact-based appeal from Save the Children donated $1.14. Students who read the story about Rokia donated an average of $2.38, more than twice as much.

“When it comes to eliciting compassion,” Paul Slovic says, “the identified individual victim, with a face and a name, has no peer.” Put another way: people relate more to personal stories than to numbers, and when the numbers are particularly large (e.g., millions displaced and going hungry), we simply cannot relate and instead look the other way.

But what happens if you combine stories and data? Will this produce an even more persuasive argument, one that engages both the emotional and rational sides of the brain? Slovic and his colleagues tested this scenario as well, and the results may surprise you.

Lesson Two: A Story Beats a Story Plus Data

In a third experiment (that was part of the same study), students who completed the technology survey were given an envelope with five dollars and a different solicitation from Save the Children. This letter told Rokia’s story but also included statistics about persistent drought, shortfalls in crop production, and millions of Africans who were going hungry.

While students who had read Rokia’s story alone donated an average of $2.38, those who read the story plus the data donated an average of $1.43. Slovic attributes this nearly 40% fall-off to what he calls the “drop in the bucket” effect. When people read about Rokia, he explains, their emotions are engaged and they are inclined to give. But when they also read about the millions who are in distress, “the data sends a bad feeling that counteracts the warm glow from helping Rokia,” he says. People may still give, but they will give less.

Even with these results, Slovic adds, good causes may be able to combine stories with data to positive effect. If you tell a story about someone your organization has helped and then explain that she is just one among hundreds currently benefitting from your efforts, the supporting data may have a different impact. In this instance, says Slovic, the data “will indicate that [your] organization is trustworthy and effective. Donors care about that.” He is quick to add, however, that this is an assumption on his part that has not been confirmed by research.

“If I look at the mass I will never act,” said Mother Teresa. “If I look at the one, I will.” The research conducted by Slovic and his colleagues has the same message, one that is not without a measure of irony. If you truly want to persuade people, tell them a story. On this point, the data is clear.

About Us
“free-range thinking” is written by Andy Goodman and edited by Lori Matsumoto. To read back issues, download free publications, and to learn more about our work, please visit www.agoodmanonline.com and www.thegoodmancenter.com.

To reach Andy directly, please call (323) 464-3956 or send an email to andy@agoodmanonline.com.
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Los Angeles, CA  90004
323.464.3956

Despite the 70-degree days, the sunny skies and lack of snow on the ground, the holiday season is here, and is in full swing.  You may find yourself spending more time at the mall, watching holiday favorites with the family, and going to a list of holiday parties with friends, family and coworkers.  This is the season to be festive enjoy each other’s company, and give thanks to one another.

At DanversCARES we want to make sure that the season stays festive, enjoyable and safe.  In doing our part, we have created a list of suggestions to help keep your holidays safe and enjoyable.

•    If you are going to a holiday party, make sure you have a safe and sober ride home.  The holiday season has the highest rate of alcohol related car accidents, incidents and fatalities.
•    If you are hosting a holiday party make sure that you have plenty of non-alcoholic beverages available for your guests.
•    Do not make alcohol available to minors.  It may be the season of giving, but choose not to provide to youth.
•    Talk with your children this holiday season about drugs and alcohol; let them know how you feel, and set clear limits and boundaries.  Youth who have these conversations with there parents are twice as likely not to use drugs and alcohol.
•    Be a positive role model.  Set an example for your children and your community this holiday season by making responsible decisions around alcohol.

From all of us at DanversCARES, we wish you and your family a happy and safe holiday season.  We hope to see you all in the New Year, and can’t wait to see what we can do together!

Sincerely,

DanversCARES

DanversCARES is your local community coalition dedicated to making Danvers, MA an even better place to live.

We are a group of youth, parents, teachers, school administrators, local government, and community members from all walks of life.

It is our mission to bring together our community to assist all of our youth and their families in making informed healthy decisions, to reduce youth substance abuse, and to ensure a healthy future.

If you are interested in keeping Danvers the great community that it is, and making it an even healthier community in the future, stay tuned and come back regularly to see what we are up to.

My Best,

Jason Verhoosky
Community Liaison/Youth Program Coordinator