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2015 National Survey on Drug Use & Health

On September 9, 2016, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) released the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), detailing the state of substance use and mental disorders in the nation.

This national report summarizes key findings for indicators of substance use and mental health among people aged 12 years old or older in the civilian, non-institutionalized population of the United States. Results are provided for the overall category of individuals aged 12 or older as well as by age subgroups. Trends continue to be presented for estimates that are assumed to have remained comparable with those in earlier years (e.g., marijuana and heroin use trends for 2002 to 2015 and mental health trends typically for 2008 to 2015).

Click here to view the full report from SAMHSA.

Support Gateway When You Shop Online at Amazon Smile

Amazon Smile

Summer vacations. Birthdays. Anniversaries. Family Reunions. Back to School.

Whatever the reason may be for shopping online this summer, you can support Gateway when you make a purchase at Amazon Smile.

When you shop at Amazon Smile, Amazon will make a donation to our organization. That’s right! You can generate donations for your favorite charity—Gateway Community Services. When you shop, Amazon gives. It’s that simple!

To choose Gateway as your charity of choice, use the following link to be directed to Amazon Smile in support of our organization: https://smile.amazon.com/ch/59-1881828.

Thank you for supporting Gateway.

Happy Shopping!

Gateway Launches $7 Million Capital Campaign

Gateway has unveiled phase one of its $7 million capital campaign. Plans to raise $3.6 million for phase one of the campaign were announced in February during a groundbreaking ceremony held at its Stockton Street campus. This is the first time the organization has launched a capital campaign.

Phase one involves construction of a new 12,850-square-foot Outpatient Clinic, which will house counselors and case management offices, medication-assisted treatment as well as group meeting rooms. Administrative offices at Gateway’s Stockton Street location will relocate to the second floor of the new outpatient building, thus freeing up 40 additional rooms for transitional housing for patients. Construction of the new building will provide valuable space to Gateway patients with nowhere to go after treatment and enable the organization to greatly increase its services throughout Northeast Florida. Phase one will also involve complete renovation of 108 rooms at the Stockton Street campus.

The Florida Times-Union recently published an article about the capital campaign and what it means for the Jacksonville community. To read the full article visit, http://bit.ly/1XQZQtk.

National Child Abuse Prevention Month

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. This month and throughout the year, Gateway encourages all individuals and organizations to play a role in making Northeast Florida a better place for children and families. By ensuring that parents have the knowledge, skills and resources they need to care for their children, we can help prevent child abuse and neglect by making meaningful connections with children, youth and families in our communities.

Research shows that protective factors are present in healthy families. Promoting these factors is among the most effective ways to reduce the risk of child abuse and neglect. They are:

  • Nurturing and attachment
  • Knowledge of parenting and of child and youth development
  • Parental resilience
  • Social connections
  • Concrete supports for parents
  • Social and emotional competence of children

Gateway is showing its support for our nation’s children by displaying blue pinwheels – the national symbol for the great childhoods all children deserve because our children are our future.

In support of these efforts, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Children’s Bureau, Office on Child Abuse and Neglect, its Child Welfare Information Gateway, the FRIENDS National Center for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention and over 30 National Prevention Partners have created 2016 Prevention Resource Guide: Building Community, Building Hope. The resource guide, designed for service providers who work throughout the community to strengthen families, is available online at https://childwelfare.com/topics/preventing/preventionmonth/resource-guide/
Throughout the month of April, celebrate the lives you touch and those who have touched yours by honoring them with a pinwheel.

 

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E-Cigs: What Do We Know

Do a search online for facts regarding the negative and positive attributes of e-cigarettes and regular tobacco cigarettes. Depending on the website, you can find varying information. Given that there are billions upon billions of dollars associated with the sale of cigarettes, the tobacco industry has spent equally as much over the last 50 years or so, defending the benign qualities of cigarettes, initially, and then continued marketing even after the dangers were common household discussions. If electronic cigarettes become a popular substitute for traditional cigarettes, that industry could potentially become very lucrative as well. It is always advisable to do extensive research when seeking information on any topic but, one should always take into account the motive, if any, of the information provider. In doing research for this article, we were mindful of our efforts in obtaining information from sources that do not have a monetary stake in the argument or an emotional one.
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Good News!!!

Tobacco kills, no matter if it’s in a cigarette, a cigar, a snuff can or a roll-your-own. The “Good News”— About 6% of adolescents age 12 to 17 smoked cigarettes in 2012-2013, down from nearly 13% in 2002-2003, according to a new report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). This is a significant decrease and is good news to say the least. These encouraging statistics apply to 49 out of 50 states and the District of Columbia. The only state that did not experience a statistically significant decline is Utah, which has traditionally shown the lowest levels of underage cigarette smoking in the nation. During this period, Utah experienced a slight decline from about 6.6 percent in 2003 to 5.4 percent in 2013.
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National Survey on Drug Use and Health

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) is an annual nationwide survey involving interviews with approximately 70,000 randomly selected individuals aged 12 and older. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), which funds NSDUH, is an agency of the U.S. Public Health Service in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).
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Palcohol—Powdered Alcohol

Mark Phillips, a successful entrepreneur and avid outdoorsman, is the creator of a product called Palcohol, a powdered alcohol product that mixes with water to produce an alcohol drink. Palcohol is sold in small packets and equals about one shot of alcohol. According to Palcohol’s official website, the powder was created because Phillips wanted a drink after a long day of hiking or camping, but hated carrying bottles with him.
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