HomeMy WebLinkAbout040825 - 2025 Spring Empowered Teens Coalition Newsletter 🌷ALERT: BE CAUTIOUS This email originated outside the organization. Do not open attachments or click on links if you are not expecting them.
Coalition and community news, event updates, legislature, and more!
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Spring 2025 Newsletter
Contents:
* What’s What with WA Prevention Legislature?- An Update on Current Prevention Legislature
* Prevention Pet- This quarter’s prevention pet is Yogi, Laura Tucker’s bulldog!
* Winter and Spring Event Updates- Dungeons and Dragons, Incredible Years, Outreach Events, and more!
* Coalition News- Compliance Checks, Guiding Good Choices, Med Take Back, and
an Update from Jefferson County Juvenile Services and The Benji Project
* Upcoming Spring Events and Trainings
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What’s What With WA State Prevention Legislature?
* HB 1203 and companion bill HB 1534, which would prohibit the sale of nicotine vape products with flavors or video games
* These bills are “dead” for the 2025 session because they failed to advance by committee deadlines, HOWEVER…
* Legislators have introduced new bills in the House and Senate that will be NTIB (Necessary To Implement the Budget) by combining the HB 1203 <https://google.us22.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3961
206950e6df0e4b4689479&id=2a8e915cb0&e=115415dce8> flavors bill with tobacco tax increases and some regulatory improvements from HB 1534 <https://google.us22.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3961206950e
6df0e4b4689479&id=70e77844b3&e=115415dce8> . These new flavors bills are now HB 2068 and SB 5803.
The outline of the new policy is:
* prohibit the sale of all flavored commercial tobacco products, with an implementation deadline pushed out to 2027;
* increase commercial tobacco taxes with an implementation date before the flavor ban;
* dedicate some of the new tax revenue to commercial tobacco prevention and cessation; and
* strengthen retailer regulations, including increasing retailer penalties, prohibiting the sale of alternative nicotine products to anyone under 21, and banning the sale of nicotine
analogue products.
* HB 1066, which would create a LCB Data Dashboard to track statewide usage of substances
* This bill has passed the House, and is now scheduled for a committee vote in the Senate
* HB 2033, HB 1416, and HB 1417 all increase taxes on nicotine products, tobacco and vape products, and create a carbon tax on cigarettes (respectively)
* These bills have had little action outside of hearings, however they are NTIB (Necessary to Implement the Budget) and will move forward if given support
You may search for more information and updates on these bills at any time by using this link <https://google.us22.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3961206950e6df0e4b4689479&id=dc006db8c1&e=115415dce8>
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Winter and Spring Event Updates
* The Empowered Teens Coalition tabled at the Jefferson County Connectivity Fair on March 7th and 8th!
* Holly Gumm, Port Townsend ETC Coalition Coordinator, helped to promote prevention among the many community members and organizations who attended this amazing event
* Port Townsend and Chimacum held Incredible Years series among parents of toddlers and preschool-aged children in March and April
* Both coalitions are looking at ways to build community capacity and support increased participation in future sessions
* Quilcene/Brinnon ETC has already led one rollicking campaign of Dungeons and Dragons among the youth of Quilcene and Brinnon, with another adventure already underway!
* All sessions have met or exceeded sign-up goals. Hooray for Dungeon Master Paul and Coalition Coordinators Holly and Mackenzie!
* All 3 Empowered Teens Coalition Strategic Plans have been submitted and approved by the WA State Healthcare Authority!
* Thank you for your contributions to this very lengthy and involved process. We appreciate you all!
* If you would like to see the approved strategic plans, please reach out to your local Coalition Coordinator
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Coalition News
* Compliance Checks
* Beginning in July, Chimacum ETC is hoping to partner with Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board to implement a campaign to reduce underage
substance purchases in the Chimacum/Port Hadlock areas
* The 2023 Healthy Youth Survey revealed that local substance retailers (alcohol, tobacco/vape, and cannabis) are selling to minors at a significantly higher rate than state average
* This campaign will include offering retailers stickers and signs to voluntarily display to increase awareness of underage substance retail laws and strengthen perceptions of local
enforcement, and random checks by investigative aides age 18-20 who will attempt to purchase substances using their underage ID. LCB officers will then inform the business of the check
and either provide a warning or congratulate the business on following underage retail laws.
* Here <https://google.us22.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3961206950e6df0e4b4689479&id=bfc1800c2f&e=115415dce8> is a link from the Liquor and Cannabis Board describing more about
compliance checks and how they differ from other forms of enforcement
* More questions, comments, concerns? Email Kara at kbillinger-hessom@co.jefferson.wa.us
* Guiding Good Choices
* The three Empowered Teens Coalitions are piloting a new condensed implementation of Guiding Good Choices beginning on April 15th. Instead of holding 1 session per week for 5 weeks,
sessions will be held 2 times per week for 2.5 weeks, to make sessions more accessible to local parents. Session dates are April 15, 17, 22, 24, and 29 from 6:00-7:00 PM.
* Please share the news about our upcoming session and encourage parents to sign up! Flyer PDF link is attached to the button below
* Would you like printed copies of our flyer? Please respond to this email or email any Coalition Coordinator, and we will provide as many as you need!
* Med Take Back
* Our second virtual Med Take Back campaign of this fiscal year will take place throughout April, as we once again publicize the many year-round, county-wide options for returning medications
safely.
* The flyer PDF link is attached to the button below
* Community Updates
* Juvenile Services: Jefferson County Juvenile Services is proud to be offering new services to families, including counseling, family preservation services, and more connections to
other community services with the court’s oversight
* They are now taking Referrals of Concern (ROC) and offering support without the court’s oversight.
* ETC member and Juvenile Services Probation Counselor, Meagan Ryan, shares “We contract with a counselor named Claire Chambers, and we also offer Family Preservation Services with
Patty Oden. Both providers are well liked. We can also offer self-control lessons, problem solving, goalsetting, etc. with one of our staff. These are all subject to availability. We
are offering counseling and FPS to our trancey youth as well, when they are at Community Engagement Board (CEB) level. We are able to pay for these through grant funding, so it’s subject
to that availability as well.”
* The Benji Project: The Benji Project is offering two exciting upcoming programs for Jefferson County youth!
* Mindful Self Compassion Spring Afterschool Program in Downtown Port Townsend
* Wednesdays, April 23-June 11 from 1:45-3:45pm for teens
* Mindfulness in Motion Summer Camps at Fort Townsend State Park
* July 28-August 1 for 11-14 years old
* August 12-16 for LGBTQ+ 12-16 years old
Click me for the Guiding Good Choices flyer PDF <https://google.us22.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3961206950e6df0e4b4689479&id=155fa407a5&e=115415dce8>
Click me for the Med Take Back Flyer <https://google.us22.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3961206950e6df0e4b4689479&id=5f48293744&e=115415dce8>
Upcoming Events and Trainings
* April 12th 11:00-3:00 PM WSU Extension is hosting a Shearing Festival at WSU Extension’s Twin Vista Ranch on Marrowstone Island
* More information and RSVP Here <https://google.us22.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3961206950e6df0e4b4689479&id=aea6595c63&e=115415dce8>
* April 15th 3:30 - 4:30 PM Quilcene/Brinnon Empowered Teens Coalition Meeting
* April 16th 3:30 - 4:30 PM Chimacum Empowered Teens Coalition Meeting
* April 21st 3:30 PM Understanding Youth Nicotine Addiction: Health Impacts & Cessation Resources/Strategies held by WA Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics
* RSVP Link: Here <https://google.us22.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3961206950e6df0e4b4689479&id=9e025d371f&e=115415dce8>
* April 22nd 3:30 - 4:30 PM Port Townsend Empowered Teens Coalition Meeting
* June 2nd-3rd 2025 WA State Harm Reduction Summit at Suquamish Clearwater Resort in Suquamish WA
* More information and registration Here <https://google.us22.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3961206950e6df0e4b4689479&id=b46edf15fe&e=115415dce8>
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<mailto:kbillinger-hessom@co.jefferson.wa.us>
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Empowered Teens Coalition · 615 Sheridan St · Port Townsend, WA 98368-2439 · USA
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