Burlington's Alcohol Free Weekend Kicks Off Tonight

Come to the Town Commons this evening for a celebration of healthy, alcohol-free living.

Letter: Drug & Alcohol Task Force on Issuing Beer/Wine License to Convenient Store

The co-chairs of the task force have voted to support a resolution opposing the Board of Selectmen's decision to grant a beer and wine liquor license to Carli Convenience Plus.

The following is a letter from the Burlington Drug & Alcohol Task Force: The Burlington Drug and Alcohol Task Force has voted to support a resolution opposing the recent decision by Burlington’s Board of Selectmen at their March 25 meeting to grant a liquor license for beer and wine sales to Carli’s Convenience Store and Gas Station.  The Task Force believes that in granting a liquor license to a convenience store, the Board of Selectmen is setting a troubling precedent.  Over the ten years that the Town of Burlington has been conducting alcohol compliance checks on local package stores and restaurants, it has become clear that the business of controlling access to alcohol for minors can be very challenging.  The package store owners and …

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Prevention Connection: Prevention Requires a Community-Wide Effort

A column on how a community working together can better fight the influence of drugs and alcohol.

The following is a guest column by Marilyn G. Belmonte of the Burlington Drug & Alcohol Task Force: The Burlington Drug & Alcohol Task Force was originally established in 1982 in response to then Governor Ed King’s pledge to reduce underage drinking and teen drug use.  After creating the Governor’s Alliance Against Drugs, he encouraged communities in the Commonwealth to created their own groups to work on the problem at the grassroots level.  Burlington became the first town to form a prevention coalition to deal with teen substance abuse.  What are community coalitions? Community coalitions are comprised of parents, youth, school professionals, law enforcement, businesses, religious leaders, health providers and other agency leaders who …

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Marijuana on the Ballot -- Raising Healthy Teens vs. Legalization

The Burlington Drug & Alcohol Task Force is holding an informational forum on marijuana use among youths and the ballot question on Tuesday, Oct. 9.

The following is a guest column by Marilyn G. Belmonte of the Burlington Drug & Alcohol Task Force: Massachusetts’ youth smoke marijuana at a rate 30% higher than the national average. Now there is a big question on the horizon that may cause the number of Massachusetts teen marijuana smokers to rise.  Ballot question 3 is stated as follows: “A yes vote would enact the proposed law eliminating state criminal and civil penalties related to the medical use of marijuana, allowing patients meeting certain conditions to obtain marijuana produced and distributed by new state-regulated centers or, in specific hardship cases, to grow marijuana for their own use.” We all agree that sick and suffering patients need compassionate care.  But there is …

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Are 'Bath Salts' a Problem in Burlington?

Burlington Police Sgt. Timothy McDonough said heroin is more of a problem in town.

You've heard the news reports of drugs turning people into flesh-eating "zombies." But could this happen in Woburn? Last month, the nation was horrified by reports that 31-year-old Rudy Eugene of North Miami Beach had stripped his clothing, attacked a homeless man and began gnawing on the man's face. Police shot and killed Eugene when officers ordered him to stop and the Florida man reportedly growled at officers, with pieces of flesh in his mouth, and continued eating the homeless man's face. What turned Rudy Eugene into a naked flesh-eater is believed to be a drug called "bath salts," according to The Huffington Post. Bath salts are a mixture of chemicals that cause users to experience hallucinations, delusions, psychotic behavior and …

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Prevention Connection: Should We Consider Marijuana to be a Medicine?

A 2009 study states 35.2% of Massachusetts 12th grade students use marijuana regularly compared to the national average of 24.6% of 12 grade students.

The following is a guest column by Marilyn G. Belmonte of the Burlington Drug & Alcohol Task Force: Nearly one in 10 teenagers smoke marijuana at least 20 times a month, according to the Partnership at Drugfree.org.  The Partnership Attitude Tracking Study, released in late April, showed that past-month use of marijuana rose from 19 percent in 2008, to 27 percent last year in 2011. Since Massachusetts decriminalized marijuana in 2008, our state has seen a rise in youth marijuana rates.  According to the 2009 Massachusetts Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 35.2% of our 12th grade students use marijuana regularly compared to the national average of 24.6% of 12 grade students. Why are we seeing this rise in teen marijuana use?  Surveys show that …

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Prevention Connection: Alcohol-Free Weekend Kicks Off With Fun on the Commons

Marilyn Belmonte of the Burlington Drug & Alcohol Task Force is inviting the community to participate in this year's Alcohol-Free Weekend, which begins with a fun gathering on the Town Commons.

The following is a guest column by Marilyn G. Belmonte of the Burlington Drug & Alcohol Task Force: The Burlington Drug & Alcohol Task Force would like to invite the community to help us celebrate our 30th anniversary reducing underage drinking and youth drug abuse. This year’s “Alcohol-Free Weekend” kickoff ceremony will be held on the Burlington Common on Friday April 27, 2012 from 5-7pm.  Free pizza and beverages will be served.  Musical entertainment will be provided by Fab4Ever, retired police chief Fran Hart’s band. Bring chairs or a blanket and enjoy the music! During Alcohol-Free Weekend, we ask adults in our community to pledge to stay alcohol-free for one weekend just before proms and graduation.  By making this pledge, we send …

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Prevention Connection: Celebrating 30 Years of Prevention

Marilyn Belmonte of the Burlington Drug & Alcohol Task Force invites readers to celebrate the force's 30th Anniversary.

The following is a guest column by Marilyn G. Belmonte of the Burlington Drug & Alcohol Task Force: The Burlington Drug & Alcohol Task Force would like to invite the community to help us celebrate our 30th anniversary reducing underage drinking and youth drug abuse. The Burlington Drug and Alcohol Task Force was formed in 1982 in response to former Governor Ed King’s request for community support concerning legislation to combat the problem of drunk driving.  Concerned citizens and professionals in Burlington formed the first local volunteer prevention group of its kind in Massachusetts.  This spring’s events begin with the “Alcohol-Free Weekend” kickoff ceremony on the Burlington Common on Frida,y April 27, 2012 from 5 to 7 p.m.  Each …

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Prevention Connection: Is Your Teen Driving High?

Marilyn Belmonte of the Burlington Drug & Alcohol Task Force takes a look at rising marijuana use among young drivers.

The following is a guest column by Marilyn G. Belmonte of the Burlington Drug & Alcohol Task Force: According to a recent study reported in USA Today, nearly one in five of teens say they have driven a car after smoking marijuana. The national study of 2,300 11th- and 12th-graders was completed by Students Against Destructive Decision (SADD) and showed that more and more teens do not see driving while high on marijuana as a problem.  Although drinking and driving has dropped because teens understand the harm of alcohol on driving safely, teens do not understand how marijuana impairs safe driving. According to a study done by the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA), marijuana causes more fatal and non-fatal car …

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Guest Column: The Question of Allowing Your Teenager to Drink at Home

Marilyn Belmonte of the Burlington Drug & Alcohol Task Force shares advice for parents when decided on home alcohol consumption among teens.

The following is a guest column by Marilyn G. Belmonte of the Burlington Drug & Alcohol Task Force: Recently, a parent attending one of my substance abuse prevention workshops in a nearby community asked my opinion on allowing her 17 year-old daughter to drink alcohol at home.  The mother stated that she was very concerned about her daughter going off to college and becoming very intoxicated for the first time without any parent supervision.  The mother hoped that under her watchful eyes, her daughter would learn that alcohol consumption in large quantities can make her very sick.  Perhaps she could even teach her daughter to drink responsibly.  Then when her daughter is a college freshman, she will not participate in typical binge …

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