National Alcohol Screening Day

Take a minute and take the test...

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, nearly 14 million people in the United States - 1 in every 13 adults abused alcohol or are alcohol-dependent.  Rates of alcohol problems are highest among young adults 18 - 29 and lowest among adults 65 years and older.  People with alcohol problems often answer "yes" to one or more of the following questions:

1. Have you ever felt that you should cut down on your drinking?
2. Have people annoyed you by criticizing your drinking?
3. Have you ever felt bad or guilty about your drinking?
4. Have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or to get rid of a hangover?

If you answered "yes" to one or more of the above questions, chances are you may have a serious alcohol problem.  Researchers use the term "alcohol problems" to refer to any type of condition caused by drinking which harms the drinker directly, jeopardizes the drinker's well-being, or places others at risk.  Depending on the circumstances, alcohol problems can result from even moderate drinking, for example when driving, during pregnancy, or when taking certain medicines.  Alcohol problems exist on a continuum of severity ranging from occasional binge drinking to alcohol abuse or dependence (alcoholism).  A diagnosis of an alcohol problem can only be determined after a full examination by a health professional.  April 8, 2004 is National Alcohol Screening Day (NASD).  NASD is designed to raise public awareness about the consequences of at-risk drinking and alcohol's effect on general health.  NASD events include a written screening questionnaire using a valid, reliable screening instrument and an opportunity for participants to meet with a health professional.  Thousands of locations across the nation will hold alcohol-screening events.  To find a site near you to log on to:

http://www.mentalhealthscreening.org/locator/NASDmap.htm

For additional information visit the following websites:

• http://www.nationalalcoholscreeningday.org/alcohol.asp
• National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

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MADD News for YOU!!!!

As of September 1, 2003 the only membership requirement is a completed application. Individual members can submit an application online at www.madd.org or with a paper application through the mail or in person.  Or, you can e-mail the Central Maryland (Anne Arundel County and Prince George's County) office at  madd.centralmd@verizon.net and express your interest in becoming a member.   You will be contacted and signed up.  Who can be a member?  A member is any person who subscribes to the purposes and policies of MADD and supports the mission of the organization:  to stop drunk driving, to support the victims of this violent crime and to prevent underage drinking.   Be pro-active and join today so we can make a difference tomorrow.

Perhaps they are not the stars, but rather openings in heaven where the love of our lost ones pours through and shines down upon us to let us know they are happy.  ~inspired by an Eskimo Legend               

  MADD Memorial Grove

MADD Memorial Grove was created in 2000 with the assistance of the Maryland Department of Transportation - State Highway Administration, the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission - Prince George's County Department of Parks and Recreation, Nationwide Insurance - the Mitchellville Nationwide office, and Hillcrest Memorial Gardens in Annapolis, MD.

The MADD Memorial Grove is located at the Glenn Dale Community Center in Glenn Dale, Maryland.  The grove is directly between  the B&A Recreation Trail and the Splash Pool.  The grove currently has 36 Sycamore trees that were planted in memory of victims of drunk driving. 

On October 15, 2000 the MADD Memorial Grove was officially dedicated.  Over 160 people witnessed the ceremony.  Eight congregations (Mt. Calvary Catholic Church in District Heights, Church of the Great Commission in Camp Springs, Henson Valley Christian Church in Ft. Washington, Unity Presbyterian Church in Temple Hills, University Christian Church in Hyattsville, First Baptist Church of Camp Springs in Camp Springs, First Baptist Church of Glenarden in Landover, and the Riverdale Presbyterian Church in Hyattsville) had youth groups that participated. Not only did the teens help plant the trees, but they also helped to tie photographs of victims to the tree branches with red ribbons.

There is a gray granite memorial marker that lists names of victims - injured and killed by drunk driving. 

The grove is a work in progress.  The Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission works with MADD Central Maryland and will assist in the planting of future trees into the grove. 

If you are interested in having a name added to the plaque or a tree planted, please contact the MADD Central Maryland office at 410-268-7900 via e-mail at madd.centralmd@verizon.net.

  So off they went together.  But wherever they go, and whatever happens to them on the way, in that enchanted place in the top of the Forest, a little boy and his Bear will always be playing.    ~ A.A. Milne