Gun Violence at Denver's 4/20 Rally

Denver has had several 4/20 celebrations but last weekend was their first since the passing of Amendment 64 and was also the first celebration wrought by gun violence. Amendment 64 supporters say incidents like this could curtail marijuana legalization.

Speculations that the gun violence was associated with the legalization of marijuana, the volume of people that attended the celebration or a product of local gang violence have been made. The attendance figures far exceeded those of previous years and the rally was scheduled to be a two day rather than one day event. Because there were larger crowds expected the police presence was larger. Prior to the rally, Denver police spokesman Sonny Jackson asserted, "Our biggest goal is to ensure everyone is safe in this environment…We'll have the necessary number of officers to ensure the safety of the public."

Unfortunately the public wasn’t safe, as bullets were fired into the crowed causing upwards of 80,000 people to flee into nearby streets. Fortunately, only two people sustained non-life threatening gunshot wounds and one was grazed by a bullet. Denver police released descriptions of the gunmen but haven’t made any arrests yet but may have identified one of the suspects and there is growing speculation that this was a gang related incident.

Advocates for marijuana legalization say the gun violence and the nature of the festival could damage legalization efforts by portraying a tainted public image of marijuana users. The dialogue around the 4/20 celebration rally and those who attend it is about “getting high” or the excessive use of marijuana, alcohol and other drugs. It is a place to party and binge on substances which is why, according to Joe Megysey the spokesman for the Amendment 64 campaign says these events give marijuana users a negative public image: “The vast majority of legitimate industry condemns these events, but most people watching television coverage of the event will see instead images of a 30-year-old stoner... rambling about how great pot is.” Megysey also predicts that these types of rallies will lose their appeal, saying, “As we move toward normalizing marijuana and as legalization moves forward, these kinds of rallies will become a thing of the past.”

While the rallies seem to encourage and celebrate the excessive use of marijuana they also don’t help with drug prevention either. Young adults and youth that attend these festivals are exposed to behaviors that they may think are "cool" to model. There have been various studies linking early use of substances like marijuana with the development of substance abuse disorders later in life. In light of this, hopefully Megysey’s prediction is right that these types of rallies will lose their appeal and the public doesn’t have to worry as much about exposure to marijuana abuse - or gun violence.

A Sober Bar is Opening in Chicago

In NYC there is a bar called The 13th Step where you can reportedly purchase drinks with AA sobriety chips. A bar opening at the end of April in Crystal Lake near Chicago is antithetical to The 13th Step, because it will support sobriety rather than mock it.

The Crystal Lake bar will be a sober bar, called The Other Side, started by a local non-profit group that will provide a healthy atmosphere for people both in and out of recovery who want a sober space to hang out in. For many people who don't drink, there are few sober spaces to hang out and not participating in the societal norm of drinking can be isolating.

This is especially true for young people in recovery in the suburbs of Chicago or for those who are just out of addiction rehab and need a supportive atmosphere. The Other Side will give the suburban sober community a place to hang out and share experiences. Housed in a warehouse loft space filled with couches, pool tables, TVs, a dance floor, a stage area for a band and a DJ - the only real difference between The Other Side and regular bar is that the drinks don’t have alcohol in them. People will even be carded at the door to make sure they are at least 18 and sober.

The warehouse where The Other Side will open has been used by people in recovery as a hangout spot for some time. At first, it just had a few folding chairs and a boom box, but as the volume of people hanging out in the warehouse grew, so did the idea for The Other Side. The local community and those in recovery banded together and made The Other Side - opening April 27th - possible. The sober bar will be open Thursday through Sunday evenings and the profits will go toward drug education and addiction treatment initiatives.

April is Alcohol Awareness Month

Alcohol Awareness Month, founded by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD) in 1987, occurs every April. Addiction treatment providers across the nation work to raise public awareness about alcoholism and to de-stigmatize it.

Although the stigma associated with alcoholism has improved since the 1980s, there is still much work to be done to reduce the negative public impression of what being “alcoholic” entails that discourages many from seeking the alcoholism treatment that they need. More than 8.5% of Americans over the age of 18 suffer from alcohol disorders and many have yet to seek addiction treatment.

Famous alcoholics like Betty Ford and movies depicting all walks of life suffering from alcohol abuse disorders have helped reduce the shame and dishonor associated with being an alcoholic. However, a lot more work needs to be done to help youth, middle aged and elderly alike to seek treatment. Some reasons of the reluctance in seeking help include losing professional stature, being shamed in one’s community or feeling socially alienated from friends or family who drink.

The theme of this year’s Alcohol Awareness Month is “Help for Today. Hope for Tomorrow” with a specific focus on how alcoholism and alcohol related problems impact young people and the children that compose our future. A total of 25% of children in the US are exposed to alcoholism in their families. Also, alcohol is the number one drug of choice for American youth, and is reported by NCADD to be more likely to kill young people than all illegal drugs combined.

Other statistics that shed light on the enormity of the problem of alcoholism among youth and young adults include:

• More than 6,500 youth under the age of 21 die each year from injuries related to alcohol.

• Over 1,700 college students in the US are killed each year because of alcohol related injuries.

• Everyday 7,000 kids in the US under the age of 16 take their first drink and those who take their first drink before the age of 15 are 4 times more likely to develop a drinking problem than those who wait until they are 20 to drink.

Alcohol Awareness Month is purposefully in April because it is a time when youth are often exposed to alcohol and peer pressure to drink. Social gatherings from prom to high school and college graduation often involve alcohol use and abuse. Thousands of organizations and addiction treatment providers will work to raise awareness and educate people about prevention and treatment of alcoholism while encouraging people to make smart choices when it comes to use of alcohol throughout the month of April.

Harmony Foundation addresses problem drinking among youth by offering an addiction treatment track for young adults who need rehab. For more information on our program that helps empower young adults to stay alcohol free, please click here.