The Director of the Office of National Drug
Control, Gil Kerlikowske, issued a clear position statement on the
legalization of marijuana for "medicinal use." Here's a paragraph from a
short release:
"Regarding state ballot initiatives concerning "medical" marijuana, I
believe that medical questions are best decided not by popular vote, but
by science. The Food and Drug Administration, which studies and approves
all medicines in the United States, has made very clear that the raw
marijuana plant is not medicine, and any state considering medical
marijuana should look very carefully at what has happened in
California."
Marijuana Going Mainstream in Arts, Some
Communities Drug references are
blossoming in popular culture and marijuana use has become increasingly
mainstream in urban areas like Los Angeles, the
Los Angeles Times
reported Aug. 30.
Click here
The Minnetonka City Council recently adopted a social host ordinance,
which became effective June 26, 2009.The purpose of the
ordinance is to discourage underage consumption of alcoholic beverages
by making the host of an underage drinking party criminally responsible.
A violation of the ordinance is a misdemeanor.
Click here
School success requires parent involvement By Kathleen Olson,
Extension Educator, Family Relations
Your children are learning the most from you - by watching you, talking
to you and interacting with you. In many ways, parents are the most
important teachers children will have and it's important to support your
children's education both at school and at home.
Click here
E-Cigarettes Subject of FDA Warning
WASHINGTON, July 23 -- Electronic cigarettes, which are often made to
look like real cigarettes, contain carcinogens such as diethylene glycol
-- used in antifreeze -- and nitrosamines, FDA lab tests have revealed.
Click here
Minnetonka City Council Passes Social Host Ordinance
The Minnetonka City Council voted to approve a social host ordinance.
Click here to see the Fox 9 News Coverage regarding the ordinance’s
passage.
Drying up underage parties
By David Schueller of Lakeshore Weekly News.
Click here
What is the Social Host
Ordinance and how does it affect parents?
Tonka CARES began a community dialogue about the Social Host Ordinance
by learning from other cities. Municipalities with experience in
enforcing this ordinance shared their perspective with local
policy-makers at our January 2009 Social Host Ordinance (SHO) policy
forum. There, we learned that in most cases to date, individuals charged
under a SHO were also charged with providing alcohol to minors. Before,
if there was not sufficient evidence to prove that they provided the
alcohol, there was no way to hold these adults accountable. The cases
are often difficult to prove in court. So enactment of the ordinance has
provided accountability where otherwise, there would have been none. We
also know from local survey data that most underage drinkers are not
supplied or hosted by parents, but by young adults. Most people cited
under this ordinance so far have been between 18 and 25.
Passage of this ordinance in Minnetonka provides support to the majority
of parents and young people in our community who do not engage in or
enable underage drinking.
It also sends a clear message of accountability to those who might
consider hosting underage drinkers. Underage drinking risks the health
and lives of youth. The SHO is a way for our city to be clear that it
expects its adult residents to support youth activities that are safe,
healthy and legal. Ultimately, this is a positive statement about the
value we place on supporting the development of each young person to
their full potential.
The new City of Minnetonka Social Host Ordinance goes into effect June
30, 2009.
