The Substance Use Prevention Partnership (SUPP), a coalition of health care providers, media, educators, parents, students and law enforcement, under the auspices of Healthy Lincoln County, is planning its second parent survey to identify changes in teen substance use over the course of the coalition’s existence.

Members said parents may get a phone call from the coalition during January and February. The results are anonymous, and no identifying information is asked for. Questions relate to parental attitudes about and teen use of alcohol and marijuana, as well as the age of teens in the home.

The new survey was deemed to be important, given the likely passage of Question One, the recreational marijuana referendum, now being recounted by the state, a process Secretary of State Matt Dunlap said may take several weeks. The measure won by over 4,000 votes statewide on Nov. 8. After the recount, if the votes stand, the measure will go to the Legislature for rule-making, when the legislature will create more detailed regulations. That process may last some months. The Legislature may enact requirements that social smoke clubs provide ventilation systems that filter the smoke, for instance, a subject not covered in the ballot measure.

State Rep. Mick Devin, D - Newcastle said the recreational marijuana legislation may not be on the books for up to six months. In any event, recreational marijuana will not be available to people under the age of 21.

Several towns are considering moratoriums for a number of additional months, to give them time to decide on allowable locations. For instance, some towns want any marijuana facility to be a certain distance from schools or churches.  SUPP has offered to assist towns in crafting marijuana moratoriums or ordinances.

Damariscotta was considering a moratorium, but given the lengthy process of rule-making, and the decision by neighboring Newcastle not to enact a moratorium, Damariscotta decided not to go forward with one at its mid-November Board of Selectmen meeting.  Other towns, including Boothbay, have signaled that they are considering a moratorium. Statewide, Portland, Bangor, and Gray have enacted moratoriums for a period of six months, and other towns are considering them.

SUPP is also planning to send greeting cards to alcohol purveyors to thank them for not serving minors, especially during the busy holiday season.

Although marijuana has taken up a great deal of attention because of the referendum question, more teens in Lincoln County use alcohol than marijuana, according to SUPP’s most recent parental survey.