Youth Make a SPLASH!

SPLASH!  Substance Prevention Leadership Alliance of Students Harboring Hope!  Our youth coalition volunteers wrote and performed this TV commercial to promote the Make a Splash at the Port performance event and a drug free life-style!

Shocking Event! Youth Stick to Prevention

     Youth volunteers work with OCSAPC to complete a Sticker Shock event at Gumby's in Elm Grove.  This was a youth planned and implemented event.  Thanks to Detective Sargent Gregg McKenzie for helping out with the event and Gumby's for supporting the young people.  Due to a press release written by one youth volunteer, the newspaper published a story about youth working in prevention.  

OCSAPC Leads Prevention Efforts in the Northern Panhandle

                                     

Youth Services System (YSS) has received state funding to expand its substance abuse prevention efforts to include the 5 northern panhandle counties in West Virginia.  YSS through the Ohio County Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition (OCSAPC) will lead efforts to address substance abuse outside the boundaries of county lines with a new partnership called “Northern Panhandle Prevention Consortium (NPPC).” The funding was awarded from the Substance Abuse Prevention Service (SAPS) Grant by the WV Department of Health and Human Resource (DHHR) Bureau of Behavioral Health and Health Facilities (BHHF). 

 The Northern Panhandle Prevention Consortium (NPPC) will allow region one counties funding to address their collective substance abuse issues including underage drinking, youth tobacco use, prescription drug abuse for both youth and adults, and bath salt and synthetic marijuana use with youth.  Funding for the project includes $97, 960 focused on county substance abuse prevention strategies based on the combined problems and needs of the counties.  Each county’s substance abuse coalition or participating entity will receive a sub-grant to carry out the project in their community allowing for individual differences.  The counties that have agreed to work together for the common purpose include Ohio, Brooke, Hancock, Marshall and Wetzel.  The participating organizations are Advocates for Substance Abuse Prevention (ASAP) of Brooke & Hancock Counties, Marshall County Starting Point Center, Wetzel County Coalition Against Drug Abuse, and Ohio County Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition (OCSAPC).   

Interested community members are asked to contact the substance abuse prevention coalition in your county.  Local citizens are uniquely qualified to promote change in their local communities.  OCSAPC would be happy to direct you to your county coalition.  Please call 304-233-2045.  

Pictured from left to right are Morgan Miller (Brooke/Hancock), John Moses (Youth Services System), Richelle Blair (Marshall), Deana Bobek (Marshall), Lori Garrett-Bumba (Ohio), Elizabeth Glow (Wetzel), Luann Decker  (Brooke/Hancock) , and Jason Rine  (Brooke/Hancock).

Rx Take Back is a Resounding Success

  April 28 Prescription Take-Back was a resounding success.  We received 163.5 pounds of unused prescription drugs!  Thanks Sheriff Pat Butler of the Ohio County Sheriff''s Department and Div. Com. Sgt. Gregg McKenzie of the Wheeling PD.  And a big thanks to our coalition volunteers: Nancy Georges, Jill Eddy, Martha Polinsky, Elena Polinsky, Terri Garrett, Mark Garrett, and Brian Garrett

          

We are pleased to announce the recent promotion of Lori Garrett-Bumba to Program Director.  Lori joined our team in October 2010 as the Project Coordinator and has been an asset to our coalition goals and objectives.  Lori has been participating in prevention and coalition work since 2005 in several different capacities.  We know her experience will continue to lead us to make a difference in our community.

Martha Polinsky was hired as Project Coordinator and resumed her coalition work on May 2, 2011.  Martha previously worked with the coalition in several capacities.  She looks forward to bringing her new found knowledge about treating addiction as well as her past experience with prevention to the coalition mission.  

Please welcome them to their new positions!

OCSAPC and Wheeling Police Department partner to Provide Community with Permenant MedReturn Prescription Drop Off Box

(From Left: OCSAPC Coordinator Lori Garrett-Bumba, OCSAPC Director Susan Oglinsky, Wheeling PD Det. Gregg McKenzie and Wheeling Police Chief Robert Mathney)

The Ohio County Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition and the Wheeling Police Department have partnered together providing the community a permanent Prescription Drug drop-off box. "We are fortunate to have a great working relationship with the Coalition and are grateful to them for purchasing the MedReturn box for us. The box is located in a secure location of the Police Department at the City County building and anyone can come and dispose of their unwanted or unused prescriptions at anytime. Once the drugs are collected and accumulate, they will be incinerated" said Det. Gregg McKenzie of the Wheeling PD.

The box was dedicated on Wednesday, June 29, 2011 at the Wheeling Police Department.

Coalition Director, Susan Oglinsky added, "According to a 2008 report sponsored by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA) 71% of teenagers stated that they obtained prescriptions from family and friends. Moreover, in five years (1999-2004), deaths resulting from drug overdose in West Virginia rose 550%. This was the largest increase in the country. We are thankful to Chief Mathney, Det. McKenzie and Sgt. Taylor for the significant role they play in the Coalition."

Oglinsky noted that the MedReturn box is the only one in the State of West Virginia

and was paid for from funds provided by a grant from Substance Abuse Prevention Services (SAPS), a part of the "United in Prevention" program.

Ohio & Marshall County Coalitions Host Merchant Roundtables

The Ohio County Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition and the Marshall County Anti-Drug Coalition have joined together to host a "Merchant Roundtable" on Tuesday, June 14, 2011 at Grand Vue Park's Banquet Hall in Moundsville, WV. Participants are able to choose from one of two sessions: the morning session will run from 9:00-10:00AM and the afternoon session will run from 2:00-3:00PM.

Marshall County Sheriff John Gruzinskas will speak on the laws against selling to minors, and a Trooper from the West Virginia State Police, Wheeling Detachment will speak about the SYNAR complaince inspections. The SYNAR legislation, passed in 1996, requires states to conduct random, unannounced inspections in order to stop the illegal sale of alcohol and tobacco to minors.

Forty-fice merchants from Ohio County and 38 merchants from Marshall County, have been invited to attend the roundtable. Merchants will be given information and marketing materials from the "United in Prevention" project. The project focuses on aiding businesses to identify underage customers, thus helping to prevent the illegal sale of tobacco and alcohol. Community members are also encouraged to attend.

For more information, contact Coalition Director, Susan Oglinsky at soglinsky@ysswv.com or (304) 641-8655.

W.Va. children entering battle to stop drug abuse - News, Sports, Jobs - The Intelligencer / Wheeling News-Register

W.Va. children entering battle to stop drug abuse - News, Sports, Jobs - The Intelligencer / Wheeling News-Register

OCSAPC and the Wheeling Police Department Team up for the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.

Be sure to check out the news story from Channel 7's WTRF.
The story can be viewed by going to:
www.wtrf.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=98564&printview=1

Special thanks to the Wheeling Police Department and Det. Gregg McKenzie

OCSAPC Has A New Director

The Ohio County Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition is pleased to announce that Susan Oglinsky has been hired as the new Director. Susan comes with a wealth of knowledge and background in public relations and fund development. She will work with the coalition to strengthen collaborative efforts and build coalition capacity. WELCOME SUSAN!