Alcohol Abuse: A Serious Concern in Ohio County

Press Release Contact: Terri Garrett, Coalition Member/Ohio County Rotary/Wheeling Human Rights Commission, (304)234-3609, garretthrc@yahoo.com

Did you know that April is Alcohol Awareness Month? Alcohol abuse is a serious problem among youth in Ohio County. As an example, 72% of Ohio County students from the 11th grade reported using alcohol within the past year. Other examples of alcohol abuse in our community include college students who binge drink at local bars, pregnant women who drink and put their babies at risk for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), professionals who drink after a long day’s work, and senior citizens who drink out of loneliness. Do you know of anyone who fits in these categories?

Alcohol abuse affects many people in our community and across the country in various ways. Alcohol can have negative health effects on our bodies, especially on our children during critical years of growth and development. In fact, youth who start drinking before the age of 15 are 5 times more likely to develop a substance abuse problem as adults. Drunk drivers endanger our safety and our children’s safety. Last year, 119 people were charged with a DUI (Driving Under the Influence) in the City of Wheeling alone. Alcohol dependency and addiction limits one’s ability to cope with everyday life stressors, especially during these difficult economic times. Unfortunately, treatment and recovery (though important) present a lifelong challenge for people who have alcohol dependency and addiction.

If we as a community can work together to promote prevention strategies such as social marketing campaigns (look for “Choose A Clear Mind” billboards this month), prevention education with schools and social organizations (e.g. DARE and “Choose a Clear Mind” curriculums in Ohio County middle and elementary schools), and training (responsible beverage server practices for area managers, law enforcement officials and community members in TIPS-Training Intervention ProcedureS going on this month), then we can raise community awareness and eventually change our community’s social norms.

The Ohio County Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition (OCSAPC) continues to work on preventing underage drinking and alcohol abuse in our community. We invite all concerned community members to our Parents Promote Prevention planning meeting to be held at Bridge Street Middle School at 5pm. Dinner will be provided- please contact Julia Charvat at (304) 233-2045 ext. 305 if you would like to attend!

March: Rx & OTC Awareness Month

Did you know that March is Prescription (Rx) and Over-the-Counter (OTC) Drug Awareness Month?

This week, OCSAPC is kicking off its Rx Drug Abuse Media Campaign off with two 15-second TV commercials which will air March 16-March 28, 2010 on various channels throughout the day in Ohio County. Look for them starting tonight!! We are also airing a 1-minute radio PSA on various local radio stations during this time. This media campaign aims to raise awareness of the dangers of prescription drug abuse and ways we can take action as community members to Prevent Rx Drug Abuse!

Additionally, this media campaign is designed to tie in with our upcoming 2010 Rx Drug Summit, which will be held next Friday, March 26th from 8am-4pm at West Virginia Northern Community College. There are still a few spots available- registration fee is just $5.00; a number of continuing education units (CEUs) and lunch will be provided on-site. Don't miss this great opportunity to learn more and collaborate with others in the community to prevent and reduce prescription drug abuse.

Also see these TV ads on our Coalition Facebook Page.

Parents Promote Prevention Meeting TOMORROW!

Calling all parents, grandparents and concerned citizens in Ohio County!

Tomorrow 's "Parents Promote Prevention" meeting will include training on the "Parents: You Matter" program presented by Heather markonich, Community Educator for the Ohio County Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition (OCSAPC).

WHEN: Tuesday, March 2nd from 6:00-7:30pm
WHERE: Bridge Street Middle School (Wheeling, WV)
WHO: This event is sponsored by the Ohio County Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition

Parents Promote Prevention is a group of parents involved with prevention and support efforts in our community. Home and family is our focus. Check it out and get involved!

**Make sure to bring your friends- whoever brings the most people has a chance to win a Kroger's gift card! Runner up will recieve a homemade batch of baked goods to enjoy!**

It Has Been an Honor

I would like to thank everyone for the opportunities I’ve had in working with and supporting this coalition. I thought I would outline the highlights of my duties in attempt to show coalition and community members that they can get involved doing the same such “jobs” that I have. I hope this give everyone a better understanding of our goals and activities. Community involvement is so important to bringing about change over a whole population. A few persons doing these activities can not make a large impact, but many persons can make an enormous impact. If I can do it, anyone can!

I started this journey as prevention educator. I went to schools, implemented programs and coordinated activities with Ohio County Schools. It was a great chance to get involved with area youth, learn what’s “going on out there” and work first hand to educate youth on substance abuse and most importantly hopefully affect their decision making process when faced with alcohol or drug use.

Then my title and job description evolved into Community Educator. I began supporting the coalition members in working with key community leaders, mobilizing 12 community sectors, community meetings, social marketing and media advocacy. We began working with Communities Mobilizing for Change on Alcohol (CMCA) one on one discussions. This helped us to assess the community and find out the direction of our activities. We found that most community members feel youth gain access to alcohol through friends, family, and parents. This prompted us to focus on parents in our activities. We are implementing CMCA again and I hope that our members really get out there and talk to people!! We can’t help if we don’t know what the problem is and what the community sees as a solution.

I’ve enjoyed supporting our Social Marketing Taskforce. We apply marketing principles used to sell products to the public to changing social norms of the public, such as raising the low perception of harm around alcohol and drugs held by youth and parents in Ohio County. If a parent doesn’t perceive alcohol use as harmful, it is doubtful that the child will perceive it as harmful. Our Underage Prevention Subgroup had a Parent Town Hall meeting and a spin off parent meeting. We have also had various media messages geared towards parents. Our parents may begin canvassing local restaurants and placing alcohol reduction messages for parents on table tents. It’s a great environmental strategy to address social norms.

Our youth are also bombarded with ads they portray alcohol as cool, sexy, and fun (also found in CMCA). We use media to try and reach the public just as large beer companies would (with a lot less money, of course). This gave area youth good reason to carry out a “Sticker Shock” event just prior to Super Bowl Sunday. See above pictures of Linsly and We Are The Future youth. We Are the Future youth helped us create and produce numerous public service announcements and bill boards. Wow was that fun!! Cody and Jordan rock as actors! Keith, Steve and Doree are awesome leaders as well!!!!

Getting news stories out to the public has been great fun. Writing press releases and ALERTING THE MEDIA to our activities really helped me to understand the who, what, when, where, why, and how of what we do!! Writing letters to the editor and getting my face on the news was exciting, but it’s not about me, it’s about our community wanting to make change and making our youth and families safer. I urge you all to get involved in this taskforce and speak up for prevention! It’s so much more powerful if YOU carry this message. Banded together we can do so much.

I then worked as SPF SIG Project Director and Program Director to Drug Free Communities Support Programs grant. Training new employees and organizing a new grant proved very challenging, however with your help we are in a great position to proceed onward. I also began writing all meeting agendas & minutes and facilitating all meetings! These jobs would be great for able bodied community members who want to help out. It’s your coalition. In the past our coalition relied heavily on paid staff for these “jobs,” however we are now asking coalition members to take FULL ownership of this coalition and its direction. Come to the next quarterly meeting and vote for the next chairperson. Each subgroup has been working to gain leadership from non paid members. Our Leadership Board will begin meeting to steer our activities. Not only does this make our coalition community driven, it can help sustain our activities with much less funding or no funding if that time ever came. That’s called sustainability!

Our job as paid staff is to empower you (the people in the community) to change Ohio County. Reduction of substance abuse is possible! Focus on access, social norms, and policy is the way to do it. If youth don’t drink until after their 21 birthday they are 4 times less likely to suffer from alcohol problems!!! You can literally lower alcohol problems. Something can be done, but your personal help and conviction is needed!

I love you all! Go forth and kick butt!

A New Day is Dawning on Ohio County Prevention

January 13, 2010 marks the beginning of a new era for the Ohio County Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition. Our Drug Free Communities grant award is fueling us with new trainings, information and strategies. We are excited with the new directions and options open to our coalition. Our hard work and dedication over the past 4 plus years have brought us to this point; building on this work is crucial for us to reach higher and progress even further.

A successful community coalition needs committed volunteers from all parts of the community. Your input can help guide us and your volunteer time can bring positive change to our county.

Please come and hear about:

• Social Marketing
• Youth Activities
• Parent Activities
• New Chairperson
• New roles for staff and members
• Name and logo change?
• Prescription Drug Summit in March
• Prescription Drug Take Back Program
• Communities Mobilizing for Change on Alcohol
• By-Laws

ALL community members are welcome to attend. We hope to see you there! If you plan to attend please RSVP to 304-233-2045 ext 305 or mpolinsky@ysswv.com; lunch will be served.

Sticker Shock Waves Felt in Elm Grove

OCSAPC and our Youth in Action Team ( a part of We are The Future) hit 2 Elm Grove off-premise alcohol sales locations. The youth along with Wheeling PD and OCSAPC volunteers placed colorful stickers on alcohol products (with permission from the stores, of course). The sticker, designed by the youth, reminds adults not to purchase alcohol for minors. The impact from the stickers may be felt by area residents throughout the holidays as they may be serving alcohol through the season. 1500 stickers were dispensed!! Thanks you to Doree, Keith, Lindly, James, Cody, Steve, Officers Miller and Braden, Julia, Heather, Grant, and Shane for you help and community spirit.

Parents Promote Prevention

Pictured here are concerned parents and Ohio County SAPC coalition members: Ken Boyle, Terri Garrett, Cheryl Maltese, and Heather Markonich. The most recent meeting was Oct. 28 and there parents discussed future activity options; they also offered much needed support to each other. All concerned parents, grand parents and community members are welcome. The next meeting is slated for January!

Red Ribbon Week- Lock and Count Your Meds!

This year for Red Ribbon Week our coalition decided to kick off our campaign to address prescription drug abuse in Ohio County. We aim our public service announcements on WTOV and billboards around town on bringing attention to a problem which many parents and adult community members do not believe is happening to the extent that it does in our county. We are continually finding new statistics that emphasize that prescription drug misuse is on the rise with our young people.

Prescription drug misuse is reaching an epidemic proportion in West Virginia and Ohio County. In fact, WV had the highest state rate of drug overdoses leading to death for adults under the age of 45 years of age. Of 295 fatal overdoses, prescription pain medication contributed to 93.2%.

At the local level, Ohio County has a higher rate of youth non medical use of pain relievers than several southern counties and the state rate of use (National Survey on Drug Use, 2003). Youth often gain access to prescription drugs from family, friends and directly from the medicine cabinet. Research indicates that teenagers abuse prescription drugs more than heroin, cocaine, methamphetamines, crack or ecstasy; partly because they see prescription drug misuse as “safer” than other drugs (WV Drug Abuse Quit Line, 2008).

We are asking the community to "Lock and Count Your Meds."

Parents Promote Prevention

As a result of our Parent Town Hall meeting, some local parents decided to continue meeting to promote prevention with Ohio County youth. The next meeting is Oct. 28 from 6-8pm at Christ United Methodist Church. All parents or grand parents welcome!

Topics:

• Support & Ideas
• Education of Parents
• Prevention Strategies
• Real Life Solutions
• Partner with schools and churches

Parents Unite in Prevention

Our recent Parent Town Hall style meeting brought together parents with concern for underage drinking. It has prompted them to start meeting on a monthly basis. The next meeting will be Oct. 28 from 6-8pm at Christ United Methodist Church. Share information and explore ideas on substance abuse prevention and early intervention. Parents have said they want to support each other as they deal with substance abuse issues with their teenagers.