BRATTLEBORO — The newspaper headlines, radio reports, and television stories about the opiate and heroin problem in Vermont are hard to ignore. I have received emails and telephone calls from prevention colleagues and friends and family expressing their concern for Vermont.
As the director of a substance-abuse prevention coalition, I see all this attention as an opportunity to engage the community in open dialogue, to share information about preventing misuse and abuse of all substances, and to possibly implement prevention strategies and solutions for our community.
Did you know that according to the 2013 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 1 in 5 Windham Southeast high-school students have misused a prescription stimulant or opiate not prescribed to them at least once, and that 1 in 10 have done so in the past 30 days?
Now is the time to address teen prescription drug misuse in our community.
How can we address the issue beyond the headlines, so that young people do not see opiate, heroin, and other prescription drug misuse as the norm in our community?
The Brattleboro Area Prevention Coalition (BAPC) invites you to participate in a Community Conversation on Preventing Teen Prescription Drug Misuse on Tuesday, April 29 from 6 to 8 p.m. in the multipurpose room at Brattleboro Union High School (BUHS).
In this World Café–styled conversation, facilitated by BUHS's Above the Influence Club (a.k.a. ATI 802), social norms and perception of harm of prescription-drug misuse among teens will be explored and discussed. Come share your thoughts and perspectives, and take part in determining real, achievable strategies and solutions as the goal.
Who should participate in the community conversation? Youth and those who care about them: teachers, coaches, mentors, parents, grandparents, and those who work with teens. Health and wellness professionals and local decision-makers are also needed at the table, as they can influence the access to prescription drugs.
Youth report that parents and other caring adults in their lives comprise one of the most influential factors in preventing substance use. Let's all work together as a community to influence prescription-drug misuse among youth in the community.