Preventing Substance Use Among Teens in El Dorado County;
Red Ribbon Week is October 23 through 31, 2018
(Placerville, CA) - National Red Ribbon Week is October 23 - 31, 2018 -- a time for communities across El Dorado County to join together to prevent substance use. Many students, parents, teachers and other people across the County will wear the red ribbon during the awareness week, hear speakers on school campuses and conduct other activities to raise awareness about the importance of being drug-free.
"Coming together as a community to support youth in being drug-free is important," said Nora Mays, program assistant with El Dorado County Substance Use Disorder Services. "Schools and communities can provide information and support activities, and parents can reinforce information at home. Studies show that teens whose parents regularly talk to them about drugs are 42% less likely to use drugs than those who don't."
According to Mays, Red Ribbon Week is also a good time to highlight ongoing local programs to support youth in being drug-free. Mays is part of a team of County staff that coordinates prevention programs at El Dorado County middle schools and high schools in partnership with youth and school staff. The County staff also regularly partners with local coalitions that are dedicated to supporting drug-free communities.
Friday Night Live (FNL) and Club Live (CL) are two on-campus prevention programs that offer students mentoring, support, information, and leadership opportunities. "FNL and CL help build partnerships for positive and healthy youth development, and engage youth as leaders in their communities," said Mays. FNL and CL chapters exist on several school campuses in El Dorado County, and according to Mays, assistance is available for schools that wish to start a chapter.
Substance Use Disorder Services is part of the El Dorado County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA). For additional information about local alcohol and drug prevention programs, please contact Nora Mays at (530) 621-6326, or find information online at www.edcgov.us/mentalhealth.
Resources for parents on how to talk with their children about alcohol and drugs can be found at www.samhsa.gov/underage-drinking or https://drugfree.org/
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