Latest news with #NationalPreventionWeek
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Greenbrier County Family Support Center steps up to help amid power outage
ALDERSON, WV (WVNS) – When Greenbrier County went dark on Wednesday, one organization took it as a chance to shine a little light in the darkness. On Wednesday morning of May 14th, The Greenbrier County Family Support Center put out a Facebook post. The post said, 'Please come and join us at The Greenbrier County Family Support Center in Alderson, WV!' DoHS recognizes National Prevention Week and the benefits of early intervention The post would continue by saying, 'We have food, water, board games, TV, a play area, and grab and go activity kits!' I had started seeing the night before that there was a very widespread power outage. My main concern was people with children, especially smaller children. It was raining all day, they weren't able to go outside and get their energy out.' Kyla Baker, Director with the Greenbrier County Family Support Center The post went viral with more than 100 people sharing it as of the afternoon of Thursday, May 15th, 2025. I grew up in a spot where there wasn't a lot of help for anybody. Working in an environment where families like that I can actually sit there and give them the help we never got growing up, it would help out a lot.' Justin McCormick, Program Assistant and Quinwood Native Baker said a few families showed up on Wednesday, one from as far away as White Sulphur Springs. Governor Morrisey orders flags flown at half staff for Peace Officers Memorial Day She wants to remind residents when the next disaster strikes, they will be open to help. This is a place where people can come with their children and their families and receive needed assistance. It can be clothing, food, hygiene, cleaning, baby pantry items. We have all of those.' Kyla Baker, Director with the Greenbrier County Family Support Center Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Newsweek
14-05-2025
- Health
- Newsweek
To Save America's Youth, Lawmakers Should Invest in Drug Prevention
Prevention remains one of the most effective and cost-conscious tools we have in our fight against the drug crisis. This National Prevention Week, we urge lawmakers to renew their investments in prevention and push back against industry-backed efforts to normalize drug use. To maximize their effectiveness, prevention programs must reach adolescents before they are exposed to substance use in their peer groups. Yet nearly one-third of 12- to 17-year-olds reported that they did not see or hear any substance use prevention messages in school, according to the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. This lack of prevention education has serious implications for health equity, as racial and ethnic minority youth are less likely to report seeing these messages in their schools. Prevention takes a village. All sectors of a community must be aligned in order to set healthy norms. This approach guides the Drug-Free Communities Support Program, which involves sectors from businesses and media to schools and religious organizations. Unfortunately, numerous actors that pursue private profits at the expense of public health actively undermine these efforts. These include marijuana shops and, more recently, psychedelics shops. Our children are given conflicting messages when we tell them not to use addictive substances now being promoted throughout their neighborhoods. Given the increasing embrace of mind-altering drugs at the state level, it's no surprise that drug use has risen. A study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry found that recreational marijuana legalization was associated with a 13 percent increase in past-month marijuana use among youth ages 12 to 17, and a 22 percent increase among young adults ages 18 to 25. Between 2012 and 2023, the prevalence of marijuana use among 19- to 30-year-olds increased from 28.1 percent to 42.4 percent, while it more than doubled from 13.1 percent to 29.3 percent among 35- to 50-year-olds, according to the Monitoring the Future survey. Over this same period, annual overdose deaths nationwide more than doubled from 41,502 to 105,007. As highlighted in the Foundation for Drug Policy Solutions' The Hyannis Consensus: The Blueprint for Effective Drug Policy, the nation's drug policy "should promote a health standard that normalizes the non-use of substances." Our drug policies should not make it easier to use licit and illicit substances. A person holds a glass pipe used to smoke meth following the decriminalization of all drugs in downtown Portland, Oregon on January 25, 2024. A person holds a glass pipe used to smoke meth following the decriminalization of all drugs in downtown Portland, Oregon on January 25, 2024. PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP/Getty Images Other things being equal, the harms of drug use will decline as the prevalence of drug use declines. Notably, the White House recently estimated that the societal cost of illicit opioids was $2.7 trillion––with a "t"––in 2023, which is "equivalent to 9.7 percent of GDP." Viewed through this lens, prevention is essential and must remain central to drug policy efforts. A proactive, upstream approach premised on prevention will also reduce strain on downstream systems like treatment and recovery. Policymakers must remember that prevention programs are cost-effective. A 2016 report from the surgeon general explained: Interventions that prevent substance use disorders can yield an even greater economic return than the services that treat them. For example, a recent study of prevention programs estimated that every dollar spent on effective, school-based prevention programs can save an estimated $18 in costs related to problems later in life. National Prevention Week is also a fitting time to spotlight novel approaches to prevention. The Icelandic Model is particularly promising. A 2019 study explained that "by working to increase social and environmental protective factors associated with preventing or delaying substance use and decreasing corresponding risk factors, the model prevents substance use by intervening on society itself and across a broad spectrum of opportunities for community intervention." In practice, this approach may encourage youth to join community groups and participate in extracurricular activities, which are protective factors against substance use. To scale what we know works, White House Office of National Drug Control Policy director nominee Sara Carter should relaunch a national prevention campaign, similar to the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign. Those public awareness efforts were particularly effective in reducing rates of tobacco use, and will help set strong anti-drug cultural norms and promote health. The current administration deserves praise for centering prevention in a recent statement of its drug policy priorities. We fully support its plan to "encourage educational campaigns and evidence-based prevention programs, particularly in schools and communities." But it's time we back it up with dollars and programs. As we recognize National Prevention Week, we must not forget about the importance of prevention and its role in helping more Americans live healthy, drug-free lives. Dr. Kevin Sabet is President of Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) and the Foundation for Drug Policy Solutions (FDPS) and a former White House drug policy advisor across three administrations. The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Communities observe National Prevention Week
WEST VIRGINIA (WVNS) – West Virginia has historically been among the highest-ranking states in terms of substance use according to the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration. Each year, National Prevention Week aims to address many of the underlying factors that can lead to substance use issues. Prevention Week is an opportunity to raise awareness of substance misuse and mental health issues, and to collaborate on creating effective solutions and resources according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Chairperson for the Mercer County Coalition for Healthy Communities Candace Harless said that early prevention can affect everything from mental and physical health to social and financial status. 'Early prevention helps individuals live healthier lives, more stable lives and have better relationships, education and employment outcomes,' Harless told 59News. One crucial aspect of prevention comes in the form of connection and community involvement, factors that can decrease risk for substance use and mental health issues, according to Fayette County Health Department Prevention Coordinator, Katie Johnson. 'We know that boredom or lack of success are a couple of reasons that kids experiment with drugs,' she said. National Prevention Week will be observed from May 12 – May 17, offering a prime opportunity for folks to get involved and get educated on prevention. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
WV Lifeline Ambulance Services, LLC celebrates launch of business
OAK HILL, WV (WVNS) – The Fayette County Chamber of Commerce officially welcomed West Virginia Lifeline Ambulance Services, LLC as the newest provider in the area in a ribbon cutting ceremony on Monday, May 12, Ambulance CEO Tyler Kirk told 59News the organization will offer a wider variety of service options to residents throughout the region, and says the team is excited to get to work serving the area. 'We're very excited at this point in time. We have our ambulance ready to go. We've finally achieved all the hard work we've been working for at this point. We've met our certification requirements, we have the insurance, the truck is fueled up and ready to hit the road,' Kirk said. 'At this point the hard part of it is behind us, we can now focus on quality of care, getting out here and serving our residents not only in Fayette County, but those surrounding us.' Communities observe National Prevention Week Community response has been highly positive according to Kirk, who said Lifeline has heard from multiple nursing homes and hospital networks looking to establish contacts as part of Lifeline's ongoing Virginia Lifeline Ambulance Services, LLC will operate out of the Mt. Hope area and will serve residents primarily in and around the Fayette County area. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Florida has 5th smallest drug problem in the US, according to WalletHub study
As National Prevention Week approaches and annual drug overdose deaths in the U.S. surpass 80,670, WalletHub has published its report on the States with the Biggest Drug Problems, along with expert insights, to shed light on the most impacted areas. This study compares the 50 states and the District in terms of 20 key metrics, ranging from arrest and overdose rates to opioid prescriptions and employee drug testing laws. This is where Florida stood against the rest of the United States: Overall Rank: 47th 39th – Share of Teenagers Who Used Illicit Drugs in the Past Month 36th – Share of Adults Who Used Illicit Drugs in the Past Month 25th – Opioid Pain Reliever Prescriptions per 100 People 28th – Drug Overdose Deaths per Capita 29th – Drug Arrests per Capita 51st – Share of Adults Who Couldn't Get Treatment for Illicit Drug Use in the Past Year You can see where every state ranked in this interactive map: Source: WalletHub You can see WalletHub's complete study and in-depth analysis HERE. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
