Time to help maintain drug awareness

The Partnership of Community Resources has been providing methamphetamine awareness and education to our community since 2001. Meth use and arrests have decreased significantly.

There may not be a tool to measure how much of that decrease is due directly to prevention, but there does appear to be a correlation.

Most recently the partnership joined forces with the Douglas High School counselors to host the all-district parent symposium. It is estimated that nearly 400 parents and community members attended two of the four awareness topics: Internet safety, parenting tips, suicide awareness, and methamphetamine/drug awareness. While the 45-minute sessions could only scratch the surface of education, they did provide keen awareness of issues facing the Douglas County community. Not only was awareness raised, but over 20 community resources were available for individuals to seek out the answers to their personal needs of, "I have this problem; what do I do now?"

The Record-Courier has given much newsprint space promoting and covering methamphetamine prevention through awareness activities, working to keep this a wonderful place to live. Shelby Sheehan of News 4 separately highlighted each of the four topics from the symposium not only spreading awareness throughout Northern Nevada, but confronting legislators regarding cutbacks as well. Our local DCCATV aired PSAs, raising awareness.

Cut backs are occurring in every aspect of our lives, including prevention dollars, which we all know offer us more bang for our buck. But the good thing is you can keep prevention alive.

If every person who read an informational article, saw a news broadcast, heard a guest speaker at a service club, in a class, or at a symposium shared just one thing just once a week and challenged others to do the same, we could keep prevention through awareness going strong in spite of lessening prevention dollars.

Even if discussion is not with someone new, keeping awareness ongoing is a huge part of prevention. This is something that is free, does not require a passionate commitment, and can be done anywhere.

But wait, there's more. Whether it's used as a positive alternative activity to being a couch potato or drug use, over-eating or depression, solitude activities or isolation, get out and lead a healthy life. If we eat right, exercise, get plenty of sleep, and keep social and spiritual resources in our lives then we provide ourselves with balance. We keep ourselves capable of making good, drug-free choices and that has a ripple effect on our community.

One way to promote a drug-free healthy life style is to get ready for The Partnership's Walk, Jog, Run that precedes the Carson Valley Days Parade. Kick off the parade by doing something good for yourself and send the message of drug-free prevention through health and wellness to others.

If you have a little extra money, attend the "Carb Load" (spaghetti feed for us non-athletes.) the night before. Not only will this be a Family Friendly evening, it will help raise funds to allow

The Partnership of Community Resources to continue to do its prevention work in the Douglas County Community.

For more information contact Melinda Matus, pcrmatus@partnership-resource.org, 782-8611.

Teri Clark is community substance abuse coordinator, Partnership of Community Resources, tclark526@gmail.com.