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Cre8ting Changes: Attitudes & Perceptions Related to Alcohol Use
Hosted by:
Cre8ting Changes
How does alcohol and other drug misuse affect your community?
Our community has high rates of substance use and gun violence. Many of the victims are young adults who are either affected, become incarcerated, or lose their life. Therefore, we wanted to host an event to raise awareness about good and bad choices when it comes to substance use prevention.
What challenge(s) did you face in planning your activity this year?
- Lack of interest from the community
- Unforeseen difficulties when planning our activity
- Lack of awareness of our event or organization
How did you overcome these challenges?
Due to the closed group session and participation, we were unable to reach a larger population. Youth were sometimes distracted given the event’s format, so we hope to explore new ways to keep them engaged in future events.
What are your next steps?
- Host follow-up meetings or activities
- Conduct research efforts to learn more about issues in our community
Which Communities Talk resources (or other SAMHSA resources) were most helpful for your activity?
- StopAlcoholAbuse.gov website
- Communities Talk toolkits
- Communities Talk social media content (e.g., Facebook, Twitter)
How did a Communities Talk event help you address those issues?
- Educated youth and parents
- Built community cohesiveness and support for our efforts
- Made making good health behavior choices fun and engaging
- Raised awareness of substance abuse and/or underage drinking issues in our community
How did your event make an impact on underage drinking in your community?
The event provided general knowledge on how drug use can affect or inhibit the ability of individuals to make good choices. Young adults who attended our event are a part of an afterschool program that focuses on life skills and entrepreneurial skills. The group participated in a hands-on activity that allowed participants to experience what it might feel like to operate a vehicle under the influence of drugs and understand the severe consequences of doing so.
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