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Drug House Odyssey - Straight Talk on Underage Drinking
Hosted by:
Drug-Free Lee
Please briefly describe your Communities Talk activity.
This webinar featured the professionals who staff Drug House Odyssey, our three-day underage drinking event. Presenters included the Florida Highway Patrol, the Fort Myers Police Department, and the Office of the State Attorney - 20th Circuit. Topics included underage drinking prevention, how to address underage drinking with your kids, and the penalties for serving alcohol at house parties.
How does alcohol and other drug misuse affect your community?
Lee County, FL is a spring break and vacation hub. As a prevention coalition, we address challenges such as more casual attitudes towards drinking, underage drinking, and especially binge drinking. As a retirement hub, we also face attitudes that are more relaxed towards alcohol use ("Mom isn't driving, so just let her drink").
Which prevention strategy(ies), as defined by SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, best fit your Communities Talk activity?
- Information Dissemination Strategy - focuses on improving awareness and knowledge of the effects of AOD issues on communities and families through “one-way” communication with the audience such as speaking engagements, health fairs, and distribution of print materials.
What goal(s) did you hope to accomplish with your Communities Talk activity?
- Develop strategic plans to reduce and prevent alcohol and/or other drug misuse.
- Build coalitions with other agencies or programs to reduce and prevent alcohol and/or other drug misuse.
- Encourage responsible beverage server training.
Did you accomplish your goal(s)?
Yes
What challenge(s) did you face in planning your activity this year?
- Lack of interest from the community
How did you overcome these challenges?
Drug House Odyssey is a well-known prevention program with 30 years of success. Through this event we were able to raise awareness about the importance of underage drinking prevention.
What are your next steps?
- Host follow-up meetings or activities
If you’ve conducted Communities Talk activities in prior years, how has your repeated participation contributed to progress in achieving your prevention goals?
The Communities Talk initiative has allowed us to develop a number of disparate activities to address alcohol use prevention among many cohorts in Lee County.
Organizations that conduct Communities Talk activities often involve other organizations in the planning and execution of events. Please indicate which type(s) of organizations you involved in your activity planning.
- Law enforcement
- Youth-led organizations
- Secondary schools
- Colleges or universities
- Local businesses
- State and local government agencies (e.g., public health departments)
Which of the following best describes the primary audience(s) for your Communities Talk activity?
- Parents
- Legislators or policymakers
- The media
How did you reach and engage your primary audience(s) to encourage them to participate in your activity?
Inclusion on community calendars, social media, press releases
Which Communities Talk resources (or other SAMHSA resources) were most helpful for your activity?
- Prevention-related webinars
- Prevention videos, such as College Drinking: Prevention Perspectives
- SAMHSA’s Event Planner
- Tips & Tools for Hosting a Virtual Event
- Customizable Resources for Communities Talk Promotion and Implementation
- StopAlcoholAbuse.gov website
- Communities Talk website
- Communities Talk planning guides
- Communities Talk toolkits
- Communities Talk social media content (e.g., Facebook, Twitter)
- Communities Talk Find an Activity Map
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