John Bohley, executive director of the Butler County Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services Board, said the news is even more encouraging over a six-year period: from 2004 to 2010, regular alcohol use is down 37 percent, regular tobacco use fell 26.7 percent and regular marijuana use dropped 34.3 percent.
“The continued decline in alcohol and other drug use by our youth is a testament to effective alcohol and other drug prevention work being done throughout Butler County,” he said.
Every other year, Butler County schools participate in the Drug Use Survey coordinated throughout the greater Cincinnati area by the Coalition for a Drug-Free Greater Cincinnati. The Coalition provides in-depth analysis and comprehensive reports for school districts and aggregated county results.
While the results are good news to drug prevention advocates such as Tom Kelechi, CEO of the Alcohol and Chemical Abuse Council based in Hamilton, there is a long way to go.
“These results don’t show that the war against drugs is over,” Kelechi said. “It shows that we are making solid progress in getting the message out to young people and their parents about the risks of alcohol and drug use.”
Survey results show drug prevention works
Drug-prevention leaders across Butler County said they are happy with recent survey results showing a significant drop in how often middle and high school students say they use drugs and alcohol. The positive outcome, though, is not a signal that the job is done — but rather, an affirmation on how to communicate with young people.
“In the 1980s, the message was all about slogans: things like 'just say no’ ” said Tom Kelechi, CEO of the Alcohol and Chemical Abuse Council. “I think now, you’re seeing a massive shift in approach, which is why we’re seeing more success with our message.”
With an average of fewer than 1 in 5 students in grades seven through 12 reporting regular use of alcohol, marijuana and tobacco, Kelechi said some people may be surprised that these numbers aren’t higher. That perception, he said, is not a disconnect between the data and reality, but proof that their approach is working.
“I think more people see this as an issue of significant consequence compared to the past,” he said. “They are aware that it is a serious problem and may believe more young people do these things than the data reports. The truth is, most kids are good kids.”
Kelechi said the difference is now the students are taking initiative and using positive peer pressure to convey the serious impact of casual drug and alcohol use.
In March, the Butler County Drug Free Schools Consortium hosted a prom and graduation summit at Miami University Middletown. Nearly 150 students from nine of the 10 county school districts and one parochial district attended, along with Sheriff Richard Jones, local police chiefs and County Prosecutor Robin Piper to discuss substance abuse and safety strategies. Student groups developed their own strategies and brought those back to their schools to use during the high-risk prom and graduation season.
“It has been great for the Talawanda School District Community to see students get excited about this work, and taking an active role in preventing drug and alcohol abuse,” said Amy Macechko, Talawanda Schools’ Health and Wellness Coordinator and Butler County Safe and Drug Free Schools Consortium member.
Karen Murray, coordinator of the Butler County Coalition for Healthy, Safe and Drug-Free Communities believes it is an expanding web of systems and services coming together that has had such an impact.
“The schools are working together to share information the county agencies are providing them,” Murray said. “We are working with county and city law enforcement and officials to raise awareness of drug and alcohol abuse. Even when our funding is cut on the state level, we have come together with our resources to share knowledge and work toward finding other funding sources such as grants.”
Murray said the key is to share the same information between the classrooms through the community so young people hear a consistent message. Mixed messages are often a problem, she said, from discussions on legalizing certain drugs to even where alcohol is displayed in stores.
“Fifty-six percent of students we sent out to observe local shops found Red Bull displayed with vodka, and that those cans look similar to beer cans,” she said. “I think our culture has just become so desensitized to this that we aren’t even aware.
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