April 2023

Recent Events: 

• Wake Up Call 
  • On March 8th and March 9th, the Alliance to Heal Prevention Workgroup visited Onalaska High School to present Wake Up Call. Wake Up Call is a mock teen bedroom that contains over 20 red flags of possible substance use throughout the room. The walk through teaches parents how to be proactive in their child's life and how to start the conversation about substance use. Everything purchased in the room was bought locally for under $20. Attendees were given conversation starter cards, medication lock boxes and bags, and information on how to talk about substance use with their children. 
    

• Family Fun Expo
  • ​The Prevention Workgroup attended the Parenting Place and the Coulee Parenting Connection's Family Fun Expo on March 19th at the Onalaska Omni Center. Over 4000 participants attended the event. There were aerial dancers, ponies, face-painting, games, and other organizations. Alliance to Heal had a foam axe-throwing game and gave out chalk, conversation starting cards, a conversation game, and medication lock boxes and bags. 

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The LGBTQ+ Community and Substance Use

Pre-teens, teens, and young adults that identify as LGBTQ+ have an increased risk for alcohol, tobacco, or other drug use. Recent research has identified a number of key life experiences specific to the LGBTQ+ community that increase the risk for substance use.  Below are the results of the Youth Risk Behavior Survey taken by La Crosse County High School Students in 2021. The results indicate that this research holds true for La Crosse County. 




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Being a part of the LGBTQ+ community does not cause substance use. Rather, some differences between LBGTQ+ youth and straight, cisgender youth - mostly consequences of prejudice - weaken their support systems and increase the pressure for them to use substances. Understanding these risk factors and differences is crucial for helping LGBTQ grow up substance-free. Some of these differences include bullying and harassment, family rejection and conflict, gender stereotypes and dysphoria, and peer influence. 

There are strategies that adults can do to help all teens remain substance-free including discussing expectations of substance use and positive reinforcement. Strategies that are specific to LGBTQ+ youth include providing family support, providing a safe school environment, creating a LGBTQ-affirming environment, and preventing and addressing bias and bullying. 

Linked here is a guide on how to start the conversation with LGBTQ+ youth to provide a safe, affirming environment. 

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Upcoming Events: 

• Drug Take Back Day - April 22nd from 9AM-12PM
  • Many people have unused and expired medications in their homes and this month, the Alliance to HEAL and La Crosse Sheriff’s Department will be hosting a Drug Take Back Day to collect them and dispose of them safely. We will also be having several volunteers from UWL’s Eta Sigma Gamma public health honorary helping out with the event. Bringing your old medications in for safe disposal saves lives by preventing these medications from falling into the hands of children and others who may misuse them, intentionally or unintentionally. Throwing these medications in the trash or dumping them down a drain damages our environment. 
     
    Bring your old medications to Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 22nd from 9 AM-12 PM at the Health and Human Services building in downtown La Crosse. You can also find collection sites near you open year-round at www.alliancetoheal.org. Drug Take Back Day provides a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposal, while also educating the community about the potential abuse and consequences of improper storage and disposal of these medications.
• Prevention Workgroup Meeting - April 26 9-10:30AM 
  • The workgroup will have their monthly meeting on April 26th from 9-10:30AM at the Coulee Recovery Center. Agendas will be sent out closer to the meeting date.
• Stanford Medicine 4th Annual Teaching Cannabis Awareness and Prevention Conference - April 26-27 
  • This conference will be held virtually from April 26-27th. Information can be found here. 
• CADCA Mid-Year Training Institute - July 16-20 
  • This training will take place at the Gaylord Texan in Grapevine, Texas. Information can be found here.