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By Shari L. Johnson
The Calhoun Middle High School Youth Force is into their third month after receiving the SPF-SIG grant, (Strategic Prevention Framework - State Incentive Grant).
As Project Director, I must say that my mind has been enlightened to the degree of "issues" our youth face, and the indifference in attitude that many people have toward alcohol, tobacco and drugs. One person's comment to me (and it terrified me) regarding the use of alcohol was that it was "a right of passage that children go through." It's not a right of passage; it's the illegal drug of choice among youth. Many young people are experiencing the consequences of drinking too much, at too early an age and as a result, underage drinking is a leading public health problem in this country.
Each year, approximately 5,000 young people under the age of 21 die as a result of underage drinking; this includes about 1,900 deaths from motor vehicle crashes, 1,600 as a result of homicides, 300 from suicide, as well as hundreds from other injuries such as falls, burns, and drowning. (1-5).
Look the parents of those children in the eye, and tell them it was a "right of passage."
So at this point some of you are now saying, "That Shari, she is always so passionate about her projects, isn't that cute."
I have no problem being passionate about what I believe in. Especially when it is fueled by data.
As a part of the SPF-SIG program I received "West Virginia's Substance Abuse Profiles" survey results, prepared by Andy Whisman, Ph.D, from the WV's Prevention Resource Center on behalf of WV's Partnership to Promote Community Well-Being and the WV Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse.
In this survey all 55 counties were ranked from the lowest to the highest by demographics, consequence and consumption data. If this were a report card we'd be a "Z". Below are just a few of the statistics:
Population - 7,461 and on the decline by 1.73%
22% of our people are living in poverty.
State's highest unemployment at 16.2%
For Youth alcohol use we were number 1 in the state at 42.6% (8th and 11th graders reporting they use alcohol at least once a month)
Youth alcohol binging (percent of 8th and 11th graders reporting they drank 5 more glasses of alcohol often or a lot) we were again, number 1 in the state of West Virginia at 52.7% of those children interviewed.
Youth illicit drug use, (percent of 8th and 11th graders reporting that they use any illicit drug at least once a month) we were number 1 in the state with 27% of those interviewed saying they did use an illicit drug at least once a month.
We were number 1 in West Virginia for Youth Tobacco Use at 44.3%, and more specifically cigarette smoking at 44.3%.
We were 52nd in the state for Youth using smokeless tobacco.
Does anyone else find it odd that the county with the least amount of money is one of the largest contributors to the tobacco and alcohol industries? They're laughing all the way to the bank, as our people are crying all the way to the funeral home.
There it is, my "fuel" that motivates me and causes me to be so passionate about my county. The reasoning behind my starting the Calhoun Middle High School Youth Force, when in reality, my life is too busy to do it, but my heart is too burdened not to do it.
Those are very frightening statistics. But they're a springboard for us to start from, to improve the lives of our children. The Calhoun Middle High School Youth Force Committee will be meeting in the Magistrate Clerk's office on May 4th, 2006 at 10:00 a.m.
Everyone is welcome!
For questions or comments, email me at talk2shari@lycos.com (I will be out of town from April 17th to the 28th) and possibly without computer access. So please email me prior to the 17th, or wait until May 1st, so that my box doesn't get loaded up and start refusing mail.
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