September 2022 Coalition Newsletter

Joining School, Family, and Community in a partnership to promote healthy, resilient, and drug free youth and to prevent youth suicide.

Data from Focus Groups Conducted with District High School Students

In March of last school year, 6 focus groups were conducted with 41 (total) Chippewa Valley and Dakota High 9th, 10th, and 12th graders by research assistants of Dr. Kathleen Zimmerman-Oster, a researcher at the University of Detroit Mercy.

Some student perspectives and recommended strategies to reduce teen alcohol, vaping and marijuana use might surprise you! These were:
• Alcohol and vaped nicotine are the most common drugs used and the easiest to get, followed closely by marijuana. The use of drugs, e.g. opioid painkillers and heroin is very low.
• Parents and police need to give more extensive and more consistent consequences for substance use to reduce youth use.
• Most teens get alcohol from their parents’ supply at home, often without their knowledge.
• Parents need to stay actively involved and connected with their teens throughout high school.
• Schools need to educate more on the long-term consequences of use and start at an early age.

Support Our Youth Suicide Prevention Efforts

Register at www.knowresolve.org

October 24th – October 28th 2022 is Red Ribbon Week in Chippewa Valley Schools. A variety of Red Ribbon activities is planned in district schools.

More information will follow in our October Coalition newsletter.

Visit the Coalition’s website - www.cvcoalition.org - and
preview our free drug and suicide prevention resources.

To Support Us - Visit the Coalition website www.cvcoalition.org and click on the donate button on the top.