This month, in partnership with Purdue Extension we released a community survey! (Click HERE to take it!) I know, I know...You're probably thinking, Survey's are boring, they take too much time, and what's really in it for me? But there are 3 reasons that YOU should take this community survey: 

We're giving away an Amazon Gift Card to a lucky person when our survey closes at the end of June. If you fill out your contact information at the end of the survey, you'll be automatically entered in the drawing! 

As Community Partners, we are committed to making Jay County a better place to live, work, and play. We want to provide resources that best fit the needs of the community. That requires hearing from YOU! What programs, resources, and activities does our community offer that you love? What gaps need to be filled? We also want to find other community partners to make our efforts stronger and more effective. 

The mission of the Jay County Drug Prevention Coalition is to reduce the illegal use and abuse of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs in Jay County through education, enforcement, treatment, prevention, and coordination with other agencies. 

This community survey is a tool we are using to gather Jay County community members' perceptions on substance abuse and prevention efforts in Jay County. If you live or work in Jay County, we hope you'll take 10-15 minutes to complete this survey! It will help us with our prevention and recovery efforts! 

Eric and Jillian Maitlen spent more than 10 years touring the country and the world with Two Eight ministries. However, in 2017 the team decided to take their efforts in a new direction. They built the "Our Story. Our Time. Tour" as a response to the devastating opioid epidemic that is claiming the lives of over 100 Americans every day. According to a report form the CDC*, drug overdoses are currently the leading cause of unintended injury death in the United States, and Eric and Jillian are dedicated to changing that statistic. 
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The couples' passion for their work is evident in everything they do: they work to empower individuals and communities to overcome addiction and experience freedom. They are passionate about creating awareness and understanding and reducing the stigma that often comes with the problem of addiction. The mission of their tour is to: 

• Unite and educate communities on the opioid epidemic 
• Break the stigma of addiction that has caused too many individuals and families isolate and hide their struggle (for fear of public shame and ridicule)
• Empower local recovery efforts and foster care services with a large scale platform to educate and mobilize their community to action. 

Photo by: multiply magazine 

This epidemic has affected us all in some way. This is our story and this is our time to take action! - Eric and Jillian 

Brianna's Hope and Jay County Drug Prevention Coalition are proud to sponsor the The 3rd Annual "Connecting the Links" event which will feature the "Our Story. Our Time. Tour." The event's purpose is to help create understanding and awareness around addiction, and to discuss how we as a community can work together to build a better future. The event will be held at the Jay County High School Auditorium on April 28th 2019, and the doors will open at 6:00 PM. Visit our events page to RSVP! ​

*Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "CDC Reports Rising Rates of Drug Overdose Deaths in Rural Areas," October 19, 2017, https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2017/p1019-rural-overdose-deaths.html 

It's Alcohol Awareness month! We recently released an insightful flyer on the dangers of underage drinking. The flyer's author, Kelly Sickafoose, shared that though it is important to focus on the opioid epidemic, education on the dangers of alcohol abuse is vital to healthy, drug free communities. 

According to the CDC Alcohol is the most commonly used and abused drug among youth in the United States, and it is responsible for thousands of deaths among youth each year. Even though drinking alcohol is illegal for persons under the age of 21, the U.S. department of Justice reported that people aged 12 to 20 drink over 10% of the alcohol consumed in the United States. Underage drinking is not only dangerous, but it also has a negative effect on the economy, costing the U.S. $24 billion in a single year according to the American Journal of Preventative Medicine.

The flyer (mentioned above) further warns against the dangers of underage drinking: 

"Research indicates that alcohol use during the teenage years can interfere with normal adolescent brain development and increase the risk of developing an alcohol use disorder. In addition, underage drinking contributes to a range of acute consequences, such as crime, injuries, sexual assaults, and even deaths. The longer children delay drinking and drug use, the less likely they are to develop problems associated with it. 

Parents play a key role in warning their children about the dangers of alcohol and drugs. Research shows that kids who learn about the risks of alcohol and drugs from their parents are up to 50% less likely to use. Parents influence whether and when adolescents begin drinking. Family policies should be established to disallow adolescent drinking, and adults need to be mindful of the example they set for their children when they drink."

This April, don’t be fooled into thinking that underage drinking is okay. Talk to your kids about the risks of underage drinking, and refuse to provide alcohol to minors.

- Maggie Neal