Editor’s Note RCYSUC wants to empower Richland County youth, families and the community to reduce youth substance use through education, intervention, and participation. This is part 1 of a 7 part sponsored series around preventing substance misuse. The three committees (Data & Evaluation Committee, Alcohol Misuse Prevention Committee, and Prescription Drug Misuse Prevention Committee) that make up…
MANSFIELD — Julia Long peeled the back off an orange sticker, smoothed it over a can of spiked lemonade and stuck it back in the refrigerator. Then she took the can next to it and did the same thing, over and over, until a whole row of cans had been labeled with the warning. Members of…
MANSFIELD — Think there is nothing to do in Richland County over the summer? Well, look no further than the Richland County Youth Substance Use Coalition. As part of the nationwide Drug Free Communities (DFC) Program, the coalition is made up of community members who work to plan and organize events to encourage the reduction…
MANSFIELD — The months of June and July are peak times for first-time youth substance use of alcohol, cigarettes and marijuana, according to The National Survey on Drug Use and Health. The Richland County Youth Substance Use Coalition wants young people to avoid substance use this summer in order to have healthy, strong futures. Marijuana is…
MANSFIELD — There’s only one week left for local youth to vote for their favorites in a county-wide multimedia art contest. Students in grades Kindergarten through 12 were asked earlier this year to submit original art, videos, poems or memes with a drug/alcohol prevention message to the Richland County Youth Substance Use Coalition. Submissions are now closed, but…
MANSFIELD — Local students could see their artwork on billboards around Mansfield this year. The Richland County Youth Substance Use Coalition recently announced its first drug and alcohol prevention art contest. To participate, students must create a poster, flyer, billboard design, artwork, YouTube or TikTok video, haiku, poem or meme that has a drug/alcohol prevention message. “We…
MANSFIELD, OH — What will it take to reduce youth substance use in Richland County? A group of people from 12 different sectors are working together to tackle this problem and promote healthy activities. Richland Public Health was awarded a federal Drug-Free Communities (DFC) grant in October 2019 to sustain the Richland County Youth Substance…
MANSFIELD, OH — In order to address a problem, you have to understand it. That’s why the Richland County Youth Substance Use Coalition (RCYSUC) is collecting data on perceptions of youth alcohol use. The coalition is asking for the community’s help through an anonymous survey for parents and guardians. “The purpose of the survey is…
MANSFIELD, OH — The Richland County Youth Substance Use Coalition is seeking community partners to help distribute free, safe medication disposal kits. The coalition, led by Richland Public Health, received more than 5,000 Deterra drug deactivation pouches from Ohio’s SafeRx Collaborative and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. These kits will allow residents to safely and…
MANSFIELD, OH — The new Richland County Youth Substance Use Coalition held its first meeting last week, kickstarting what could be a decade-long program aimed at decreasing teen substance abuse. Julie Chaya, director of health education and promotion for Richland Public Health, said the team’s primary emphasis will likely be teen use of alcohol, opiates,…