MANSFIELD, OH — The Richland County Youth Substance Use Coalition (RCYSUC) currently has three different committees working together to reduce youth substance use in Mansfield, OH. One of those committees is the Alcohol Misuse Prevention Committee. This committee educates on the risks of underage alcohol use and reduces misperceptions around use. Everyone does NOT drink alcohol and this is especially true for youth.
Recently, the committee has collaborated with local businesses and organizations to hang up Parents Who Host Lose The Most educational posters. The posters stress that underage drinking is harmful to a developing brain and increases the chance of becoming addicted to alcohol. Parents should be aware of the risks of underage drinking from both a health standpoint and a legal standpoint. Underage drinking is harmful not only to youth but to the community as well.
“For adults to permit underage drinking, is sending the wrong message to those who are underage and lacking the good judgment of a more experienced adult. The risk associated with underage drinking extends not just to the harm caused on an underage person’s own mental and physical health, but that of others who may be harmed as a result of the alcohol consumption,” said Joseph Snyder, Assistant Richland County Prosecutor. “An adult who provides alcohol to underage persons is risking the imposition of penalties up to and including jail time and monetary fines on even a first offense.”
Below are businesses and organizations that participated in hanging up educational posters:
- Marathon, 1215 Lexington Ave
- Sunoco, 382 Lexington Ave
- Kingwood Center Gardens, 50 N Trimble Rd
- M and S Drive Thru, 753 Springmill St
- KV Market, 359 W 4th St
- Coney Island Inn, 20 S Park St
- Richland County Sheriff’s Office, 597 Park Ave E
- Marathon, 495 Woodville Rd
- Richland County Juvenile Court, 411 S Diamond St
- Puffs North, 840 N Trimble Rd
- Speedway, 907 Springmill St
- Kroger, 1240 Park Ave W
- MVP Sports Bar & Grille, 275 Park Ave W
- Deschner’s Pizza, 220 Ashland Rd
- Colonial Coin Laundry, 190 Marion Ave
- Dairy Land, 800 Springmill St
- Los 3 Mayas, 595 Ashland Rd
- Clean Jeans Laundry Room & Tanning, 225 Ashland Rd
- Quick Mart, 563 S Diamond St
- Phoenix Brewery, 131 N Diamond St
- The Hills, 883 S Main St
- Richland County Fairgrounds, 750 N Home Rd
- Richland County Court of Common Pleas, 50 Park Ave E
- Richland County Longview Center, 1495 W Longview Ave
- Richland County Job & Family Services, 171 Park Ave E
- Hilltop Coin Laundry, 709 Ashland Rd
- Wayne’s County Market, 2440 Lexington Ave
- Old Bag of Nails Pub, 625 Lexington Ave #7
- Leaning Tower of Pizza, 180 Lexington Ave
- North End Community Improvement Collaborative (NECIC), 134 N Main St
If other businesses/organizations would like to get involved and hang up posters educating on underage drinking, please contact Gurpinder Deol at 419-774-4754 or email gdeol@richlandhealth.org.
Looking forward, the committee plans to provide programming and more hands-on activities for parents and students.
The Alcohol Misuse Prevention Committee has members located throughout Richland County. Members include Crystal Weese from NECIC, Tracee Anderson and Daci Statler from Community Action for Capable Youth, and Aaron Williams from Mansfield City Schools and the Maddox Memorial Church. It also has consultants from TTJ Group guiding the group.
RCYSUC consists of many local community partners all working towards the same mission: To empower Richland County youth, families and the community to reduce youth substance use through education, intervention and prevention.
RCYSUC is always looking for new members, community partners, and especially youth to join and get involved. If you’d like to join a committee, the coalition, or simply would like to learn more, consider reaching out. Please call 419-774-4754 or visit the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/RCYSUC to learn more and engage with us.
The Coalition’s work is funded through a Drug-Free Communities grant which is administeredby the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy and is managed by Richland Public Health.
Article available on Richland Source