DRUG SURVEY DRAWS COUNTY OFFICIALS TOGETHER

Bridgeway Looks At Strategies To Address Issue

Rep. Rich Meyers, R-Macomb, and Bridgeway staff presented local
community members with certificates for their involvement in a survey
about local alcohol, tobacco and drug use in Warren County.

Fifteen officials completed the survey, including Jack Toal of
Starting Point; Dave Jodi Scott, Regional Superintendent of Warren,
Mercer and Henderson counties; Mike Kirby, Roseville Village Board
president; Albert Algren, Warren County state's attorney, Bill
Underwood, Warren County coroner; Jan Sprout, director of Jamieson
Center; Sheriff Martin Edwards; Dean Condon of Monmouth College; Angie
Torrance of EvenStart; and Katie Human of Farmland Foods.

"We sat down and gave them a verbal questionnaire," said Debbie Jo
Metsker, Bridgeway prevention specialist. "They had to take some time
and sit down to do it."

The local officials, or "community champions," were given a
face-to-face questionnaire about their knowledge of drug use in Warren
County. The survey focused on whether or not the officials felt there
is a need to address any drug issues in the county, whether or not
people in the community know about drug issues, what knowledge
community members have of drug prevention efforts and what guidance
the community needs in drug prevention.

"It brings various people and entities together to focus on whether
there is a problem in the community, if there is a problem, to what
extent is the problem and then how can you address the problem,"
Meyers said. "It gets people involved and focusing on trying to help
youth that may need assistance."

Results from the survey showed that while leaders in Warren County
recognize there is an issue and would like guidance, only some members
of the community know about drug issues and local prevention efforts.
These results said Warren County had limited awareness, placing the
county in the third of nine stages of readiness. The stages are: no
awareness, denial/resistance, limited awareness, preplanning,
preparation, initiation, stabilization, confirmation/expansion and a
high level of community/ownership.

"People kind of know what's going on, but they don't really know
what's going on," said Metsker.

Warren County eighth grade students also were surveyed in 2006 about
their use and knowledge of drugs. The survey found that 25 percent of
eighth grade students surveyed had used alcohol within the past 30
days of the survey, more than the 23 percent of total Illinois eighth
grade students. It also found that 9 percent had used cigarettes, less
than the state's 10 percent and 8 percent used marijuana, a 4
percentage points above students statewide.

While DARE is available at schools, Bridgeway's program tries to
address any drug problems in the county to the entire community. Also,
DARE is only a one-year program, and peer pressure to use drugs lasts
well beyond that one year, Meyers said.

"I think this is another key element trying to help youth resist that
peer pressure," Meyers said. "We can identify programs with the
schools, or even outside of the schools, that people can participate
with this program.

Bridgeway is considering strategies to move to the next level of
readiness. The goal of the strategies is to inform the community that
they can become involved in preventing drug use among the county's
youth. They hope to achieve this goal by posting flyers and posters,
conducting more surveys, attending community events and publishing
editorials in local publications.