Becoming a Healthy Community – Changing Culture!

Recently, I participated in a Strategic Planning Session to reduce substance abuse in the Cadillac Area.  Opioids, methadone, heroin, and student vaping were the topics.  Session participants included personnel from many fields including medical and mental health, law enforcement, judicial, governmental, social services, nonprofit organizations, ministerial, educational, as well as local Jr. High and high school students.  Participants were able to coalesce concerns into one short term goal and multiple long term goals.  In the short term, the goal is to educate our community about proper drug disposal, the dangers of crystal methamphetamine (meth) and heroin, and educating students about the inherent dangers of vaping.  Long term goals are to reduce the availability of illegal drugs, reduce prescription drug abuse, increase access to Narcotics Anonymous (NA) and Alcoholic Anonymous (AA) support groups, and add additional work re-entry programs for drug offenders.  Read more