Director's Notes

We're celebrating a milestone…..

Emporians for Drug Awareness has been an active coalition since 1990, when the school district requested that Margi Grimwood, the Safe and Drug Free Schools Coordinator, develop a strategy to get parents more involved in prevention. In response to that request, our coalition was formed.

The group was originally made up of volunteers including a representative from each school's PTO who would be responsible for communication between their PTO and EDA. The following are some of the activities and programs we have sponsored, some of which we still sponsor:

• New Year's Eve Party for Teens - 1990-2000;
• Keep It a Safe Summer - 2000 to present;
• Drug Free Communities grantee 1998 to 2009;
• State Incentive Cooperative Agreement (SICA) Grant recipient 1999 to 2001;
• KDOT grants obtained (2002-2003) - used to purchase equipment for Emporia Police Department;
• Presented Kansas Communities That Care survey results to USD 253 school board;
• Helped advocate for city commission to designate marijuana paraphernalia as cause for arrest;
• 6th Grade Walk to be Drug Free;
• Advocated at state level that inhalants be included in substances for DWI charges;
• Supported tobacco-free schools ground policy for USD 253;
• Co-creator of Kansas Leadership to Keep Children Alcohol Free;
• Supported strengthening school district ATOD policy for athletes;
• Sponsored PRIDE Clubs (drug-free youth groups) at middle and high school;
• Provide stipends for SADD Clubs at high school and 6th grade annually;
• Testified at state legislature for keg registration, social hosting, FAS diagnostic clinic, banning of precursors and other drugs;
• Community grants from Tobacco Free Kansas Coalition 2007-08, 2008-09;
• Member of Community Advocacy Board for Multi-Regional FAS Program sponsored by Saint Louis University;
• Various educational and motivational speakers;
• A $500 scholarship to an Emporia High School senior annually in partnership with Country Mart;
• Letters to parents in USD 251, 252 and 253 as well as to liquor retailers and motels in conjunction with the county attorney, school administration in each district, and law enforcement to advocate for prevention of underage alcohol use during prom and graduation;
• Red Ribbon Week;
• Safe Homes Pledge;
• Research-based classes for parents called, "Preparing for the Drug Free Years", now known as "Guiding Good Choices";
• Advocated for our local Clean Air Policy, as well as the Clean Air Act at the state level;

Based on current prevention science, we have increased our advocacy for changes in policies, programs and practices as a way to address priority risk factors in our community. The first such "environmental strategy" was keg registration. Emporia was the first community and Lyon the first county in Kansas to adopt it locally; this along with the adoption by neighboring counties led to legislation being passed at the state level. We also worked with Dr. James Barnett to start the first regional Fetal Alcohol Syndrome diagnostic clinic here in Emporia; we later helped get one developed in Garden City, as well. We have collaborated with the Emporia Police Department to offer Responsible Alcoholic Beverage Training to establishments selling or dispensing alcohol and collaborate with many other agencies in Emporia to promote substance abuse prevention activities.

We use data from the Kansas Communities That Care survey given every other year to our 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th graders to evaluate our efforts and lead our prevention planning. WE have seen a significant reduction in the use of alcohol and tobacco among our youth since we started measuring this in 1998. Even though there has been a reduction in the percentage of those reporting use of the gateway drugs, any use by our youth puts them at risk for addiction and other problems and/or injuries.

As we try to stay up to date with current trends in substance abuse and other risky behavior, the Board of Emporians for Drug Awareness is committed to helping make our community a safe, healthy place to live, work, play and raise a family.

………of working for a safer community for 20 years!