August 31, 2018 - Come join your fellow community members in celebrating everyone in recovery on September 29, 2018 in Kiwanis Park from 10:00am to 2:00pm. There will be free lunch provided to all who attend our celebration of recovery. Activities such as pony rides, a rock wall, face painting and much more will also be available free of charge. This year’s theme is “Join the Voices for Recovery: Invest in Health, Home, Purpose, and Community.” Recovery from addiction or mental illness is a tremendous accomplishment worthy of celebration by everyone.
August 23, 2018 - We see on the television and read in the newspaper how drug overdose deaths are increasing at a rapid rate. Opioid and Fentanyl are being discussed throughout the nation in businesses and homes. With great concern, we talk about the ease of encountering fentanyl and how different illicit drugs are being laced with all types of chemicals. However, according to the Center of Disease Control, the number of opioid related overdose deaths in 2016 were about 42,000, but the number of alcohol related deaths per year is about 88,000.
March 13, 2018 - The need to provide meaningful education on the dangers of underage drinking and drug use here in Shelby County has never been greater. A few facts help to highlight that need:
January 11, 2018 - On October 26th, 2017, President Trump declared the opioid epidemic as a public health emergency. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 140 Americans die every day from an opioid overdose. Now, more than ever, it is important to know the facts concerning the misuse of drugs and alcohol.
More than half of high school seniors across the country report using alcohol, and around 15 percent report using illegal drugs sometime in the past year, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
November 13, 2017 - Help promote the American Cancer Society’s (ACS) Great American Smokeout on November 16th with the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Council of Deep East Texas (ADAC). The Great American Smokeout is a campaign to encourage smokers to stop tobacco use, and it is also utilized to discourage teens from starting the use of tobacco. According to the Texas School Survey, about 4 out of 5 students 7th to 12th grade view tobacco use as dangerous. Join us in educating people on the effects tobacco has on our bodies and promote wellness.
September 12, 2017 - Have you ever felt no one understands what you are experiencing? Maybe you have felt isolated or alone even though multiple people surround you every day. Chances are you either live with or work with someone who is constantly battling these emotional struggles. It can feel like a lonely journey being diagnosed with a mental health and/or substance use disorder. You can help by letting your family members and others in the community know you are with them.
National Prevention Week: May 15-21 Marks the Annual National Prevention Week.
May 5, 2017 - National Prevention Week is an annual health observance dedicated to increasing public awareness of, and action around, substance abuse and mental health issues.
There are three primary goals of National Prevention Week:
April 12, 2017 - When you’re younger and your parents needed to have a serious conversation, they would call you in and ask that you have a seat. This meant that the topic was serious and required our full attention.
February 3, 2017 - Let’s take a stroll down “Memory Lane” to the years that many of us lived free and without bills to pay or worries. We dreaded waking up early for school but looked forward to innocent Friday night football games where we cheered our hearts out and bragged about our latest hallway crush. The internet as we know it today was just a twinkle in someone’s eye and cell phones weren’t permanent appendages.