One Prevention Alliance – Page 3 – Healthy Youth, Successful Families and a Supportive Community.

Why small conversations make a big impression

Short, frequent discussions can have a real impact on your child’s decisions about alcohol. Talking to your child at an early age about drinking is the first step to- ward keeping them alcohol-free. But as they enter junior high and high school, the pressure to try alcohol increases.1 It’s important to continue the conversation throughout adolescence. Lots of little talks are more effective than one “big talk.” Sitting down for the “big talk” about alcohol can be intimidating for both you and your child. Try using everyday opportunities to talk— in the car, during dinner, or while you and your […]

Where are we now? Staying healthy during Covid

We are over 18 months into the Covid-19 pandemic, and we are all ready for it to be over! Unfortunately, we may have many more months until the virus is managed or fades away like pandemics of the past. What does not mean for us? Well, it means more stress. In looking back over the last year and half, how did you do with staying mentally and physically healthy? Were you an A+ or more like a C-? How are you doing now? Do you find yourself easily irritated? Maybe a little more moody than usual? Maybe you are tempted […]

Caring for yourself through the stressful holiday season

BY ELLIE MCDONALD MSW, SUDPT Ellie McDonald is a Behavioral Health Therapist at Skamania County Community Health For many, the holiday season can lead to increased stress. Some people experience stress due to the financial burden of buying gifts, traveling, or hosting gatherings. Others may struggle with managing their time with preparations, traveling, or multiple parties. There are many who feel intensified loneliness and grief due to loss of loved ones. You are not alone if you are struggling. As we move into the holiday season, here are some suggestions. Set Realistic Expectations The depiction of the perfect holiday gathering […]

SHS Students, Healthy Activities Lead to Healthier Choices

BY STAND UP 4 TEENS STUDENTS Stand Up 4 Teens (SU4T) is a youth- led prevention club at Stevenson High School, focused on changing community norms regarding under- age drinking and marijuana use, and prescription drug abuse. SU4T consists of ten high school students who partner with One Prevention Alliance collaborating to implement and facilitate community prevention activities in Skamania County. Prevention is Stand Up 4 Teen’s over- arching goal as a group. We want our fellow students to feel empowered and supported to make smart choices and live happy, healthy lives. Our priority is, above all else, to help […]

Red Ribbon Week

HOW IT BEGAN: Enrique “Kiki” Camarena was a Drug Enforcement Administration Agent who was tortured and killed in Mexico in 1985. In honor of Kiki’s memory and his battle against illegal drugs, friends and neighbors began to wear red badges of satin. Parents then began to form coalitions using Camarena as their model while embracing his belief that one person can make a difference. These coalitions adopted the symbol of Camarena’s memory, the Red Ribbon. Today, the Red Ribbon serves as a catalyst to mobilize communities to educate youth and encourage participation in drug prevention activities.This is OPA’s first year […]

October 23 Drug Take Back Event

On Saturday, October 23, 2021, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the Skamania County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and One Prevention Alliance will give the public another opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. Bring your medications for disposal to the Sheriff’s Office at 200 Vancouver Avenue, Stevenson, WA 98648. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked. It will also be very easy; you won’t even need to get out of your car. With opioid overdose deaths increasing during the pandemic, it […]

Logtoberfest Fun

Saturday, October 2nd was the Wind River Business Association’s Bigfoot Bash Logtoberfest! OPA took family games because Chris Malone reached out and asked for our participation and we said “YES”! During the event, attendees who entered the beer garden or the restrooms saw our PLAN AHEAD, GET HOME SAFE information (see below) While at our booth, families played games and had a blast being entertained by Logger Karen Douglass, One Prevention Alliance Community Coordinator and OPA Chair, Somer Meade.

LifeSkills Training helps Skamania pre-teens navigate big changes

Middle school is a time of big change for youth: academically, socially, emotionally, and physically. These changes make adolescents in this age group particularly vulnerable to the kinds of social and psychological factors that can lead to the initiation of substance use and other risky behaviors. LifeSkills Training (LST) is a school-based program that aims to prevent alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use and violence through a proactive approach that promotes open communication and awareness. Over 135 students in two school districts participated in this evidence-based program in Skamania County during the 2020-21 school year, thanks to several community partners. Riley […]

An overdose doesn’t have to end in tragedy, if you’re prepared

by Austin Blakeslee Pharm.D There is an epidemic facing America that has been around long before we ever heard about COVID-19. And unfortunately, it will likely still be around after COVID-19 subsides. The CDC states drug overdose deaths have quadrupled since 1999. Greater than 70% of the drug overdose deaths in 2019 involved an opioid-1. The opioid epidemic facing our country is something that needs to be challenged head on. Fortunately, we now have the ability to be prepared in ways we didn’t before. The tool that Washingtonians can now utilize is called naloxone. In an opioid overdose situation, the […]

Substance Use: You are not alone

Confidential and effective substance use treatment is available in Skamania County by Ellie McDonald, MSW, SUDPT There are many misconceptions around the risks associated with substance use. Substance use has been normalized within our society. Smoking, drinking, and other drug use is often glamorized in movies, television shows, and music. In many cases, substance use is also commonplace among our friends and family. It is important to recognize that substance use does pose risk to your health, wellness, and safety. Experimenting with substances may be viewed as normal but puts you at much higher risk for addiction. Substances that are […]