April 2019
April 2019
 It's Prom and Graduation season--let's make it a safe one!
It's that time of year when proms and graduations take center stage. But it can also be a very dangerous time: according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1 in 3 teens who die in alcohol-related incidents die during between April and June Even though our high school youth may seem all grown up, they still look to parents for guidance on those tough issues like alcohol and drugs: they want to know what you think, and they listen when you talk. Take time to talk about these challenging topics now, as your youth face the next stage of their lives. For help on talking to your kids at ANY age, visit TalkSooner.org .
Safe Prom Virtual Town Hall
Join us for our first Virtual Parent Town Hall! Prom season has begun,and it can offer an opportunity to talk to your teens about your expectations for them for Prom Night, as well as what your family values are. We'll have a number of local leaders talking about how to talk to your kids about Prom and taking your questions. We'll also share our Safe prom efforts for this year and where you can find our messages for youth.
Join us on April 26th here on our facebook page to hear about current youth trends and how to talk to your kids about Prom. Be sure to post your questions on the OSAP page before the event so we can be sure they get answered.
The Safe Prom Initiative
The members of OSAP began the Safe Prom Initiative 13 years ago to help address the issue of underage drinking during prom and graduation season. The initiative targets both area retailers that are involved with prom activities (florists, tux rental, limos, hair salons, etc) and high school students to reach everyone connected to prom and graduation activities. This year, over 500 area retailers received fliers to display-or business cards to tuck into tux jackets-promoting a "safe" prom. Over 4500 stickers, messaged with stay safe and above the influence wording, went to all 13 area high schools to be handed out with all prom tickets. This collaborative push show OSAP's dedication to making prom and graduation the safe and joyful time it should be.
We would also like to salute the following businesses for their help in promoting the safe prom message:
Anchor Party Store in Holland
MUGS Party Store in Grand Haven
DoubleTree by Hilton (Holland)
Hair Creations Studio in Spring Lake
Family Dollar (Holland) 
Have you watched our vaping videos?

Over spring break, the OSAP coalition released two short videos about teens and vaping. They contain a lot of information and run about two minutes ling. If you haven't seen them, take a minutes and watch them here. There is also another Town Hall focusing on vaping scheduled for Monday, May 13 from 7-10 pm at Jenison Hall school; event information can be found here.
Saturday, April 27 is Prescription Drug Take Back Day!
The opioid and prescription drug epidemic continues to be a pressing problem, both on the national level and here in Ottawa County. One way we ALL can help address this public health crisis is through the responsible disposal of unused medications. How many of us have old, half-finished prescriptions in our medicine cabinets?? If we can make these drugs unavailable for potential misuse, one component in the crisis could be slowed down, if not stopped. Remember, responsible disposal DOES NOT include simply throwing them away or flushing them down the toilet. National Take Back Day reminds us to take our old medications to authorized drop site AND gives us a target date to do this! Go here for a list of designated takeback sites. And don't forget that all Meijer pharmacies are also drop off sites.
Ottawa Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition
Contact Leigh Moerdyke at lmoerdyke@arborcircle.org

http://www.arborcircle.org/community-youth-development http://www.arborcircle.org/community-youth-development


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Talk Early. Talk Often. Learn How.  www.talksooner.org