A youth substance prevention forum will be held Thursday to discuss how the city and county can prevent young people from turning to alcohol, cannabis and nicotine and to build a healthier community.
It will be hosted by the Community Action Network for Children and Youth Elgin.
It is funded by the Elgin-St. Thomas Community Foundation so that every member of the community has an equal opportunity to live a meaningful life.
Myles Proulx, network chair, explains the discussion will be centered around what is known as the Icelandic Prevention Model.
The model, is based on the collaboration of a number of stakeholders including parents, teachers, community centers, sports clubs and other parties that interact with children and young people.
The event will explore Planet Youth, a program developed in Iceland that has demonstrated success in preventing substance use.
Jessica Austin from Southwestern Public Health notes it is also an opportunity for the health unit to collect local data.
The event comes at a time when:
- Youth in our region 12-18 years of age report drinking higher levels of alcohol as well as drinking to feel drunk more often than the provincial rates;
- 80% of our youth say it’s easy to access alcohol;
- A quarter of youth are using cannabis products of any form;
- Of the 42% of local youth that report using vapes, one quarter of them are using vapes with nicotine.
Proulx explains the factors that need to be accounted for to help prevent young people from turning to alcohol, cannabis and nicotine.
Parents, guardians, youth, faith-based groups, policy makers, police and school administrators are invited to the table to explore Planet Youth.
The event will be held at the St. Thomas Senior’s Centre, 225 Chestnut Street, St. Thomas.
Proulx outlines the format for the evening.
It will start with a light meal served at 5:30 p.m. followed by the presentations and breakout sessions until 8 p.m.
Registration is required. To register visit: Community Forum Tickets, Thu, 12 Oct 2023 at 5:30 PM | Eventbrite or call 1-800-922-0096 x 3446.
