What exactly is Healthy Lamoille Valley?

Partnering to do great things!

You may be wondering, "What is Healthy Lamoille Valley?" We are an organization composed of community members whose Mission is to change community norms through collaboration with diverse community partners to prevent youth substance use, to reduce substance abuse, and to support healthy personal choices. While the work in the Lamoille Valley began in 1999, the name "Healthy Lamoille Valley" became formal at the start of the 2014 to capture the broader work of the organization and partners. Two separate organizations have come together, the Lamoille Valley Fit and Healthy Council and the Lamoille Prevention Campaign, to facilitate this work. These activities are supported by Vermont Department of Health’s Community Based Grant Programs and Vermont Department of Health’s Partnership for Success Grant Program. A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to sit around a table and hear as some of our partners shared their work. Here's a glimpse...

• AlcoholEdu at Johnson State College - Johnson State College is requiring all incoming freshman and transfer students (under the age of 23) to complete the AlcoholEdu and HAVEN online class. This class offers additional educational information related to risks associated with alcohol or other drug use (AlcoholEdu) and provides education on what a healthy relationship should consist of (HAVEN). This class also offers tips and strategies for students to utilize in helping keep our JSC campus community safe and healthy. 88% of incoming students have completed AlcoholEdu and personal follow-up is being done with those who haven't. Last semester there were only 20 alcohol related incidents on campus. 

• Lamoille County Planning Commission - The Lamoille County Planning Commission is conducting ground-breaking work in developing a manual for Town Planners for addressing substance use issues in town plans that will be made available to all Vermont towns. Additionally, we will be developing a map of alcohol establishments in the county to help the working group research policies of alcohol prevention and planning language in other places, and provide outreach on our findings. 

• Lamoille County Court Diversion - In collaboration with Lamoille County Court Diversion and six local law enforcement agencies, developed a plan to conduct saturation patrols, party patrols and increase education about the consequences of underage drinking with middle school students. 

• eCheckUP To Go - Partnering in 2014 with countywide employers to implement the eCheckUP alcohol self-survey and education program targeted to 18-25 year olds.

• Nurturing Father's Program through the Lamoille Family Center – A 13 session course designed to teach parenting and nurturing skills to men that provides proven, effective skills for healthy family relationships and child development. This program guides each father/man in exploring his unique history, experiences, values, and attitudes about parenting. Topics addressed include: dealing with feelings; managing anger and resolving conflicts; choosing healthy behaviors, fathering sons/fathering daughters; teaching values and being a role model; teamwork within the family; and issues around work and fathering.  Contact: Jackie Stanton – 888-5229 ext. 149 or jstanton@lamoillefamilycenter.org.

• Parent & Community Education - We conduct four educational events each year including our annual “Time to Talk About Youth” event during Alcohol Awareness Month (4/24 - Location TBA). Local and regional experts present on the risks of substance abuse and engage community members.

• Youth Engagement - Engaged area youth through projects such as “Sticker Shock” and sponsoring youth participation in Prevention Day at the Vermont Statehouse. The Green Mountain Technology & Career Center Multimedia class designed a logo for LPC and the 2014 class has created an advertising template for our “State of Our Youth” campaign to educate the community about the status of youth in the areas of underage drinking, binge drinking, prescription drug abuse and social hosting laws.

• Healthy Retailers - Working with 7 local independent store owners to make their stores a healthier place for the community to shop and to make the healthy choice the easier choice.

• Prescription Drug Awareness Program - Working with local pharmacists and physicians to promote safe storage, use, and disposal of prescription drugs.  Next Take Back event to dispose of unused prescriptions is April 26th, 10-2: Locations TBA

• Lamoille Valley Fit and Healthy Council - Healthy Community Design projects in Wolcott, Morrisville, and Cambridge including plans for constructing or mapping local recreational spaces and paths for residents.  This work also informed the work plan for the Healthy Retailers project as we learned more about the needs and desire of residents.  Planned Morrisville's Octoberfest 5k run.  Awarded mini-grants to the communities of Eden, Morrisville, Cambridge & Johnson to support their recreational facilities projects.  

• Blog, Social Media Education, & Website -  http://healthylamoille.blogspot.com/ and Find us on Facebook: Lamoille Prevention Campaign. Our website should be launched in a couple of weeks, the address will be www.healthylamoillevalley.org once it goes live.

Healthy Lamoille Valley has over 200 partners in the Lamoille Valley and serves the communities of Cambridge, Jeffersonville, Waterville, Belvidere, Eden, Johnson, Hyde Park, Morrisville, Wolcott, Stowe, Elmore, Hardwick, Greensboro, Craftsbury, Walden, and Woodbury.

As a result of our work we have seen an increase in intervention and substance abuse treatment with teens and an increase in parent’s knowledge of the risks of underage drinking. Increased engagement by our partners has improved visibility of the issue of substance abuse and has resulted in strong partnerships that provide sustainability to prevention efforts.

Since our substance abuse prevention efforts began in 1999 we have seen a steady decline in rates in teen alcohol use and binge drinking as evidenced in the Lamoille County Youth Risk Behavior Survey Results.

	1999	2013
Consumed alcohol, ever	79%	64%
Drank alcohol before age 13	28%	18%
Binged, past 30 days	33%	21%

If you'd like to become involved email: healthylamoille@gmail.com.

Lookalikes...

I have to admit... I don't spend time hanging out by the alcohol cases at our local store.  I have many reasons for this, but that's for another post someday.  My time is pretty much limited to passing by while trying to find the seltzer or soda in a new store. Quick glance... nope not what I'm looking for... keep going.

In the last few weeks, I've been to three trainings by Vermont Department of Liquor Control officers and have been amazed at the crossover in the physical appearance of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.  In many cases you'd have to know the product to be able to tell that it contained alcohol.

At one of these trainings Jennifer Fisher of the VT Department of Liquor Control encouraged the participants, who were store clerks, to take time stop in front of their coolers and really study the products.    I took her up on the challenge.  Below are some of the pictures I snagged.  If you have children or teens and are not aware of how much copycatting the alcohol industry is doing of non-alcoholic drinks... or vice versa... I'd encourage you to stop by a cooler... without your children... and take a close look.  (Note: Please don't do this if you know that you have a personal weakness towards alcohol and this could be a trigger.)

Which one(s) contains alcohol?

Similar colors and size.

How about in this grouping?

Some manufactures are fairly clear with their labeling.

A bit less so...

And even more hidden...

As parents, teachers, friends, and neighbors, it's our responsibility to be proactive and check out what are kids are drinking.

In Lamoille County, 64% of high school students ever drank alcohol (59% state), 39% (33% state) of all high-schoolers drank alcohol in the last month, and 37% (46% state) have had liquor in the last 30 days.  Eighteen percent said that they had had more than a taste of alcohol before the age of 13.  Four percent of these teens said that they had purchased their own alcohol, while 61% said that they got their alcohol from someone else (either were given/or gave someone money to purchase).  Lamoille County Data for 2013 Vermont Youth Risk Behavior Survey

Thank you to the local market that let me take these pictures.  Youth attractive labeling presents significant concerns for sales clerks.  The store I visited had wisely put all of the alcohol with bright labels up high.

Eavesdropping & Our first PRIZE DRAWING!

Everyone loves a story... Have you ever been sitting somewhere public and you just couldn't help but eavesdrop on someone else's story?  I know... this isn't polite... or socially acceptable... but I'm guessing we've all done it.  A couple of weeks back I was sitting in the coffee shop when I overheard two gentlemen behind me chatting. Their conversation piqued my interest.

One guy was telling the other about his recent sunny, (insert non-blustery and way above zero) tropical vacation.

“My vacation was basically ...swim, pina colada, cigarette, repeat… I must have smoked a pack a day… When I got back I learned that my favorite Uncle was just diagnosed with lung cancer.  Boy, was that a wake up call! “  He then went on to share with his friend his plan for quitting smoking saying he didn't want to be controlled by the tobacco companies.  

I'm wondering ... what's your story with substances (alcohol, tobacco, drugs, or prescription drugs)?  Your story may be simple - making choices to stay clear of them, or it may have lots of layers ... whatever it is please share. Have you always had the same beliefs?  Have you had or continue to have struggles? If you've had a change in attitude - what brought it about?  

PRIZE DRAWING!!! Truly - I'd love to hear your stories... share yours in the comments section below to be entered to win one of two Healthy Lamoille Valley collapsible water bottles.  Winners will be announced Monday, February 10th.  

Uh, oh... another event? What you do matters...

Do you ever skip events, even when they're focused on things that are important to you, because you don't feel like you personally will get anything out of them?  I once had a co-worker who hated going to conferences because she felt like she'd been to so many that she no longer learned anything new.  Do we tune out the importance of staying current on issues that are important to us, because well,  we may not actually struggle with the issue or we've heard it so much?  I know I have at times. What if we look at these events differently?

What if we looked at these events as a way to show support for something that we feel strongly about?  When we go to things we are saying to those around us, "Yeah, I'm going to Family Reading Night. It is important to me, I'm making the time to be there."  Some events, say to our children, "This is important to us as a family."  Our attendance also shares with the presenters that there is community need/interest/support in what is being shared.  

Our attendance helps open the door for future conversations.  About a year ago I went to a parenting class held by the Lamoille Family Center. I can't tell you how many times I've gotten to share snippets from the workshop encouraging other parents.  These conversations are important, because they share tools and resources with others who might not have been able to make it to the event.  

Going to events keeps these things a priority in your life.  You're busy, I'm busy... it's really easy to lose focus of what's important.  The further you get from the truth, the easier it is to create a new reality not grounded in facts. "Oh...it doesn't really matter if I let my teen drink with us at home at dinner...it's teaching them to drink responsibly."

Attendance at events is an opportunity to share a value.  Why not go... meet someone new... or even better... invite a friend to join you for the evening?  Causes have the capacity to strengthen and grow friendships.

Have you ever considered that your attendance can help change a community culture?  By sitting in that chair, you're taking a small step to stand up for something you believe is important in your community.  It's a whole lot easier to say something's important when you actually show up.

I share this, in part, to invite you to Healthy Lamoille Valley's upcoming event... 

Special Parent Event: How to Keep Children Safe & Prevent Underage Drinking

Tuesday 1/28/14,  6:00-7:30PM

Varnum Memorial Library, Jeffersonville

What parents think about alcohol impacts their children & their children's friends.  Join us for an engaging event to share resources and answer questions about issues related to: Teen & Young Adult Substance Abuse, Protective Family Factors, Parental Monitoring Strategies, Facts & Consequences of Underage Drinking and Local Resources for Intervention, Treatment & Recovery.

Presenter:  Steve Waldo, Educator for the Department of Liquor Control

Why should you attend?  We realize that parents’ knowledge and beliefs about alcohol’s impact influence how they connect with their children and teens around this topic.  Staying current, no matter your children’s age helps you be a better parent and community member.

Who Should Attend:  Parents,  teens, educators, caregivers, town officials,

store and bar owners, and other interested community members.

RSVP:  Jessica Bickford, by email: healthylamoille@gmail.com

Sponsored by: Healthy Lamoille Valley, Varnum Memorial Library and the Department of Liquor Control

Hope to see you there!  I'll save you a seat!  What events are you attending?  Why do you go?

Like this article?  Follow us on Facebook for more resources:Lamoille Prevention Campaign

Impact

Who you are matters...

Have you ever hung out with someone from another part of the country and found yourself using phrases that are not local to you within a relatively short time?

Growing up our family skipped back and forth across the Connecticut River living in both Vermont and New Hampshire.  The summer treat of choice was soft serve ice cream which we always called a "frostywhip."  When I moved to Northern Vermont,  where everyone calls them "creemees," I decided to stick to my roots and call them soft serves or frostywhips.  Guess what? I now, more often than not, call them "creemees."  My husband, who grew up in Central New Hampshire is still holding strong ordering his soft serve after our 6 years in the "far, far" north.

I share this somewhat silly story to illustrate something that I've been thinking about recently.   Just as we influence those we spend time with, we are influenced by the beliefs and actions of those around us. This is especially true of those whom we spend the most time.  Add the even bigger component of respect for the other person and the impact grows.  We value more heavily the actions and beliefs of those who we look up too.

As a parent I find this realization to be an enormous responsibility that carries with it the need to be present and attentive.  I have two young children who are watching my every move when I'm at my best and ... when I'm at my worst.   They see how I deal with stress. They see how I talk about people I don't agree with.  They see how I care for my body.  They see how I spend my time and money. They see what I value and they are learning. I could take the attitude that what I do right now doesn't really matter... because of course, they're not really making those tough life-impacting decisions right now, but that's not actually true.  Each moment I spend with them now will, in reality, impact them later in life when I can't be with them encouraging positive decisions.

If you have children, students, young neighbors or relatives, you are being watched.  And they are learning from you, what positive changes can you make today to help them learn to make healthy life choices?

Newness

Newness

Each year brings some newness into our lives.  Just a few days into 2014 I find myself sitting in a coffee shop with a new job and a new blog.  A blog that is close to my heart of helping children and their families.  I am excited to engage with my new position with the Partnership for Success, a prevention group in the Lamoille Valley.  It will provide lots of opportunities for me to research and share valuable information with parents and community members to help create and support a positive culture of wellness in the region.

What topics would you like to know more about?