HealthySV provides a variety of services and strategies for businesses, youth organizations, school systems, parents, and communities to prevent and reduce substance abuse and related problems. Examples of available services include, but are not limited to:
- Drug-Free Workplace Policy Development
- Responsible Beverage Server Training for Local Retailers
- Card ME Program – Assessment of Practices and Development of Policy for Local Retailers
- Community and Parent Engagement Events
For more information, please contact:
Lisa Larrabee
Youth Advocacy Program/Substance Abuse Prevention Coordinator
207-487-3890 ext. 2734
Did you know?
- Kids who drink alcohol before they turn 15 are 4 times as likely to develop a dependency to alcohol than those who wait until they are 21.
- Research shows the brain is not fully matured until the mid-twenties. And, even one alcoholic drink can reduce brain function in teens.
Parents can make a difference!
Maine teens who do not think they will be caught by their parents are nearly 5 times as likely to use alcohol compared to those who think they will get caught. Unfortunately, most Maine teens believe their parents won’t find out if they drink and recent data supports these perceptions.
28% of Maine teens report they have been drinking in the past 30 days. Only 4% of Maine parents believe their child has been drinking during the same timeframe.
Click here to learn what parents can do to help prevent underage drinking.
Law enforcement can make a difference!
A Maine survey conducted by the Youth Empowerment and Policy Project found that 56.8% of youth have been to a party hosted by an adult where both a location and alcohol were provided. 50.8% of youth say they wouldn’t get caught if they drank, but 90.3% feel they would get in trouble with their family if they did get caught.
Click here for more resources available to law enforcement to help prevent underage drinking and social hosting.
Prescription Drugs
The 2009 CASA Teen Survey reported that nearly 9 million 12- to 17-year-olds can get prescription drugs to abuse within a day. Nearly 5 million can within an hour. When asked where they would get the prescription drugs, teens cited the home, parents, other family members and friends.
Click here for more information and survey results.
The Cost
Expenses related to lost productivity due to substance abuse in Maine totaled more than $155.6 million in 2005. Low productivity, workplace injuries, low employee morale, employee illnesses, and poor company image are some of the effects that substance abuse can have on the workplace. Organizations that do not have Drug-Free Workplace programs tend to be places where alcohol or other drug abusers want to work.
Click here to learn more about the impact of substance abuse on the Workplace and strategies for prevention.
The National Center for Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA) reports that of the $373.9 billion in federal and state spending, 95.6% went to “shovel up” the consequences of substance abuse and addition, and only 1.4% went to prevention and treatment. For every $100 spent by state governments on substance abuse and addiction, states spent an average of $2.28 on prevention, treatment and research. Maine ranked 41st, spending only $0.71 on prevention.
Click here to learn more about the impact of substance abuse on Federal, State and Local budgets.
Substance Abuse Prevention Resources:
Substance Abuse Treatment Resources:
Additional Resources: