New Initiative Seeks to Prevent Substance Abuse

October 23, 2017

For more information, contact:
Cindy Bodendein, Health Officer
Sauk County Health Department
(608) 355-3290
Cindy.Bodendein@saukcountywi.gov

https://www.co.sauk.wi.us/publichealth

NEW INITIATIVE SEEKS TO PREVENT SUBSTANCE ABUSE

In collaboration with the Sauk County Health and Wellness Coalition, the Sauk County Health Department is forming a new initiative to build community partnerships to prevent substance abuse.  A kickoff meeting of the initiative will be held on November 8, 2017 from 1:00-2:30 PM at the West Square Building basement room B24 at 505 Broadway in Baraboo.  All are welcome to attend. 

Sauk County is facing an epidemic of drug misuse that includes prescription opioids, heroin, methamphetamines, and other substances.  In recent years, the county has expanded access to both treatment for substance use disorders and to medications that can reverse opioid overdoses.  “We’ve made great progress in substance abuse treatment and recovery in Sauk County,” states Sara Jesse, the Health Educator from the Sauk County Health Department who is facilitating the new initiative.  “This new partnership will help us to go further upstream, to focus on preventing people from starting to abuse drugs in the first place, and to get those who start misusing drugs to quit as soon as possible, before they become addicted.”  Jesse says the new initiative will focus on reducing access to risky and dangerous drugs, educating the community on the epidemic, enhancing screening for drug misuse, and decreasing the stigma associated with getting treatment.     

For more information about the new Sauk County drug prevention partnership, please contact the Sauk County Health Department at 355-3290. 

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