Geagua County, OH

Planning -- The most effective strategy within a community for any public health issue is two-fold: education and focus. To accomplish this at the community level, there needs to be a broad level of focus and support from all levels of the government: local, State and Federal, in order for there to be a consistent and proactive message. Education should begin at the elementary school level, with teaching talking about substances, abuse and alternatives; and move through the school system as appropriate for the cognitive abilities of various age groups. In this way, the community can collaborate with schools to provide initiatives and programs that address the problem prior to it becoming as endemic, and offer proposed solutions in a way that almost everyone involved knows they can receive help if necessary. The educational process must also be pervasive and accessible -- people need a number to...
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