ubstance abuse takes many forms. It describes the executive whose idea of a power lunch is three lines of cocaine in the
bathroom or the teenager who uses glue to get high instead or the housewife who drinks gin instead of juice for breakfast.
To reflect the different types of substance abusers, Substance Abuse Prevention Services of
the Carolinas has proclaimed October Substance Abuse Awareness Month.
"What we are trying to do is promote health and wellness during this month and also raise the
community's consciousness about what substance abuse prevention is about," said Joanne Stevenson Jenkins, family education coordinator for SAPS.
SAAM started 10 years ago as an outgrowth of Red Ribbon Week in an effort to expand awareness about substance abuse in Mecklenburg County.
According to Substance Abuse Prevention Services:
- Hispanic Americans have the highest rate of drug use followed by Native Americans, Anglo Americans, African Americans and Asian Americans
- Forty-six percent of youth age 12-18 reported having tried alcohol while 27 percent have tried marijuana and 11 percent have tried stimulants such as LSD or crystal meth
- Ten percent of graduate school graduates admit to using inhalants
"We want people to know there are more drugs being abused than crack," Jenkins said. "People want to think that this is a inner-city or inner loop problem but there are probably
more people abusing prescription drugs then there are those abusing crack.
"We have to take the message out to southeast Charlotte, West Mecklenburg County and out
to the lake. We have to get people to think outside the box when it comes to substance abuse prevention."
The kick-off event for SAAM will be a press conference with Dr. John Chappel from the
University of Nevada at Reno Friday from 9:30-10 a.m. at the Behavioral Health Center-Amethyst, 1715 Sharon Road West.
Other scheduled events include mocktails from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Two First Union
Plaza on Oct. 7 and a community forum for parents and teens to discuss issues relative to substance abuse on Oct. 14 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the the Government Center, 600 E. Fourth St. Both events are free.
Sessions will also be held discussing issues of substance abuse among gays and lesbians, women, minorities and youth. Registration for each session ranges from $10 to $20 for late registrations.
"I think we have made a big impact in Mecklenburg County through SAMM," Jenkins said. "I see what we are doing as not so much anti-drugs but rather a pro-health type of celebration."
