Hello from The Norwalk Partnership (TNP)--your local coalition dedicated to preventing underage substance misuse! We want to let you know about a couple of opportunities coming up (including tomorrow) and update you on our work & how you can help. Please be a part of it! Everything we do is by and for the community!
MARIJUANA:
Today's marijuana is nothing like what was out there in the 90s, let alone the 70s, and can have a significant impact on the developing teen brain. Come hear special guest speaker Ben Cort of Weed, Inc., TOMORROW night, January 21 at 7pm, at the online New Canaan Parent Support Group meeting (open to all). RSVP.
And plan to attend our virtual TNP Coalition Meeting on January 27 from 2-3:30pm for data and discussion about marijuana in CT and Norwalk youth; RSVP.
HOW YOU CAN HELP: If you have data or anecdotes about current MJ use among Norwalk youth that we can incorporate into our presentation, please email Margaret: mwatt@positivedirections.org.
ALCOHOL:
Our subcommittee has put together a two-part campaign to raise awareness that Norwalk teens drink more than the average, that they drink primarily at private homes, that parents should keep their liquor away from kids, and that the Social Host Law holds parents liable for underage drinking! Check out our infobrief & FAQs on our alcohol page here.
Starting this week, participating package stores in town have our Liquor Stickers available at the cash register, and soon curbside delivery boxes from some of our local retailers will have our #mentionprevention inserts in them.
HOW YOU CAN HELP: Please thank participating retailers!
SURVEY:
Our community survey is out there in English, Spanish and Creole--but we need your help to get more participants! We are gathering data from Norwalk adults about mental health, substance use and resource needs in Norwalk during COVID. The survey takes about 5 minutes and participants are entered in a raffle to win one of four $25 gift cards. We hope to report the data out at our meeting on January 27th.
HOW YOU CAN HELP: Have YOU taken the survey? Have your colleagues and neighbors? Please take our survey & share it via email or social media! (You can copy the message above or send a link to this page.)
WEBSITE:
We launched our website in early December, and if you haven't checked it out yet, please do! This is a new resource for our city and we hope you'll help make people aware of it.
You can learn about our approach, see the meeting schedule & summaries, read FAQs about different issues like alcohol and mental health, download infographs & slideshows about Norwalk, visit the Get Help page to find treatment services and support groups specifically for Norwalk youth, find out about trainings we can provide, and more. A couple of the substance specific pages are still under development, but keep checking back!
HOW YOU CAN HELP: Please get familiar with the site & link your organization's website to ours!
You'll also notice that our Instagram feed is visible from our News page below the blog posts. Our social media is a great way to stay updated with ideas, updates & resources to share to your networks!
HOW YOU CAN HELP: Please follow us on social media (Facebook & Instagram)
YOUTH:
Check out the free trainings provided by teens from Dover, New Hampshire! Our prevention friends over at Fairfield CARES Youth Committee are opening these opportunities up to our kids.
HOW YOU CAN HELP: Please share the opportunity!