JEFFERSON CITY  — On Wednesday, Feb. 28, the Missouri Prevention Advocacy Leaders (MoPAL), a state-wide collaboration striving for positive change in youth substance abuse, will meet with state legislators to discuss the importance of funding prevention efforts as well as the substance use issues that most impact youth in the state: alcohol, marijuana, tobacco, and opioids.

The MoPAL press conference will be held in the Senate Rotunda from 12:30-1 p.m. Media, legislators, and the public are encouraged to attend.

Osage County Anti-Drug Community Action Team (OC-ADCAT) Executive Director Lorie Winslow will be among several community coalitions representing a mixture of Missouri’s rural and urban populations at this event.

“Our mission is to help our youth make positive decisions regarding youth substance abuse,” said Winslow, noting that. OC-ADCAT was established in 2015. “The coalition works to decrease substance use in adults and prevent substance use in youth through community education, policy creation and implementation, prevention programming, community education, parent outreach, and various environmental methods to reduce youth access to alcohol and other substances. OC-ADCAT seeks funding to increase the capacity of the coalition to intensify and expand prevention initiatives throughout the county and to coordinate efforts across multiple systems. The focus of the coalition is to educate our youth about the dangers of alcohol and the vaping of nicotine. Steps to make a difference will include increasing our coalition capacity and working to create a stronger youth coalition in Osage County.”

In November of 2021, OC-ADCAT hired its first full-time director because of a mega grant received from the Missouri Department of Mental Health. The coalition received this grant another time and continued to be funded until September of last year.

“Since then, we have been working on continued funding,” said Winslow. “We have had several private donations and are also working on continued grant funding through state and federal grants. During the last three years, we have implemented ‘Too Good for Drugs’ in Osage County schools, held four Strengthening Families sessions in conjunction with the Osage-Gasconade Drug Treatment Program, continued to recognize our monthly OC-ADCAT Drug- Free Student of the Month, and are currently working to implement ‘Teen Mental Health First Aid’ in Osage County high schools. We are proud of our accomplishments in the past three years, and even more excited about what the future holds.”

OC-ADCAT’s next endeavor is to open a Youth Center.  “We have a location selected and are looking for continued funding for this project,” Winslow noted. “We want a safe, fun environment for Osage County youth to come on Mondays (when there is no school), holidays, and selected evenings for activities and socializing. Our goal is to have the Youth Center open before the end of the year.”

PreventEd Deputy Executive Director Jenny Armbruster and Youth With Vision students will also speak.

Substance use prevention is a critical public health issue that needs to be addressed at the state level. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, substance use disorders are the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Community-based prevention programs are evidence-based, grass-roots efforts that help reduce addiction and substance use problems.

Alcohol is the most prevalent substance used by Missouri youth. According to the 2022 Missouri Student Survey, half of Missouri youth find it easy to obtain alcohol. One way youth obtain alcohol is through home delivery services. One of the most effective ways to reduce youth alcohol use is to decrease their access to the substance.

Non-medical marijuana became legal for commercial use in 2022. There are few federal or national resources for public education campaigns since marijuana is still federally illegal. Many states that have legalized retail marijuana have funded and created their own public education campaigns. A marijuana-focused public service campaign would ensure that the public is made aware of the harms associated with use.

Missouri is 12th in the nation for youth e-cigarette use and one of only eight states whose tobacco law currently does not align with federal minimum age purchasing requirements. As a result, products are more readily available to youth.

Missouri was the last state in the union to pass a Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP), which launched in December 2023. The program does not require participation. It also does not integrate with other states, including those directly bordering Missouri. When used effectively, PDMPs can provide health authorities with timely information about prescribing and patient behaviors.

The MoPAL table will be open on the third floor of the Rotunda from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Conduct appointments with legislators or visit their offices.

For further information, please contact missouripreventionadvocacy@gmail.com or (417) 414-0607.