Numberous community partners are joining forces to bring “A Day of Introspection – Heading off Teen Substance Abuse” on February 26, 2018.
The event brings “front and center” a topic of immense importance to all of us – especially in this region of the country where drug addiction, overdoses, and deaths are ravaging our communities.
The severe drug problems we face are symptomatic of a large-scale societal breakdown (Dr. Michael Brumage calls it “an addicted society”) and we are desperately fashioning a three-pronged approach to the epidemic:
1. — The immediate fight (best illuminated by our health professionals trying to keep addicts alive long enough to get them into rehab)
2. —The near-term fight (best captured by intervention efforts by professional behavioral health experts trying to identify those likely to fall into addiction and prevent their demise)
3. —The long-term fight (best captured by Dr. Alfgeir Kristjansson-type efforts, whereby we try heading off addictive tendencies by educating our youth and fundamentally changing what Dr. Brumage calls “the addicted society”)
The February 26th “A Day of Introspection — Heading off Teen Substance Abuse” is designed to address #3 above. While #1 and #2 almost require people with special training or considerable commitment to get engaged and make a difference, #3 is something in which everybody and every organization can get involved immediately — and they should be involved. February 26th will hopefully jumpstart some initiatives to develop a long-term strategy across our Valley.
Please put this date and times on your calendar. Try to attend any one of these three sessions and help make a difference.
8:30-10:30am Riverside High School Auditorium (Dr. Kristjansson, WVU School of Public Health; Bruce Griffin, National YMCA). Focus: Community organizations, eastern Kanawha County.
11:45-1:00pm Charleston Civic Center (Dr. Kristjansson, guest speaker). Rotary Club of Charleston. ( there is a fee for lunch)
1:30-3:30pm Capital High School Auditorium (Dr. Kristjansson, WVU School of Public Health; Bruce Griffin, National YMCA). Focus: Community organizations, western Kanawha County.
