CHAMBERSBURG – The negative effects of substance use and prevention measures will be the emphasis of Substance Use Prevention Month, according to a proclamation by Franklin County Commissioners. County officials noted some 31,000 county residents are impacted annually by substance misuse and mental health disorders.
Commissioners are urging residents and community leaders to do their part to increase their knowledge of the negative effects of substance use and how prevention strategies are essential to reducing the misuse of drugs and alcohol.
Substance misuse disorders – underage drinking, alcohol dependency, non-medical use of prescription drugs, abuse of over-the-counter medications and illicit drug use – affected approximately 48.7 million Americans in the past year.
Organizations like Franklin/Fulton Drug and Alcohol and Healthy Communities Partnership are working to combat substance misuse in Franklin County through evidence-based educational programming and information dissemination. Many of their efforts focus on discouraging adolescents from using drugs and alcohol. In fiscal year 2023-2024, they reached more than 1,800 local students through prevention programs.
Statistics show that efforts like these are having a meaningful impact on today’s youth. According to the 2023 Pennsylvania Area Youth Survey, Franklin County adolescents have experienced an 11.7 percent reduction in alcohol use, 5.9 percent decrease in cannabis use and 12.9 percent reduction in vaping over a 30-day period. The county has also seen a 78 percent increase in community engagement in prevention efforts over the past five years.
“These efforts by groups like Franklin/Fulton Drug and Alcohol and Healthy Communities Partnership prove that these programs are having a meaningful impact on our kids and our communities,” said Franklin County Commissioner Chairman Dean Horst. “We are pleased to see the growing commitment to prevention efforts in our county, but we know there is still much work that must be done. Substance Use Prevention Month is a great time to celebrate our wins but also a time to urge continued action and awareness”
By recognizing Substance Use Prevention Month, the commissioners are encouraging Franklin County residents to participate in and support programs and initiatives that promote substance use prevention and mental health disorders, not just in October but throughout the year.
For more information on available services through the Franklin/Fulton Drug and Alcohol department, people may call 717-263-1256 or email [email protected]. Information is also available online at www.franklincountypa.gov.
Individuals seeking immediate help for themselves or for someone they know should call PA Get Help Now at 800-662-4357. For prevention resources, they may visit the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs website, www.ddap.pa.gov.
