County Meetings Target Drug Abuse Facts, Myths
By JEN LYNDS; OF THE NEWS STAFF
HOULTON – A new countywide assessment has taken a hard look at the growing problem with drug abuse in Aroostook County, and Aroostook Substance Abuse Prevention will be hosting a series of forums across The County to discuss the findings of that assessment.
Officials with ASAP talked to 130 adults and youth, as well as doctors and other health care professionals, for the evaluation, Clare Desrosiers, project coordinator for ASAP, said. The project involved a number of agencies in Aroostook County.
“While conducting the study, we looked at what sort of substances people were using and the perceptions surrounding the use of these substances,” Desrosiers said Monday.
The assessment found that alcohol tends to be the substance most abused, followed by marijuana and prescription drugs, according to Desrosiers.
She said some of the findings were surprising. Myths about alcohol and drug abuse – including that using marijuana is less harmful than using other drugs – are still out there.
Some respondents said they felt that binge drinking was not as harmful as it has been portrayed and that there is less risk associated with using some drugs than with using others.
“After we share what was found during the assessment, we’re going to see if what we uncovered is consistent with community members’ experiences and ideas,” Desrosiers said. “We then want to move on and talk about how we can address these problems.”
The findings will be discussed in five public meetings in five County communities. During the sessions, ASAP officials will highlight the assessment’s results and solicit ideas about what ASAP’s next steps should be.
“During the meetings, we are going to go over what we found as a result of the assessment,” Desrosiers explained.
The first meeting took place in Houlton on Monday night, and the next session is scheduled in Caribou for Wednesday.
Another meeting in southern Aroostook County will be held in Island Falls on Thursday night.
The grant that funded the assessment was awarded to Cary Medical Center in Caribou, and the health care facility distributed the funds to several community drug prevention groups, Desrosiers said Monday.
The information gathered from the study and the public sessions will assist in developing a countywide strategic plan to address the problem.
Meeting schedule
Caribou 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, July 25, Cary Medical Center.
Island Falls 6-8 p.m. Thursday, July 26, Island Falls town office.
Fort Kent 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, July 31, Wellness Center, Northern Maine Medical Center.
Presque Isle 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 1, ACAP.
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