Time to celebrate Red Ribbon Week

FOCUS ON HEALTH - Billie Jo Craigmile

The community is buzzing with anticipation over some great efforts that are in the works — I almost don’t know where to start. I have finished conducting and scoring the community readiness assessment for my project, “Teens at Risk for Major Mental Illness and Their Families,” and have found surprising results.

Union County scored a 3 on a scale from 1 (no awareness) to 9 (high level of community ownership). Don’t be alarmed … I honestly expected to see a lower number.

My job is to develop specific community interventions to raise awareness of this issue and to motivate the community to do something about it.

Presently, my mission is to get on the agendas of local service organizations, schools, parent committees and anywhere else that I can speak. Individuals or organizations that have contact with teens and/or other individuals aged 12-30 in Union County are my target population. If you or your organization would like more information, please contact me.

My second project, “Teens and Adults Using Methamphetamines and Those Concerned About Their Use,” has also taken off. A community readiness assessment has been completed, but we are still in the process of scoring.

I say “we” because I have joined forces with The Commission on Children and Families and their Youth Substance Abuse Team. The scoring will be finished this month and I will update you in my next column.

As a complement to the substance abuse project, I joined the Union County Prevention Committee which is made up of several community partners. Our current focus is promoting Red Ribbon Week Oct. 18-26.

This week is an important tradition for the community with its primary mission to promote drug-free youth and communities while reducing the demand for illegal drugs and illegal use of drugs.

A recent survey (Alcohol, Illicit Drug and Tobacco Consumption and Consequences in Union County, Oregon 2000-2006) provides important information about alcohol and drug use among Union County youth:

• In 2006, 22 percent of 8th-graders reported drinking alcohol on one or more occasions in the past 30 days and 8 percent reported binge drinking.

• Half of 11th-graders reported drinking while 35 percent reported binge drinking and 16 percent reported driving after they had been drinking.

• Five percent of eighth graders and 20 percent of 11th-graders in Union County said they smoked marijuana in the past 30 days.

• Five percent of 8th-graders and 22 percent of 11th-graders currently smoke tobacco.

Please visit www.oregon.gov/DHS/addiction/ad/union-epi.pdf for more information.

You can show your support for a drug-free community by putting a red ribbon on your car and wearing red on Wednesday, which has been declared “Wear Red Day.”

Again, I invite questions, comments and concerns about my projects. Also, if you would like red ribbons, please contact me at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , or give me a call at 962-8835.

Billie-Jo Craigmile is an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer currently stationed at the Center for Human Development.