- SOAP LAKE - PREVENTION COALITION

Established in 2020, The Soap Lake Prevention Coalition is a community-driven organization that strives to utilize the skills, influence, and resources of individuals across all sectors of society to reduce the negative consequences associated with underage substance use while strengthening community health, resiliency, and empowerment.

The Soap Lake community is shaped by its citizens. Each individual has immeasurable potential to contribute to the well-being of the community! We want you to be a part of the efforts for positive growth in Soap Lake. With your valuable insight, skills, and collaboration we can realize our vision to make Soap Lake a community of healthy, resilient, and empowered youth and families.

We strive to establish and maintain active participation from 12 sectors of the community. These sectors represent the key stakeholders that are crucial to the success of community-level substance abuse prevention.

CONTACT US TO SEE HOW YOU CAN BE A PART OF THE SOLUTION!

ACTION PLAN and BUDGET submitted!!!

From our Coalition Coordinator:

"Our 2023/2024 Action Plan and Budget have been submitted! I want to extend a very warm 'Thank You!' to all of those who contributed their time and energy into the development of this coalition plan. So many great ideas were shared and so many hours spent looking at data and trends in Soap Lake youth.

Over the next year we are going to focus heavily on coalition leadership development, explore additional funding opportunities, create positive relationships with other organizations, bring PAX to the elementary school and community, support community led events, and provide powerful tools/resources to youth, parents, and the general community to help in the battle against youth substance abuse/misuse.

None of this would be possible without the continuous efforts of Soap Lake Prevention Coalition's committed volunteers, friends, and partners. Thank you!

Also, if you're reading this and saying to yourself, 'I'm still not sure what the Soap Lake Prevention Coalition is all about' then please don't hesitate to contact me. I will be happy to come to you or your organization introduce our coalition to you!

May we all continue to strive to make Soap Lake a community of healthy, resilient, and empowered youth and families!"

Sticker Shock Campaign

A special thank you our local Akins grocery store for their partnership in getting this message out. Also, Walmart in Ephrata donated a skateboard for the raffle!

"Don't provide for minors!" was our reminder to the community during the Memorial Day weekend. Hundreds of stickers reminding consumers that providing for minors is not ok were placed on cases of alcohol by Soap Lake youth and coalition members on May 26-28. With each sticker placed youth were entered into a chance to win prizes.

We want to thank the youth who participated in placing the stickers, and the coalition friends who volunteered at the table each day.

The campaign may seem like a small gesture, but it sends a message loud and clear that Soap Lake does not condone youth alcohol/substance use! Our youth are our future, sure, but they are also our present. So, let's continue to do our part now to ensure that they have the best opportunity possible to enjoy health, joy, and success.

Hidden In Plain Sight

On June 1, we challenged adults in our community to explore a teenager's bedroom and find the drug paraphernalia Hidden in Plain Sight! This mock room had over 70 alcohol/drug/sexual abuse "red flag" items to discover. Some were obvious, others cleverly disguised, still others almost impossible to find unless you knew exactly what you were looking for.

After the enlightening exploration, Jennifer Dorsett presented on local data and current trends as it pertains to the youth in Soap Lake. Everyone who attended agreed, no parent should be without this information! Modern substances are much more addictive and deadly than they were in the past, and our children are able to access them much too easily. Information is a powerful tool for parents and there is no need to go uninformed! We hope to be able to host this event and others like it in the future.

A very special thank you to Donny Guerrero and his team at Molina Healthcare for providing for our meals at the event! We are grateful for your partnership and willingness to help support the empowerment of Soap Lake parents!

Providing Quality Information

We are working to update our coalition rack card designs and build a website. Of course, these things take time, and they are not live yet, but be sure to keep an eye out over the summer for our new and improved Soap Lake Prevention Coalition informational materials!

Also, if you have any interest in giving feedback on what kinds of information you would like to see (i.e. information on specific substances / health resources etc.) please, don't hesitate to contact our coordinator. We love feedback!

Family Eagle Summer Movies

This summer, our partners at Gear Up have opted for afternoon matinees versus midnight movies. Each Thursday at 12pm - 4pm this summer, beginning June 29, there will be an opportunity to watch 2 movies in the Soap Lake High School Library. The Soap Lake Prevention Coalition will have resources and swag available there as well. We hope that you and your family make it out to the show. Sometimes it's just nice to get out of the house and hang out with others from the community!

Here's how it works:

12pm - 2pm will be a G-rated feature for the whole family.

2pm - 4pm will be a PG-13 feature for high schoolers and up!

(see images below for movie line-up)

Congratulations to Alex Kovach on being nominated as the Chair of the Soap Lake Prevention Coalition!

The election of the chair is the first step toward developing an effective and dedicated coalition leadership team.

National Coalition Academy

Ryan and Alex will be away June 26-29 to attend week 2 of the National Coalition Academy. This year, our coalition is placing a heavy emphasis on building mutual relationships within the community, effective leadership structures within the coalition, and meaningful, sustainable programs/events for Soap Lake youth and families. The NCA is a part of that process. While there, we will be learning the ins and outs and dos and don'ts of coalition building. Look forward to hearing all about what they learned at our next coalition meeting, July 25! Trust me, it'll be more exciting than you're currently thinking!

Resources for Adults:

• Tobacco and Vapor 21 Law Information: Engrossed House Bill 1074 went into effect on January 1, 2020. It is illegal to sell tobacco and vapor products to anyone under 21.
• E-Cigarette and Vaping Products Visual Dictionary
• E-Cigarette and Vape Pen Module | Stanford Medicine A free e-cigarette curriculum developed by Stanford Medicine to provide community members with factual information. The curriculum covers basic facts of e-cigarettes; the content of e-cigarette aerosols; strategies of manufacturers and sellers of e-cigarettes to increase use among adolescents, skills to refuse experimentation and use of e-cigarettes; and more.
  
• Electronic Cigarettes | CDC Get the facts about electronic cigarettes, their health effects and the risks of using e-cigarettes.
  
• E-cigarettes & Vaping: What Parents Should Know | American Lung Association
  
• What Families Need to Know to Help Protect Children, Teens and Young Adults
• Talk with Your Teen About E-cigarettes A Tip Sheet for Parents
  

Resources for Youth:

• Know the Risks
  
• Things 18-20 year-olds should know about the new law

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
  
• The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
• Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA)
• Renew Behavioral Health and Wellness
• Washington Recovery Hotline
• Washington Association for Substance Abuse & Violence Prevention
• Starts with One
  
• Start Talking Now
• Teen Link
• New Hope
• HopeSource
• Triple Point NCW (Children’s Home Society of Washington)
• You Can

Ryan Boldman

Coalition Coordinator

Email: rlboldman@grantcountywa.gov
Location: 527 2nd Avenue Southwest, Soap Lake, WA, USA
Phone: (509) 770-0841
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoapLakePrevention