Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Prevention

Messages for parents about the dangers of social hosting (providing alcohol to people under the age of 21.)

OCP is involved in drug prevention on many levels. For the third year we helped coordinate Woodstock's involvement in Prescription Drug Take Back Day -  which provides an opportunity for community members to  legally and safely dispose of their prescription drugs that are no longer needed. 

In school, OCP leads  Vermont Kids against Tobacco and Our Voices Exposed the middle and high school anti-smoking groups whose work touches on all manner of healthy choices through its' programming. These groups reach out to elementary schools as well as to adults with an anti-smoking, pro-health message.  In February WUMS VKAT youth completed Red Ribbon week- 5 themed days of health awarness including; exercise day, healthy choices day, ATOD prevention day, compliments day and get enough rest day. Red Ribbons provided by the group were worn by many staff and students.

Support of VTLSP (Vermont Teen Leadership Safety Program) and Spectrum Teen Center resulted in a youth led, school based community forum on alcohol in the spring of 2011 and a continuation of the Sticker Shock program. With Sticker Shock youth put labels on alcohol containers to remind adults not to provide alcohol to youth. They do this pre-prom and graduation each year.

We partner with the Town of Woodstock Police and other community coalitions and police departments in Windsor county with the START team- Stop Teen Alcohol Reaction Team. The goal of START is to help educate youth about alcohol and safety. The team also focuses on preventing underage drinking parties. The cooperative nature of the team; working across community as well as police/civilian lines helps all involved understand the danger and complexity of youth substance use.

Youth Risk Behavior Survey

To enhance youth and community understanding of youth behavior, communities across the country have youth participate in the bi-annual Youth Risk Behavior Survey- a CDC (Centers for Disease Control) designed and scored survey, created to measure numerous risk behaviors faced by our youth. The YRBS is particularly valuable to look at trends over time in a particular community and is used by OCP to help youth and adults assess areas of particular risk on which the community would like to work.

OCP is one of the six communities in Vermont to have a trained YRBS youth study group that elicits youth input and evaluation of the results. 

To link the latest state and local results: