What is a Community?
A community is a group of people who have identified common interests and act together to achieve them. The community gains their personal and social identity by sharing mutual beliefs, which develops the community’s norms or what they consider acceptable behavior in their community. A community is not defined necessarily by location, but by their norms. Each community is different in what they accept as normal and what they do not accept. We work with communities to change norms to what is healthy and best for our families around the abuse and misuse of substances. How do we do that? We use what research tells us works. We look at public policies whether they are local ordinances or state laws to develop or strengthen them to reduce alcohol, tobacco, or other drug (ATOD) abuse or misuse. We provide education and awareness of the issues that surround ATOD. We help communities identify their issues or problems, and then we work with them on planning out what they can do.
How to Get Involved
Community coalitions
Coalitions are an organized group of people that meet to discuss the community issues and plan ways to change problems that they identify within their community. They are comprised of community members such as agency staff, schools personnel, business owners, faith based, parents, youth, treatment providers, city leaders, and other key people to help make change in their community. They provide an opportunity to serve as a forum to share information and resources, to consider a problem from different angles and to combine forces to resolve it. Coalitions are in need of community members to help with their efforts, to hear from different sectors of the community in order to make informed decisions.
Volunteer
Be a volunteer with your local coalition. Coalitions are always in need of community members that can aid in their efforts such as partnering with local law enforcement to provide alcohol and tobacco checks within communities, serving as board members, building key relationships with others needed on the coalition, or perhaps you have a specific ability that is needed by the coalition.
Speak Out
Let people know about prevention and the importance of education and awareness around alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. Help with community events and efforts that aim to decrease ATOD abuse and misuse in your community. Start conversations with others that revolve around ATOD issues. Support local efforts such as policy changes that decrease ATOD abuse and misuse like Social Host Ordinances, or tougher laws around ATOD issues.
