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The Columbus Dispatch
State seeks to
upgrade drug abuse education for students
By Alan Johnson
Thursday August 11, 2016
Legislative leaders and Attorney General Mike DeWine today began
pushing for more effective ways to educate Ohio students about drug
abuse amid an ongoing epidemic.
The 22-member Ohio Joint Study Committee on Drug Use Prevention
Education will have 90 days to study the issue and recommend solutions
to DeWine and state lawmakers. The focus will be on "comprehensive,
age-appropriate drug use prevention education" for students in
kindergarten through 12th grade.
Calling the current wave of abuse "the worst drug epidemic that I've
seen in my lifetime," DeWine said the state needs to enhance education
and prevention or "we will continue to face this problem decade after
decade."
DeWine said a culture change is needed similar to how smoking was
reined by education programs in the past decade.
Officials offered no specifics about the drug education program or how
much it might cost.
Ohio Senate President Keith Faber, R-Celina, and House Speaker Cliff
Rosenberger, R-Clarksville, joined DeWine at a Statehouse press
conference. The trio was surrounded by members of the committee who
held their first meeting immediately afterward.
Faber said drugs are a problem in "every facet of Ohio life." He said
schools, parents, community organizations, coaches and churches must
participate in drug education.
"It's a priority for us," he said.
Rep. Robert Sprague, R-Findlay, one of six lawmakers on the committee,
said he expects the report will be implemented and not gather dust on a
shelf. He pointed as an example to a legislative committee that studied
opiates, resulting in 11 different pieces of legislation, including
proposals on pill mills, recovery housing, "doctor shopping" and a
"Good Samaritan" law.
"It's like we're hacking at the branches of the tree," Sprague said.
"This attorney general's committee is going to hack at the root of the
problem."
The committee will meet at sites around the state to study existing
drug education programs and gather ideas for a final report and
recommendations.
Members of the committee: Sens. John Eklund, R-Munson Township,
Joe Uecker, R-Miami Township, and Kenny Yuko, D-Richmond Heights; Reps.
Terry Johnson, R-McDermott, Heather Bishoff, D-Blacklick, and Sprague;
Tom Gunlock, president Ohio Board of Education; Sarah Wickham, Ohio
Department of Education; Cheri Walter, Ohio Association of County
Behavioral Health Authorities; Sarah Smith, Start Talking!; Molly
Stone, Department of Mental Health & Addiction Services; Kevin
Lorson, Ohio Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation
& Dance; Marcie Seidel, Drug Free Action Alliance; Betsy Walker,
Cardinal Health.
Also, Auglaize County Sheriff Al Solomon; Westerville Police Chief Joe
Morbitzer; Dean Nance, superintendent of Ironton City Schools; Neil
Gupta, Worthington City Schools; Krish Mohip, Youngstown City Schools;
Chris Monsour, Columbian High School, Tiffin; Stephanie Nowak, Fairfax
Elementary Schools, Mentor, and Bob Hammond, United Way of Youngstown
and Mahoning Valley.
Read this and other articles at the Columbus Dispatch
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