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Town Hall Meeting to engage citizens in meth prevention
Three meetings will be held in Crawford County to engage citizens in meth reduction and prevention. The meetings will address general information on meth, law enforcement issues, local labs and the danger they present, preventing drug use among youth, local resources, and what local citizens can do to combat this issue.
“Methamphetamine use is quickly spreading throughout Wisconsin,” says Mary Sprosty, Prevention Specialist for Crawford Abuse Resistance Effort. “Counties in Northern Wisconsin have seen devastating effects from this drug, which is draining their law enforcement and social service resources. We want to address this drug now, in a preventative matter, before it has time to become prevalent in our communities.”
“This is an opportunity for local citizens to learn more about this drug, and what we can do to keep it out of our schools and neighborhoods,” Sprosty added.
“Since methamphetamine abuse is a critical health and safety issue, it is important to involve representatives from the entire community, including parents, teens, school employees, health entities, law enforcement, local government, and business,” said C.A.R.E. Prevention Specialist Stacie Anderson, stressing that everyone is invited.
Prairie du Chien Police Officer Terry Sprosty, who has been trained to deal with local makeshift meth labs, stresses that this issue affects everyone. “”Meth labs pose a danger to everyone. The chemicals used to make meth are dangerous, and may be in the trunk of the car in front of you, at the scene of a traffic accident, discarded on the side of the road in your neighborhood, or in a storage unit or garage near you.” Officer Sprosty will talk about labs, what neighbors should look for, and special concerns volunteer rescue workers, such as EMTs and Fire Firefighters, should be aware of when responding to calls.
The Town Hall Meetings are scheduled as follows:
Nov. 9: Seneca Town Hall
Nov. 14: Wauzeka Century Hall
Nov. 16: North Crawford High School
Each meeting will include a meal beginning at 5:30 p.m. The panel discussion will begin at 6:00.
The panel is made up of Crawford County citizens who have been trained to deal with meth enforcement or prevention. “We did not want to bring in someone from out of the area to talk about what meth programs look like in Minneapolis or another area with large police departments and special programs. This is something we need to deal with locally with the resources we have here in Crawford County. The Town Hall format allows for local input, concerns, and ideas on how we can address this social issue in our rural area,” said Rick Peterson, Program Director for C.A.R.E.
There is no cost to participate. RSVP to carecncl@mhtc.net or by calling 608-357-2083.
The Town Hall meetings are sponsored by Prairie du Chien Memorial Hospital, CARE, Prairie du Chien Police Department, and local EMS, Fire, and First Responders.
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