What we're doing to prevent substance abuse in Weymouth:

With funding from the Drug Free Communities Support Program grant, Weymouth hired a full-time Substance Abuse Prevention Coordinator.  Because substance abuse prevention is a youth, adult, school, and community partnership, she is working with the Health Department, school and law enforcement officials, religious, business, and non profit organizations, parents and a youth advisory on implementing environmental strategies proven to prevent substance abuse.  Some of these environmental strategies include:

• Social marketing campaigns such as "Brain Drain" and "Lock it Up"
• Media Campaigns with the Weymouth News, Patriot Ledger, and Weymouth Educational Telecommunications Corporation (WETC channel 11).
• Educational material distribution to parents, students and community members. 
• Collaboration with school and town committees to strengthen ATOD (alcohol, tobacco and other drugs) policies. 
• Training for alcohol sellers and servers
• Training for educators, law enforcement, and town officials
• Implementing family programs that promote communication and strengthen families
• Implementing school programs that promote communication and pro-social involvement
• Monitoring progress through school and community surveys

Through increased education, awareness and community collaboration, the goal is to reduce and prevent substance abuse in Weymouth, specifically alcohol, the town's most used and abused drug.