Fort Bend ISD joins Fort Bend Regional Council in forming Prevention Coalition
Fort Bend ISD has joined the Fort Bend Regional Council on Substance Abuse, Inc. in forming the Fort Bend Community Prevention Coalition. The group is comprised of individuals and organizations that support drug-free youth and represents 12 sectors of the community. The 12 sectors include: civic or volunteer, community, business, government, healthcare, media, parent, religious, school, youth-serving, and other organizations involved in reducing substance abuse.
The Coalition’s mission is to prevent and reduce youth substance abuse by building healthy school and community environments. The Coalition also seeks to become a Drug Free Community grant recipient and be awarded federal funds to support its efforts in substance abuse prevention and reduction.
“Fort Bend ISD has had a long-standing relationship with the Fort Bend Regional Council and looks forward to working together to help educate FBISD students and the Fort Bend community about the dangers of alcohol, tobacco and prescription drug abuse,” said Mary Kiernan, Coalition Chairperson and FBISD Substance Abuse Specialist.
Some of the initiatives FBISD currently has in place to address the issue of substance abuse include:
• Talkline – a 24 hour, seven day a week crisis hotline that allows students to call for various reasons, including drug and alcohol problems.
• Observance of Substance Abuse and Violence Prevention Month at campuses in October
• Participation in the DEA Take Back Initiative to encourage people to bring old prescription medications not being used for proper disposal and to keep out of the hands of our youth.
• PRIDE Survey – a tool used by FBISD to gather data on substance abuse issues and safety concerns from all secondary students in the district.
