Presentation for Illinois Beach Sunrise Rotary ClubMarch 3, 2011

What Is Healthy YOUth?•Youth Opportunities Unlimited•Drug-prevention organization at Zion-

Benton Township High School•58 students in grades 9-12•Sponsored by the Coalition for Healthy

Communities with the Lake County Health Department

•Currently grant funded

Understanding Our Social Norm Campaign

• Highlights the fact that most students at ZBTHS are drug-free

• Concentrates on positive images rather than negative ones

• Uses statistics gathered from the Illinois Youth Survey (data collected for over 10 years)

• 9 out of 10 ZeeBees are tobacco-free

• 7 out of 10 ZeeBees are alcohol-free

What Does Healthy YOUth Do?

•Smoke Free Parks▫Conducted smoke-free park cleanups and

surveys▫Presented to the Zion Park District two

years ago▫Helped pass a smoke-free parks policy for all

Zion Parks▫Current goal is to make people aware of the

Zion ordinance and to encourage other communities to adopt similar smoke-free parks initiatives

What Does Healthy YOUth Do?

• Social Host Ordinances▫ Helped support and promote parents to stop their children

from having underage drinking parties▫ Parents are responsible if they host the party▫ Ordinances have been passed in Zion, Beach Park and

Winthrop Harbor• Project Sticker Shock

▫ Traveled to alcohol vendors across the community and placed stickers on packaged alcohol

• BASSET Training▫ Beverage Alcohol Seller and Server Educational Training

Supported the Coalition for Healthy Communities in promoting a training program for all people who serve and sell alcoholic beverages to do so responsibly

Passed through the Zion Liquor Control Commission and will be presented to Zion City Council on March 15th

What Does Healthy YOUth Do?•School Activities

▫Red Ribbon Week Promote students to be aware of drug and

alcohol issues First big event of the year (in October)

▫Drunk and Drugged Driving Month Activities concentrate on how students are

impaired while using drugs and alcohol▫Great American Smokeout/Kick Butts Day

November and March Nationally recognized days for people who are

trying to quit smoking or are proud to be smoke-free

What Does Healthy YOUth Do?•Community Events

▫Operation Snowball Five area high schools come together to

focus on teambuilding and leadership skills Brainstorm different ideas about how to

promote healthy choices ▫World No Tobacco Day Walk

In conjunction with Tobacco Free Lake County at Independence Grove

Makes a county-wide statement

What Does Healthy YOUth Do?•Mama’s Run

▫5K Run/Walk (Sat. of Mother’s Day Weekend)

▫Our biggest fundraiser▫The idea is to not only

raise funds but also raise awareness for drug prevention and bring the community together

▫Try to get local vendors to promote their businesses through our goodie bags and raffles

Who Supports Healthy YOUth?• Our school district and administration

▫ Zion-Benton Township High School • The Coalition for Healthy Communities

▫ Through a drug-free communities grant from the Department of Health and Human Services

• The Lake County Health Department▫ Through the DFC Grant with staff▫ Through the Tobacco-Free Lake County Staff

• Cancer Treatment Centers of America at Midwestern Regional Medical Center▫ Has provided funding specifically for Healthy YOUth for

several years and supports our endeavors by continuously offering in-kind support and guidance by staff