The Panhandle Prevention Coalition is made up of a group of coalitions united together by our passion and dedication to making residents of western Nebraska healthy and safe across their lifespan.
Our purpose is to reduce the impact of substance use and abuse including underage drinking, binge drinking, drinking and driving, tobacco use, drug use, and prescription drug abuse, while promoting and supporting mental and emotional health for all in the Panhandle.
We do this by:
- Seeking policy change at the local and state levels to reduce youth access to alcohol, tobacco, and other substances.
- Collaborating with law enforcement to facilitate, fund, and standardize compliance checks, beverage server training, and sobriety checks.
- Educating and generating awareness about the dangers of substance use and abuse.
- Ongoing collaboration between practitioners, experts, and leaders across the continuum of care.
Together, we are united for change.
Our most recent achievements include:
- Responsible Beverage Server Training | TIPS Trainings: Provide individuals entrusted with the responsibility of serving or selling alcohol and tobacco with strategies to avoid illegally selling to underage youth or intoxicated patrons.
- SHARP Survey participation in schools.
- Comprehensive Tobacco-Free Policies passed
Our goals:
- Foster relationships and reach out to potential coalition members to increase the diversity and reach of the Panhandle Prevention Coalition.
- Support policy development and implementation for a healthier Panhandle.
- Raise awareness of current social norms and trends while seeking to change social context and individual behaviors.
- Increase participation in the Responsible Beverage Server Trainings (RBST) by using a web-based system to enhance regional participation.
- Partner with the Nebraska State Patrol to maintain targeted enforcement and adjudication of laws, community celebrations enforcement, drug/alcohol education.
- Utilization of data to provide more information on focus areas and success of efforts
- Reduce stigma around substance use and misuse
- Reduce stigma around mental health
- Enhance education opportunities around substance use
- Explore mentorship for youth in the Panhandle
Here’s what you can do:
- Talk early and often to your kids about not using tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs. Create clear expectations.
- Always enforce the minimum drinking age of 21.
- Call law enforcement if you suspect underage parties or drinking and driving at any age at 1-888-MUST-BE-21.
- Thank law enforcement for providing compliance checks and responsible alcohol and tobacco training.
- Involve youth in planning and implementing healthy activities.
Panhandle Prevention Coalition is a supporter of the Human Performance Project:
