Staff Services - Arkansas Department of Health

Kaye Murry, Hometown Health Improvement Regional Manager, presented the
County Youth Health Survey Results to the Coalition at their meeting in
September. Each attendee was able to go through the presentation with a
bound copy of the survey results and take the booklet home with them for
future use.
The HHI coalition with $500.00 grant funding from the PRC (Prevention Resource
Center) sponsored an art contest in the elementary schools for pictures of being
tobacco and drug free. The winning pictures are then featured in a calendar for
Prairie County residents with other health messages. The winners at each school
received a trophy and received a calendar that had their picture in it. Door
contest were also held at the schools and each school had one winning class that
received a Pizza Party for the best “Drug/tobacco” free door.
St. Francis: At the September Hometown Health Network in Forrest City, the
men of the coalition were provided prostate cancer education material that was
purchased with ADRDN funds through the Adult sub-committee. Family Fun
Night was October 12th from 5:30 till 8:30. There were several health
information booths on site for attendees. The ambulance service and Fire Dept.
were outside for the children to look at and get information. Door prizes were
given out during the night. The children also had an indoor bouncing gym. There
were approximately 200 participants at the event. The event was sponsored by
the St. Francis County Hometown Health Network Youth Sub-Committee.
DRUG-BUG/LOSER-CRUISER
This is the 2 nd year that the Southeast Region has sponsored this training out of
Louisiana. Ronda Thompson-Jordan with the P.E.T.S. (Prevention Education &
Training Service) drives the PT Cruiser which in the past was a Volkswagen Beetle
to the locations we requested. The PT Cruiser has many items in it that are drug
paraphernalia that are hidden and then a participant is chosen to see how many
items can be found. There are over twenty items hidden within reach of the
driver’s seat which are common looking items such as a water bottle that has a
hidden bottom to have drugs concealed, a cross necklace hanging from the
mirror that if open just right is really an empty storage container for drugs. She
also discusses the many types of tobacco products and how youth conceal them
in items found in cars. Participants learn how the drug culture has changed. And
a Tobacco Education and Cessation booth has been set up at every event to
share prevention of Tobacco initiation. This event is for adults only, no one
under 18 is allowed to part
October 19: The first stop for the Loser Cruiser was at the Old National Guard
Armory Building in Warren for a 5:00 pm presentation; law enforcement
agencies were represented as well as the community.
October 20 th : Presentations were held at the Farm Bureau meeting room in
Rison at 10:00, 11:30 and 1:00 so that the general public could come, and law
enforcement officers had the opportunity to learn the new paraphernalia. There
were 19 attendees for the three presentations. Attendees were very impressed