Winona County ASAP

Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention

National Take Back Day

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If not disposed of properly, prescription drugs (RX) can harm the water supply (from being flushed) or become misused to sell, get high, or self-medicate. Counterfeit pills are widely available, and DEA and its law enforcement partners are seizing deadly fake pills at record rates. Help prevent the misuse of RX drugs by safely disposing of them at National Take Back Day.


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Event Details:

  • Saturday, October 23, 2021
  • 10:00am – 2:00pm
  • Free event
  • No needles please
  • Hiawatha Valley Mental Health Center (420 E Sarnia St)
  • Follow neon yellow signs for drive-thru drop off
  • Remove lithium batteries from e-cigarette devices beforehand

What is accepted?
The Winona County Sheriff’s Office will collect tablets, capsules, patches, and other solid forms of prescription drugs. They will also collect vaping devices and cartridges, provided lithium batteries are removed.

Where can I take other items?
Liquids (including intravenous solutions), syringes, sharps, and pet medications can be taken to the Winona County Hazardous Waste Facility (225 W 2nd Street). Their hours are Monday-Friday 8:00am to 4:30pm.

For additional questions, please email [email protected] or call our office at 507-474-9825.

Meetings

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Leadership Meetings
Our Board of Directors meets on the fourth Wednesday of each month from 10:30am-12:00pm. Meetings are open to the public for anyone to attend. They are currently held virtually through Zoom Meeting.

Committee Meetings
We have 3 committees: Alcohol, Tobacco, and Youth Engagement. Committees typically meet once a month to plan special events, organize presentations, or work on strategic initiatives in the community. Meeting times and locations vary.

Reach out to the Program Coordinator if you are interested in becoming a member or attending any of the meetings. Please email [email protected]

What Does ASAP & COVID have in common?

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What do Winona County ASAP and COVID-19 prevention efforts have in common?

Quite a bit, actually!

Although Winona County ASAP works to prevent youth substance abuse and the world is currently preventing the spread of a virus, there is one thing these things have in common. Can you guess it? 

Yes – it’s prevention! 

Below is the Strategic Prevention Framework model – also known as “SPF” for short. Follow along as we break it down step-by-step and relate it to both COVID-19 and Winona County ASAP!

Step 1: Assessment

  • For ASAP: We assess our community’s substance abuse problems through survey and data collection and evaluation. 
  • For COVID-19: Our health department and healthcare workers assess how many people are exhibiting symptoms and determine where or who they may have contracted the virus from. 

Step 2: Capacity 

  • For both ASAP and COVID, professionals are at work determining our county’s capacity for addressing the issue. Do we have the partnerships we need? What about supplies and personnel? 
  • ASAP’s partnerships look like volunteer commitments and staff, whereas COVID looks upon our local healthcare providers and establishments for help. Funding also plays a key role here. 

Step 3: Planning 

  • What needs to be done now, and who is going to do it? 
  • For ASAP, we develop an “action plan” for each fiscal year answering those questions. From tabling to presentations, everything is planned far in advance. 
  • For COVID, this is our lawmakers and hospitals working diligently to lay out a plan of action to address this crisis head on. 

Step 4: Implementation 

  • This is the act of performing prevention work. It’s the laws being put in place and the Public Service Announcements (PSA’s) being delivered every day. 

Step 5: Evaluation 

  • Did what we do worked? This can be measured by new surveys or studying hospital records.
  • While we do this every year (sometimes more frequently!) for ASAP, we aren’t here yet for COVID. 

As you can see, there is a lot more that goes into prevention work than meets the eye. Keep this in mind as we all navigate COVID-19 and remember to give everyone a little grace. 

Stay tuned for more blogs and fun quarantine activities coming to you on our website and social media! 

April is Alcohol Awareness Month

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Join ASAP in the fight against youth alcohol use and abuse during April – AKA: National Alcohol Awareness Month! 

Throughout the month of April, Winona County ASAP will be sharing “Alcohol Fast Facts” on their social media @ASAPWinona! We encourage you to share these with your friends, family, colleagues, and more. 

We’d also love to hear why YOU choose not to use alcohol and other substances. Send and share with us your answers on social media or via email for a chance to be featured on our website! 

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To learn more about alcohol use in Winona County, head to our “Drug Use Data” page.

Want to know what else we’ve done to combat youth alcohol abuse in Winona County? Click here! 

Still need more info? Click here for more facts about alcohol. 

 

Smoking, Vaping, and COVID-19

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How does Vaping or Smoking put someone at greater risk for contracting COVID-19?

We did the digging so that you don’t have to! 

Photo Courtesy of: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/teens-vaping-and-coronavirus-is-there-a-connection/

This week, ASAP has received several emails regarding COVID-19 and how it relates to our efforts to reduce smoking and/or vaping in our community.

“Evidence suggests that, since smoking is harmful to the lungs, smokers who are exposed to the virus are likely to have more severe problems than nonsmokers,” says Molly Moilanen of ClearWay Minnesota. “It is more important than ever for commercial tobacco users to have access to quitting resources, so they may possibly reduce their risk of serious complications if exposed to the virus.”

The same can be said of E-Cigarette/Vape users. “Studies show adverse short-term health effects of using e-cigarettes on cardiovascular and lung health,” Moilanen reminded communities. It is known that people are at greater risk for contracting and experiencing life-threatening symptoms of COVID-19 if they suffer from lung and cardiovascular issues (such as asthma, COPD, or heart disease). By “vaping,” you are adding unneccessary stress to your organs that need to be in prime condition during this time in our country. 

If you are struggling to make the change and quit tobacco, there are people to help! Free smoking/vaping cessation services are available from the following organizations: 

 

 

Want to know more about the basics of E-Cigarettes and Vaping Devices? Check out our resource page for more information as well as tips on how to talk to your youth about it! 

Join our next Coalition Meeting

The ASAP coalition meets monthly to create strategies for addressing the drug and alcohol issues in the Winona area. These meetings are open to the public, and we invite your input and ideas!
Learn More

Our partner:

CADCA

Funded by:

Drug Free Communities

Community Partners:

Advocacy Center of WinonaWinona County AttorneyDFCFamily & Children's CenterGoodview Police DepartmentHiawatha Valley Mental Health CenterLive Well WinonaTreatment Court of Winona CountyWinona Area Public SchoolsWinona Area Chamber of CommerceWinona County SheriffWinona HealthWinona Police DepartmertWinona YMCA