MOORE — The Area Prevention Resource Center (APRC), a program of Norman Addiction Information & Counseling (NAIC), recently began a new fiscal year with confidence in its efforts of educating the community and local youth about the dangers of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs will continue to be successful.
The APRC’s prevention and education successes are evident by figures recently released by the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services that revealed that out of a sample 35 retail outlets in the APRC’s region, only one store sold tobacco to a minor during a routine check conducted between May and September of 2009 by the Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement Commission.
The ABLE Commission works with the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services to ensure retailers are not selling tobacco and alcohol to minors.
The APRC provides prevention and education services in McClain and Cleveland counties, working primarily in Norman, Purcell, Noble, Washington and Blanchard.
Among the stores in the two counties that did not sell tobacco to a minor were:
· Food Mart, 1717 S. Telephone Road
· Noble Superette, Noble
· Mr. Shortstop, 1200 Alameda St., Norman
· Domino Express, Blanchard
· Star Travel Plaza, 2605 Highway 74, Purcell
“It’s wonderful to see that our prevention efforts are impacting communities and that retailers see the importance of not selling to minors,” said Julie Carroll, certified prevention specialist at NAIC. “Our APRC looks forward to continuing to educate communities about healthy choices for our youth and community as a whole.”
The retail visits were conducted under The Synar Amendment, named for the late state representative Mike Synar. The amendment requires all 50 states, the District of Columbia and the eight U.S. jurisdictions to keep retailer violation rates below 20 percent or risk losing 40 percent of their Federal Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant funding.
This past FY2009, the retailer violation rate for Oklahoma was 9.4 percent, another reason for Area Prevention Resource Centers across the state to continue their efforts.
“We have more work to do and we plan to build momentum,” Carroll said.
NAIC, a United Way agency, provides help and hope to individuals, families, and communities impacted by alcohol, drugs, and co-occurring conditions.
