CATS launches anti-drug campaign

The Community Action Team of Sisters (CATS) is launching a spring community awareness and education campaign with the goal of preventing youth drug and alcohol abuse.

The campaign is aimed at adults in the Sisters area and encourages them to have a positive influence on the area's youth.

"All of us -- not just the parents and the teachers -- can help the kids in our area resist abusing drugs and alcohol," said CATS advocate Lorri Craig. "If we all realize the power we can have, it creates a community-wide support system for kids."

The campaign has four messages which encourage adults to: role model healthy behaviors; develop listening skills that build the foundation for trusting, supportive relationships; encourage kids to develop healthy strategies for fun and to deal with stress and disappointment; and help kids develop good decision-making skills within age-appropriate boundaries.

Members of the CATS ASSETS subcommittee researched successful drug prevention programs and consulted with local professionals to develop a campaign that includes the common characteristics of the best programs, according to Craig.

"These basic messages were repeated over and over in the different programs," said ASSETS member Bryn Hazell. "By keeping the message clear and action-oriented with skillbuilding information, adults can take the specific steps that are proven to help kids decide not to abuse drugs and alcohol."

ASSETS is a partnership between CATS, the Deschutes County Prevention Office and Drug-Free Communities Support Program.