PREVENTION

The North Central HIDTA sponsors and supports its Prevention Initiative, Safe & Sound, in conjunction with community public health and safety partners. Safe & Sound’s mission is to unite residents, youth, law enforcement, and community resources to build safe and empowered neighborhoods. By combining community organizing, youth development, and partnerships with law enforcement in challenged Milwaukee neighborhoods, Safe & Sound aims to increase collective efficacy – the strength of the social fabric – which heavily influences the level of safety in communities.

Milwaukee County has been hit extremely hard by the opioid epidemic through both use and sales of drugs. As the Prevention Initiative of the North Central HIDTA, Safe & Sound has explicitly focused on drug prevention education and outreach to youth. We have focused on alcohol, marijuana, and educating the public about opioids. Safe & Sound has worked to increase public knowledge about the connection between lean, soda mixed with promethazine or codeine, and heroin. As the fiscal agent for the 27th Street West Drug-Free Community Coalition, Safe & Sound has leveraged the best practices of the DFC throughout the City of Milwaukee by hiring and training youth-focused organizers who amplify the DFC’s messaging across the city. Safe & Sound has also significantly increased our efforts to remove unused prescription drugs from homes through drug take-backs.

Building Public Awareness is a North Central HIDTA prevention initiative that will impact the community by building public awareness on the dangers of drug use through the following drug prevention strategies:

• Develop a Public Service Campaign. This strategy will utilize social media platforms to distribute effective and impactful anti-drug use messaging. Integrate the HIDTA Public Awareness campaigns in conjunction with the Minnesota Department of Health and Department of Human Services.
• Continue to host and expand the use of drug take-back events.
• Law Enforcement/Community Meetings. The BPA agencies will work to coordinate regional community meetings discussing drug trends and prevention strategies.