Hello! My name is Abby Hanner, and I am the Certified Prevention Specialist for the Butler County We Can Be Drug Free Coalition. I would like to begin by welcoming you to our coalition website and thank you for taking the time to read our blog. I understand you...

“Am I doing this right?” I’ve probably asked myself this questions hundreds or maybe even thousands of times and I have a feeling I’m not the only one. I find that I am constantly looking for reassurance from our children’s teachers, coaches, and medical professionals...

Would you be okay with your 11-year-old trying a sip of your wine at a special occasion? What about trying a vape with nicotine? What about drinking a beer with friends? For many of us it is easy to answer these questions when we are thinking about an 11-year-old....

I was in college. My roommate and I had our own apartment. We both went to class, had jobs, and even paid our own bills. I will never forget the day I heard my roommate call back home to ask her mom to call and schedule her a doctor’s appointment. At the time I...

Protective factors are factors present in a child’s life that make them less likely to use substances. This month the protective factor we are discussing is strong parental bonding. Research shows that children who have strong bonds with their parents and caregivers...

All our previous blogs have addressed Protective Factors, but this month we are going to take a look at a Risk Factor. As a reminder, risk factors are factors present in a youth’s life that put them at a higher risk for using substances. I prefer to write about...

The end of 2022 is quickly approaching and with that comes a dreaded occasion for some parents and children. The end of the semester and the dreaded report card. During my time spent as an educator I saw it time and time again. Many parents are shocked to find that...

I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful holiday season, and have many great hopes and aspirations for the New Year. The winter months are always a wonderful time to celebrate with family, and unfortunately also a great time to share all the illnesses floating around during...

2023 is officially upon us! Every year around New Year’s my newsfeed on social media is filled with people making resolutions of things they will do differently in the coming year. This year alone I have seen posts of people making commitments to lose weight, read...

Tis’ the season for hearts and kisses, chocolates and flowers, romance and love. Regardless of your feelings towards the quickly approaching Valentine’s Day, this is a time we are reminded of one of our most basic human desires, love. Where does love fit in with drug...

Early Substance Use is a Risk Factor for youth substance use. The younger a youth is when they begin using substances the more at risk they are from continuing to use or having issues with substance use as they grow older. It is important to note that while the use of...

Today we are going to discuss becoming independent. We know that becoming independent is a part of growing up that can often cause stress and friction between families. As youth get older they often crave independence and it is oftentimes a struggle for caregivers to...

As we have discussed in previous blog posts protective factors present in a child’s life are proven to reduce the risk of youth substance use. Today’s protective factor is healthy physical development. Think back for a moment to when your child was first born. You may...

Summer is finally upon us! The end of the school year always brings lots of fun and exciting activities for households with school-aged youth. Summertime is such a great time for families to spend time together and enjoy the nice weather and outdoor activities....

In a world that values being unique and independent I think it’s easy to forget sometimes that though we are all different in our own ways, we are much more alike than we are different. One of the ways that most all humans are alike is that they thrive when connected....

I want you to think back to your own childhood and think about something that scared you as a child. In my own childhood, it was always the dark. I was fine until my parents turned off the lights at night, and all of a sudden I was concerned of what may be lurking in...

This month’s blog is focused on a risk factor that can affect all youth at times. We are going to be looking at youth being impulsive. If you’ve been around any youth for an extended period of time it is easy to notice that many youth are impulsive. They act on their...

This month we are going to focus on a protective factor. Protective factors are factors in a youth’s life that make them less likely to use substances. Today the protective factor we are going to talk about is Identity Exploration. There are 3 areas specifically...

Friends. Sometimes we are closer to our friends than our family, and sometimes we have friends that become family! Friends can provide companionship, guidance, fun, and meaningful relationships. It is important for us to recognize that friends play an important and...

I hope this post finds you and your family well during this holiday season. We are going to focus on a Risk Factor for substance use today, and that risk factor is the lack of adult supervision. Just to recap, a risk factor is a factor present in a youth’s life that...

I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful holiday season, and have many great hopes and aspirations for theNew Year. The winter months are always a wonderful time to celebrate with family, and unfortunatelyalso a great time to share all the illnesses floating around during...

This month’s protective factor is extended family support. I’m sure you’ve heard the term “it takes a village” to raise kids, and if you’ve been a parent for very long you know this is absolutely true. However, when it comes to that “village” some families are more...

College. Many of the youth I work with associate this word with one thing, FREEDOM. It may not come as a surprise to you that attending college is a risk factor for youth substance use. Of course, there are obvious reasons like the lack of adult supervision and...

I think it is safe to say that we can all agree that responsibilities are a part of life. Even if sometimes we wish we had less responsibility, it doesn’t change the fact that as adults there are just things we have to do. I often think back to my childhood and...

Generally, when we talk about protecting youth from substance use we think about Middle School, Junior High, and High School students. We usually focus on this population specifically, because research tells us that these students are the ones having to make decisions...

Recently, the We Can Be Drug Free Coalition staff conducted a Focus Group with ten students who are currently in the 7th and 8th Grade in Poplar Bluff. The findings from this Focus Group were insightful, and the staff learned a lot about how the youth perceive...

Today, everything seems to be more expensive than ever. We’ve seen a huge increase in prices at the grocery store over the past few years, and for most families, we are beginning to feel the impact of these changes on our finances at home. This month, we will address...

Vaping has become a hot topic among youth and parents of teens over the past 10 years. Vaping has been referred to as an “epidemic” among our youth, and the number of teens who report using these products is staggering. This month we are going to address the harms of...

As a part of the We Can Be Drug Free Coalition’s effort to decrease the number of youth who vape in our community we recognized the need to talk to the youth and learn more about how and why they are using these products. In March 2024 the coalition staff worked with...

Every two years there is a statewide survey given to students Grades 6-12 called the Missouri Student Survey. This survey is optional for school districts to participate in, but this year over 2,800 students statewide completed the survey, and 706 of those were from...

The Holiday season is right around the corner, and for many this means spending time with family and friends to celebrate and reflect on the year we have had. While for many, the holidays are a happy and exciting time, I think it is important to recognize that for...

Christmas is in full swing for our little community, and like last month this will mean lots of extra family time for many, especially those with children. This is a great time to reflect and be intentional about this month’s protective factor, which is spending time...