Polk Against Drugs starts year with new officers, strategic plan
A local group is greeting 2022 with a revamped purpose and a re-energized effort to help prevent tobacco and alcohol use among Polk County’s youth.
The board of directors of Polk Against Drugs held their annual meeting in January to both appoint two new members and elect officers for 2022-2023 service year.
Polk Against Drugs is a non-profit organization whose mission is to work together to reduce the use of drugs, tobacco, and underage drinking among youth in Polk County and support persons in recovery to become selfsufficient to ensure a safer community.
Georgia Prevention Project was appointed to hold a seat on the board as the fiscal agent for the Drug-Free Communities grant awarded to Polk Against Drugs in 2021. Representing the Georgia Prevention Project is Vann Blankenship, DrugFree Communities coordinator and newly appointed director of Polk Against Drugs.
Barbara Glanton was also appointed to serve in the coming year. Glanton is retired with 30 years of service with Highland Rivers Behavioral Health. Currently, she works with the Tallapoosa Circuit Accountability Courts. Both seats were voted in unanimously by the incumbent board members.
Officers for 2022-2023 were also elected to include Marty Robinson, chairperson; Karen Nissen, vice chairperson; Angela Moore, secretary; and Janet Tinney, treasurer.
Rounding out the board for this coming year are incumbent members, Lydia Goodson, Mosaic Place Addiction Recovery Support Center; Lacey Tuck, Polk School District; Rhonda Heuer, Polk Family Connection; Justin Carter, Second Baptist Church; Jonathan Blackmon, Polk County Sheriff’s Office; Randy Turner, Rockmart
Police Department; and Jessica Payton, Cedartown City Commission.
After appointments and elections, the 13-member board went into a work session with Blankenship presenting a strategic plan to build and strengthen Polk Against Drugs for the upcoming year.
The plan laid out four main objectives:
1. Engage the community to share efforts through multiple modalities, utilizing each member’s unique qualities to strengthen and grow the coalition.
2. Collaborate with local governments to implement policies and procedures that increase utilization of resources, promote prevention and reduce effects of generational use.
3. Raise awareness within the community of substance use challenges and effects while promoting available resources and encouraging advocacy of underserved needs.
4. Communicate needs and explore options for multiple recovery pathways and resources, sharing lived and professional experiences with local data.
After reviewing the strategic implementation plan, the board set dates for the coalition meetings for the coming year. The board and coalition are focusing this year on youth development and prevention programming to reduce vaping and binge drinking among youth in Polk County.
Data related to perceptions of harm found that 30% of Polk County students in grades 6-12 responded there is “no risk” to binge drinking (consuming five or more drinks of an alcoholic beverage) once or twice a week, and similarly, 29.5% viewed drinking one or two drinks daily as “no risk.”
Students reporting past 30-day cigarette use was low (4% or less), but past 30-day use of electronic vapor products was higher with 13% of all Polk County students in grades 6-12 reporting use.
“We need this community’s help if we are going to make an impact on reducing youth substance use,” Blankenship said.
Those wishing to help or receive information on drug awareness and substance abuse programs can contact Polk Against Drugs on its Facebook page, @ polkagainstdrugs, or by calling or texting 470-233-0790.
Coalition meetings are scheduled every third Tuesday from 6-7:30 p.m. and are open to the public.