CINCINNATI — Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval will proclaim Monday as Cincinnati Prevention Day. The goal is to raise awareness of mental health disorders and substance abuse.
The proclamation comes during National Prevention Week, an annual awareness campaign by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). SAMHSA originally chose to hold this campaign in May because it aligned with the end of the school year. The administration’s research shows adolescents and full-time college students most often try substances for the first time during the summer.
The percentage of adolescents reporting substance use decreased significantly in 2021, according to a study funded in part by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Students involved in the study reported a moderate increase in feelings of depression, anxiety and loneliness.
As part of the proclamation, the mayor will meet with health providers Monday and tour the Addiction Services Council, a nonprofit organization that works to assist those impacted by addiction. Mayor Pureval will meet with members of the Addiction Services Council’s AIM Team, which provides after-hours crisis support for individuals with addiction.
“During the pandemic, we were all stuck at home, a lot of us,” said Robert Allen Glass, Client Services & Mobile Engagement Specialist at the Addiction Services Council.
“When you're stuck by yourself, idle minds, you're stuck in your own thoughts. You get depressed, you're not around people and communicating. So you turn to things. Some people turn to alcohol. Some people turn to drugs.”
If you are struggling with substance abuse, you can call the Addiction Services Council’s 24/7 helpline. The number is (513) 281-RHAC (7422). The organization also provides services like counseling, referrals to community services and case management services.
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