About Drug, Alcohol, and Tobacco use prevention programs.

The Licking County Health Department provides education for children, parents, and the community, about the dangers of underage consumption of Alcohol, Tobacco, and other drugs and the health risks associated with tobacco use and exposure at any age.

LCHD representatives either lead, or participate in a variety of community coalitions working toward reducing the impact of Alcohol, Tobacco, and illicit drug use in Licking County.  These include the Licking County Wellness Coalition, Our Futures in Licking County, and the Safe Communities Coalition.

Tobacco use prevention is included in the Partners in Wellness school health curriculum.

Parents Who Host Lose the Most

Parents play a major role in their children’s choices about alcohol, tobacco or other drugs. A recent national survey of parents and teens by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University found one-third of teen partygoers have been to parties where teens were drinking alcohol, smoking marijuana, or using cocaine, ecstasy or prescription drugs while a parent was present. By age 17, nearly half (46 percent) of teens have been at such parties where parents were present.

Drug-Free Action Alliance has developed the Parents Who Host, Lose The Most: Don't be a party to teenage drinking public awareness campaign to provide you with information about the health risks of underage drinking and the legal consequences of providing alcohol to youth.

As a parent, you cannot give alcohol to your teen’s friends under the age of 21 under any circumstance, even in your own home, even with their parent’s permission. You also cannot knowingly allow a person under 21, other than your own child, to remain in your home or on your property while consuming or possessing alcohol. There are legal consequences if you do. According to Ohio law, you can be prosecuted and face up to six months in jail, a $1,000 fine and loss of property.

You can protect your children by following these guidelines when hosting teen parties:

• Host safe, alcohol-free activities and events for youth during prom and graduation season

• Refuse to supply alcohol to children or allow drinking in your home or on your property

• Be at home when your teenager has a party Make sure your teenager’s friends do not bring alcohol into your home

• Talk to other parents about not providing alcohol at youth events

• Report underage drinking

Tobacco Free Schools

Smoking on school property is unhealthy and it sends the wrong message to children. You can encourage your schools to adopt and enforce smoke-free policies that prohibit tobacco use on all school property by students, teachers, spectators, and visitors. Contact your school board members to express your concern and ask them to take action to protect children from exposure to secondhand smoke and set a healthy example for students to follow. Go to our Tobacco Free Schools page.

Kickin' Ash Splash Pool Party

Annual tobacco, drug, and alcohol free event for the whole family hosted at the Heath City Water Park. If you are interested in sponsoring or volunteering please contact Nicole at nstowers@lickingcohealth.org.

Smoke Free Multi-Unit Housing

In addition to the important health benefits of reducing exposure to secondhand smoke, restricting smoking can decrease the risk of accidental fires and may even reduce fire insurance premiums. Landlords also may see a significant reduction in maintenance and turnover costs. Cleaning and refurbishing a smoker’s unit can require additional time and effort to repaint and to replace carpets and drapes. By prohibiting smoking in a unit, landlords can minimize or eliminate these expenses altogether.

For more informaiton on smoke free housing visit:

CDC Healthy Homes Manual

How Landlords can Prohibit Smoking

Tobacco Free Workplace Campus Initiatives

An American Productivity Audit found that tobacco use was a leading cause of worker lost production time — more than alcohol abuse or family emergencies.
Unlike smoke-free indoor policies, Tobacco Free Campus policies are not solely designed to protect nonsmokers from secondhand smoke but rather are also intended to encourage employees to improve their health by quitting the use of tobacco products. Tobacco-free campuses create work environments in which tobacco users find it easier to reduce their consumption or quit altogether. For more info visit: Implementing a Tobacco-Free Campus Initiative

Hot Topics

Tips for Parents

Ohio Liquor Law Information

Underage Drinking Facts

Ohio Tobacco Quit Line 1-800-QUIT-NOW (or 1-800-784-8669)

BecomeAnEX.org is a free, interactive website that shows smokers how to re-learn life without cigarettes.