SAPT gets a new lease on life

News Release
OPP

The Rainy River District Detachment of the OPP is pleased to announce the continuation of the Rainy River District Substance Abuse Prevention Team (SAPT) as a result of a successful funding opportunity through the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services.
For the past eleven years member of SAPT had been working together as one of the province’s 22 FOCUS community projects, with programs working to prevent injury and reduce harm as it relates to alcohol and other drug use, as well as raising awareness of substance misuse as a risk factor in chronic disease. On March 31, 2010 provincial funding was scheduled to conclude for the Rainy River District Substance Abuse Prevention Team (SAPT). The OPP recognized the significance of the SAPT program in the Rainy River District and helped to mobilize various partners including the Substance Abuse Prevention Team, Fort Frances Police Service Board and Rainy River District Safe Communities. Together they collaborated to find funding to continue this important District wide substance abuse prevention initiative that includes all municipalities and First Nation Communities.
Today, the OPP is pleased to announce that the Fort Frances Police Services Board has received $99,846.31 to help sustain the Rainy River District Substance Abuse Prevention Team. The funding will allow community partners to continue enhancing the Substance Abuse Prevention Team awareness campaign with a priority set on building skills within our youth to support them in making healthy and safe choices in respect to drugs and alcohol. The funding will support a part-time coordinator and help establish a functional resource centre for mentoring youth. Team members will have the ability to develop social networking resources and remain accessible to the Rainy River District through the www.preventingtragedy.com website. As in the past, SAPT will continue to network throughout the District and North America regarding substance misuse trends, collect statistical information and help develop new resources to support youth, families and older adults.
The Substance Abuse Prevention Team is planning to use funding to purchase much needed equipment to enhance local programs such as Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) and the Preventing Alcohol Related Trauma in Youth Program (PARTY). Some of the equipment includes computers, presentation equipment, furniture for a resource centre and training tools including SIDNE (a battery powered
vehicle that simulates the effects of distracted and impairment from alcohol and other drugs on a motorist’s driving ability.
A new component to the SAPT program was the ability to support the OPP Northwest Region Youth Summer Camp that took place at Longbow Lake on August 9 – 13, 2010. Students from throughout the OPP Northwest Region (including seven from the Rainy River District) attended the Youth Summer Camp with police officers. The purpose of the camp was to give children opportunities to develop leadership skills, youth empowerment, mentoring and self esteem. As a result of the camp’s success, the camp will continue next year and will be held at Sunny Cove Summer Camp in Fort Frances, Ontario.
The Substance Abuse Team Coordinator and community partners will be available to showcase the new equipment, highlight our achievements and discuss our goals for the upcoming year.