Winnebago County's Heroin Task Force

Winnebago County has a problem, a heroin problem. But then again, heroin has been sneaking into communities all over the country. Why is this? For us, heroin has been migrating up from Chicago to Milwaukee and taking 41 up to Green Bay, stopping in all communities along the way. Nobody starts off using heroin. A lot of heroin users started abusing prescription pain relievers. While others started with "softer" drugs and moved towards the "harder" drugs.

In 2013, the Oshkosh Police Department, Winnebago Co Health Department, re:TH!NK, Oshkosh Area Community Foundation, and Oshkosh Area United Way formed a partnership to address the heroin problem in the county. Thus, the Winnebago County Heroin Task Force was created. The Task Force focuses on a 4 Pillar approach, Prevention, Harm Reduction, Treatment, and Law Enforcement. Each of these pillars created goals and are addressing them on a local level with local resources. 

We cannot arrest our way out of the problem and we cannot force those with heroin addiction into treatment. We need to keep those with addiction safe and meet them where they are at. We also need to understand there is no one size fits all approach to prevention and treatment. The work groups seek out evidence-based programming to address the issues.

The most recent general meeting, on January 15, brought together the Pillar work groups to report their progress. Douglas and Anthony from Rise Together were there to talk about how they overcame heroin addiction and what they are doing for prevention and the recovery community. There was a presentation about 2-1-1, an amazing resource to find assistance for substance abuse treatment, mental health treatment, and other services. Also, information about a mentoring program from Boys and Girls Club of Oshkosh was given by Carlea Learman.

Addressing heroin addiction in Winnebago County will take time and effort. Together we can prevent heroin use and addiction, keep those with addiction safe, and help those who are addicted, get proper treatment.

For more information you can visit the Heroin Task Force's webpage. There are links to the minutes of the general meetings and pillar groups, as well as other information. 

Heroin Task Force Webpage

Rise Together: www.weallrisetogether.org

United Way 211: www.211now.org or call 211

Boys and Girls Club Mentoring: Email Carlea at carleal@bgcosh.org or call 920-233-1414

50th Anniversary of the Surgeon General's Historic Report

On January 11, 1964, the Surgeon General pronounced the health risks posed by cigarettes.
Fifty years ago tobacco ads featuring Fred Flintstone, athletes, and movie starts could be found all over in magazines and on TV. Smoke hung in the air of restaurants, bars, teachers lounges, offices, and airplane cabins. And there'd be a good chance that your family doctor was a smoker too. It's amazing how much we have learned in 50 years about the harms of tobacco products and smoking.

The turning point for tobacco prevention came on January 11, 1964 with the Surgeon General's Report. That Saturday morning, the U.S. Surgeon General Luther Terry released the official report linking smoking to illness and death - and suggesting the government should do something about it. 

In the decades that followed, warning labels were put on cigarette packs, cigarette commercials were banned, taxes were raised, and new restrictions were placed on where people could light up. 

Wisconsin has seen great progress in reducing tobacco’s burden.

• High school smoking dropped from 33% in 2000 to an all-time low 13% in 2012
• Wisconsin is healthier since the smoke-free law took effect in 2010
• Since the smoke-free air law, bars and restaurants saw a decrease in unhealthy air, bartenders experience a decrease in respiratory health symptoms
• The number of smoke-free homes in Wisconsin also increased from 74% to 80%
• The state’s Wisconsin Tobacco Quit Line has fielded more than 200,000 calls

While great strides in tobacco prevention have been made over the last 50 years, tobacco's still a problem in Wisconsin, so we need to stay committed. More than 800,000 Wisconsinites are still smoking, and smoking kills more than 7,000 adults in Wisconsin each year. 

In order to prevent and reduce deaths from tobacco we need to reduce the amount of youth who start using tobacco. Each day about 14 Wisconsin kids become new smokers. Candy and fruit-flavored tobacco products that are more affordable are attracting the attention of our young people. 

Looking like candy, gum, and other products that appeal to youth these products have become much more popular among youth. A new CDC study found that nationally, 40% of youth smokers use flavored little cigars or cigarettes. 

These other tobacco products (OTPs) are harmful and addictive, plus they're marketed aggressively to youth and are inexpensive. The products hook youth early and keep them addicted. The candy and fruit-flavors disguise the tobacco underneath. But using any tobacco product has serious health risks, even if it is coated in candy flavors. OTPs are not safe, not fair, and not good for Wisconsin.


The blog post used info from this USA Today article for more info on the 50th Anniversary of the Surgeon Generals Report. 

Farm 2 School Month

End of September through October has been an exciting time for re:TH!NK and Winnebago County Farm to School. Preparations have been in the works since the beginning of the school year to start off on the right foot. Already we have been on a public access television show, had a local radio station interview, and published articles in a youth magazine. While a lot has been happening, we especially want to highlight three large events within the county focused on different aspects of Farm to School: trying new fresh foods, connecting students to Wisconsin agriculture by promoting local farms, and learning to make healthy meals.

          The first event was a Local Tomato Tasting at Webster Stanley Middle School in Oshkosh School District. Check out our YouTube video about it:
                                                     TomatoTasting at Webster Stanley

          Next, we hosted Fall Fair at Maplewood Middle School in Menasha School District. We partnered with their amazing Chartwells food service team and Apple Blossom Lane Orchard from Black Creek, WI. Farmer Todd Hansen couldn’t have been more supportive throughout the process and donated some amazing decorations to make the school really feel like were at the orchard. We brought in corn stalks, hay bales, large paper leaves to decorate the walls, and tons of squash & gourds for the cafeteria. The event turned into a family affair as the Farmer Todd’s daughter, wife, and mother were all in attendance. They talked about the different apple varieties and helped pass out samples and stickers. That’s right, every student who tried at least one sample received an “I ate local food today!” sticker.

          At the event we had a savory and a sweet section. For the sweet we had four different varieties of apple slices (Empire, Cortland, Honey Gold, and Macintosh) along with an apple salad that consisted of diced apples and celery in a honey yogurt dressing. For the savory we “deconstructed” three bean salsa sampling four different platters of onion, beans, tomato, and bell pepper. We let the students try each ingredient individually and then all together as salsa. This provided a way for students try different fruits and vegetables and see how combinations of flavors work together. While some students were hesitant to try a fresh bell pepper slice, most every student had the salsa. A surprising amount of students came up to try the individual ingredients after they knew they were in the salsa. Making the fresh foods relatable to the kids really made them more willing to try new flavors. Some students really didn’t like the tomato but loved the raw onion; no two flavor palates are the same, it is important to offer a variety of options to help students find a tasty fresh food they really like. We were also able to send students home with a really simple and fun recipe cards to make applesauce at home, a classic snack that is widely accepted among kids.

“Wow, all this is for us?! I feel really special.”-8th grader at Menasha Middle

“I love beans, I have never had them plain before but now I could eat them everyday.”-7th grader at Menasha Middle 

          The last of our events was held on Food Day (October 24th), a nationwide celebration of healthy, affordable, and sustainable foods. We hosted a chef demo for the 6th grade class at Carl Traeger Middle School in Oshkosh School District. This event allowed us to reach out to our community supporters from the Culinary Arts Program at Fox Valley Technical College. There were approximately 200 youth and staff in attendance. Chef Jason Sargeant came in to teach the students how to make butternut squash soup and gave an informational lesson on different varieties of squash that are available. Cooking is an important part of healthy eating, visits from Fox Valley Technical College student chefs provide a fun way to demonstrate how to cook your own food.

“This soup tastes like pizza!” -6th grader at Carl Traeger   

         Coming up for the month of November we will be focusing on Nutrition Education as we have now identified the majority of students we will be working with in our county. We will also be continuing our Fun Food of the Month program. We can’t wait for the Harvest Medley Blends to come in!

e-cigarettes: A New Frontier for Big Tobacco Companies?

They are all over the media, celebrities are endorsing them, and yet without regulation from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) e-cigarettes have no standards to follow or comply with. The short version- Americans know little about the risks associated with using e-cigarettes.

The Huffington Post published an article in early September - 9 Terribly Disturbing Things About Electronic Cigarettes The article gives a list to readers simply stating what is known about e-cigarettes.

        Biggest points from the article:
• e-cigarettes contain toxic chemicals.  Specifically diethylene glycol, a chemical found in antifreeze.
• Kids across the U.S. are able to purchase these products because there is little regulation and they can be purchased online.
• Companies that produce e-cigarettes are creating them in delicious flavors like milkshake.
• Laws regarding advertisement of cigarettes do not yet apply to e-cigarettes... meaning youth are able to see ads on tv, online, and anywhere they may go.

With so much unknown in the realm of e-cigarettes it is best to play it safe and stay away from using. re:TH!NK also encourages you to do your own research and learn more about these products if you are interested, make sure to look at credible sources (example: www.iheartecigs.com might not be the best place to find and read unbiased information ;).

Learning from the Swazi People 3

Through my internship with re:TH!NK I have come to realize the importance of networking and partnerships. Working with others from the community to reach the same goals creates stronger programs. For this reason it is important to become familiar with different organizations within the community.

re:TH!NK and Growing Oshkosh partnered together for the pilot year of the School Garden Program. Due to the lack of green thumbs in re:TH!NK, Growing Oshkosh's knowledge with the gardens was crucial to making the School Garden Program as successful as possible. The gardens are currently producing an abundance of vegetables!

eatsmart! is another program that would not be as wide-reaching if not for local partners. ThedaCare and local health professionals have teamed together to work with participating restaurants. The mission of eatsmart! is to have healthy options be identified and available for those who want to eat healthy is a restaurant setting. The recipe of identified food has been evaluated by a registered dietitian and is marked with the eatsmart! thumbs up! Any interested restaurants can choose to participate. Currently there are 8 participating restaurants in the area!

It is my personal belief that no matter what the program, it is important to team up with others in community. Networking is an important part of working in Public Health. While in Swaziland, Give Hope, Fight Poverty met with different local organizations to find out what else was going on in the community. We didn't want to be competing for resources with others who were trying to accomplish the same things. One of the organizations focuses on the HIV pandemic, currently 40% of Swazi people are HIV positive, some of our orphans included. The organization sets up clinics for anti-retroviral treatment for those in the more rural areas. They also help to place HIV positive people in support groups. This information is good to know and we may use them as a resource in the future. For the time being we were able to to help them by donating some clothing! 

    Swaziland has some of the highest rates of HIV worldwide! This is a picture I took at the border crossing to help promote the use of condoms and safe sexual practice. 

Swaziland is the last absolute monarach and ruled by King Mswati III since 1986. King Mswati has 13 wives, each with her own palace.The royal family will sponsor different organizations. One of the organizations we met with is actually sponsored by one of the princesses. The mission of this organization is to focus and enhance female education. The details of this are still being worked out and the program will hopefully be launched soon. Again, knowledge is valuable and may be useful in the future.  

The beginning stages of the library Give Hope, Fight Poverty is buidling at one of the primary schools. Knowledge is the best tool to help the children!

It doesn't matter where you are in the world networking is important. Partners help to make projects more impactful. It is important to know and utilize the resources available. I am amazed at how much I have learned while interning for re:TH!NK. I loved the variety of opportunities I was able to experience! Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end and my time with re:TH!NK is coming to a rapid close. I am definitely going to miss all the new friends I have come know! I am grateful for the great intership they provided for me.