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Town Hall Meeting in Pioche
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Town Hall Meeting in Pioche
Gina Smith
Contributing Writer
 As the idiom goes "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure", that is being tested and proven county wide. The Eastern Nevada Communities Coalition (ENCC) is working on this very theory. Facilitating a town hall meeting, the ENCC, under the direction of Coordinator Carl Hastings, led an informative and motivational meeting in Pioche last week. The meeting focused on underage substance and alcohol abuse. Debi Gill, ENCC Regional Director acquainted the group with the direction the ENCC is headed. Going to the schools, communities, health fairs is just some of the things they are accomplishing. "The goal is prevention" is an important factor in the issues at hand.
Special guests for the town hall meeting were Corporal Tim Umina, and Deputy Dan Malloy of the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office (LCSO), both speaking on important issues connected to substance abuse and underage drinking. Being involved and working closely within the public school systems, community outreach programs, and educating the public is the key to their success. Deputy Malloy brought a very special member of their team, Nala. Nala is a Labrador retriever who is specially trained for alerting officers to the presence of drugs. A dog's ability to smell is many times more sensitive than a human's, therefore can detect even the smallest amount of drugs in a particular area. Nala is an important key to their success in battling this difficult task. "Personal use leads to bigger and better things" Corporal Umina pointed out. To conceal, hide, and transport these drugs, and oftentimes alcohol, get's both creative and unusual. The professionals who deal with this on a daily basis know, understand and see the risks of using drugs and alcohol abuse. They pointed out that it often starts with boredom, wanting to have fun. Curiosity is a major contributing factor for kids.
The floor was then opened up to comments, questions, and needs of the community. A strong need was expressed was that of obtaining the cooperation of everyone. This means not just school district, teacher, and community leaders, but parents, friends, and family alike. Everyone has to commit to "not our county" or "not our school" or "not my child".
Where do I come in? "Community involvement is key" was the point made by both LCSO and ENCC. "Prevention is cheaper than treatment, with less heartaches. That is our goal." The power of one is crucial in the battle over underage drinking and substance abuse. Together we can make a difference.
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