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Residents of Swain County are Healthy, Safe and Thriving

HNC2030 Alignment

Substance use and the related result "Residents of Swain County are healthy, safe, and thriving" are aligned with the following Healthy NC 2020 Focus Areas/ Objectives

  • Subtance Abuse
  • Tobacco Use

Experience & Importance

How would we experience residents of Swain County being healthy, safe and thriving in our community?

Swain County would be healthier and happier byway of deduction of substance abuse/misuse. According to community listening sessions, community members would experience the following: 

  • No needles
  • More physical activity
  • More treatment 
  • More participation in commuity 
  • Happier 
  • No cigarette butts 
  • Less funds being used 
  • Empowered by discussion 
  • Less smoke pollution 
  • Not holding breath to go in buildings
  • Not hearing about overdoses
  • More communication 

 

What information led to the selection of this health issue and related result?

The Community Wellness Action Team and the Coalition for a Safe and Drug Free Swain County processed the community health assessment data in September and October of 2018 across several meetings. Both groups were provided information about the relevance, impact, and fesibility around substance abuse/misuse, specifically looking at opioid, tobacco, and alcohol data. The community members in attendance then unianimously voted to move forward with the substance abuse priority as a result of evaluating the primary and secondary community health data. 

Known risk factors for this issue are as follows: 

  • Family
  • Social Networks
  • Peer Pressure 
  • Income Level
  • Educational Attainment 

For results 2018 Swain County CHA, Chapter 8, pg. 36-38

Progress Made in 2019

The following progress was made in 2019 on our action plan interventions for Substance Use in Swain County

  • Narcan Distribution 
    • Applied for the Highlands Cashiers Health Foundation grant in 2019 for Narcan kits, training, and campaigns. 
  • Swain Summits
    • Please see listed items for Swain Summit progress under the Chronic Disease priority result. For the Substance Use priority and result, Swain Summits has included question items in relation to tobacco and alcohol usage within the Health Risk Questionnaire. There was also quitline information provided in the packets distribtued during the health screening. 
  • Lockbox and Dropbox Campaign
    • Applied and received funding from the Great Smokies Health Foundation in 2019 for purchasing of lockboxes and promoting dropboxes through campaigns. Previously established two separate dropboxes within the community during the last CHA cycle. 
    • Distribution of lockboxes to community members. 
    • Distributed lockboxes during four separate events -- Medicine Takeback in October of 2019, two Community Baby Showers in 2019, and a Child Health Fair in 2019. 
    • Facebook, newspaper and radio education on the importance of using a lockboxes as well as where to obtain a lockbox if needed or wanted. 
  • Quitline
    • Distributed quitline information during four separate events in 2019 -- Medicine Takeback in October, two Community Baby Showers, and a Child Health Fair. 
    • All patients at the health department and WIC office are provided quitline information as pertinent. 
  • Tobacco Free Spaces
    • Swain County adopted new tobacco free parks and recreation ordinance prohibiting all tobacco products on campuses. 
    • Swain County Health Department became a tobacco free campus, including the purchasing of new signs that include e-cigarettes and vape products. 
    • Public Health Educator presented on the benefits of becoming a tobacco free campus to the Department of Social Services, working toward adding another location to tobacco free spaces in Swain County. 

Additionally, the following progress was made in 2019 on Substance Use in Swain County.

  • Alcohol -- prom campaign in April 

Measures

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Period
Current Actual Value
Current Target Value
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% Change

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