The Enid News and Eagle, Enid, OK

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February 7, 2007

Drug and alcohol abuse prevention workers from across state learn how to promote events using media resources

By Tippi Rasp Staff Writer

Prevention workers from across the state Tuesday learned asking questions can get you more than the answer, it can get you free publicity.

More than a dozen workers from the state’s area prevention resource centers were invited to a training session to help them learn how to promote events with the help of local media resources.

They also learned how News & Eagle editors made a conscious decision several years ago — and after several teens were killed in alcohol-related accidents — to devote more coverage to the issue of underage drinking.

“It’s a cultural issue that deserves more coverage,” Managing Editor Cindy Allen said.

Allen was one of the featured speakers at the training. She relayed several issues that have made local headlines in the past few years, including teen alcohol deaths, minors openly posing for pictures with alcohol on Web sites like MySpace, passage of stiffer penalties for teens who drink or for those that provide alcohol to minors, and results of surveys that show a high percentage of alcohol use among Garfield County teens.

Allen said although the News & Eagle has been criticized for its stance on the issue through online comments and letters to the editor, she also has received positive feedback and support for the efforts.

“The intent is to point out what’s going on,” Allen said. “Adults need to be aware of the problem.

“We need to start doing what’s necessary to prevent underage drinking.”

Peppered throughout the state, area prevention resource centers are charged with preventing drug, alcohol and tobacco use among youths.

Sean Byrne, executive director of Prevention-Workz, an Enid area prevention center, said not much training is available to prevention professionals across the state.

“It’s something we’re experienced with,” Byrne said. “Why not provide that (training) for the entire state?”

Byrne said he felt it was important to show how good relationships with media outlets can work in the favor of prevention professionals.

“A lot of prevention providers are afraid of dealing with the media,” Byrne said.

The workers learned how to organize tobacco reward reminder visits and alcohol compliance checks. They also heard from local media outlets about how they can help them get their messages out to the public.

J. Curtis Huckleberry and Jerry Butler, both of Williams Broadcasting, said getting information on the air is easy.

“If you don’t tell us about your event, we don’t know about it,” Butler said.

Huckleberry said: “You need to proactively contact people.”

The prevention professionals in attendance at the Cherokee Strip Conference Center training also taped a “Community Talk” segment at PEGASYS.

Byrne said a copy of the segment will be made available to those in attendance for use at their local community access television stations.

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