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Majority Rally Greenville Ohio. CNO File Photo by Nathan Bowen.
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Prevention Action Alliance
Our Thoughts… 8th Annual We Are The
Majority Rally
Yesterday (April 30) was a big day for Prevention Action Alliance. It
was the day of the We Are The Majority Rally. We brought 2000 teens
from across Ohio to the Ohio Statehouse to counter the false perception
that most young people use drugs and alcohol.
Teens are constantly bombarded with messages telling them what to do,
how to look, and who to be. These messages are found wherever youth
turn—on television shows, on the news, on social media, and in video
games. These messages often depict teens using drugs and engaging in
other unhealthy behaviors. The reality, however, is that the majority
of teens do not use drugs. In fact, many of the teens at the WATM Rally
yesterday are leading their peers in preventing substance misuse and
promoting mental health wellness by getting involved in youth-led
prevention.
We started the WATM Rally eight years ago to give teens the opportunity
to celebrate the fact that they do not use drugs or alcohol. It also
lets us highlight the great things that young people in Ohio are doing
to prevent substance misuse and promote mental health wellness.
Across our state, young people are involved in prevention. They’re
making their communities better places to live, grow, and learn. Take,
for example, the Ohio Youth-Led Prevention Network’s Youth Council.
They’re the ones who plan the WATM Rally. They take to the stage to
rally and inspire Ohio’s teens to prevent substance misuse and promote
mental health. They lead the march of thousands to the Ohio Statehouse.
They make and set the agenda, vet the speakers, create content for
about an hour of the WATM Rally, and act as the masters of ceremony for
the day.
They’re leading the way. It’s our job to help them.
We do that by providing them with the skills and resources they need to
use effective prevention strategies, empower their peers, and advocate
for prevention.
Each WATM Rally inevitably sees students leave as they graduate from
high school. Each year, we accept applications for new OYLPN Youth
Council members.
If you know a young person who is passionate about making a difference
in the lives of teens across Ohio, encourage them to apply via
SurveyMonkey. Applicants will be contacted for interviews if selected
to continue. This is a great opportunity to develop someone’s
leadership, speaking, and advocacy skills and to build relationships
with other teens dedicated to prevention.
Apply via SurveyMonkey
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