Fiscal Note
No appropriation required.
Title
Supporting the work of the Pride in Prevention Coalition and encouraging residents to learn more about their efforts and resources in preventing addiction and supporting addiction recovery.
Body
WHEREAS, LGBTQ persons have a greater likelihood than non-LGBTQ persons of experiencing a substance use disorder in their lifetime, including opioid use disorder, and they often enter treatment with more severe substance use disorders; and,
WHEREAS, according to the National LGBT Health Education Center, substance abuse among LGBTQ people can best be understood within the framework of minority stress. “Starting at a young age, LGBTQ people live with everyday discrimination, marginalization, and victimization based on their sexual and gender minority statuses”; and,
WHEREAS, over the last ten years, opioid-related hospital visits and deaths in Wisconsin have doubled, especially among young adults; and,
WHEREAS, three out of four heroin users started by abusing prescription painkillers and individuals with a substance addiction are six times more likely than the general population to attempt suicide; and,
WHEREAS, OutReach LGBT Community Center and Safe Communities are working together on the Pride in Prevention Coalition, which is a Dane County LGBTQ coalition; and,
WHEREAS, the Pride in Prevention Coalition works to reduce and prevent substance use and addiction through awareness, education, intervention, prevention and advocacy; and,
WHEREAS, they are working vigorously to reach communities that are hard hit by the opioid epidemic by increasing safe storage and disposal of prescription opioids, prevention, early intervention, treatment and mental health; and,
WHEREAS, in August and beyond, the Pride in Prevention Coalition will be having fundraisers with partner organizations throughout Madison, distributing prescription lock boxes, educating the community on prescription drug disposals, engaging LGBTQ youth in order...
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