What We Do
Winooski Partnership for Prevention (WPP) is our community’s substance use prevention coalition. We strive to make prevention a priority here in Winooski, VT through community education and engagement, youth empowerment, and policy change. Our work specifically focuses on underage drinking, tobacco, cannabis use and prescription drug misuse prevention.
We are committed to keeping our community informed about the health risks associated with youth substance use, and best practices for substance use disorder prevention. WPP aims to change the cultural norms that normalize substance misuse by creating opportunities for all sectors of our community to become involved in prevention and work together to improve local policies.
We prevent substance use disorders by educating and empowering Winooski
Community Prevention
WPP engages with 12 sectors of the community to reduce youth substance use. The sectors are: youth, parents, schools, local and state government, health care professionals, civic/volunteer organizations, law enforcement, businesses, media, other youth serving organizations, religious/fraternal organizations and other organizations working on substance abuse prevention.
Some of our community-level projects include:
Reducing the impact that alcohol, tobacco and high-potency THC cannabis marketing and advertising has on youth and marginalized populations, who are often targeted by the industries, through stricter regulations on retailer outdoor advertising and retail density in the community.
Increasing the number of smoke-free zones within Winooski, including at local parks and outside restaurants.
Increasing awareness and use of safe disposal sites and mail back envelopes for unused and unwanted prescription drugs
Celebrating and supporting parents who practice safe storage of alcohol and prescription drugs as well as retailers who follow state laws on serving alcohol and selling alcohol and tobacco products to 21+ customers
Youth Empowerment
WPP is committed to inspiring and empowering local youth to be prevention leaders in our community. Our youth programming is driven by the One Voice Youth Empowerment Model and the Above the Influence Campaign. Through our after school program, students acquire the skills, knowledge, and practice necessary advocate for positive community change.
Youth are invited to get involved in substance use prevention in multiple ways:
Joining our Above the Influence after school program
Attending youth leadership conferences over the summer
Internships
Becoming a youth board member
Using their voice in community-level prevention
