Fighting the social norms of alcohol

The Hancock County Community Partnership is trying to raise awareness about alcohol and other drugs that — while legal — may pose some dangers. Zach Thomas, director of wellness and education for the Hancock County Board of Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services, said the Community Partnership, a coalition that focuses on substance use prevention and mental wellness, has been working with the city to ensure that appropriate safety protocols are being followed with regard to Findlay's Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area plans. Thomas said this includes making sure staff at establishments are trained in safe drinking guidelines, and have a "refusal skill set" — that is, knowing how to refuse if someone who is already intoxicated wants to purchase another drink. The Community Partnership has also encouraged compliance checks for sales to underage people, such as underage youth being sent undercover to try to buy drinks. And, he said, they hope that safe drinking guidelines will be prominently available, such as on the DORA's specialized cups. One of the Community Partnership's biggest concerns is the "social norms" related to alcohol. The goal is to make sure that people don't start to assume that, if they're in a public setting enjoying an event, they have to be drinking. Social norms can be positive or negative. Thomas said a survey found that the overwhelming majority of local 18- to 25-year-olds believed it is not OK to misuse prescription drugs. That is a social norm, too, he said. Thomas said it can also become a social norm that young people assume that at every community, family-oriented event, alcohol must be a component and people must be drinking to enjoy themselves. He encouraged the community to think about what type of social norms we want to create. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, alcohol sales have increased in Ohio as well as nationally, which Thomas said may indicate that people are using coping mechanisms to manage stress, anxiety or depression. So in addition to educating people on safe drinking guidelines, the Community Partnership also wants to educate people on other ways to manage stress and appropriate self-care, Thomas said. He said isolation has come with the pandemic, as well as grief of those who have lost loved ones to COVID-19. Then there are missed experiences, like people who didn't get to celebrate a graduation or another event that would normally involve gathering with others. So, he said, the Community Partnership is looking at how to encourage connections in new and creative ways. As we get to the other side of the pandemic, he said, the community must recognize that the social and emotional effects will last for some time. "We need to continue to be cognizant of that. ... It's going to take some time for people to readjust," Thomas said. And, he said, the Community Partnership wants to remind people that help is always available. Arthurs: 419-427-8494