Public invited to help fight drugs, suicide

by Staff Pioneer Times
13 years ago

By Elna Seabrooks
Staff Writer
    HOULTON — Coming up with solutions to fight drug abuse and to prevent suicide will be the focus of a meeting next Tuesday, Jan. 25 at Houlton Regional Hospital (HRH) so that the public and the Link for Hope Coalition can find ways to work together on those issues.
    Described as a work session, Trudy O’Bar, a Link for Hope Coalition member, said the group is “trying to reach anybody who has similar concerns and would like to sit at the table and work toward solutions.” Over the years, the group’s mission, she said, has been to help youth and families in the community through drug abuse prevention and suicide prevention because “suicide has been a problem in the past and often it was related to substance and alcohol issues. We want our community to be healthy we want our youth and our families to feel supported and healthy.” 
Houlton Pioneer Times Photo/ Elna Seabrooks
FS-LinkHope-dclr-pt-3INTERVENTION AND PREVENTION — Linda Maraya, M.D., left, a pediatrician on staff at Houlton Regional Hospital and Trudy O’Bar, a Link for Hope Coalition member discuss drug abuse and suicide prevention as issues facing the community. A public meeting will be held Tuesday, Jan. 25, at 6:30 p.m. in the community education center of Houlton Regional Hospital.
    O’Bar said just by looking at the Court News one can see more incidences of substance abuse. “Currently across the state it is the misuse of prescription medications that is problematic. And, of course, there are other things like the meth lab that was found recently. It’s something that is not just affecting young people. It crosses the age spectrum.”
    According to O’Bar, various groups have been invited “to pull together so they are all working toward the same goal and not duplicating what others are doing.” Currently, she said, there is a faith link, a business link and a medical link that form the coalition.
    The meeting will take place Tuesday, Jan. 25, at 6:30 p.m. at HRH’s community education center on the third floor.