Why should you care about Drug Free Rogers-Lowell?

October is Meth Awareness & Prevention Month. While it is easy to disregard this as another sensationalist themed month that doesn't affect you directly, it's also an excellent opportunity to learn a little more about the effects of meth on our community.

At the Rogers-Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce, we're fortunate to have some experts in that field. While it is uncommon for chambers of commerce to acknowledge, much less work to prevent, social issues such as methamphetamine use, underage drinking and smoking or unhealthy lifestyles, our team is proud of the outstanding preventive efforts of the Drug Free Rogers-Lowell team here at the chamber. Most impressive to us is that our DFRL team and coalition members will present information on meth awareness and prevention in every sixth grade and higher classroom in Benton County this month. Talk about impact!

Drug Free Rogers-Lowell (DFRL) was formed in 1998 by the Rogers-Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce as a drug-free workplace task force. This task force's mission was to advocate for legislation allowing drug testing in Arkansas workplaces, and incentives to be provided to businesses implementing drug-free policies. Due to the efforts of Drug Free Rogers-Lowell, this legislation was passed, and DFRL continues to promote the Drug Free Workplace Program. DFRL initiatives, partnerships and programs promote the economic, social, environmental and individual health of Rogers and Lowell for sustainable development.

Most importantly, these are not just "warm fuzzy" lifestyle issues - they are business issues. Rising healthcare costs, employee absenteeism, lack of performance and safety issues affect the bottom line and success of businesses every single day.

You can learn quite a bit by visiting the website of the Drug Free Rogers-Lowell team: www.ioit2me.com. Here are a few action items for you:

1. Check out the video created for the 6th Annual Meth Prevention & Awareness Month at www.ioit2me.com. If you're a parent, watch it with your teens and preteens, and share it with others. The more awareness built in the community on this topic, the better.

2. Take just a moment to take the DFRL Underage Drinking & Social Hosting Survey: http://ioit2me.com/survey.html. And, if you're so inclined, mention a link to the survey via any social media you may use (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn etc.) to help provide survey participation and feedback.

3. Learn more about meth - what is it, who's trying it and how to stop it - at http://ioit2me.com/moremeth.html.

4. Learn more about other issues affecting our community: underage drinking, tobacco, prescription medication abuse and illegal drugs - all at www.ioit2me.com.

Don't take the obvious path of assuming these issues do not affect you, your family, your children, your colleagues and your neighbors. Take a moment to learn more. We're confident you'll be as impressed as we are by the efforts of the Drug Free Rogers-Lowell team.