Drug-Free Elbert

06/16/2026

Drug-Free ELBERT is excited to host Mr. Shane Sims at our coalition meeting tomorrow, Wednesday, June 17. Mr. Sims is a certified Addiction Recovery Empowerment Specialist who will be presenting a training on the "Science of Addiction and Recovery."
The meeting will begin at 11:30, followed by the training from 12-1:30 at First Baptist Church.

Send a message to learn more

06/12/2026

Fact or Fiction SPECIAL EDITION about ma*****na useage!! Thanks to Michael Mumper with Georgians for Responsible Ma*****na Policy for taking the time to record this for Drug-Free Elbert!

06/08/2026

Big bust in Georgia getting illegal ma*****na and THC v**es out of stores, markets, and off the streets!!

It’s really hard to regulate what’s in v**es and a lot of them are laced with other chemicals. Make sure you’re having these conversations with your kids.

Every day our Troopers and Officers are out there working hard to make Georgia safer. While every stop has the potential to change one life, some stops have a far greater reach. Recently, our hardworking Troopers and K-9’s conducted a traffic stop on a tractor trailer on Interstate 20 in Carroll County for a traffic violation. After speaking with the driver, our Trooper requested K-9 Draco to assist. After alerting to illegal substances, Draco and his handler and other Troopers discovered four suspicious pallets hidden amongst other cargo in the trailer. Thanks to the efforts of CIU and K-9 Draco more than 1800 pounds of ma*****na and over 4,000 illegal THC v**e cartridges were taken off the streets and helped to make our communities safer.

06/03/2026

Hey! We want to know from YOU!! 🫵
What do you want to know about ma*****na usage and youth?
Want to know more about edibles?
Want to know about how THC affects the brain?
Want to know the different between THC, Delta-8, or CBD?
Want to know how ma*****na affects mental health?
Got other questions? We want to share what you want to know about!
⬇️ Drop questions in the comments or slide into our DMs. Names won't be used-only our social media manager will see them, and she takes trust very seriously, srly.

06/01/2026

Exciting things are happening with DFE! Recently, Alysia and Dr. Sophie met with Michael Mumper, the executive director of Georgians for Responsible Ma*****na Policy.

Michael has been a Drug-Free Communities coordinator for several years before moving into his present position of policy advocacy. His DFC coalition is in year 10 of the program (🤩 the goal for DFE🤩) , so he is well-versed in the workings of the program. He offered valuable insight into how DFE can continue to grow and was impressed with what we've gotten accomplished in year 1.5!!

We also met with Charlotte Spell (via Zoom), executive director of Let's Be Clear GA, a prevention organization based in Statesboro. Charlotte specializes in alcohol and ma*****na prevention work.

We are grateful to these two individuals who took time to meet and plan with us. Be on the look out for a special video Michael recorded just for us!

05/28/2026

We are still playing catch-up from our busy May schedule- a good problem to have! The next to last week of school, Elbert County 4-H staff, Ms. Lauren and Ms. Alex, taught the annual opioid prevention curriculum to ECMS 7th grade students.

This is the fifth year that these lessons have been taught to Elbert County Middle Schoolers in the 7th grade. Ms. Lauren, as a part of UGA’s USDA Rural Health & Safety Grant Team, had the opportunity to help write and pilot the curriculum before it was rolled out statewide in 2024. Thanks to our local collaboration on the project, Elbert County is well represented in the Georgia 4-H Journeys in Health & Safety: The Opioid Crisis magazine that Ms. Lauren also co-authored. Shout-outs include Dr. Jonathan P**n, SRO Marc Fleming, EMS Director Anna (Greenway) Sheridan and EC 4-H Alumnus Madison (Brown) Smith.

The four lesson curriculum discusses opioids, their intended use and misuse, how they affect the brain, the body chemistry behind how opioids work, alternatives to pain management, safe storage, safe disposal and how to make a difference in the community. Why is this important? Unfortunately, Elbert County has one of the highest pill per capita rates in the state. Early awareness and education make a difference!

We appreciate the leadership Elbert County Middle School for allowing us in their 7th grade science classrooms.

05/26/2026

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and Drug-Free Elbert has been busy, busy, busy! We know there is often times a link between mental health disorders and trying to cope through drug and alcohol usage.

Weekend before the holiday weekend, we took our message to the VFW's "Wellness for All" Health Fair at the Elks Lodge. Jurnee Porter was the winner of the free t-shirt order! We appreciate everyone who came to support and learn more.

05/22/2026

🎉 Congratulations to Gracie Kidd who will graduate from Elbert County Comprehensive High School tonight!!! 🎉

In our first years with a Youth Action Team, Gracie has been instrumental in getting it up and running! Not only did she recruit students to participate in Drug-Free Elbert, she also organized a service project for the group, enlisted the help of other organizations, helped coordinate pick-up and drop-off of the donations. Her leadership has been invaluable in our first year.

While her absence will be felt next year, we are excited to watch her continue to grow as she pursues her college degree at Emmanuel College. Way to go, Gracie!

05/21/2026

🎉Congratulations to our winners from our drawing!!🎉
We are so grateful to everyone who participated in our Fact or Fiction challenge! We had 60 entries and 21 people participated. We hoped you learn something!

A special thank you to our YOUTH ACTION TEAM who took time to record the voiceovers and Dr. Sophie for making time for that to happen!

We will DM with the winners within 24 hours!