Manhattan Area Risk Prevention Coalition

10/28/2025

Flint Hills Wellness Coalition is happy to announce the survey link for the 2025 Community Needs Assessment for Riley County is now open.

The purposes of this survey are: 1) to get your input on the quality of life in the community and 2) to identify the unmet needs in the community.

Some questions ask you about your personal experiences in the community and some ask for your opinions about the community in general.

Anyone who lives in Riley County who is at least 18 years of age is invited to take the survey.

The survey takes about 20-minutes to complete. You can start and stop the survey if you stay on the same device. Please try to complete the survey as incomplete surveys are not as useful as completed ones.

Questions cover topics associated with individual health and community health such as housing, transportation, nutrition, public education, older adults, youth, economic well-being, mental health, and physical health.

Participation in the survey is voluntary, and your responses will be anonymous. While your participation is voluntary and confidential, all community input is valued.

Please scan the QR code in the image or click on the link in the comment section.

The survey will be open through Sunday, November 30.

Questions? Contact Flint Hills Wellness Coalition at [email protected].

09/28/2023

Illegally made fentanyl
Illicit drugs do not come with an ingredient list. Many contain deadly doses of fentanyl
Illegally made fentanyl (IMF) is available on the drug market in different forms, including liquid and powder1.

Powdered fentanyl looks just like many other drugs. It is commonly mixed with drugs like he**in, co***ne, and methamphetamine and made into pills that are made to resemble other prescription opioids. Fentanyl-laced drugs are extremely dangerous, and many people may be unaware that their drugs are laced with fentanyl.

In its liquid form, IMF can be found in nasal sprays, eye drops, and dropped onto paper or small candies.

09/27/2023

If you know or think someone is struggling with addiction, ask them if you can help. Your concern might be just what they need to start their recovery journey, and your support could make all the difference in their success

09/27/2023

ASK ,LISTEN & LEARN

Knowing the Facts

Kids and alcohol don’t mix
Make no mistake: tweens are exposed to alcohol, and they are curious about it. Before they are presented with the option to drink or not drink, it is crucial to arm them with the information they need to make the right decisions. Ask, Listen, Learn: Kids and Alcohol Don’t Mix provides you with information and practical tips on how to talk to teens about alcohol. They need to know that not only does alcohol affect their developing brains, but it’s also illegal to consume before the age of 21. It is important to have these conversations early and often, building a strong relationship with your kids so the conversations about responsibility continue as they grow up.

Our research shows that most parents (93%) have spoken to their kids at least once in the past year about alcohol consumption, and that these conversations are working. Over the past 20 years, current underage drinking rates have decreased 53%.

Access our infographic, Caregivers: Don’t Underestimate the Power of Conversations, and keep up the good work engaging in conversations and modeling responsible behaviors.

THE FACTS
93%
Conversations are happening! 93% of parents have spoken with their kids about the dangers of drinking alcohol in the past year. (Responsibility.org, APCO Insights, March 2023)

42%
Conversations matter! Over the past 20 years, conversations between kids and parents about alcohol have increased 42% (Responsibility.org, APCO Insights, March 2023). During this same time, current underage drinking rates have decreased 53%. (Monitoring the Future, 2022)

Statistics About Kids and Underage Drinking
55%
55% of kids believe they will be faced with a decision regarding drinking or not drinking alcohol within the next year. (Responsibility.org, APCO Insights, March 2023)

22%
1-in-5 youth (22%) report they have been offered alcohol, and 21% say they have attended a party where alcohol was served or available. (Responsibility.org, APCO Insights, March 2023)

42%
According to the 2022 Monitoring the Future study, 42 percent of 8th grade students think it is “fairly easy” or “very easy” to access alcohol. These numbers increase with age, as the percentage grows to 59% among 10th graders and 78% among 12th graders.

Parents Are The Leading Influence
48%
Forty-eight percent of parents feel comfortable or confident (twenty-six percent of parents feel comfortable and 22 percent feel confident) in approaching their kids to discuss underage drinking. (Responsibility.org, APCO Insights, March 2023)

7%
Among 10-18 year olds, seven percent report in the past year they “never” had a conversation with their parents about the dangers of alcohol. (Responsibility.org, APCO Insights, March 2023)

52%
More than half of parents (52%) say they need information on the health effects of underage drinking to continue to have meaningful conversations about underage drinking. (Responsibility.org, APCO Insights, March 2023)

33%
One-third (33%) of 10-18 year olds report their parents as the leading influence in their decision about drinking or not drinking alcohol. (Responsibility.org, APCO Insights, March 2023)

08/21/2023

Great information to know! Please share...

08/17/2023

Alcohol avoidance can help a student keep academic plans on track; alcohol use can disrupt a future.

TRANSITIONING TO COLLEGE
1. College can overwhelm new students as they deal with changing social and academic expectations and the
responsibilities that come with being on their own. It can be so challenging that about one-third of first-year
students fail to enroll for their second year.

2. Some students may use alcohol as a way to cope with college pressures. They also might believe that alcohol
use is common and socially expected among their new friends, and drink to fit in. Students, however, tend to
significantly overestimate how often their fellow students use alcohol.

3. Due to these and other reasons, your young adult is entering an environment where alcohol use among 18- to
20-year-olds escalates dramatically. Overall, full-time first-year students tend to drink more than their peers who
do not attend college—and suffer significantly more alcohol-related consequences.

4. New students appear most likely to initiate or increase alcohol use during their first six weeks of college.

5. STARTING THE CONVERSATION
In talking with your young adult about alcohol, look for opportunities to raise the topic naturally. Discussions
about majors and course selection can lead to a conversation about the ways in which alcohol use can disrupt
academic success and career options. Housing selection can generate a discussion about whether substance free residence halls are an option. Discuss ways to handle situations where alcohol use by other students might create a problem, such as interrupted study time or unwanted sexual advances.

As you tour the campus area, note how many alcohol outlets are in the community. Emphasize that no matter where alcohol is available,
underage drinking represents a risk and a choice that has consequences.

07/09/2023

A great new tool!

NIAAA has launched an exciting new resource: the Alcohol and Your Brain Virtual Reality (VR) Experience. Take an immersive rollercoaster ride through the brain and discover how key regions are affected by alcohol.

Anyone age 13+ with Quest, Quest 2, or Meta Quest Pro VR headsets can download the free app at the App Lab: https://ocul.us/3I0S8dh

Or view NIAAA’s non-VR version on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3VZYhfz

03/14/2023

National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week:

https://www.naturalhigh.org/fentanyl Sign up to receive Natural High's Fentanyl Toolkit. Transcript:I'm Dominic Tierno, creator of the award winning video d...

01/15/2023

https://youtu.be/uEi-AeBwzgQ

Nearly half of youth who v**e want to quit. Pediatric doctors Deepa Camenga, MD, MHS, FAAP, and Susan Walley, MD, NCTTS, FAAP, discuss online and community r...

01/14/2023

https://youtu.be/DdHOyhNJtkU

Va**ng can be easily hidden. Pediatric doctors Deepa Camenga, MD, MHS, FAAP, and Susan Walley, MD, NCTTS, FAAP, discuss the warning signs of e-cigarette use ...

01/12/2023

https://youtu.be/nSy3jQdTpcc

E-cigarettes are the most common to***co products used by youth. Pediatric doctors Deepa Camenga, MD, MHS, FAAP, and Susan Walley, MD, NCTTS, FAAP, explain w...