The Jennifer Act supports Re-Elect Sheriff Sam Hobbs for Owen County Sheriff. Sheriff Sam Hobbs and his Deputies and I share a unified focus on Drug Prevention & Education and on a partnership of working together for Owen County youth in the Spencer-Owen community. Many in our community may or may not be aware, the CDC reports we have lost 62,000 people to overdoses in 2016. That is 174 a day. More than 90% of people with a substance problem began smoking, drinking, or using other drugs before age 18. These are all very good reasons to have a dialogue with our youth.
I want to give public recognition for what the Owen County community is doing to address the ever growing opioid epidemic. The Jennifer Act and Owen County Sheriff Sam Hobbs are strong advocates focusing on drug education in the Owen County Schools for Red Ribbon Week. By volunteering and providing these educational school presentations at OVHS, OVMS, Spencer Elementary, McCormick’s Creek Elementary, Gosport Elementary, Patricksburg Elementary Schools, we are bringing education and providing handouts, wrist bands, book markers, water bottles, etc. It is a free public service to our community and by speaking directly with the students on the dangers of drugs, including prescription drugs, illegal drugs, alcohol, tobacco, we learn about our youth in our community, their real life issues and how substance abuse is affecting their families in Owen County.
I want to personally thank Sheriff Sam Hobbs and his deputies for being active, available, approachable and a positive influence in our community for our youth. Our youth ask great questions and are reassured to know the valuable information you share about keeping them safe, if you see something-say something, and about things such as texting 911 in an emergency, to name a few.
I look forward to another great year and hope to expand the partnership we have built with Safe Place, Spencer-Owen County Schools and add more community partnerships in the coming year.
– Sharon Blair (Volunteer Public Health Advocate)
The Jennifer Act
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