Planet Youth Lanark County Press Release - February 9, 2022

Lanark County is the first community in Canada to adopt the data-driven, community-based, problematic substance use prevention model called Planet Youth. When this model was pioneered more than 20 years ago, Iceland’s youth substance use rates were the worst in Europe. Today Iceland’s rates are the best in Europe.

In the Lanark County plan, data is gathered using surveys of Grade 10 students attending schools in Perth, Smiths Falls, Almonte and Carleton Place. Plans for March 2020 surveys were delayed due to COVID-19. The newly revised plan will see surveys conducted in February 2022. Community-specific reports will be available in June 2022. Planet Youth Lanark County will support each community in understanding and responding to its own report. Future, recurring surveys will allow each community to monitor the impact of its own action plan.

“Planet Youth Lanark County’s success requires strong collaboration. We look forward to sharing a timely and accurate picture of the risk and protective factors that influence decisions made by our children. Lanark County is a great place to grow up and live. We have an opportunity to make it better through this work,” says David Somppi, Chair Planet Youth Lanark County steering committee.

“As facilitators of the Planet Youth Lanark County surveys in our schools we are pleased to play our role as community partners in promoting health and wellness,” says Norma McDonald, CDSBEO Superintendent of School Effectiveness and Jennifer Perry, Superintendent for Student Health and Wellness in a joint statement.

“Planet Youth’s focus upon population health promotion enhances and sustains social determinants of health that in turn, improve the health and wellness of children, youth and families across Lanark County and Smiths Falls,” explains Kevin Clouthier, Executive Director, Open Doors for Lanark Children and Youth.

“The COVID-19 Pandemic has brought significant change to the lives of young people in our community in the past two years,” says Dr. Paula Stewart, Medical Officer of Health for the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit. “The Planet Youth Survey will give an opportunity for young people to tell us how this change has affected their social and emotional health. With this information, we, as a

community, can work with youth to create environments that support youth to thrive.”

For more information, please visit www.planetyouthlanark.ca

https://www.facebook.com/planetyouthlanark/ or send email to info@planetyouthlanark.ca