The Lee County Extension Office has implemented a new program for their county. The Botvin Lifeskills program is a program that covers a wide range of topics from substance abuse to social skills. The Agents and staff involved taught this program to help focus on substance prevention and middle schoolers are such a vulnerable audience. In 2022 Lee County was featured on LEX18 for six deaths and 21 overdoses in just three weeks have been reported.

Substance use prevention programming is critical to the prevention, delayed onset, and/or early identification of substance use. The Life Skills Training (LST) program, developed by Botvin and colleagues, is one of the most successful substance use prevention programs available for use. It teaches a variety of personal self-management skills and social skills in order to increase perceived self-efficacy and reduce the perceived incentives of substance use in youth and young adults. 

Lee County was identified as a county to invest in as a part of a Rural Opioid Technical Assistance grant secured by University of Kentucky Family and Consumer Sciences Extension, to provide funding to institute Botvin’s LST program in rural Kentucky counties.

6th grade surveys completed: 47

7th grade surveys completed: 48

- Has your knowledge of substance abuse prevention increased due to this program? 82-Yes

-Have you used strategies you have learned in Botvin? 63-Yes

-Has your self image increased since being in the program? 70-Yes

-Do you feel as if you have the skills needed to make the best decision for you in the scenario? 84-Yes

-Are you more aware of false advertising? 80-Yes

-Do you feel comfortable making a phone call? (Business, restaurant?) 72-Yes

-Do you feel conformational starting a conversation with someone you aren’t friends with?59-Yes

-Do you feel confident in your ending a-conversation abilities?75-Yes

-Since being in Botvin, can you pick up on nonverbal cues? 81-Yes

-Have you become more aware of your nonverbal cues? 78-yes

-Do you feel confident enough to stand up for yourself? 82-Yes

-Do you feel confident enough to say “NO” to peer pressure? 86-Yes

-Are you more aware of the health risks associated with smoking and vaping? 87-Yes

Do you know how to check your heart rate?87-Yes

-Are you more aware of the different alcohol percentage contents? 82-Yes

Did you pass on any information learned from this program to someone else in your life? 

-"Yes, my Mom's friend smokes and I told them what it does to your lunges."

-"Yes, I told my dad about smoking."

-Yes, I told my mom she doesn't smoke as much". 

-"Yes, I told my Mom vaping was still nicotine and she said it wasn't and vaping was ok."

-"Yes, I have because someone was getting bullied and I stuck up for him."

-"Yes, to my younger siblings about tobacco products and alcohol."

-"Yes, I told someone that smoked about the effect with a flyer I got from Botvin."

-Yes, about the diagram about tolerance"

-"Yes, I told my Grandma how to handle stress because someone died that she loved."

What has been the most beneficial knowledge you have gained since being in Botvin?

-"Vaping and how bad it is for you."

-"How drinking, smoking, and doing drugs actually affects you"

-"Not to drink because the damage is permanent"

-"The most beneficial knowledge I have gained since being in Botvin is the social skills."

-"I've learned about how bad it is to smoke especially if it's second hand."

-"How to deal with peer pressure."

-"During a panic attack I used their information on how to calm myself down."

-"Probably how to handle stress