Drug Free Coalition

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The first cannabis dispensary to operate under the new City of South Lake Tahoe rules and regulations is now open.

Embarc Tahoe has opened its doors and held an official ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday with Mayor Jason Collin, Mayor Pro Tem Tamara Wallace, members of the Embarc Tahoe team and the South Tahoe Chamber of Commerce.

Owner Christy Wilson moved into what was once Tahoe Teriyaki and has since been several different businesses.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - With vaping a growing problem in local schools, the South Tahoe Drug Free Coalition (DFC) recently held an anti-vaping, anti-drug poster contest at the high school.

Six South Tahoe High School students were recognized last week for their creativity and artwork, and three of the entries will be used in an anti-vaping campaign to draw awareness to the growing problem not only in South Lake Tahoe but across the globe.

The awards went to:

1st place: Madison DialTuttle - $200
2nd place: Alexandra Otomo - $100
3rd place: Aeris Wright - $50

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Fifteen local health programs offered by nonprofits and agencies in the South Lake Tahoe area have been awarded grants by the Barton Foundation. A total of $50,000 was distributed among the groups to aid in their efforts to address the community’s most pressing health issues.

During the 2018 Barton Community Health Needs Assessment, the top health issues identified in the South Lake Tahoe community were access to care, mental health, and substance abuse.

It is National Drug Take Back Day on April 27 which also happens to be the Earth Day celebration in South Lake Tahoe, so why not combine the two events?

The South Tahoe Drug Free Coalition and South Lake Tahoe Police Department have joined forces to help residents dispose of their unused prescriptions, no questions asked.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Understand more about the opioid epidemic at the next Barton Health Wellness Lecture on Thursday, February 28 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Barton Center for Orthopedics & Wellness, 2170B South Avenue, South Lake Tahoe.

Dr. Matthew Wonnacott will lead the lecture and cover topics including how opioids became an epidemic and what kind of help is available locally for those fighting an addiction to the drug.

The public and public safety agencies came out for National Night Out on August 7 at Regan Beach in South Lake Tahoe. Booths were set up by California Highway Patrol, South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue, Barton Heath, California Conservation Corps, South Lake Tahoe Action Team, El Dorado County STAR, El Dorado County Sheriff's Search & Rescue, South Lake Tahoe Drug Free Coalition and the El Dorado County Animal Shelter.

Food was provided by Kiwanis.

The event was also a toy drop off for Toys For Tots.

If you had walked onto the LTCC campus on Tuesday, April 3, you would have never guessed that there were 325 6th grade youth and 220 agency and volunteer workers throughout the corridors, all learning information on how and why to keep themselves safe from drugs. “Choices, what are yours?” was the theme of our efforts in keeping our youth drug free. With the country’s attitudes and norms about drug use changing, times are even more difficult for our kids.

"This is what our community is all about, true collaboration," said Mayor Pro Tem Tom Davis during Tuesday's Council meeting. "I want to thank all of you for working with us and finding solutions."

Chad Donnelly, the CEO of SnowGlobe Music Festival, the City of South Lake Tahoe and members of the No Globe Alliance spent the month of march working together to address concerns about the three-day music festival held annually in South Lake Tahoe.

The following is an email sent to both the South Lake Tahoe City Council and the SnowGlobe Music Festival organizers:

1. Independent Engineer:
- a. Repeat previous dB tests for comparison
- b. Establish new dB tests and standards
- c. Establish Sound Czar with authority to adjust volume or end performance of artist
2. Must have standards, monitoring and fines for violations that are independently en-forced with a mechanism to have complaints responded to within 20 minutes of being reported (no unattended phone number for complaints).
3. Noise Engineering per Presentation.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – The Barton Foundation is delighted to announce the appointment of Troy Matthews as its new Executive Director.

Matthews’ commitment to serving his community is exhibited through his involvement and leadership in multiple organizations including Tahoe Regional Young Professionals, the South Tahoe Drug Free Coalition, Progress for Tahoe, El Dorado County Housing Task Force, LTCC Theater Arts Task Force, Leadership Lake Tahoe, and serving on the Lake Tahoe Unified School District School Board.

This week, June 4-10, is Community Health Improvement Week. It is a national celebration to recognize the work and efforts of health professionals to improve their community’s health.

One thing you will hear from Barton Health professionals is that improving the health and wellness in our community takes collaboration and commitment. This can be seen in the actions taken in the last two years to address South Lake Tahoe’s most pressing health concerns.

Thousands of communities across the United States will participate in the Drug Enforcement Administration “National Drug Take Back” day scheduled for Saturday, April 29 in South Lake Tahoe, Zephyr Cove, and spots in the Carson Valley.

46,000 people a year die from drug overdoses and more than half of those die from prescription opioid overdoses. Four out of five new users of heroin began with abusing prescription opioids.

Two-thirds of teens who report abuse of prescription medicine are getting them from friends, family and acquaintances. The South Tahoe Drug Free Coalition (DFC) wants to prevent this and keep drugs out of kid's hands by reminding residents to safeguard their home, so others don’t have access to your medicine.

South Lake Tahoe, Calif. - I could not be more honored and excited to represent this community as your Mayor. Having served on City Council for two years, I have learned that there are deeply passionate and extremely knowledgeable citizens and fellow council members who care immensely about our community and the decisions made by our City.

Due to highly addictive prescription drugs kept in the medicine cabinets or nightstands of many households, the South Lake Tahoe Drug Free Coalition (DFC) is giving away lock bags so people can keep their prescriptions safe from unauthorized use.

Oxycontin, Demerol, Valium, Ritalin, Adderall, Xanax, Percocet, and Codeine, are also some of the most prescribed and readily-available drugs. They are so readily available that 1 in every 4 teens in America say they have used or misused a prescription drug.

To the South Shore community: My name is Troy Matthews and I am thrilled to announce my candidacy for Lake Tahoe Unified School District Board of Education in Trustee Area 4. My wife Rae and I honeymooned in South Tahoe and decided not to leave. We have fallen in love with this community and have taken active roles in many different local organizations. I work for Tahoe Youth & Family Services, one of the oldest local non-profit organizations in the region serving at-risk and underprivileged youth in South Lake Tahoe.

The California Highway Patrol and Uber are joining forces to promote awareness about safe, alternative transportation options to drunk driving during the July 4 holiday weekend.

This holiday is one of the deadliest for drunk driving crashes. South Tahoe Drug Free Coalition and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) has partnered with Uber to prevent drunk driving in South Lake Tahoe.

Uber reached out to the nonprofits to make sure that Tahoe is safe, and to do so they are trying to get as many of their drivers out on the road as possible.

The Barton Foundation has $50,000 to give away in grant funding to groups in the South Lake Tahoe area who work to improve community health.

During their annual grant cycles, Barton provides funds to programs and organizations, and this year they will award grants to those who address mental health, substance abuse, and access to healthcare services.

Mountain Resort Television reporter Ashley Lindner interviews the City of South Lake Tahoe's Chief of Police, Brian Uhler, and the Chair of the Drug Free Coalition, Hannah Greenstreet, about the Control, Regulate, & Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Act.

PDF of proposed initiative.

In a community with many needs, the Barton Foundation today donated $35,500 to ten different agencies that provide services to the residents of South Lake Tahoe during their annual Philanthropy Day. For the seventh year, the Barton Foundation gave away money raised through their annual fundraising efforts which include the annual Festival of Lights.

The South Tahoe Drug Free Coalition collaborated with the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office and the South Tahoe Police Department for the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, September 26, 2015, which saw approximately 50 pounds of unwanted prescription medication turned in to authorities. The event gave South Lake Tahoe residents an opportunity to dispose of all unwanted, unused, or expired medications for free with no questions asked. No liquids or needles were accepted and residents were asked to remove all personal information from bottles before dropping off medications.

Students at South Tahoe High and South Tahoe Middle schools now have an option to the normal suspension process thanks to the Brief Intervention Program (BIP) developed by the South Tahoe Drug Free Coalition.

In the past, students would be sent home for three days when suspended for having, or being under the influence, drugs or alcohol while at school. In many instances this method was looked at as a few days vacation with little, or no, opportunity to learn from their errors.

Prescription Drugs are potentially dangerous when they fall into the wrong hands. The abuse of certain prescription drugs— opioids, central nervous system (CNS) depressants, and stimulants—can lead to a variety of adverse health effects, including addiction.

To get unwanted, unused and expired prescription drugs off the street, the El Dorado County Sheriff's Department will be holding a Drug Tahoe Back Day in the county on Sunday, July 12, 2015 from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at several locations.

The South Tahoe Drug Free Coalition announced today that last month's Drug Take Back Day netted 40 pounds of prescription drugs.

Pouring rain and below average temperatures may have kept some people away, but the take back day was still deemed successful since there are now 40 pounds of drugs being kept out of the hands of kids and the environment.

Last Spring's event took in over 55 pounds.