Advocacy and Policy Change
2024 Northland Coalition Candidate Questionnaire Report
For over 20 years, the Northland Coalition has provided vital youth substance use prevention and suicide prevention services to the Clay, Platte, and Ray Counties. Through community involvement, leadership, advocacy, and the sharing of resources, the Northland Coalition promotes and encourages the positive, healthy, and safe lifestyle decisions of our youth. We aim to reduce risk factors and increase protective factors. As the upcoming election approaches, the Northland Coalition is committed to providing voters with comprehensive information about the candidates running for legislative office.
This questionnaire was designed to give voters a clear understanding of where candidates stand on issues impacting our youth and communities today, including substance use and mental health. Candidate responses are intended to help our audience make informed decisions at the polls.
A PDF form was sent to 25 candidates for Missouri House of Representative Districts 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 38, 39, 53 and Missouri Senate Districts 17 and 21. Of those 25 candidates, seven responses were submitted.
Every year the Northland Coalition adopts legislative priorities. For additional talking points or information concerning the Northland Coalition’s position on the following priorities please contact Laura Bruce at laurab@beaconmh.org or 816-877-0498.
Top Three Priorities:
Add Funding For Prevention To The State’s Budget
- 16% of Missouri’s budget is spent on risky substance use addiction. Of that amount,
- 2 cents of each dollar is spent on prevention and treatment
- 98 cents of each dollar goes towards the repercussions of addiction. (Center on Addiction, 2017)
- There is a strong connection between substance use and mental illness
- 6 in 10 substance users also have a mental illness. (NIDA)
- 1 in 8 children are affected by anxiety, but only 20% receive treatment.
- Additional funding for prevention is essential to reduce overall state costs.
- CCBHC’s have saved Missouri $20 million in the past two years.
- Savings go directly into the general revenue
- The successes of CCBHC’s prove that Missouri must approve a long-term commitment to support these organizations.
Ban All Fruit Flavored Vape Products In Missouri
- Flavors are the #1 reason teens start vaping.
- The current policy on flavors only restricts prepackaged cartridges.
- There are NO restrictions on flavored disposable vapes and flavored e-juice, which are popular products among youth.
- Menthol is still available for sale in pre-packaged forms. 50% of youth who smoke started with menthol flavor.
- For the first time in history, more kids report vaping in the past 30 days over drinking alcohol (MSS, 2018)
