Health grant focuses on alcohol access

The Bayfield County Health Department, in partnership with Ashland County Health and Human Services and Memorial Medical Center, is one of nine recipients of a statewide Community Opportunity Grant through the Wisconsin Partnership Program.

Money from the Community Opportunity Grant will be used to address the harmful effects of alcohol abuse and misuse in northwest Wisconsin. More specifically, the project, which is in coordination with the area's local Community Health Improvement Plan Coalition, will focus on increasing awareness of alcohol abuse in our region to regional decision-makers, as well as facilitate policy and environmental changes to utilize best practices on alcohol availability via outlet density, licensing and sales.

"This grant allows us to provide evidence-based practices and research surrounding access to alcohol to local decision makers," said Sara Wartman, Bayfield County health officer. "We know that policy is a major factor in determining who and how alcohol can be accessed and we hope by providing this research, we can implement some best practices on alcohol availability at our local stores, festivals and taverns."

The Wisconsin Partnership Program at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health issues a total of nine grants totaling more than $400,000 to organizations throughout Wisconsin. For more information on the Community Opportunity Grant or how you can be involved with our local CHIP Coalition, contact Cyndi Zach at Ashland County Health & Human Services at 715-682-7028, Sara Wartman at Bayfield County Health Department at 715-373-6109, or Beth Probst at Memorial Medical Center at 715-685-5182.