Walking the Talk

Walking the Talk is an MPRC program designed to assist parents and other adults in initiating discussions about the use and nonuse of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. The program has been used widely, from Duluth to Dakota County and beyond. What follows is a tale of how Walking the Talk was used successfully, if somewhat non-traditionally, in one Minnesota community.

Several months ago, Howard Epstein, a planner with the Hennepin County Community Health Department, worked with the Hopkins Chemical Health Commission (HCHC) to organize a chemical health event. Says Epstein, the HCHC and the Hopkins City Council recognized that, "The actions of adults in the community, especially parents, are very important factors in whether or not youth use chemicals."

The group enlisted the assistance of Roger Svendsen at the MPRC, who presented Walking the Talk in a modified format to fit the needs of a one-time, public lecture. More than 50 people attended the event, including the superintendent of schools and some members of the city council. Epstein says the event was well received, and "there were lots of good comments from people afterward."

The event was planned as part of a comprehensive effort to reduce the use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs by underage youth. Epstein notes that the Walking the Talk community education event made it much easier for the HCHC to advocate for the other elements of a comprehensive approach, including stepping up city efforts to reduce youth access to alcohol and tobacco.

This event was successful in several ways. Not only did it serve to educate adults in the Hopkins community, it also established the HCHC as a group of people that could coordinate a chemical health event that could influence community behavior. Sponsoring Walking the Talk also underscored the Commission's commitment to a comprehensive approach to reducing underage use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.