Macaroni at Midnight

Macaroni At Midnight

Speaker Dr. Don Bartlette shares story at New Year’s Sobriety Feast

Each year, there are approximately 88,000 deaths as a result of alcohol abuse and 75,702 drug and opioid deaths as a result of overdoses in the United States. According to the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 175 million people have used alcohol within the past year; more than 36 million have used marijuana; 12.5 million have misused prescription medications and 300,000 reported using heroin. American Indian/Alaska Native populations have highest prevalence of substance abuse across the country compared to other races/ethnicities; 22.9% have used illicit drugs within the past year and 51.4% met the criteria for a substance use disorder. However, substance abuse and addiction can be overcome.

On January 12, 2017, the Forest County Potawatomi AODA Services held their annual Sobriety Feast in the Executive Auditorium and Recreational Center. This feast is a celebration to honor individuals who have completed or are currently on the path to sobriety. The Forest County Potawatomi AODA Services, Community Health, Education Departments and Health Division invited Dr. Don Bartlette to share his story on the impact of substance use and abuse can have on one’s life and the cycle it can bring.

Dr. Don Bartlette is an internationally acclaimed full-time speaker, who captivated audiences for over forty years sharing his story. As stated on his website, his autobiographical profile, “Macaroni at Midnight,” shares Bartlette’s life growing up as a Chippewa Indian with emotional, speech and physical disability in an environment of poverty, violence, juvenile delinquency, homelessness, child abuse, racism, and alcoholism. His story has helped inspire those in attendance and people across the world on how one can overcome hardships and survive a multicultural world.

If you feel you may have alcohol or substance abuse concern, please contact the Forest County Potawatomi AODA Services at (715) 478-4370 for more information on groups, programs and services they provide.

References

  • Dr. Don Bartlette. (2016). Dr. Don Bartlette. Retrieved from http://www.donbartlette.com/
  • U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (2016). Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General’s report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health. Retrieved from https://addiction.surgeongeneral.gov/surgeon-generals-report.pdf
  • Wisconsin Department of Health Services and University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. (2016). Wisconsin Epidemiological Profile on Alcohol and Other Drugs, 2016.