Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD)

Members of SADD at Altoona, Augusta, Fall Creek, Eau Claire-Memorial, Eau Claire-North and Regis high schools work with the Alliance to reduce youth substance use. Youth plan and carry out activisms dedicated to preventing destructive decisions by high school youth. Activisms are activities planned and done by these youth activists. 

Youth Advisory Board (YAB) 

YAB is the leadership group of SADD and is made of representatives from each of the six Eau Claire County high schools. They meet once a month to plan county-wide communication, collaboration, and activism.

Interested in YAB? Please review, complete, and submit this application to Denise Wirth at Denise.Wirth@co.eau-claire.wi.us.

"Being a part of the Eau Claire Youth Advisory Board has allowed me to use my voice to make positive changes in our Community.”
     -Casey Terzich, Memorial High School SADD/YAB member

Prevent Prescription Painkiller Abuse in Wisconsin

• Ask your doctor! Talk with your doctor about an alternative to a narcotic or opioid painkiller prescription. There are many more effective options that reduce the risk of addiction.
• Do not share! Use prescription painkillers ONLY as needed and as prescribed. It is a felony to share your prescription with someone else.
• Lock them up! Store your prescription painkillers in a lockbox, safe, or other locked medicine cabinet.
• Safely dispose of them! Never flush. Safely dispose of unneeded and expired prescriptions.

Drug Take-Back Day

Prescription drug take-back days increase the awareness of safe medication disposal in Eau Claire County. Residents are encouraged to safely dispose of expired or unwanted medications at drop off locations. Dropping of medications is anonymous and quick!

Previous Drug Take-Back Day Results
October 26th, 2019: Wisconsin - 58,007 pounds.

Upcoming Drug Take-Back Day (postponed)
Saturday, April 25th, 2020

What Can I Drop Off?

You may safely dispose of controlled and uncontrolled substances, over-the-counter medications, ointments, patches, creams, non-aerosol sprays, vials, and pet medications at these events. Medical sharps (needles, syringes, and lancets) are not accepted at these locations. Please visit this page for more information on sharps handling and disposal locations near you.

All Take-Back Locations

Some drug drop boxes may be temporarily unavailable due to COVID-19.

• All Locations


• Altoona Emergency Services
  1904 Spooner Avenue
  Mon-Fri, 7:30am to 4:00pm
  (715) 839-6090


• Augusta City Hall
  145 W. Lincoln Street
  Mon-Fri, 8:00am to 4:00pm
  (715) 286-2555


• CVS Pharmacy
  2200 Brackett Ave
  24/7
  Liquid medications: No more than 4oz sealed in a plastic bag.
  (715) 839-0041


• Eau Claire County Courthouse
  721 Oxford Avenue
  Mon-Fri, 8:00am to 5:00pm
  (715) 839-4709


• Eau Claire Jail Lobby
  710 2nd Avenue
  Mon-Fri, 8:00am to 4:30pm
  (715) 839-4709


• Fall Creek Village Hall
  122 E. Lincoln Avenue
  Mon-Fri, 8:00am to 4:30pm
  (715) 877-2177


• Marshfield Clinic Health System - Eau Claire Center
  2116 Craig Road, Entrance B
  Mon-Fri, 8:00am to 8:00pm
  Sat & Sun, 8:30am to 3:00pm
  Liquid medications: no more than 4oz in original container, wrapped in a paper towel and sealed in a plastic bag.


• Marshfield Clinic Health System - Oakwood Center
  3501 Golf Road
  Mon-Fri, 9:00am to 5:00pm


• Marshfield Clinic Health System - Riverview Center
  1000 Starr Ave
  Mon-Fri, 8:00am to 5:00pm


• Mayo Clinic Health System
  1400 Bellinger Street
  Mon-Fri, 8:00am to 6:00pm
  Sat 9:00am to 3:00pm
  Liquid medications: bottles less than 4oz in zip-lock bag.
  (715) 838-6000


• Walgreens Pharmacy
  1819 S Hastings Way
  24/7
  Liquid medications: Accepts up to 6oz of liquids.
  (715) 834-3121

Small Talks: Information and resources for parents of 8-12 year olds

Alcohol can do lasting damage to a kid’s growing brain, impacting everything from how they learn and make decisions to how they handle emotions. But you don’t need a big speech to help a kid understand the dangers of underage drinking. Start small instead. Having a lot of small, causal talks—at the store, in the drive-thru, or between video games—can make a big difference in a kid’s health. Start around age eight to prepare kids to make a lifetime of healthy decisions. Visit SmallTalksWI.org for talk tips, facts, and more. This campaign is sponsored by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. 

• Fact Sheet: Give Them Three Fast Facts
• Fact Sheet: Know What to Say and Do to Have a Successful Small Talk
• Partner Resources: Educational Resources and Free Campaign Materials
• Alcohol Youth Use Dashboard: shows trends in alcohol use by Wisconsin youth 

Parents Who Host, Lose the Most: Information and resources for parents of teens

Youth alcohol use is unsafe, unhealthy, and illegal. Our local data tells us that the best way to reduce underage drinking is to make alcohol less available to youth. Parents play an important role in reducing youth access to alcohol.

Be sure kids can't get alcohol from YOUR home, especially if there are kids in grades 7-12 living in or visiting your home.

• Store alcohol safely - lock it up!
• Monitor your alcohol supply
• Supervise more, especially on weekends

Resources for more information:

• Parents: Know the Facts
• A Parent's Guide to Teen Parties: Read this article to get an idea of what parents may want to know before hosting or sending their child to a teen party.

Starting the Conversation on Underage Drinking

It may be difficult to discuss underage drinking with teens. Here are some resources to help start that conversation:

• Start the Talk: This app features an interactive simulation that helps parents start conversations about alcohol, learn questions to ask their children, and gives ideas to keep the conversation going.
• Parents Empowered: Parents Empowered presents three ways to decrease the chances of underage drinking: bonding, boundaries, and monitoring. Their Underage Drinking Prevention video describes these three methods and why they are important.
• Power of Parents: MADD presents a collection of resources for talking with tweens, teens, and young adults about drinking.
• The Teen Brain: Partnership for Drug-Free Kids discusses brain development, behavior, and the effects of drugs on the teen brain. 

Alcohol & Tobacco Retailer Training

We want to help community businesses achieve zero underage sales of alcohol and tobacco. The Eau Claire Police Department and the Alliance come together to train alcohol and tobacco retailers twice each year. All alcohol and tobacco retailers are invited to attend.

Next training:

PLEASE NOTE: Due to COVID-19, there are no group trainings currently scheduled. Please contact Alison Harder at 715-839-5091 or alison.harder@co.eau-claire.wi.us to discuss setting up a virtual training. Thank you.

Thursday, November 21, 3-4:30pm CANCELLED 
Sign in 2:30-3pm
Eau Claire County Boardroom (Room 1277)
721 Oxford Avenue, Eau Claire, WI

Interested? Register here!

• The importance of responsible sales of alcohol and tobacco products
• The dangers of underage use of tobacco and alcohol
• The effect of underage use on our community
• Reading identification cards correctly
• How to spot false identification cards
• Tips on refusing illegal sales

Training Information and Resources

• Sign up for Email notifications when future classes are scheduled. Trainings usually take place in June and November of each year.
• Download and print the 3-page handout for avoiding illegal sales. English | Spanish Handouts include photos and explanations of WI ID's currently in circulation, the 6-step ID Check, and tips for Refusing an Illegal Sale. Print and post these on sales counters and in break rooms! 

By not selling to an underage person, establishments avoid a costly citation and also help to prevent the problems that come with underage drinking and tobacco use. We encourage businesses that are licensed to sell tobacco and alcohol to adopt various options to increase employee skills and compliance, such as:

• Obtain state required training for employees:
  • WITobaccoCheck.org meets the state requirement for employee training regarding Wisconsin's tobacco sales laws. Every business that has a tobacco license is required to provide this training to every employee who sells tobacco products. Employers must keep the certificate on premise for each employee.
  • Alcohol server/seller training providers certified by the state of Wisconsin. We encourage businesses to train each employee who sells alcohol.
• Require employees to ask everyone under 40 years old for an ID.
• Install registers that scan IDs or require date-of-birth for tobacco and/or alcohol sales.
• Offer an incentive to employees who pass compliance checks.
• Conduct internal checks. 

How Compliance Checks Work:

Compliance checks are conducted county-wide on an ongoing basis by the six law enforcement agencies in Eau Claire County, the Eau Claire City-County Health Department, and Wisconsin Wins. A letter from the Health Department is sent annually to all license holders to remind retailers of these ongoing investigations.

Compliance checks are conducted by a trained team of four individuals. This team is always comprised of:

• Two adults (staff supervisor and an observer).
• Two underage volunteers (buyer and observer) between the ages of:
  • 18-20 years for alcohol checks.
  • 15-17 years for tobacco checks.

The Health Department sends a letter to investigated retailers within 24-72 hours of a check, informing them of the investigation and result. If a sale is made, law enforcement follows up with training requirements and/or a citation. If a sale is not made, a Thank You certificate is sent along with the letter.

Wisconsin Wins

The Eau Claire City-County Health Department contracts with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services to conduct investigations through the Wisconsin Wins campaign (WI Wins).  WI Wins is a science-based, state-wide campaign designed to decrease youth access to tobacco products. Visit WI Wins to learn more about state sales of tobacco products and the campaign!

Substance Use in Eau Claire County

Eau Claire County residents ranked substance use as a top health priority during the 2018 Community Health Assessment. (PDF)

Alcohol Misuse in Eau Claire County

Eau Claire County residents also ranked alcohol misuse as a top health priority during the 2018 Community Health Assessment, just behind substance use. (PDF)

Snowmobiling and Alcohol 

Alcohol contributes to many snowmobiling fatalities each year, regardless of snowmobiling experience. (PDF)

Implications of Marijuana Legalization in Wisconsin

Legislators, community members, and health organizations are investigating the impacts of marijuana legalization in our state. What's at risk? (PDF)

Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), including vapes, hookah pens, and JUULs, are not proven to be a safer alternative to cigarettes. The aerosol produced by e-cigarettes is not water vapor, and is not harmless. Take a moment to learn about the health risks associated with the use of e-cigarettes:

The Impact of E-cigarettes on the Lung 

What Teens Should Know

What Parents Should Know

What Schools Should Know

Prescription drug misuse is important to prevent. Learn how you can be involved in preventing misuse as a...

• Parent
• Senior or Caregiver
• Student, teen, or young adult
• Educator
• Coach
• Business
• Prescribing medical, dental, or pharmacy provider
• Service Member
• Native American
• Sibling or Friend

The Alliance is committed to working with partners to apply a public health lens to marijuana decriminalization discussion. States continue to discuss and observe the impacts of marijuana decriminalization across the nation. We encourage everyone to stay informed by utilizing information from credible sources.

Marijuana Fast Facts and Fact Sheets, CDC

Marijuana in Wisconsin

Marijuana Bills Increasingly Focus on Social Justice

Monitoring Health Concerns Related to Marijuana in Colorado: 2018

The Legalization of Marijuana in Colorado

Lessons Learned from Marijuana Legalization in Washington State

Assessment of the Potential Impact of Regulated Marijuana in New York State

Proposed legislation in NY: Peoples-Stokes

Alcohol Beverage and Tobacco Laws

The Alliance recommends that retailers and residents be aware of state and local statutes regarding alcohol beverages and tobacco.

• Wisconsin Alcohol Beverage and Tobacco Laws for Retailers
• Wisconsin State Statutes - Alcohol Beverages
• Wisconsin State Statutes - Tobacco