Local prevention advocates recently traveled to Jefferson City to testify before a Missouri Senate committee on proposed legislation addressing kratom and related products sold in gas stations and convenience stores.Two regional coalition members, Smithville Community In Action Executive Director Jennifer Rhoad and Beacon Mental Health Community Prevention Specialist Emily Barnes, attended the recent hearing on Senate Bill 927, which would place new restrictions on the sale, marketing and composition of kratom products in Missouri. The bill was heard by the Senate Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee.Rhoad noted her decision to testify was rooted in her role as executive director of Smithville Community In Action, a youth drug prevention coalition focused on reducing substance use and related risks among young people.“My core mission is to minimize substance use and its associated risks among young people,?...