Human Services News

From Ascribe Newsfeed:

As the national voice for 5,000 drug prevention organizations around the country, Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) applauds Senators Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (D-DE) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) for introducing a resolution today designating February 11-16 as National Drug Prevention and Education Week.

National Drug Prevention and Education Week encourages parents, youth, schools and communities to carry out prevention and education activities to reduce and stop drug use.

"On behalf of our 5,000 members, I applaud Senators Biden and Grassley for focusing national attention on the critical role that drug prevention and education - especially when combined with comprehensive community coalitions - plays in keeping kids drug-free," remarked General Arthur T. Dean, Chairman and CEO of CADCA.

For example, nearly 6 percent of 12th graders have used over-the-counter cough and cold medications in the past year for the purpose of getting high, and one in ten 12th graders has reported non-medical use of the powerful painkiller Vicodin within the past year.

These problems do not simply pose serious health risks, but they are also closely linked to low educational achievement and increased risk of illegal activity and crime.

By utilizing multiple strategies across multiple sectors of the community, community coalitions work with the community to organize and develop comprehensive plans to achieve population level changes in local drug problems.

CADCA's mission is to build and strengthen the capacity of community coalitions by providing technical assistance and training, public policy advocacy, media strategies and marketing programs, conferences, and special events.

For more information about CADCA, visit http://www.cadca.org.

AScribe Newswire distributes news from nonprofit and public sector organizations.

Read more from this post.