News : Above the Influence members prepare for CADCA substance abuse prevention event

Representatives from Benton County are headed to the Washington, D.C. area to join more than 2,500 substance abuse prevention specialists and advocates from throughout the country for Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America's (CADCA) 25th Annual National Leadership Forum, held Feb. 2-5, 2015 at the Gaylord National Hotel.

“We are so excited to be able to spend several days with other similar organizations from across the country, learning and honing our prevention skills so our community can be a better place, one that doesn’t suffer from the harms of drug and alcohol abuse,” says David Condry, Project Coordinator. “We hope to come back reenergized with new strategies under our belt to tackle drug use throughout Benton County.”

CADCA’s Forum will cover a wide range of topics – everything from how to prevent prescription drug abuse and heroin use to how to create tobacco-free environments and develop policies to reduce underage and excessive drinking.

The coalition has recently impacted the community by educating on the importance of proactive strategies for the purpose of prevention. Strategies included have been Social Host policies, changes to nicotine free policies in our school districts and placement of a prescription drop box for safe disposal of medications. Community impact has also taken place through media campaigns directed towards the perception of tobacco, marijuana and dangers of prescription drug abuse.

The coalition also will meet with their U.S. representatives and senators during Capitol Hill Day, which takes place on Wed., Feb. 4 during the CADCA Forum. The coalition is taking this opportunity to inform our representatives of current conditions in our communities and the positive response Benton County residents are having in producing effective change.

CADCA’s National Leadership Forum is the premier and largest training event for community-based substance abuse prevention professionals, coalition leaders and prevention and addiction researchers. The Forum is a four-day event packed with opportunities to learn the latest strategies to fight substance abuse and hear from nationally-known prevention experts, federal administrators and concerned policymakers. For details about the more than 70 training sessions and speakers, visit: http://forum.cadca.org/.

The Above The Influence Coalition is dedicated to working together to protect our children from the dangers of alcohol and other drugs through education, prevention strategies and efforts to reduce access. For more information visit our website at www.bcati.com.