Alcohol awareness month winds
down in less than two weeks,
and with prom and graduation
season rapidly approaching, a group of
east Valley organizations is partnering
to reduce underage drinking and youth
drug use.
Tempe Coalition, Chandler
Coalition on Youth Substance Abuse
and Mesa Prevention Alliance have
joined efforts to tackle substance
abuse, particularly from now through
June, which typically coincides with a
seasonal rise in alcohol-related traffic
fatalities and incidents.
“We have always been aware of
each other’s efforts,” said CCYSA senior
vice president Melissa Jimro, “but we
thought, with prom and graduation
season right around the corner, there
couldn’t be a better time for us to really
start working together.”
Individual coalition efforts
to reduce underage drinking have
included TV, radio and print public
service announcements; city-specific
campaigns; and youth programs.
Now, the coalition is exploring
ways to combine resources to be more
effective and far-reaching with its
messages and prevention efforts.
“The cities of the east Valley are
located so close together, and we know
that our youth travel from city to city,
so we believe we can be stronger if
we align our prevention messages
to be more visible in the east Valley
as a whole,” said Karen Frias-Long,
program director of Mesa Prevention
Alliance.
In the coming weeks, the coalition
will begin working to craft messaging
that its member groups hope will be
relevant to an area-wide audience;
explore ways of combining youth
program activities; and work together
to address youth alcohol and drug use
on a larger scale.
“This is an exciting opportunity
for our groups to have a bigger impact
and reach more parents and youth
with our efforts,” said Bobbie Cassano,
Tempe Coalition coordinator.
“We know that during this time
of year youth are celebrating, and may
be tempted to use drugs or alcohol.
We want to provide education to our
community that will keep them safe.”
Underage drinking, drug use targeted by 3-city coalition
