Hi, CV!

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. CV Alliance works to help prevent underage substance use and abuse. We put on programs that are too often attended by people who already know information about substance abuse or who are already in crisis. The information we present is grand and friendships are made. One hurdle remains: How do we engage the unengaged?

Remember our organization was founded when teens had a heroin problem and parents needed help. What about those parents? Could we have reached them earlier to help them differentiate between what’s normal teenage behavior and what’s not? Did they forget to trust their instincts or were they too busy as many of our parents are? Or did they just not know there was a problem because they had no frame of reference?

When a friend shares a medical emergency, I always ask, “How did you know?” because I want information in case I experience the same thing. You can’t know until you do know so how do you prevent the unknown?

I once read only 6% of users end up addicted. Lately, the news is ripe with stories pointing out the necessity for prevention efforts. Non-smokers who see people vaping start smoking again, which is tragic.

‘’Heroin addicts say it is easier to give up dope than it is to give up smoking,’’ said psychology professor Dr. Sharon Hall.

Baltimore places vans in key areas for needle exchanges and to provide instruction on how to administer a generic narcan (which reverses or prevents toxic effects of narcotic [opioid] analgesics) to save users from heroin overdose. According to CASAColumbia, “Each year federal, state and local governments spend close to $500 billion on addiction and risky substance use, but for every dollar that federal and state governments spend, only 2 cents goes to prevention and treatment.”

Enter CV Alliance.

We’re adding multilingual videos to our website. And CV Youth Alliance is planning Orange Fest, a community carnival and expo on Aug. 15 at CV Park. Adults 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.; teens 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Details coming! If you want to help sponsor this event and underwrite food – free food draws kids – we’d appreciate your help. Email us at info@cv-alliance.org.

Suzy Jacobs, Executive Director,
CV Alliance
3131 Foothill Blvd. Suite D
La Crescenta, CA 91214
(818) 646-7867 • cv-alliance.org/

  Suzy JACOBS