Uniting Sacramento County Against Substance Abuse

Recognizing that drug and alcohol abuse pose an increasingly serious threat to our community, we are organizing a coalition dedicated to the elimination of substance abuse by youth and adults — a coalition of leaders from all sectors of this community.

Other communities have organized against substance abuse with dramatic success. A coalition here will strengthen Sacramento County’s ability to battle the abuse of methamphetamine, alcohol and other drugs in the following ways:

• Increase public awareness of the hidden dangers and high costs of substance abuse.
• Galvanize and unite the community in its prevention and treatment efforts.
• Improve coordination among the numerous public and private front-line agencies.

The Time For Action is Now

Public education campaigns can have a dramatic impact if carried out with sufficient commitment and resources. The campaign against tobacco smoking is the best known example. Although it has taken more than 20 years, and has required constant reinvigoration, anti-smoking efforts have been enormously successful.

It is time to reinvigorate our public campaign against drug abuse. After declining by more than 50% between 1979 and 1992, drug abuse has been on the rebound. The increase over the past eight years has been fueled by our youth. Clearly it’s time for action. A coalition of active and committed Sacramento County community leaders is the first vital step against substance abuse.