Published in the February 10, 2016 edition
ON CAPITOL HILL, from the left, are Wake-Up Youth Leaders: Eleni Rizos, Joseph Boudreau, James Connors, Marissa Hoffman, Catherine Dhingra (Wakefield Health Department) and Nikki Bosco.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Five Wakefield Unified Prevention Coalition (Wake-Up) Youth Action Team Leaders spent last week in Washington, D.C. at the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America’s (CADCA) 26th Annual National Leadership Forum. Also in attendance were Wakefield’s Veterans Agent Alicia Reddin, WMHS School Resource Officer Jason Skillings and Wake-Up’s Director Catherine Dhingra.
More than 2,700 youth and adults convened at the nation’s premier training event for substance abuse prevention and treatment professionals and researchers. The forum featured more than 70 training courses to teach participants effective strategies to address drug-related problems in their communities.
“The CADCA Forum is more than a training event. It’s a national movement that brings together federal and state officials and community leaders from across the country to find solutions to our nation’s substance abuse problems,” said CADCA Chairman and CEO Gen. Arthur T. Dean. “Attendees leave our Forum with the inspiration, information and strategies they need to make their communities’ safe, healthy and drug free.”
Together community drug prevention coalitions from all regions of the country and internationally, government leaders, youth, prevention specialists, addiction treatment professionals, addiction recovery advocates, researchers, educators, law enforcement professionals and faith-based leaders discussed topics ranging from how to address the heroin and opioid epidemic and marijuana use among youth to how to reduce tobacco use and underage drinking.
On one of the conference days, the Wakefield Team headed to Capitol Hill for meetings with Senator Elizabeth Warren and Congressmen Seth Moulton. During these meetings, the Youth Action Team Leaders spoke about the importance of local prevention and the need for more state and federal support around substance use. The youth talked about what they see in Wakefield. One youth leader stated, “Underage drinking, marijuana use, vaping and prescription drugs are things we need to focus on. We see a lot of kids taking risks with drinking and driving and mixing alcohol and drugs. We know these things can lead to things like heroin use later on.”
Wake-Up’s Director, Catherine Dhingra, who is funded under the Town of Wakefield’s Drug-Free Communities grant stated, “Wakefield should be proud of the youth who represented our community on Capitol Hill today. They answered questions from lawmakers with exemplary knowledge and poise.”
To learn more about Wake-Up’s current projects or to get involved, like them on Facebook, follow them on Twitter @WakefieldUP, visit www.wakefieldwakeup.org or join them at their next meeting at WCAT Studios (rear of High School, next to the Field House) on Feb. 23 at 8:30 a.m.
