“Prevention is foundational. You can build everything else from that.” -Beverly Watts Davis, SAMHSA’s Prevention Day speaker.
Generation Rx Ohio Network Manager, Cynthia Sloan, joined more than 4,300 individuals at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in Maryland for CADCA’s 34th Annual National Leadership Forum. The conference began with SAMHSA’s 20th Prevention Day packed with sessions from various leaders in prevention. Sessions covered several topics like youth and alcohol use, coalition building, and prevention messaging in your community.
The opening and closing plenary for the day included insight from several leaders in prevention, including SAMHSA leadership and CADCA leadership. That evening concluded with an opening reception with the Coalition Ideas Fair and Exhibits.
Day 2 of the Forum was greeted with high energy from the participants as the day began with a national leadership plenary and Coalition Academy graduation and awards ceremony. Participants heard from CADCA’s CEO General Price, Dr. Rahul Gupta of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), Dr. Debra Houdry of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Dr. Nora Volkow of the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA). Changing how we discuss and measure recovery, raising awareness about the scope of the problem with the increase in deaths involving alcohol, increasing naloxone distribution, and the risk factors that facilitate youth substance use, were just a few of the topics that were shared during the national leadership plenary. Following that, the day provided several opportunities to learn and engage with community champions from all over the United States. The day concluded with state and territory advocacy meetings to prepare for CADCA’s Capitol Hill Day. On day 3 of the Forum, following the Capitol Hill Day plenary and legislative update, more than 2,000 attendees boarded charter buses and attended congressional appointments. What a powerful day!
Capitol Hill Day underlined the importance of advocating for prevention programming and services within your communities and state. It also elevated the voices of young adults in the conversation. Generation Rx recognizes the power that local communities and young adults have as catalysts for positive change. By equipping communities with educational resources, Generation Rx aims to promote medication safety and prevent medication misuse among individuals of all ages. As funding for such programs is imperative in creating and sustaining change across the board, it is vital to empower the next generations with everything they need to continue to press forward the message that prevention work is vital.
“It was wonderful to connect with so many individuals, especially the youth, who were passionate about prevention efforts in their communities and beyond. It was absolutely amazing to see Ohio youth advocating for prevention programming during Capitol Hill Day. I will never forget that time.” -Cynthia Sloan
You can read more about the history and impact of Generation Rx in the 15th Anniversary Impact Report. To learn more about how Generation Rx can be used in your local community, contact us at info@genreationrx.org.
*Several photos courtesy of Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA)
