Through our GNL Masters Class session days, many of us have been exposed to organizations and causes in Collier County of which we may not have been familiar. I was first introduced to Drug Free Collier on Law Day when Judge Lauren Brodie spoke so passionately about this nonprofit organization. I was surprised to hear of the ever increasing substance abuse problems among juveniles in Collier County (also a national trend). My deep concern for children’s welfare as well as concern for our community influenced me to join the Board of Directors. Abuse of prescription drugs is the country’s fastest growing drug of choice and young people mistakenly think it’s OK to ingest something that a doctor “prescribed”, not realizing how addictive pain medication, for example, can be.
At Drug Free Collier, we provide education and heightened awareness of the hazards of alcohol, pills, smoking, inhalants, etc.–anything that can cause addiction–in the hopes of preventing children from abusing these substances. Statistics show that the earlier a child begins taking drugs, the more likely that child will become an addicted adult. This is not only a family, but a community problem, and I want to do my part in combating this issue. I’d love our children to grow up in an educated environment, where they feel safe and go on to become productive adults.