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Partnership
for a Drug-Free San Diego
Member of Partnership For a Drug-Free California, and America
Mission
Communities
Against Substance Abuse/Partnership for a Drug-Free San Diego
is a progressive organization that helps prevent substance abuse through
research, education, advocacy, and service. Communities Against
Substance Abuse/Partnership for a Drug-Free San Diego conducts
year round alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) prevention activities
such as media advocacy, media advertising campaigns, community presentations,
and after-school activities. The organization works with some 16 regional,
and issue-based community collaborative, in addition to a region wide
youth alliance.
Goals
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Using
the award-winning anti-drug advertising campaign produced by
PDFA that specifically targets youth, Partnership
for a Drug-Free San Diego (PDFSD) strives to reduce demand
for illicit drugs through media communications. |
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Distribute
high quality PDFA television, radio, and print public
service announcements to more than 100 media partners in the
San Diego market, requesting pro-bono broadcast or publication. |
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Advance
positive ATOD policy change through community organizing, and
media advocacy. |
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Coordinate
media efforts countywide. |
Operating
Structure
Officially designated
by Partnership for a Drug-Free America in 1997 as Partnership
for a Drug-Free San Diego, Communities Against Substance Abuse
works as PDFA's regional alliance, and lead agency in San Diego
County to facilitate substance abuse prevention partnerships with
the media, schools, business, government, and community-based organizations.
PDFA entrusts Communities Against Substance Abuse to
uphold and continue its stellar reputation in the San Diego market–a
significant piece of the national prevention initiative.
In addition, Communities Against Substance Abuse/Partnership for
a Drug-Free San Diego works in close cooperation with Key Market
Coordinator Jim King of Phillips-Ramsey Advertising in San Diego,
California alliance Partnership for a Drug-Free California
State Coordinator Cindy Prodor, and PDFA State/City Alliance
Program Regional Manager Teri Christensen.
1999/2000
Highlights
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As
a result of March 2000 Inhalant Abuse Prevention Media Campaign,
the Drug/Violence Prevention Program of the State of California
Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement is producing an inhalant
prevention curricula to include in its training curriculum for
law enforcement officers, and community groups. |
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Communities
Against Substance Abuse launched an intensive media campaign
to expand San Diego County's Drug Court program that
successfully rehabilitates more nonviolent criminal drug offenders
than any other drug treatment program in San Diego County.
San Diego's Drug Courts have achieved some of the lowest
recidivism rates in the nation. Thanks to these media advocacy
efforts, which included news events, feature stories, opinion-editorials
and letters to the editor, the County of San Diego Board
of Supervisors recently voted to expand Drug Courts,
providing drug treatment to every non-violent drug offender
in San Diego County. |
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Communities
Against Substance Abuse/PDFSD served as chief prevention
consultant to United States Congressmen Brian Bilbray who orchestrated
two congressional hearings in San Diego during spring 2000.
PDFSD prepared witnesses, and gathered research for a
hearing of the Government Reform Committee's Subcommittee on
Criminal Justice, Drug Policy, and Human Resources. The hearing
was titled, "Responding to the Drug Crisis in Southern California."
CASA authored testimony, and provided witnesses for the
Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Crime Oversight. That
hearing was titled, "The Threat to Communities from the Production,
Trafficking and Use of Methamphetamine." |
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Communities
Against Substance Abuse/PDFSD waged an aggressive media
campaign to increase funding for California's Drug Endangered
Children Program that removes children living in meth-exposed
environments. Working with the County of San Diego District
Attorney's Office, PDFSD held an official press conference,
authored opinion-editorials, letters to the editor, and pitched
numerous feature stories to San Diego media on the benefits
of the DEC program. The media campaign created favorable public
opinion that encouraged California State Legislators to approve
increased funding for DEC by as much as $10 million for
2001. |
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Communities
Against Substance Abuse/PDFSD has developed more than 40
TV, radio, and print media partners and is instrumental in the
broadcast and publication of nearly $1 million worth of pro-bono
media messages in the San Diego market each year. |
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Communities
Against Substance Abuse/PDFSD successfully advocated ATOD
prevention issues, and pitched stories that aired or were published
in some 100 TV, radio, and newspaper reports. |
Future
Projects
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Expansion
of the regional youth alliance. |
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Work
with high school journalists on ATOD depiction and ATOD issues
as possible causes of many social ills. |
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Creation
of San Diego Countywide media action team to be proactive on
ATOD prevention stories, as well as react in coordinated manner
to opportunities in the media. |
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Help
establish drug-free workplace policies with businesses. |
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