Director's Blog

Director's Blog

Freedom Fighters

We are living a war zone.  An army of armed assailants has invaded the land west of Stanfield, Arizona and is willing to shoot anyone who dares to offer resistance to the ground they have claimed as their own.  They will kill or capture competitors, and even those among their own ranks, to remain in power.  They are threatening or attempting to murder our own peace keepers in order to assure their free movement into and across our county.  Their motivation: preservation of a trade route for their products.  Their products: marijuana, other drugs, and human beings.

This is truly the drug war.  Not the war on drugs – whatever that is – but the drug war.  Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu has made it clear that the drug cartels are in control of the region south of Interstate 8 on the border of Pinal and Maricopa Counties.  He is requiring his Deputies to patrol the area in pairs rather than alone.  The Bureau of Land Management has posted signs warning hikers and other visitors to stay out; that the area is dangerous because of these armed smugglers.

I hate this situation.  To think that my safety is at absolute risk if I happen to have a flat tire on that stretch of road, right here in my own county, is completely unacceptable. But I am NOT powerless to change what is going on!

Donovan Kramer, Jr., Casa Grande Valley Newspapers Editor, was on the mark in his editorial this week when he said, “This problem, of course, is closely related to a demand for drugs in the United States, and the importance of prevention efforts cannot be underestimated.”

The answer to the drug war includes three strategies: preventing addiction and drug use in the first place, reducing demand for drugs among those who use them, and law enforcement to eliminate the dangers associated with the traffickers.  

I cannot (or will not) arm myself and go out in the desert and fight back against this army of smugglers.  I am neither trained nor prepared to do that.  As a culture, we have hired and trained law enforcement officers for that task.  I fear for their safety from the shear number of traffickers present and their ferocity.  

What I CAN do is fight back my own way – by relentlessly working to prevent drug use and promoting recovery from addiction.  If the drug war going on right here, right now in our own backyard makes you as mad and uncomfortable as it does me, come and help us!  

Actively fight this drug war in your own home, church and community by becoming a Prevention Freedom Fighter.  We can give you “training” about drug prevention, “arm” you with the information and skills you need, and send you back into the community as a prevention “commando” ready to fight back and save lives.  Call 520-836-5022 or click here to join up!
30 Jun 2010 ,written by Cindy Schaider
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About 4/20

Every culture has its own vocabulary or secret language, and the drug using subculture is no exception.  Those of us on the ‘outside’ of the drug subculture need to know about an important date coming up next week: April 20.  

In the drug culture, the number 4:20 has a special meaning.  It means “let’s go get high” and similar sentiments.  It began way back in the 1970’s because kids got out of school at 4:20 and they would gather and smoke pot after school.  Over time, it became more generic and now represents a general support for drug using, as well as a way to communicate one’s interest or availability for getting high.

Parents would be wise to monitor their child’s communications where this symbol might appear: text messages, written on backpacks or books or shoes, written or tattooed onto the body, listed on their webpage or facebook page, written on posters or pictures in their room, etc.  Know where your student is spending their before and after-school time on April 20th.  That day has become a BIG party day for those who choose to use marijuana, and your child might be invited to one of these events.

One last note: even the most fervent supporters of marijuana legalization agree that marijuana use by children is unhealthy and unwise for the developing teenage brain.  If you would like additional information on the impact of drug and alcohol use on children’s brains, please contact us or go to our website www.casagrandealliance.org.
09 Apr 2010 ,written by Cindy Schaider
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Violence & Drug Trafficking

The violence associated with drug trafficking in Mexico and Arizona is escalating.  Last week an Arizona rancher was murdered.  Every week another person in a Mexican border town is murdered, including new threats to Mexican police and military.  It is frightening to us as nearby neighbors, and even more so for those who live closer to the border – in either Country.

Law enforcement and Homeland Security representatives are working to eliminate the threat through protection and interdiction.  But their work is simply not enough.
The only sure way of stopping drug trafficking violence is to stop drug abuse.  The way to stop drug abuse is two-fold: recovery for those already addicted, and prevention for those who are not yet addicted.
When we talk about prevention, most people presume we are talking about educating children about the risks of drug abuse.  And a portion of what preventionists do IS aimed at children.  Adolescents and pre-adolescents are quite vulnerable to the enticement of risky behaviors like experimenting with drugs.  All adults need to clearly describe the risks to young bodies, brains and lives if they choose to try drugs.
But the larger portion of what the Casa Grande Alliance does is aimed at adults.  Adults maintain and control the environments where children come in contact with both legal and illegal drugs.  Adults role model behavior for children, including their own ‘recreational’ use of drugs. Adults show and tell children what is appropriate through their conversations, music and the television shows they watch.
So if you hate the drug-related violence we see in the newspaper, web, and t.v. news every day; if you have loved ones in Mexico and you worry for their safety; do something about it.  First, we must purge the drug use from our own homes by setting high standards of sobriety for family members and ourselves.  Next, we must help addicts get into recovery programs.  Next, we must regain control of our streets and neighborhoods by reporting dealers.  And last, but certainly not least, we must support drug prevention education efforts in our communities with our time, our talents and our finances.
If we eliminate the demand for drugs, we eliminate the need for drug dealers.
07 Apr 2010 ,written by Cindy Schaider
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How CGA Can Help Prevent Drug and Alcohol Abuse

Alcohol and drug abuse are two topics most people want to avoid discussing, but they are topics that affect most of our families.  Many of us have at least one person in our family or social group who has struggled with drug or alcohol abuse.  Here are some sobering statistics:

  • One-third of adults drink alcohol at levels that put them at risk for alcoholism, liver disease and other problems.
  • More than one-third (36 percent) of employees admitted that at least one of their coworkers had been distracted, less productive, or missed work because of alcohol/drug abuse or addiction within their family,
  • One in five teens is abusing prescription drugs.  70% of them get those medications from family or friends.
  • Over half of our Pinal County Senior high school students drank in the last month, and one-third of those got drunk.
  • The percentage of drug use by Pinal County 8th graders is higher than their age-mates across Arizona for almost all drug categories.
Read more... 02 Nov 2009 ,written by Cindy Schaider
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Swine Flu

You can’t turn on the television or talk radio these days without hearing something about the ‘Swine Flu’ epidemic.  Everyone seems to be talking about the H1N1 virus and most parents are quite worried that this epidemic will effect their family.  The Centers for Disease Control said that as of this week, the flu is active in 41 states and that 86 children under the age of 18 had died from the 2009 flu strain.  That is tragic.  86 children.

But what if I told you there is another epidemic that is sweeping our nation that ANNUALLY kills 5,000 young people under the age of 21?  This epidemic is present in all 50 states, including Arizona.  The symptoms are easy to spot yet most parents take few, if any, precautions to protect their children from becoming affected.

Could we get as concerned about THAT epidemic?  Should we be as concerned?  It is much more prevalent and just as deadly…

Read more... 28 Oct 2009 ,written by Cindy Schaider
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