Casa Grande Alliance

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.

The good news is that prevention works.  For example, the anti-meth prevention efforts over the past four years have reduced meth use among Pinal County Sophomores by 400%.  Meth is now used by less than ½ percent of students!  The key has been providing a very visible and consistent message across all sectors of our community about the dangers of meth use. This included billboards and TV ads by the Arizona Meth Project, classroom presentations by local coalitions, and broad community awareness campaigns aimed at adults.

Sadly, meth and other drug abuse persists among young adults.  However, the hope of recovery is greater now than ever before.  Statistically, 65% of addicts will recover from their addiction at some point in their lives. This chance increases, of course, if we can get them to engage in a treatment program.  Pinal County is home to many excellent treatment providers of both outpatient and inpatient care.

CGA, Inc. is a non-profit charity that provides substance abuse prevention education and awareness, treatment resource information, coalition mentoring, and administrative support to substance abuse prevention coalitions across Pinal County. These coalitions provide a framework for organizations, families and individuals to address substance abuse issues in the community.

Most people know us as the Casa Grande Alliance; a coalition of 35 individuals and organizations whose mission is to build partnerships and work together for the prevention of substance abuse and violence among youth and adults. The Alliance members collaborate on a variety of programs to reduce substance abuse in Casa Grande, including:

• Education and diversion for youth cited for underage drinking
• Public education and awareness on substance abuse and recovery, including training to employers, community groups, students, and others
• Advocacy and support for families of drug abusers, and grandparents raising children of addicts
• Peer-led anti-drug efforts such as the local SADD chapter and the Casa Grande Youth Commission
• Safer Neighborhoods program – identifying resources to help neighborhoods remain safe and drug-free

We are funded primarily through the Drug Free Communities program (Office of National Drug Control Policy) and tax-deductible donations from individuals and corporations.  Our Federal funding has been reduced and we are in need of additional donations to continue our work.  You might consider a donation on behalf of someone who has died because of addiction, or to celebrate someone who has successfully survived addiction.

A few of our outcomes: from 2003-2008 we educated 599 youth on the dangers of underage drinking, had one-on-one contact with over 18,000 individuals and employers, distributed over 66,000 pieces of drug prevention awareness materials, and mentored or provided support to eight drug prevention coalitions across Pinal County.  We are currently mentoring the development of a new coalition in Florence!

Drug and alcohol addiction is devastating to the addict and the addict’s family.  Everyone concerned feels ashamed, afraid, desperate, and alone. We understand these feelings and are here to give you hope and the resources you need to navigate the road to recovery.  We do not provide counseling or treatment, but we know people who do and we can ‘hook you up’.  We can help you find the first step, and plan for the next steps.  We want to help you help your family members, your employees and your neighborhood get drug free and stay drug free.

Contact information:
Casa Grande Alliance
Physical: 317 E. Cottonwood Lane, Casa Grande
Mail: PO Box 11043, Casa Grande, AZ 85130
520-836-5022

Resource information for this article available upon request