My sense of being included as opposed to feeling and acting as an outsider is directly attributable to getting together 2 or 3 times per year at the City of Vancouver Creating a Culture of Prevention conferences. I personally have been forming friendly acquaintances, networking and sharing resources amongst the prevention education facilitators and workers. The experience for me as an independent drug prevention specialist has been a long sought for sense of being part of a wonderful caring group of people.

Drug prevention education and harm prevention have been subjects and activities which needed to be reconciled, one with the other. What better way to reconcile these two activities than by bringing together groups which may have felt worlds apart but later to find each other sharing the same room and helpful information while listening to the same noteworthy speakers and presenters.

What’s my take on the task of prevention education in the City of Vancouver and Metro Vancouver? There should be lots more engagement by the people most effected by drugs and alcohol abuse, the children and teenagers. It will be there community, there city and their society in the future. Why not permit teens to have an active role in creating a culture of prevention. It seems ridiculous to think otherwise.

My thanks to the City of Vancouver and all the prevention partners it has assembled to create a finer city and a safer place for children, families and now for not so lonely drug prevention education specialists who just want to do the right thing and give families and kids a better option than drugs and alcohol as a way to live a healthy & happy lifestyle.

Sincerely,

Tibor A. Palatinus

Drug Prevention Specialist, Narconon Vancouver Society