THATCHER — The annual Graham County Substance Abuse Coalition symposium will take place next week and coalition director Kathy Grimes said the event is trying something new this year.
“We know that ACEs and trauma — which is Adverse Childhood Experiences — really affect an individual on whether they use or don’t use substances. So we’re focusing on that for the whole day,” Grimes said.
The coalition will also use the symposium to focus on the dangers of fentanyl and fentanyl-laced dugs, well as well helping spread the word about naloxone, a substance that can be used in the event of overdose to help rescue the victim.
Also parents and teachers will learn about the issues surrounding substance abuse and social media, specifically Snapchat, which is popular among teens in Graham County.
“We’re really excited about our event this year,” Grimes said. “We always partner with Greenlee County, and they have a brand-new coalition again after five years, and they’re doing some amazing work up there also.”
The 16th annual Southeastern Arizona Substance Abuse Symposium will take place Tuesday, Sept. 21, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., in the Eastern Arizona College Lee Little Theater.
Attendance is free but preregistration is required. Go to 16th Annual Graham-Greenlee Substance Abuse Conference Tickets, Tue, Sep 21, 2021 at 8:00 AM | Eventbrite.
