Every young person should be equipped to make healthy decisions resulting in positive social, emotional, and physical well-being.
As the opioid epidemic within our communities becomes more pervasive, youth increasingly are the unintended victims.
The traumatic experience of growing up within a family and community where substance use and misuse is prevalent disrupts a young person’s ability to thrive.
The associated adverse experiences, such as childhood abuse and neglect, put young people at increased risk for substance use and other behaviors that lead to poor health outcomes.
BGCA’s method provides improved social & emotional resilience for all youth by enhancing high quality youth development practices, risk prevention practices and messages in programs.
Currently, more than 46 people die every day from overdoses involving prescription opioids. In order to combat the opioid epidemic, greater investments in prevention must be made.