We will "Unite to Face Addiction"

The Partnership for Drug-Free Kids is proud to participate in the Unite to Face Addiction event.  As Parent Coaches each of you have your own experiences that underscore the importance of this effort.

 

There is a lot of information about Unite to Face Addiction (UTFA) can be found on their website at https://www.facingaddiction.org/.  Here, I want to focus on the Partnership's role. 

 

1.  Many Partnership staff will attend the rally to be held on October 4, 2015., and several will stay the next day to visit offices of members of Congress to urge passage of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2015, also known as "CARA."  If you wish to come to the rally, and it is more convenient for you to come to New York City than go directly to Washington, DC, you are welcome to get on the Partnership bus!  You can return on Sunday or Monday night.  If you want to come, please contact Kevin at kevin_collins@drugfree.org

 

2.  If you are unable to get to Washington, DC, there is still a lot you can do, including:  

• Contacting your federal lawmakers or visiting their offices (more about that below)
• Host a Unite to Face Addiction dinner with Drugs Over Dinner: https://www.facingaddiction.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Drugs-Over-Dinner-Handout-FINAL.pdf   
• Use the Marijuana Talk Kit to help start the conversation: http://www.drugfree.org/MJTalkKit/
• and getting signatures for ...

3.  A petition on drugfree.org to pass CARA!! Signing the petition is easy and it is a call to action for the Unite to Face Addiction event. We will be delivering the signatures of the petition to Members of Congress on the day following UTFA, Monday, Oct 5.  Please sign the petition, share it with friends and family, and post it on Facebook and Twitter: http://www.drugfree.org/unite_to_face_addiction.   Our goal is 1,000 signatures -- please help us achieve this goal! 

 

4. We will be using the hashtag #howmanyfamilies to promote the petition and the CARA legislation. The #howmanyfamilies call to action will hopefully tap into the anger and frustration that families feel about how the substance use issue is treated -- for their family and for all of America's families. Here are a few sample posts:

• How many families will it take before we change the way America treats families who care for a loved one with a substance use disorder?
• How many families will see their child wait to get the treatment they need?
• How many families will beg police to arrest their child because it is the only way they will get help?
• How many families will spend their life savings to pay for a loved one’s treatment? 
• How many families will see their loved one relapse because there is insufficient support for recovery communities?

 Please use #howmanyfamilies to spread the word about CARA and our petition.

 

5.  You can also use the hashtag #howmanyfamilies to thank Members of Congress who have co-sponsored CARA, and ask other Members to add their names as co-sponsors to this bipartisan piece of legislation.  The list of House co-sponsors can be found here:  https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/953/cosponsors  (20 as of today) and the Senate co-sponsors can be found here:  https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/524/cosponsors (15 as of today)

• Thank you [insert your Congressman’s Twitter handle] for helping pass the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act! #howmanyfamilies
  
• [Insert your Congressman’s Twitter handle] help co-sponsor the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act. Learn more drugfree.org/unite_to_face_addiction. #howmanyfamilies 

6. On September 1, a 6:00 pm EDT, we will have an "All Groups" conference call about the rally, CARA, at UTFA.  Courtney Hunter, the Partnership's Director of Advocacy will be our guest.  Please attend if you are able or listen later if you can't.

 

7. Each of you affects many lives  by coaching and your other community work.  United to Face Addiction and our work to support CARA is a way in which you can change the way our nation deals with the issue of substance use and substance use disorders.