L.A. CADA Youth and Family Services partners with local schools for National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week® through a series of virtual workshops Group joins teens from across the U.S. in week-long effort to SHATTER THE MYTHS® on drugs and alcohol [Santa Fe Springs, California] — Teenagers from Whittier and the surrounding cities have joined forces with L.A CADA, Whittier Police Department and Health Research Psychology Specialists from UCLA Integrated Substance Abuse Program (ISAP) as part of “National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week®” (NDAFW). The week-long health observance, organized by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), both part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), takes place March 22 – 28, 2021. NDAFW celebrates the inquisitive minds of teens by giving them a virtual space to ask questions about drugs and alcohol and to get scientific answers from experts. As part of the NDAFW celebration, L.A. CADA’s participants will engage in a conversation with experts on various topics throughout the week. While drugs can put a teenager’s health and life in jeopardy, many teens are not aware of the risks. Even for those teens who do not abuse drugs, many have friends or family who do, and they are often looking for ways to help them. According to Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Los Angeles County has over 109,000 Alcohol and Drug related arrests each year an approximately 20% of young adults aged 18-25 suffer from a substance use disorder. “We want teens to have the opportunity to learn what science has taught us about drug abuse, alcohol, and addiction,” said Health Promotion Coordinator, Jason Strickler. “I am excited to join the conversation bringing National awareness to Drugs and Alcohol for local communities.” said Dr. Rachel Castaneda. The virtual workshop will be 5 days of collaboration and learning from March 22 – 26 at 3:30 P.M. High School aged students will have a chance to participate in large and small group activities, as well as interact with Whittier Police Chief Aviv Bar, Dr. Rachel Castaneda a researcher from UCLA ISAP and APU Department of Psychology. All participants will receive the latest data and statistics from NIH and NIDA as well as facilitation from Substance Use Disorder Counselors, Health Educators, and Clinicians from L.A. CADA. Teens can join the conversation through the hashtag using #NDAFW and #L.A.CADA and stay informed about drug and alcohol facts and events in Santa Fe Springs, C.A. by following @youth_fam on Instagram. The Los Angeles Centers for Alcohol and Drug Abuse (L.A. CADA) is a licensed and certified substance use and behavioral treatment provider by the State of California’s Department of Health Care Services and the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health – Substance Abuse Prevention and Control. Our mission is to save lives, unite families, and protect the community through addiction counseling and healthy living education.