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The mission of CLOSE Community is to collaboratively initiate, coordinate, and sustain prevention and intervention efforts that reduce and address youth substance use and the impact of substance use disorders within the Town of Longmeadow.

Parents

Start talking. Keep talking.

We understand talking with your teen about alcohol and drug use isn’t easy.

Teens

Take Action – Make a difference.

You can do a lot to reduce teen drug and alcohol use in your community.

Community

Work Together. Find Solutions.

You are not alone. Hope and support is all around you.

What We Do.

We collaboratively initiate, coordinate, and sustain prevention and intervention efforts that reduce and address youth substance use and the impact of substance use disorders within the Town of Longmeadow.

 Coalition of Longmeadow for a Drug Free Community

How our concerned CLOSE Community is taking action! 

Alcohol continues to be the drug of choice among Longmeadow youth, new tobacco products are influencing adolescent experimentation, and marijuana use among high school teens continues to increase. Adolescents do not perceive the harm of sharing medication not prescribed to them, and rising reports of anxiety pose a need for helping young people be aware of positive coping strategies.

To address these issues, CLOSE Community has made a commitment to action.  Our strategies are based on research-supported strategies that have proven effective in reducing youth substance use.

STRATEGIES

1. Reduce Access 

  • Parents do not provide
  • Older siblings and friends do not provide or share
  • Adults monitor or lock up alcohol and prescription drugs at home

2. Change Norms

  • Focus on the positive: Most students do not use, most students make healthy decisions
  • Students perceive that drug use is harmful
  • Parents and community members disapprove of use
  • Using at social events is not acceptable

3. Maintain Visible Enforcement

  • Law enforcement deters juvenile drug incidents
  • Compliance with state laws regarding sales of alcohol to minors is monitored
  • Police implement Party Patrols, Cops in Shops and Shoulder TAP
  • Businesses serve and sell alcohol responsibly

This website is supported by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award funded by ONDCP. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by ONDCP, CDC/HHS, or the U.S. Government.

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