Greetings,

I am Greg Millard, Special Agent in Charge of the El Paso Field Division and I’d like to welcome you to Operation Engage!

As we all know, there are far too many non-fatal and fatal drug overdoses affecting our communities, and sadly, these numbers are increasing. In response, DEA has moved toward community-level collaborative efforts to help reduce these numbers through education and awareness, using our wide range of resources.

Through Operation Engage, our division will focus on the Albuquerque community, targeting the opioid and methamphetamine drug threats. Other components of Operation Engage include:

• Stakeholder/Community Gatherings: To share the latest information about drug trends, drug threats, and other related pertinent information.
• The DEA’s Citizens Academy: DEA recognizes the importance of forging strong alliances with local communities and maintaining collaborative relationships with community leaders. The DEA’s Citizens Academy offers participants the opportunity to understand the world of federal drug law enforcement and the important role the DEA and the community together, play in combating drug trafficking, drug misuse, and related violence.
• Youth Engagement: Through programs like the DEA Educational Foundation Youth Programs, Lowrider Bike Program (details under Events), and CADCA, children will be able to actively participate in age-appropriate activities, designed for them to learn and gain the most knowledge about the dangers of drugs in a fun way.
• Community Outreach Programs: DEA, along with stakeholder involvement, will concentrate efforts in the communities most affected by opioid misuse. In those targeted communities, the El Paso Field Division will participate in facilitating prevention strategies to include, but not limited to, drug prevention training and technical assistance for communities, coalition outreach, and prescription drug take back events to name a few.

These are only a few of the many resources and opportunities we have available to share with our communities.

I invite you, and your families, to explore our Operation Engage webpage to learn about the many resources we have available. Learning as a family, early on, is the first step in avoiding drug experimentation, drug misuse, drug addiction, and all related behaviors that are plaguing our communities.

Always at your service,

Greg Millard, Special Agent in Charge of the El Paso Field Division

According to a study from the National Institute of Health, the rate of overdose deaths involving meth have increased in recent years overall, especially among the American Indian and Alaskan Native population. “Deaths involving methamphetamines more than quadrupled among non-Hispanic American Indians and Alaskan Natives from 2011-2018 (from 4.5 to 20.9 per 100,000 people), overall, with sharp increases for both men (from 5.6 to 26.4 per 100,000) and women (from 3.6 to 15.6 per 100,000) in that group.”

According to the Perceptions of Methamphetamine in Indian Country,

“Though methamphetamine is the drug most commonly abused in tribal lands, the use of opioids is a growing problem. So too is alcohol abuse. And the results—lost lives, increased crime, broken homes, and child neglect—are horrific.”

Some of the key findings of the report include the following:

• Methamphetamine continues to be a significant problem in Indian country;
• Abuse of controlled prescription drugs is on the rise, and they could soon surpass methamphetamine as the drugs of choice in Indian country;
• Law enforcement officials reported that drugs are being trafficked to their areas by large non-Native drug trafficking organizations with international ties;
• Seventy percent of respondents stated that casinos located in their jurisdictions are being used to facilitate drug sales and sex trafficking by organized criminal gangs;
• High rates of larceny/theft, burglary, sexual assault, sex trafficking, and child and elder abuse and neglect were identified by law enforcement to be directly associated with the distribution and use of methamphetamine by Native Americans in Indian country; and,
• Law enforcement respondents reported that their greatest challenge was a lack of community support and resources, namely manpower, necessary to fulfill their duties.

According to the Albuquerque Area Southwest Tribal Epidemiology Center, “the opioid overdose deaths have been on the rise among Native Americans since 2000.

The opioid-related overdose mortality rate for Native Americans in 2017 was 16.2 deaths per 100,000, which exceeded the national mortality rate of 15.2 deaths per 100,000.”

Check out this fact sheet created by the Albuquerque Area Southwest Tribal Epidemiology Center to learn more.

The DEA laboratory has found that, of the fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills analyzed in 2022, six out of ten pills now contain a potentially lethal dose of at least 2 mg. This is an increase from DEA’s previous announcement in 2021 that four out of ten fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills were found to contain a potentially lethal dose.

• Criminal drug networks are mass-producing fake pills and falsely marketing them as legitimate prescription pills to deceive the American public.
• Fake pills are easy to purchase, widely available, often contain fentanyl or methamphetamine, and can be deadly.
• Fake prescription pills are easily accessible and often sold on social media and e-commerce platforms, making them available to anyone with a smartphone, including minors.
• Many fake pills are made to look like prescription opioid such as oxycodone (Oxycontin®, Percocet®), hydrocodone (Vicodin®), and alprazolam (Xanax®); or stimulants like amphetamines (Adderall®).

For more information about fake pills, go to DEA.gov/OnePill.

Albuquerque Police Department
www.cabq.gov
Established in 1880, the Albuquerque Police Department is the largest municipal police department in New Mexico. It is located in Bernalillo County and has jurisdiction within the city limits of Albuquerque.

Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce
www.ahcnm.org
Established in 1975 by 14 members of the Hispanic business community, the Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce (Hispano Chamber) is an organization focused on improving economic development, opportunities, and education in Albuquerque and throughout the state of New Mexico. The Hispano Chamber is the largest Hispanic chamber in the country, and the
largest chamber of commerce in New Mexico.

Albuquerque Area Southwest Tribal Epidemiology Center
www.aastec.net
The Albuquerque Area Southwest Tribal Epidemiology Center (AASTEC) provides a range of resources and technical support to the 27 tribes in the Indian Health Service Albuquerque Area.

• The Opioid Crisis: Impact on Native American Communities (Fact Sheet)

Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office
www.bernco.gov
The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office serves residents who live in Albuquerque, Los Ranchos, and Tijeras and the 111,000 residents who live outside the village and city limits in the unincorporated areas of the county. Bernalillo County is 1,160 square miles and is New Mexico’s most populous county with more than 676,000 residents.

Ben Ray Luján, U.S. Senator for New Mexico
www.lujan.senate.gov
On January 3, 2021, Ben Ray Luján was sworn into office as a U.S. Senator representing New Mexico. He previously served as U.S. Representative for New Mexico’s Third Congressional District and House Assistant Speaker in the 116th Congress.

To learn more about Senator Luján, please visit www.lujan.senate.gov

Breaking the Silence New Mexico
https://www.breakingthesilencenm.org/
Breaking the Silence New Mexico is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that promotes mental health literacy, advocacy, and well-being for teens, youth, and adults through education, personal stories, and the arts.  Our core programs share the goal of ending the stigma, shame, silence, and secrecy surrounding mental illness and suicide.

Capacity Builders Inc.
www.capacitybuilders.info
The Capacity Builders Inc. (CBI) is a 501-c3 nonprofit organization located in Farmington, NM, in the Four Corners region, serving the states of Arizona and New Mexico. It is registered as a nonprofit on the Navajo Nation and has a multi-cultural board of directors.

The CBI Board and staff strive to improve the lives of diverse populations of the Four Corners region. This is accomplished by providing direct services and community coalitions that include drug and alcohol prevention, teen pregnancy prevention, suicide prevention, academic and service-learning programs, transportation solutions, and workforce development.

CBI also encourages love, appreciation, and understanding of one’s culture, while respecting others, by incorporating cultural learning components in all programs. The central goal driving our organizational endeavors is to equip as many nonprofit and public leaders with financial resources, research and evaluation resources, information and training resources, leadership building resources, and much more. 

Crisis Treatment: New Mexico Department of Health
https://www.nmhealth.org/contact/crisis/
The Crisis Treatment website offers several toll-free and local phone numbers of organizations that address various crises ranging from mental health, domestic violence, or substance use to postpartum support and veterans crisis line for those deaf or hard of hearing.

Dose of Reality about Opioids
https://doseofreality.com
A Dose of Reality is state-wide prevention program focused on raising awareness about opioid prevention, treatment, and recovery and behavioral health in New Mexico. A Dose of Reality about Opioids provides several helpful toolkits: ¡El Opio Drama!, Medication Assisted Treatments Toolkit, Overdose and Naloxone Toolkit, Stop the Stigma Toolkit, Safe Use Advice,
Harm Reduction Toolkit, Native American COVID-19 Emergency Toolkit, and Native American Opioid Toolkit. Dose of Reality offers a map of medication drop-off locations in New Mexico. It is owned by New Mexico Human Services Department.

Emergency Hotlines: New Mexico Department of Health
https://www.nmhealth.org/contact/emergency/
The NMDOH’s Emergency Hotline webpage provides toll-free phone numbers to address questions and concerns on the coronavirus, poison control, critical stress, adult protection services, children, youth and families, hepatitis C, and Narcan/naloxone training.

The Episcopal Diocese of the Rio Grande
www.dioceserg.org
The Diocese of the Rio Grande was formed in 1952 by the General Convention of the Episcopal Church from the Missionary District of New Mexico and Southwest Texas. The Diocese encompasses 154,000 square miles of the State of New Mexico and Far West Texas from the Pecos River to the border with Mexico along the Rio Grande.

Hands Across Cultures
www.handsacrossculturesnm.org
Hands Across Cultures is a 501c3 non-profit based in Española, Rio Arriba County, NM. Hands Across Cultures believes la cultura cures. We see culture as the foundation of human growth; spirituality as the strength of the people; each person’s need to love and be loved; family preservation; individual responsibility; and the pursuit of human potential.

We’re working together to ensure that all Northern New Mexicans, of all ages, have the support they need as they face challenges every day. We support creative and result-focused strategies to build safe, healthy, and resilient communities.

Our art promotes a vision of 100% thriving. We’re educators, inventors, artists, filmmakers, and creative thinkers, collaborating to address challenges with imagination. Much like an artist approaching an empty canvas, Hands Across Cultures views Northern New Mexico as a place where inspiration can create solutions to challenges once thought of as unsolvable. We turn “that’s impossible” into “yes, we can!”

We’re part artist’s studio and part lab, inspiring community-building and creativity to solve our most pressing problems. We’re collaborating to address challenges with imagination.

Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) Project: Bernalillo County
www.bernco.gov/department-behavioral-health-services/lead
LEAD (Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion) is a pre-booking diversion program that aims to improve public health and to end the cycle of recidivism. Instead of being charged and booked following an arrest, the arresting officer identifies the arrestee as a potential participant for the
diversion program and subsequently connects them with a case manager. This case manager then provides a holistic approach to connecting the individual with resources such as housing and substance use treatment services or enrolling the participant in vocational training courses. The main principle of LEAD is collaborative partnerships between local law enforcement, district attorney’s offices, sheriffs, treatment providers, and other community stakeholders.

New Mexico National Guard (NMNG) Joint Counterdrug Taskforce Drug Demand Reduction Outreach
www.facebook.com/NMJCDTF
The NMNG Joint Counterdrug Taskforce supports local and federal agencies with drug prevention strategies throughout New Mexico.

Northern New Mexico Implementation Team
www.facebook.com/NorthernNMImplementationTeam
Northern New Mexico Implementation Team is a coalition of organizations from around Northern New Mexico. They are a team trying to find best possible solutions to tackle and decrease the drug epidemic in their communities.

Opioid Safety and Overdose Prevention: New Mexico Department of Health
https://www.nmhealth.org/about/erd/ibeb/pos/
New Mexico Department of Health’s Opioid Safety and Overdose Prevention program offers a Substance Use Data Dashboard about opioid overdose data in New Mexico. Opioid Safety informs the public about opioids, fentanyl, and how to prevent an overdose. Many resources, news articles, health data and publications are featured at NMDOH’s Opioid Safety and Overdose Prevention.

Taos Alive
www.taosalive.org
Taos Alive is a Community Coalition focusing on reducing substance misuse in Taos County by establishing and strengthening collaboration among communities, public, private, non-profit agencies; as well as federal, state, local, and tribal governments. The coalition workgroups address substance misuse, alcohol policy, and school wellness.

There’s Another Way: Tackling our Opioid Crisis
www.anotherwaynm.org
The New Mexico Department of Health launched “There is Another Way” campaign with the goal of reducing the misuse of prescription opioids in New Mexico. This statewide campaign focuses on creating a new generation of well-informed patients and caregivers who are educated about safer pain management options and alternative pain management strategie

U.S. District Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico
www.justice.gov/nm
The District of New Mexico consists of 33 counties with the most populated being Bernalillo. The District's main office is located in Albuquerque. There is a staffed branch office in Las Cruces and an unstaffed branch in Santa Fe.

The United States Attorney and staff handle a great number of matters which fall within the jurisdiction of the office, such as investigation of alleged criminal conduct, presentation of indictments, trial of civil and criminal cases, handling appeals to the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, and affirmative civil actions to ensure compliance with federal law.

Department of Justice: Office of Justice Programs (OJP)
www.ojp.gov
The Office of Justice Programs (OJP) provides innovative leadership to federal, state, local, and tribal justice systems, by disseminating state-of-the art knowledge and practices across America, and providing grants for the implementation of these crime fighting strategies. Because most of the responsibility for crime control and prevention falls to law enforcement
officers in states, cities, and neighborhoods, the federal government can be effective in these areas only to the extent that it can enter into partnerships with these officers. 

Department of Health & Human Services (HHS): Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
www.samhsa.gov
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is the agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation. SAMHSA's mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America's communities. SAMHSA promotes and implements prevention and early intervention strategies to reduce the impact of mental and substance use disorders in America’s communities. 

Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) 
The mission of the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention is to improve behavioral health through evidence-based prevention approaches.

Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) 
The mission of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment is to promote community-based substance abuse treatment and recovery services for individuals and families in every community. CSAT provides national leadership to improve access, reduce barriers, and promote high quality, effective treatment and recovery services.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
www.cdc.gov
CDC remains committed to advancing a public health approach to preventing drug overdose death and applies its scientific expertise to help curb the epidemic in three ways: improving data quality and surveillance to monitor and respond to the epidemic; strengthening state efforts by scaling up effective public health interventions; and equipping health care providers with the data and tools needed to improve the safety of their patients.

Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Prevention of Underage Drinking (ICCPUD)
https://www.stopalcoholabuse.gov/
The federal Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Prevention of Underage Drinking (ICCPUD) works with state, territorial, and local governments and organizations to reduce and prevent underage drinking and its consequences. ICCPUD’s website, StopAlcoholAbuse.gov ,
provides the latest research and resources to support underage drinking prevention and relatedissues.

National Institute on Drug Abuse for Teens
https://teens.drugabuse.gov/
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) for Teens is a trusted source for science-based information on teen drug use and its effects. The website provides teens, teachers, and parents with information about the effects and consequences of drug use.

American Indian Science and Engineering Society
www.aises.org
Founded in 1977, growing the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) membership above our current 5,900 individual members is key to achieving our mission. AISES supports 230 affiliated pre-college schools, 196 chartered college and university chapters, 3 tribal chapters, and 18 professional chapters in the U.S. and Canada. AISES promotes the highest standards of education and professional excellence to widen the STEM workforce and grow sector support. We highlight the geographic, economic, and social aspects of STEM education and careers.

In addition to awarding nearly $12 million and counting in academic scholarships, AISES offers internships, professional development and career resources, national and regional conferences, leadership development summits, and other STEM-focused programming.

Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA)
www.cadca.org
CADCA is the premier membership organization representing those working to make their communities safe, healthy, and drug-free. CADCA has members in every U.S. state and territory and is working in 18 countries around the world. Special programs within CADCA are supporting returning veterans and their families and training youth leaders to be effective agents of change –all through the coalition model. Since 1992, CADCA has demonstrated that when all sectors of a community come together —social change happens. 

DEA Educational Foundation
http://www.deaeducationalfoundation.org/
Established in 2001, the DEA Educational Foundation educates the American public on the various costs and consequences of drugs on society, through support of the educational programs and exhibits of the DEA Museum and the operation of DEA Youth Dance Program in more than 30 cities around the country. 

Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks
www.elks.org/dap
The Elks National Drug Awareness Program, established in 1982, is the largest volunteer drug awareness program in the United States. The Elks are committed to eliminating the use and abuse of illegal drugs by all members of society and believe that in order to ensure a bright future for our country, it is essential that our children be raised in a drug-free environment. The Elks possess a dedicated army of volunteers who freely give their time and talents to what they describe as “a most noble cause.”
 
Boys & Girls Clubs
www.bgca.org
The mission of Boys & Girls Clubs is to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. A Boys & Girls Club provides: a safe place to learn and grow; ongoing relationships with caring, adult professionals; and life-enhancing programs and character development experiences. Their community-based Delinquency and Gang Prevention/Intervention Initiative targets young people ages 6 to 18 that are at high risk for involvement or are already involved with delinquency and gangs. These youth and teens are directed to positive alternatives and learn about violence prevention. 

Boy Scouts & Girl Scouts of America
www.scouting.org; www.girlscouts.org
Boy Scouts -- One of the nation's largest and most prominent values-based youth development organizations. The BSA provides a program for young people that builds character, trains them in the responsibilities of participating citizenship, and develops personal fitness. For over a century, the BSA has helped build the future leaders of this country by combining educational activities and lifelong values with fun. The Boy Scouts of America believes — and, through over a century of experience, knows — that helping youth is a key to building a more conscientious, responsible, and productive society. Drugs: A Deadly Game! is the drug abuse prevention awareness program of the Boy Scouts of America. It is a drug education experience designed to stimulate discussion in small groups and classroom settings and to get children talking—and learning—about the dangers of drug use and abuse. Girl Scouts builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. Girl Scouts sees itself as the preeminent leadership development organization for girls. With programs for girls from coast to coast and across the globe, Girl Scouts offers every girl a chance to do something amazing. 

Partnership to End Addiction
www.drugfree.org
Founded in 1987 as an anti-drug advertising campaign and formerly known as the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, the Partnership is a nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing teen substance abuse and helping families impacted by addiction. The Partnership to End Addiction translates the science of teen drug use and addiction for families, providing parents with direct support to prevent and cope with teen drug and alcohol abuse. On their website, families can find the information they need to understand the ever-changing drug landscape, which now includes abuse of prescription drugs. In addition to support and resources for parents, Partnership reaches youth directly through teen-targeted efforts. 

Young Marines
www.youngmarines.com
The Young Marines program is a youth education and service program for boys and girls ages 8 through completion of high school. It promotes the mental, moral, and physical development of its members. The program focuses on building character, developing leadership, and promoting a healthy, drug-free lifestyle. This is a national program with 300 units throughout the United States.

Lions Club International Foundation (LCIF)
http://www.lcif.org/
LCIF works to support the efforts of Lions clubs and partners including DEA in serving communities locally and globally, giving hope and impacting lives through humanitarian service projects and grants. They are a DEA partner in the DEA 360 strategy, the Red Ribbon Campaign, National Take Back Days, Operation Prevention, and many other DEA initiatives.

The Milken Institute
https://milkeninstitute.org/centers/center-for-public-health
The Milken Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank. We catalyze practical, scalable solutions to global challenges by connecting human, financial, and educational resources to those who need them. The Milken Institute Center for Public Health is proud to partner with DEA as part of the Operation Engage Employer Outreach work. These efforts, taking part in regions across the country, are designed to raise awareness about local drug threats impacting communities in which employers operate, and to provide organizations with drug misuse prevention resources that can be shared with their employees.

National Police Athletic/Activities League, Inc.
http://www.nationalpal.org/
The National Police Athletic/Activities League, Inc., (PAL) is a youth mentoring organization that uses civic, educational, athletic and recreational activities to create trust and understanding between law enforcement and youth. PAL emphasizes that life is about making choices and it is important to build this foundation at an early age. Using role model reinforcement, PAL -- under the supervision and positive influence of law enforcement -- guides youth down a path of making “good choices.” Annually, PAL serves more than 1.5 million youth, ages 5-18, with more than 300 member Chapters world-wide.

Addiction Group
www.addictiongroup.org
Addiction Group is an informational web guide that was founded in 2019. Our website was created to help those struggling with alcohol use disorders (AUD), substance use disorders (SUD), and/or co-occurring mental health disorders find treatment for their addiction. Our company specializes in producing authoritative medical content based on addiction literature, accredited scientific journals, and current research in the field. All content published on Addiction Group is written by our team of journalists, researchers, doctors, and medical professionals. Every piece of content written on this site is fact-based and original. It is sourced from current scientific research, such as scholarly articles, textbooks, government agencies, and medical journals. Lastly, every article is fact-checked by an addiction counseling expert before publication. This ensures the content is accurate, relevant, and up-to-date with current research and addiction terminology. Sources of funding do not affect the quality of our content. We thoroughly vet all companies that we partner with to provide services for our readers.

Please note: The information provided by Addiction Group is not a substitute for professional treatment advice.

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
www.missingkids.org
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children is a private, non-profit 501(c )(3) corporation whose mission is to help find missing children, reduce child sexual exploitation, and prevent child victimization. NCMEC works with families, victims, private industry, law enforcement, and the public to assist with preventing child abduction, recovering missing children, and providing services to deter and combat child sexual exploitation.

Date: July 11, 2023

Time: 9:00-10:30am

Where: Ken Sanchez Commissioner Chambers, 415 Silver Ave SW, Albuquerque, NM 87102

CADCA’s Workplace Engagement Training is designed to help companies and organizations address problematic substance use and misuse in the workplace. This 90-minute session will cover an introduction on how substance use impacts employees, important signs and symptoms of misuse, and how employers should address this issue.

Register by clicking here or opening the flyer below and clicking the embedded link or scanning the QR code. For questions, contact: Michelle.Rincon@dea.gov.

Date: Aug. 1, 2, 3, 8, 9 & 10, 2023

Time: 5:30-8:30pm

Where: Albuquerque, NM

Applications are now available for the 2023 DEA’s Citizens Academy in Albuquerque, NM.

The DEA Citizens Academy allows community leaders to gain an understanding of DEA’s mission and community awareness of the law enforcement and drug demand reduction efforts. Six 3-hour sessions will be held from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on August 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, and 10, 2023. Planned course topics include an overview of DEA operations, a region-specific intelligence briefing, DEA laboratory operations, investigative trends, prescription drug diversion and abuse, raid training, law enforcement partnerships, demand reduction efforts, and Operation Engage. To request an application, please contact Ms. Michelle Rincon, Community Outreach Specialist, at Michelle.Rincon@dea.gov.

Read the detailed flyer here: https://dea.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/CA%20Brochure%202023%201-pager.pdf

The DEA Educational Foundation is a provider of youth engagement programs for Operation Engage. DEA EF empowers youth by providing a positive after-school alternative to drug abuse. Role models serve as mentors to youth and help to strengthen youths’ self-esteem and decision-making skills.

Operation Engage-Albuquerque offers basketball, dance and an arts program for 25 youth over a 10-week duration.

The Lowrider Bike Clubs take a community engagement approach that bridges the gap between at-risk youth, local lowrider clubs, and the local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. Together, community partners and the youth build lowrider bicycles, while educating the youth about issues affecting the community such as substance use and misuse, crime, violence, and anti-law enforcement sentiments.

The National Community Engagement Program was founded in Olathe, Kansas, when an Olathe School District administrator, created an after-school program to mentor at-risk Mexican American students to ensure they stayed in school and graduated. The Olathe School District reported that 100% of the youth who participated in the after-school program graduated from high school, and many have since entered college. This program has been successfully duplicated in other cities, including Tucson, Arizona, National City, California, Albuquerque, New Mexico and Española, New Mexico. The DEA St. Louis Division was a partner in the Olathe project, and now the DEA El Paso Division has become a partner in Albuquerque’s Duke City Leadership Lowrider Bike Club in addition to the bike club in Española, a town outside of Santa Fe known for its lowrider culture.

To learn more, visit: https://www.cabq.gov/council/find-your-councilor/district-3/news/city-launches-duke-city-leadership-lowrider-bike-club

To learn more about the Olathe Kansas Lowrider Bike Club, read the Kansas City Star full article: “’The Lowrider Teacher’: How a Mechanic Became a Top Johnson County School Leader in Kansas.

Just Think Twice
www.justthinktwice.com
This is a resource for teens. It provides facts about drugs, news and media campaigns, true stories, the consequences of drug use, facts and stats, and information about living drug free.  

Operation Prevention
www.operationprevention.com/
The DEA and Discovery Education have created Operation Prevention to provide communities with proactive digital tools to raise awareness about the dangers of substance misuse. This resource is free and is available in English and Spanish for students in grades 3-12, plus additional resources designed for educators, families, and professionals. There are workplace
resources for businesses, and The Good Medicine Bundle is a culture-based prevention resource to help address the opioid crisis for American Indian communities.

Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA)
www.bgca.org
BGCA’s mission is to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. BGCA ensures success is within reach of every young person who enters its doors, with all members on track to graduate from high school with a plan for the future, demonstrating good character and citizenship, and living a healthy lifestyle.

Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE)
www.dare.org
DARE’s mission is to teach students good decision-making skills to help lead safe and healthy lives. It is a police officer-led series of classroom lessons that teach children from kindergarten through 12th grade how to resist peer pressure and live productive drug- and violence-free lives.

DEA Educational Foundation Youth Programs
www.deaeducationalfoundation.org/youth-programs
The DEA Educational Foundation is a provider of youth engagement programs for Operation Engage. DEA EF empowers youth by providing a positive after-school alternative to drug abuse. Role models serve as mentors to youth and help to strengthen youths’ self-esteem and decision-making skills.

Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD)
www.sadd.org
SADD’s mission is to empower young people to successfully confront the risks and pressures that challenge them throughout their daily lives. It accomplishes this by creating, equipping, and sustaining a network of student-run chapters in schools and communities focused on peer-to-peer education.

Young Marines
www.youngmarines.com
The Young Marines strengthens the lives of America’s youth by teaching the importance of self-confidence, academic achievement, honoring our veterans, good citizenship, community service, and living a healthy, drug-free lifestyle. Its program focuses on character building and leadership and promotes a lifestyle that is conducive to being productive members of society.

Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts
www.scouting.org
www.girlscouts.org
DEA offers the Red Ribbon Patch Program that is designed to provide Boy Scouts and Girls Scouts the opportunity to earn a patch from DEA by performing anti-drug activities in commemoration of Red Ribbon Week. The program is open to all Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. To earn a patch:

• Each Scouting unit or troop must coordinate a Red Ribbon Week activity in their community or school;
• Each Scout must attend a drug prevention education session;
• Each Scout must take the DEA Drug Free Pledge;
• The Scout leader must submit the online Activity Report upon completion of program requirements.
• For more information about the Patch Program, click here.

One Choice
www.onechoiceprevention.org
More than ever, young people are making One Choice to not use any substances. Over 59% of high school seniors have not used any substances in the past month and over 31% haven’t used in their lifetime. It is a myth that all teens “experiment” with substance use.

True Story: John Paul Herrera, New Mexico
John Herrera started experimenting with marijuana at 11 years old. Then, at age 16, the New Mexico native tried heroin for the first time. Learn more about his recovery.

True Story: Hailey Hesch, New Mexico
At age 19, Hailey is recovering from years of heroin abuse at a treatment center in New Mexico. Learn more about her recovery.

Just Think Twice is a website that provides teenagers and young people with information about the facts of drug use and trafficking, including health, social, and legal consequences.

Check out www.JustThinkTwice.com to get the facts about drug use and learn ways to live drug free.

Get Smart about Drugs
www.getsmartaboutdrugs.com
This is a resource for Parents, Educators and Caregivers. This website also provides a range of DEA Publications available in both English and Spanish.

• How Teens Misuse Medicine
• Drug Overdoses Killed a Record Number of Americans
• Buying Drugs Online – What You Should Know - How to Protect Your Kids
• 10 Strategies to Prevent Your Young Person from Using Drugs
• Severe Opioid Overdoses Rose by Nearly a Third During Pandemic
• Growing Up Drug Free - a Parent's Guide to Prevention

One Pill Can Kill
www.dea.gov/onepill
DEA reveals criminal drug networks are flooding the U.S. with deadly fentanyl. To learn more about counterfeit pills and fentanyl, go to www.dea.gov/onepill.

Operation Prevention
www.operationprevention.com
The DEA and Discovery Education have created Operation Prevention to provide communities with proactive digital tools to raise awareness about the dangers of substance misuse. This resource is free and is available in English and Spanish for students in grades 3-12, plus additional resources designed for educators, families, and professionals. There are workplace
resources for businesses, and The Good Medicine Bundle is a culture-based prevention resource to help address the opioid crisis for American Indian communities.

• Parent Toolkit

Get Smart about Drugs
www.getsmartaboutdrugs.com
This is a resource for Parents, Educators and Caregivers. This website also provides a range of DEA Publications available in both English and Spanish.

• How Teens Misuse Medicine
• Drug Overdoses Killed a Record Number of Americans
• Buying Drugs Online – What You Should Know & How to Protect Your Kids
• 10 Strategies to Prevent Your Young Person from Using Drugs
• Severe Opioid Overdoses Rose by Nearly a Third During Pandemic
• Growing Up Drug Free - a Parent's Guide to Prevention

One Pill Can Kill
www.dea.gov/onepill
DEA reveals criminal drug networks are flooding the U.S. with deadly fentanyl. To learn more about counterfeit pills and fentanyl, go to www.dea.gov/onepill.

Campus Drug Prevention
www.campusdrugprevention.gov
The DEA provides institutions of higher education and their communities with this resource to prevent drug misuse among college students. This resource has a Strategic Planning Guide, Practitioner Toolbox, Podcasts, Drug Scheduling and Penalties.

Operation Prevention
www.operationprevention.com
The DEA and Discovery Education have created Operation Prevention to provide communities with proactive digital tools to raise awareness about the dangers of substance misuse. This resource is free and is available in English and Spanish for students in grades 3-12, plus additional resources designed for educators, families, and professionals. There are workplace resources for businesses, and The Good Medicine Bundle is a culture-based prevention resource to help address the opioid crisis for American Indian communities.

Go to FindTreatment.gov to search for general drug treatment facilities in your area. On this site, you can find facilities that offer various payment options (including free and no-cost care), youth treatment facilities, special programs for Veterans, plus more.

Otherwise, enter your zipcode below to find substance abuse treatment facilities in your area.