Letter to the editor: No need to wait for drug prevention; Reality Tours available
Regarding the article “Overdose deaths in Allegheny, Westmoreland counties hit highest level since 2017 peak” (July 8, TribLIVE), on Pennsylvania’s search for drug prevention programs, readers need to know a program is reaching thousands of families in Pennsylvania, without cost to state or local budgets. It can be started by anyone — maybe you?
The research-based Reality Tour parent/child drug prevention program has educated Pennsylvania families since 2003. Any community can have drug prevention using the nonprofit CANDLE Inc.’s Reality Tour program model. Grants are available to start this cost-effective, sustainable, volunteer-driven program. CANDLE Inc. is always open to being part of prevention planning.
In less time than the state’s “roundtable discussions” will take, communities can implement a permanent prevention vehicle and put prevention on the community calendar.
Butler and Westmoreland Reality Tour sites served 1,400-plus parents/children annually pre-covid. Online registration for evening Reality Tours will soon be posted at www.Reality Tour.org.
This program does double duty to get the family on the same page and form the foundation for open discussions. By addressing the consequences, home coping skills and first-person accounts, families come away better equipped for today’s environment. Many area schools partner to promote it to middle school families. Updates keep the program current with drug trends.
It takes just 12 people who care. A Reality Tour planner can be downloaded. Rotary Clubs and other groups have been the spark for startups of the program, now replicated in 10 states.
Norma Norris
Butler
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