Youth Substance Awareness and Prevention Coalition of Grant County (YSAPC)
Founded in 2013, the The Youth Substance Awareness and Prevention Coalition (YSAPC) works tirelessly to curb youth access to alcohol, opioids and tobacco through initiating social projects and guiding public and school policy for greatest impact. Formerly known as the Youth Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition, the group updated the mission and name in 2021.
The Coalition is composed of representatives from 12 county sectors to have the greatest impact possible with funding provided by the New Mexico Office of Substance Abuse Prevention.
Service Area: Grant County, New Mexico
Mission: To raise awareness in Grant County about youth substance misuse thereby creating an environment that cultivates healthy productive lifestyles through policy and advocacy change that promotes resilient and empowered youth.
Facebook Page: Visit the YSAPC Facebook page for news on our latest efforts.
Currently, YSAPC is efforts are focused on:
- With input from the residents, YSAPC created A Handbook for Keeping Families Safe from Prescription Pain Killers with vital information to aid families preventing painkiller misuse and locate available resources for treatment of substance misuse in Grant County.
- Prevention LIVE! Our weekly Facebook Live series shares information on how we can create a healthier and safer environment for our youth. Nuestra serie semanal de Facebook Live comparte información sobre cómo podemos crear un ambiente más saludable y seguro para nuestra juventud.
- Brain Worthy: A Case Against Underage Drinking was a community panel and town hall discussion on the effects of underage drinking in Grant County held at WNMU. Funded by SAMHSA Underage Drinking Prevention Education Initiative.
- Raising awareness that supplying minors with alcohol is a 4th degree felony in New Mexico.
- Reviewing and drafting school alcohol and substance abuse policies for uniform enforcement and to leverage students into treatment as a practical alternative to zero-tolerance policies which was adopted by Silver City Consolidated School Board in 2018.
- Promotion for people to secure their medications, especially opioids and painkillers, to keep our community safe. Part of the initiative has distributed medication lock boxes at local senior centers in partnership with Hidalgo Medical Services.
- Promotion of MedReturn locations in Grant County, which have collected over 1,200 pounds of medications in three years. MedReturn is a safe and no cost way to dispose of your prescription and over-the-counter medications with two locations in Grant County. Look for the green MedReturn kiosk at:
- Bayard: 801 Central Ave. (Inside the lobby of the Bayard Public Safety Building)
- Silver City: 1106 Pope St. (Across the street from HMS Community Health Center)
- Assessment of alcohol outlets and sales to keep youth from illegally accessing alcohol.
- Support and promotion of Dose of Reality New Mexico.
Previously, YSAPC has worked on:
- Hosted a youth-led town hall to discuss school substance use policies which received national recognition from Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
- Partnered with Grant County law enforcement to install two MedReturn kiosks in the area to create safe medication disposal sites.
- Created the summer youth civic-tourism program, “101 Things for Youth to Do in Grant County,” which coordinated over 50 local businesses and nonprofits to offer free summer activities for youth.
- Launched “What’s Your Anti-Drug?“, social media campaign asking youth what they do to avoid drugs.
- Created and launched “Spring Cleaning” social media campaign for medication disposal that was adopted throughout southern New Mexico.
Our fiscal agent is the Center for Health Innovation. Previously the Coalition has been managed by the Town of Silver City , and prior the Coalition was founded by the Grant County Community Health Council.
For more information please call (575) 597-0024 or email info@chi-phi.org.
YSAPC is a program of the Center for Health Innovation, New Mexico’s designated Public Health Institute, and funded by the New Mexico Office of Substance Abuse Prevention.
