YOUTHS were encouraged to move beyond drugs and alcohol in order to succeed in life during the 16th annual “Too Cool To Do Drugs” conference held at the Pacific Islands Club.
The conference featured separate seminars for youths and adults as well as activities for the two groups to interact. “Resilience and Progress: That’s a Rap” was this year’s theme.
O.J. Taitano, program coordinator at Sanctuary, stated: “We want people to feel empowered.”
Taitano said a great number of young people experience or are exposed to drugs and alcohol and see these as an obstacle in moving forward in life.
“We want to remove that as an excuse for not achieving,” Taitano said. “We want them to know they can dream big and do.”
“We want parents to take what they learn here and apply it with their kids,” added Millie Lujan, executive director of Sanctuary.
Geawna Hernandez, the Youth of the Year for 2011, also gave a speech to encourage her peers to stay drug-free.
“Drugs and alcohol aren’t going to make me rich or go where I want to in life,” Hernandez said in an interview. A lot of teens are getting into drugs and alcohol, she said, and the conference is a good way to get them to focus on “real life.”
Seminars, or “track sessions,” were also held during the conference. Track sessions for the youth included lessons on relationship intelligence, effective communication, and STD and HIV/AIDS education awareness.
For adults, seminars were held for discussion on active relationships, levels of care and substance abuse, and tips for communicating with kids.
The conference was free for all attendees. Funding for the event was provided by community sponsors and a grant from the Office of Minority Health.
Lujan said this year’s conference was well-attended compared to previous years.
