As heavy drug issues, including the opioid crisis, weigh on our communities it is crucial that we support the non-profit organizations that are focusing on hindering drug addictions and helping individuals struggling with it. The National Council on Alcoholism & Drug Abuse - St. Louis (NCADA) is one organization that has made a lasting impact on the community. It was founded in 1965 as a community health agency to assist individuals, but it has grown to a more proactive organization through its prevention education services. In addition to this program they still assist the individuals with alcohol and drug abuse issues through intervention and crisis counseling.
NCADA, recently rebranded as Prevent + Ed, was established in 2010 due to the alarming increase in heroin use. The organization helps raise awareness of the heroin/opioid problem in the eastern region of Missouri. The campaign utilizes ads and public speakers to spread the message that curiosity + heroin is a deadly combination. If you would like to have a speaker visit your school or organization you can reach out to them here.Â
Furthermore, NCADA has a library, located on Olive Boulevard, full of resources for people interested in learning more about addiction and prevention of drugs and alcohol. More information about these organizations can be found here:Â https://prevented.org/