Grassroots Drug Prevention Program Uniting US Attorney Generals

BRIDGEWATER, NJ, July 27, 2012

The Reality Tour is the national project of the non-profit organization, CANDLE, Inc. The tour is divided in to four main segments: dramatic scenes narrating a 'life & death' of a teen on drugs, coping skills for parents and children to adopt, law enforcement speaking about trends and protection measures for the community, and recovery addict sharing their consequences and that drug abuse is never the right choice. The Reality Tour is able to remain current with drug trends as they emerge, and law enforcement plays a critical role ensuring that in the presentation.

Presented on a routine basis (monthly in populous areas) in the evening, Reality Tour has a proven success record. This program has been operating since 2003 with hundreds of parents bringing their children, and schools will partner to systematically get entire grade levels to attend. The general public will support and sustain this effort. Courts can mandate attendance to at-risk families as well. Reality Tour is a popular program and has spread to 23% of counties in PA and 11 states. It is listed on SAMHSA's NREPP as an evidence based program.

This truly affordable program can be implemented on a statewide basis by involving civic organizations like Rotary, Lions Clubs, Soroptimist, Scouts etc. Norris is simply asking the Attorney Generals to support and advocate for the Reality Tour within their state. The most work that the Attorney General and their offices will have to do is write a letter or make a phone call to a civic organization that is full of volunteers who wish to make a difference in their community. Civic organizations have purchased program models in PA in the past. Reality Tour is the perfect project for civic organizations, faith-based organizations and local government. It is not hard to find people willing to help diminish the drug and alcohol use in their communities. The Attorney Generals would serve as the catalyst to bring the Reality Tour their states.

An Attorney General could do many simple things to make sure the program is able to function in make communities in their state. The Attorney General Office in Pennsylvania uses fines and forfeiture funds to support this community-based prevention program. No matter what this program is self-sustainable and will pay for itself in no time. The cost of the program model includes all training necessary to start program.

Norris is hoping to bring all Attorney Generals together at the teleconference where the overview of Reality Tour and the method to implement the Reality Tour within their state will be presented. The implementation strategy for the Attorney Generals is to connect with civic organizations that are full of volunteers wanting to make a difference. Just the Attorney General's simple stamp of approval is needed to bring the program to states that they serve. The teleconference is on Wednesday, August 15 at 2:00 p.m. ET. Many communities are crying out for an answer in prevention, now the Attorney Generals can provide them with a solution. CANDLE, Inc. is encouraging people who want drug and alcohol prevention to be a reoccurring presentation in their state and communities should contact their state Attorney General and want them to attend the Reality Tour Teleconference.