The Greater North Penn Collaborative for Health and Human Services will address drug and alcohol abuse at its Sixth Annual Community Summit titled, “Unleashing the Power of Community to Reduce Youth Substance Abuse.” Coordinator Ella Roush says the problem is pervasive.

“There’s just about no one who has been untouched by substance abuse, either in their family or among close friends and relatives.”

She says they will look at many things, including an attitude that is all too common among adults.

“They kind of have the impression that we did stuff when we were kids and that it’s normal for young people to experiment, but the environment is much scarier today than it was when we were kids.  High-potency marijuana is much more available than it was in the past, as well as the prescription drug abuse where one use can kill your child.”

One of two keynote speakers is Doctor Thomas McLellan of the Penn Center for Substance Abuse.  Roush says he is one of the nation’s top researchers into the problem, and he has found that people working together get better outcomes.

“People recover better from substance problems when they’re in community, and when all the providers of professional care, the faith community, the school system and everyone comes together to help a young person recover from a substance abuse problem.”

Roush says the summit is for school, sports, scout and other youth leaders who want to know more about what’s going on today and how they can work together to counteract some of the negatives.  A panel discussion moderated by Darryl Berger, host of the WNPV talk program Comment Please by Univest, will include Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Ferman, Judge Wendy Demchick-Alloy and representatives of the North Penn, Wissahickon and Souderton Area School Districts.  The summit takes place Tuesday, May 3, from 7:30am until 3:30pm, At the Branch Creek Community Church in Harleysville.  For more information or to register go to www.npcollab.org on the internet.