CONNECTICUT – Northwest Corner organizations have come together to seek solutions to the increasing problem of substance abuse. Several groups have, in fact, developed an initiative that is already seeing some positive results.

The Botvin LifeSkills Training Program was described to a host of local residents during an event held at the Hotchkiss School’s Fairfield Farm on Saturday.

The Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation’s Northwest Corner Fund and the Foundation for Community Health, under the leadership of the McCall Center for Behavioral Health, invested in two strategies to address what they see as a crisis affecting families and communities in the region.

The program is now entering its fourth year. Participants are students in grades six, seven and eight who follow a curriculum that provides confidence, knowledge and resilience to deal with social and psychological factors that cause risky behavior.

Instructors also outline the dangers of alcohol, narcotics and vaping. According to those involved, Botvin has reduced drug use by up to 75%, alcohol use by up to 60% and aggressive behavior by up to 50%. The material put out says, “In Region 1, initial surveys indicate positive trends in skills relating to relaxation, drug refusal and self-control.”

Read full article: Positive trends seen with regional program to cut substance abuse