The Governor’s Prevention Partnership and the Connecticut Business and Industry Association officially kicked off their “Prevention Starts With YOU” partnership in front of more than 800 people at the Marriott in downtown Hartford during CBIA’s 2023 Annual Meeting on Wednesday, November 15.
“Prevention Starts With YOU” is a critical initiative that we all need to get behind to give our youth opportunities,” CBIA President and CEO Chris DiPentima said during his remarks at the annual meeting. “We look forward to working with The Governor’s Prevention Partnership on this initiative.”
CBIA along with other partner organizations and agencies, will distribute a total of 50,000 conversation starters and drug deactivation and disposal pouches to residents of Greater Hartford and New Haven through September of 2024. The conversation starters are a resource for parents, mentors, or other caring adults to talk with youth in their lives about avoiding drugs and alcohol. The pouches can be used anywhere, anytime, and thrown into regular household trash, eliminating the risk of both misuse and a negative environmental impact. This initiative is expected to result in the elimination of more than two million unwanted pills or medications.
“As the former President and CEO of CBIA, I couldn’t be prouder to see them joining forces with The Partnership to help address substance misuse in our state,” Joe Brennan, Co-Chair of The Governor’s Prevention Partnership’s Board of Directors said. “Young people are the lifeblood of Connecticut and setting them up for a successful future in the workforce and beyond is a crucial part of our mission.”
“We are proud to work with CBIA on our “Prevention Is You” initiative,” Kelly Juleson, Co-President of The Governor’s Prevention Partnership said. “Our hope is to provide these resources to businesses across the state, so that, together, we can address the opioid epidemic. The opioid epidemic costs Connecticut businesses millions of dollars annually, and more than that costs lives.”
“Prevention Starts With YOU” is a Congressionally Directed Spending project secured with the assistance of U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy and is funded through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
For more information on how to bring disposal pouches and prevention resources into your business, please contact The Governor’s Prevention Partnership.
The Governor’s Prevention Partnership builds statewide capacity to prevent underage drinking and substance use and builds strategic alliances to promote the overall well-being of Connecticut’s future workforce. Created in 1989, the Partnership is a partnership between government and business leaders. Learn more at GPPCT.org.
CBIA is Connecticut’s largest business organization, with thousands of member companies, small and large, representing a diverse range of industries from every part of the state. For more information, please contact Scott Beaulieu (860.244.1929)