Power of Choice: Help When You Need It Most

I belong to a culture that values family, education, and a conservative outlook on life. That is what I thought before. Now, having lived in Naperville for almost a decade, I have changed my opinion.

Indian-American families here live the same American teenage years as everyone else — the parties, the peer pressure, the drugs and drinking that sometimes find their way in. The point of this narrative: we are now part of the fabric of this society. Along with the good things, our children can also pick up its vices. Things with kids do go wrong sometimes. They can fall into bad company and addiction. I pray it doesn't happen to you or anyone reading this — but if unfortunately it does, there is a local organization that can help.

360 Youth Services is committed to substance-use prevention education, counseling, and housing for homeless youth and young adults.

Of the organization's programs, one worth knowing about is Power of Choice. 360 Youth Services runs this drug and alcohol abuse prevention campaign for students in school districts 203 & 204 and their parents. The initiative focuses on correcting misconceptions about the prevalence of substance use and emphasizes that most students are making healthy choices regarding tobacco, alcohol, and drugs. It uses classroom presentations, posters, journals, and other media and communication tools.

The high-school program is built on a simple idea: when a community consistently supports its students' healthy choices, the number of kids making good decisions about substance use increases. A middle-school communications campaign for districts 203 & 204 students and parents focuses on the risks and harm associated with alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use.

For parents: talk to your kids — about stress, about coping in positive ways, and about your family's own story. A feeling of connection to family builds resilience.

Learn more about the organization at 360 Youth Services.

This is an archived community piece from 2017.