Meet the Outreach Team! – Drug Safety and Awareness with Izzy Almasi

“Drugs are going to happen. It’s hard to stop people from doing them, but we can educate them on the risks,” says Izzy. “I wanted to make sure that people in the community have the information they need to make smart, safe, informed decisions, and that they understand the risks and possible consequences of illegal drug use or even legal drug use.”

Drug safety and awareness education is for everyone. Even if a youth is not actively using or experimenting with drugs, there’s a high chance they will be exposed to drug use while taking public transit, exploring the city, or even in their social circles.

“My intention in designing this program was for people to become informed,” explains Izzy. “Everyone has such different experiences with drug use and addiction. I don’t want anyone to walk away feeling judged or afraid. I hope people feel empowered to make the right choices for themselves.”

While designing the program, Izzy had to confront a lot of her own pre-
assumptions, including who exactly was using drugs. “Some of the biggest surprises in my research included finding out just how young some youth are when they begin experimenting with drugs,” says Izzy. “But also how widespread drug use is across the city. It is happening in some of the wealthiest neighbourhoods, in the suburbs, and downtown. It’s not restricted to one area.” YouthLink’s Community Outreach programs, including Drug Safety and Awareness, are available to book through our website. All our programming is created in conjunction with specialists through CPS to ensure accurate and up-to-date information. We have presentations for various age groups, ranging from youth to seniors.

For more information about how to book, visit our Outreach page.