SAFE Coalition Member Attends National Prevention Network Conference

The National Prevention Network conference was held August 27-29, 2019 at the Hilton Chicago. The conference was three days, complete with keynotes, breakouts, and networking opportunities. The conference theme for 2019 was Building on Evidence-Based Prevention to Connect Communities.

The National Prevention Network (NPN) Conference (formerly called the NPN Prevention Research Conference) has a long-standing history. The first conference was held in 1988 in Kansas City, Missouri and has been conducted on an annual basis ever since in various cities around the country. Over the years, the conference has grown in size, hosting 700-1,000 participants.

The National Prevention Network (NPN) Conference hosts federal, state and local professionals from the substance abuse prevention field and related disciplines. Participants included: prevention providers, school personnel, government agency representatives and directors, law enforcement personnel, policymakers, coalition leaders and members, counselors, health education specialists, social workers, and high school students.

The purpose of the National Prevention Network (NPN) Conference is to highlight the latest research in the substance abuse prevention field. It provides a forum for prevention professionals, coalition leaders, researchers, and federal partners to share research, best practices and promising evaluation results for the purpose of integrating research into prevention practice.

The SAFE Coalition participant attended the following sessions: High in Plain Sight: New, Current and Various Drug Trends; The Evolution of State Cannabis Policies and Where Prevention Fits In; Prevention and Older Adults: Don’t Forget About Us; Making the Case for Prevention’s Seat at the Table: A Historical and Empirical Perspective; A Blueprint for Cannabis Regulation: Lessons Learned from Alcohol; Teen Advocates: Our Most Valuable and Under-Utilized Resource: Leveraging a Teen Voice to Optimize Substance Use Prevention Efforts; Fentanyl 101: What Prevention Professionals Need to Know; Selecting and Implementing Evidence-Based Practices to Address Marijuana Use Among Women of Childbearing Age; Collaborating with Law Enforcement and Identifying Effective Law Enforcement Strategies to Reduce Underage Drinking; and Innovative Prevention Strategies and Policies to Reduce Youth Use of Electronic Delivery Devices (EDDs).  For more information on the SAFE Coalition please call 319-293-3334 ext. 1017 or email at safe.coalition@van-burencsd.org.