Tempe Community Council presented an update on the Tempe Coalition’s prevention work, citing survey data that youth report early initiation of substance use and stressing expanded training and education to respond.

Octavia Harris reported that the coalition has identified an average age of substance-initiation at 13.6 years, that 15.8 percent of youth reported initiating substance misuse in elementary school, and that 28.8 percent of youth reported using a substance in the prior 30 days; 43.1 percent reported being unable to manage stress in the prior seven days. Harris said the coalition is working with partners including Tempe Police, Tempe Fire Medical Rescue, the Arizona High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area and the Arizona National Guard on evolving drug trends.

The coalition has expanded evidence-based Botvin LifeSkills curriculum delivery to more than 300 youth in Tempe, trained 16 educators and provided ACEs (trauma-informed) training to more than 50 educators. Harris said more than 800 Arizona State University students received Narcan and opioid-awareness training in the past fall. She also reported a roughly 300 percent increase in grant funding for the coalition between 2022 and 2024 and said continued use of Arizona Youth Survey data guides prevention priorities.

Council members asked about public Narcan training and were directed to contact Bernadette Coggins or the Tempe Coalition website; TCC provided the main office number (480-858-2300) as a contact point for businesses or individuals seeking training.