POPULAR DRUG-FREE CONFAB GROWS

The second annual Partnership for a Drug-Free Detroit conference has grown
into a two-day gathering.

The free conference, which will be held Friday at Detroit's St. Regis Hotel
and Saturday at Cobo Center, includes a keynote address, lessons on
substance abuse prevention and discussions with representatives of recovery
organizations and ex-addicts.

The Partnership for a Drug-Free Detroit is a nonprofit initiative of the
Detroit Health Department Bureau of Substance Abuse supported by the
Detroit City Council aimed at substance abuse prevention.

Group officials said they want people of all ages to attend the conference.

"We will be targeting all forms of substance abuse, and especially the
dangers that children and teen-agers face today from them," said
Partnership for a Drug-Free Detroit Project Manager Jacqueline Bridges.

"Although adults can drink, alcohol damages their health, but kids get
intoxicated as well, and they also try smoking, which affects their health
as well."

The conference will focus on marijuana usage, which, Bridges said, "is
difficult to get a message out about (the dangers of) because there are so
many drives afoot to legalize it, and the abundance of rave drug parties in
Detroit."

Other sessions will focus on substance abuse issues in the Hispanic and
Arabic communities, and the Faith-Based Institutions of Greater Detroit
will conduct a workshop for drug-abuse counselors and preachers on how to
minister to substance abusers.

WXYZ-TV anchorman Frank Turner, who won his struggle with substance abuse
(an addiction to cocaine), will speak at the conference.

The anchorman, who was fired by Channel 7 in April 1998, said his full
recovery came in August of 1999, followed by his return to Channel 7 in May
2000.

Turner's will address "community building, because you need sober people in
every aspect of community life in order to succeed, because alcohol,
tobacco, and drugs are everywhere.

"There is a strong link between a father drinking Scotch and his son
smoking marijuana because the father cannot say it's not OK to smoke pot
when he drinks alcohol."

Last year's conference "was very successful, considering it was our first
one, and what came out of it was how people gained experience in how to
improve their networking in the Partnership and the community," Conference
Program Consultant Harrison Y. Smith said.

"Substance abuse is one of the major problems in our society and the
principles of substance abuse prevention are the same as community building
- -- there is no way around it."

(SIDEBAR)

WXYZ-TV anchorman Frank Turner is the keynote speaker at the Detroit
conference.

Just say no

What: Second annual Partnership for a Drug-Free Detroit Conference, which
includes a keynote address, lessons on substance abuse prevention and
discussions with ex-addicts and representatives of recovery organizations.

When: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Where: St. Regis Hotel, Cass at W. Grand Boulevard, and Cobo Center,
Jefferson at Washington Boulevard, Detroit.

Sponsor: The Detroit Health Department's Bureau of Substance Abuse.

Phone: (313) 876-4353 or (888) 366-8623.