
October marks the start of National Youth Substance Use Prevention Month and it also includes the celebration of Red Ribbon Week, a national campaign started in the late 1980s to raise awareness about drug use, especially with children.

In a recent ARI interview, Monica Hernandez Sanchez delves into her journey in substance use prevention, how she rose to CEO at BHSST, and her commitment to being a recovery ally. She also expresses her excitement about leveraging technology, such as TxCOPE, to enhance the availability of resources and ultimately save lives.

ARI's Policy and Engagement team have spent the past year focusing on advocating for policy change during Texas' 88th legislative session. Research Associate for Policy and Community Engagement at TxCOPE, Mina Chitti, gives us a rundown of the House and Senate bills that were passed and are taking effect September 1st.