LPKNC

TARGET COMMUNITY: Families within the Liberty Partnership Kino Neighborhoods Council with a focus on youth from ages 8 – 21, but inclusive of all ages.

Liberty Partnership Community Council is known as LPKNC ~
Substance abuse prevention coalition and organization that offers prevention of substance misuse, school drop-out, violence, behavioral and mental health (suicide) on the Southside of Tucson, AZ.

05/29/2026

Old prescriptions sitting in the bathroom cabinet are where a lot of misuse starts.

You can drop them off, no questions asked, at any of the six Pima County Sheriff substations with Dispose-A-Med bins, at most Walgreens and CVS locations, and at DEA Drug Take Back events every April and October. Clear out what you do not need.

Sources: Pima County Sheriff Dispose-A-Med, pimasheriff.org; DEA Take Back, deatakeback.com

05/28/2026

Recreational ma*****na is legal in Arizona at 21. Safe at 16 is a different question.

Regular use during the teen years is linked to lower learning and memory performance, and a higher risk of dependence in adulthood. The same conversation you have about alcohol applies here. Same brain, same stakes.

Source: National Institute on Drug Abuse, nida.nih.gov

05/27/2026

Narcan reverses an opioid overdose, and it is now sold over the counter at most pharmacies. No prescription needed. In Arizona, you can also order it free by mail from Sonoran Prevention Works at spwaz.org or find free local pickup sites at naloxoneaz.com. Keep it where you keep the first aid kit. It only saves a life if it is in the house.

Sources: Arizona Department of Health Services, azhealth.gov/opioid; spwaz.org

05/26/2026

Teen depression does not always look like crying.

Watch for sleeping way more or way less than usual, dropping friends or activities they used to love, anger that came out of nowhere, or talk about being a burden. Trust your gut over their "I'm fine."

Pima County's 24/7 crisis line is 520-622-6000.

Source: American Academy of Pediatrics, healthychildren.org

05/18/2026

Need a way to say no without making it a thing? Try:
"Coach drug tests us."
"I'm the ride home tonight."
"Not tonight, I'm good."

You don't owe anyone a reason. And most Pima County teens are not actually drinking, even if it feels like they are.

Source: 2024 Arizona Youth Survey, acjc.az.gov

05/15/2026

💊 Unused meds? Deactivate them at home with Deterra.

Watch how easy it is; just add water, 30 seconds, and into the trash.
Safe for your family, your community, and the environment.

Small step. Big impact.

05/06/2026

Your brain isn't finished developing until your mid-20s.

The last parts to finish are the ones that handle decision-making, impulse control, and memory. Heavy drinking during your teen years can interrupt that process.

Research from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism shows that heavy teen drinking is linked to smaller volumes in the hippocampus, the part of the brain that handles learning and memory, along with changes to the frontal lobe and other regions.

The point isn't to scare you.

It's that the brain you're building right now is the one you get to keep. If you or someone you know is drinking to cope with stress, anxiety, or something harder, SAMHSA's National Helpline is free, confidential, and open 24/7 at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

05/05/2026

"Text me if you need anything" sounds kind, but almost nobody ever texts.

When someone is struggling, reaching out feels like climbing a mountain.

The best check-ins are specific and take the decision out of their hands.
Try "Want to grab food Saturday?" or "I'm coming over after practice, cool?" or "Sending you a playlist tonight, listen when you can."

Specific beats polite every time. It tells your friend you were already thinking about them.

If you're worried about someone and don't know what to do next, 988 isn't just for the person in crisis. You can call or text for advice on how to help a friend.

05/01/2026

A lot of teens use w**d to take the edge off anxiety, manage stress, or feel okay after a hard day. But research from the National Institute on Drug Abuse shows teens who use cannabis are about twice as likely to develop depression or experience suicidal thoughts.

Today's ma*****na isn't what it was 20 years ago either. THC levels have more than tripled since 1995, and higher potency is linked to higher mental health risk, especially during the years your brain is still developing.

W**d doesn't erase the anxiety. It moves it, and often makes it louder later. If you need someone to talk to, 988 is free and open 24/7.

If you're trying to cut back and don't know where to start, SAMHSA's Helpline can help: 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

Source: NIDA, "Cannabis (Ma*****na)"
https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/cannabis-ma*****na

04/30/2026

If you've been feeling hopeless, numb, or just off for a while, you're not making it up and you're not being dramatic.

The CDC reports that 40% of high schoolers felt persistently sad or hopeless in 2023. That's a lot of people quietly going through the same thing.

Reaching out doesn't fix everything, but it's where it starts.

988 is free and open 24/7. You can call or text. You don't have to be in a crisis to use it. You just have to be having a hard time.

04/28/2026

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine identified 19 hotspot counties in the U.S. where teen overdose deaths are highest.

Pima County is one of them.

Arizona as a whole had teen overdose rates at double the national average between 2020 and 2022, with fentanyl in counterfeit pills driving the crisis. This isn't something our kids are reading about happening in another state. It's happening at their schools, in their group chats, and at the parties they get invited to this weekend.

LPKNC works directly with Tucson youth and families to change that.
Learn about our workshops and how to get involved at lpknc.org.

Source: Friedman J, Hadland SE. "The Overdose Crisis among U.S. Adolescents." New England Journal of Medicine, January 4, 2024.
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp2312084

Address

3191 East Valencia Ste 111
Tucson, AZ
85706

Telephone

+15204883200

Website

http://lpknc.org/

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