More than 2,500 substance abuse prevention and treatment specialists from throughout the country will convene in the Washington, D.C. area for Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America’s (CADCA) 22nd annual National Leadership Forum, which will be held February 6-9, 2012 at the Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center.

CADCA’s National Leadership Forum is the nation’s largest training for substance abuse prevention and treatment professionals and researchers. The event will feature more than 80 training courses to help community and state leaders address the nation’s number one public health concern –substance abuse and its related problems.

Topics will include everything from how to prevent prescription drug abuse and inhalant use to how to reduce alcohol outlet density. The event offers participants an opportunity to learn effective strategies to solve their community’s substance abuse and violence problems, and to hear from the country’s leading experts on drug prevention, treatment and recovery.

Participants will hear from such conference headliners as James Fowler, Ph.D., author of Connected: The Surprising Power of Our Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives, and Professor in the School of Medicine and Division of Social Sciences at the University of California, San Diego; and Ben Tucker, Deputy Director of State, Local and Tribal Affairs for the Office of National Drug Control Policy. Both will speak during the National Leadership Plenary on Tuesday, Feb. 7.

In addition, during Capitol Hill Day on Feb. 8 , several thousand community advocates will take to the halls of Congress to hold meetings with their Members of Congress. They’ll begin the day by hearing remarks from Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack (R-CA); Congresswoman Karen Bass, (D-CA);

Debbie Jessup from Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA)’s office; Hilarie Chambers from Congressman Sander Levin (D-MI)’s office; and Lloyd Johnson, Ph.D., lead researcher of the annual Monitoring the Future Survey from the University of Michigan. Later that day, during the Capitol Hill Reception, Sen.Charles Grassley (R-IA), and Congressmen Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL) and Danny Davis (D-IL) will address participants.

Some of the other national experts who will provide remarks during CADCA’s National Leadership Forum include:

• Marilyn Quagliotti, Deputy Director for Supply Reduction, Office of National Drug Control Policy
• David Mineta, Deputy Director for Demand Reduction, Office of National Drug Control Policy
• Pam Hyde, Administrator, Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration
• Michele Leonhart, Administrator, Drug Enforcement Administration
• Dr. Nora Volkow, Director, National Institute on Drug Abuse
• Dr. Kenneth Warren, Acting Director, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
• Michael Brown, Director, Office of Impaired Driving and Occupant Protection, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Several hundred youth will also attend the meeting to take part in CADCA’s workforce development training, the Nation Youth Leadership Initiative, where youth will learn how to become substance abuse prevention advocates and powerful community leaders.

Image Courtesy of  http://www.flickr.com/photos/bleuman/

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