ONE JOHNS CREEK CARA PROJECT WILL ADDRESS METHAMPHETAMINES, OPIOIDS, AND PRESCRIPTION DRUGS IN JOHNS CREEK, GA. - THE ONE JOHNS CREEK COALITION TARGETS YOUTH AGES 12-18 IN JOHNS CREEK, GEORGIA. JOHNS CREEK IS ONE OF SIX CITIES IN NORTH FULTON COUNTY AND RANKED AS THE 10TH LARGEST CITY IN GEORGIA. THE 31 SQUARE-MILE REGION HAS A POPULATION OF 84,310 AS OF JULY 1, 2018 (US CENSUS BUREAU) AND APPROXIMATELY 9,500 STUDENTS IN MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL (2019 FULTON COUNTY STUDENT ENROLLMENT DATA). THE RACE AND ORIGIN ARE AS FOLLOWS: WHITE 55%, BLACK OR AFRICAN AMERICAN 9.4%, ASIAN 26.7%, TWO OR MORE RACES 2.8%, AND HISPANIC OR LATINO 6.4%. THE COMMUNITY IS CHARACTERIZED BY A THRIVING ECONOMIC CLIMATE, ABOVE-AVERAGE SCHOOLS, BUMPER TO BUMPER TRAFFIC, TWO-EARNER HOMES WITH AN ABOVE-AVERAGE MEDIAN INCOME OF $100,000 AND A 30 TO 45-MINUTE COMMUTE TO WORK. THERE ARE 3 PUBLIC HIGH AND 3 PUBLIC MIDDLE SCHOOLS AS WELL AS PRIVATELY FUNDED SCHOOLS SERVING THE CITY?S STUDENT POPULATION. WHILE THE DESCRIPTION OF JOHNS CREEK AT FIRST READ APPEARS TO BE AN IDYLLIC, INDICATIVE OF MINIMAL CONCERN THE REALITY IS THAT SUBSTANCE MISUSE AND ITS DEVASTATING IMPACT KNOWS NO BOUNDARIES AND IS VERY MUCH A PART OF THE DYNAMICS THAT ARE ADVERSELY IMPACTING YOUTH, YOUNG ADULTS AS WELL AS OLDER ADULTS. WITH PRIVILEGE COMES DISCONNECTION AS BUSY LIVES, DIFFUSED FAMILY STRUCTURES, ACCESS TO SUBSTANCES AND DEMAND FOR ABOVE-AVERAGE PERFORMANCE EQUALS AN ENVIRONMENT CONDUCIVE TO RISKY AND SELF-SOOTHING BEHAVIORS THAT TOO OFTEN LEAD TO SUBSTANCE USE/MISUSE AND CATASTROPHIC CIRCUMSTANCES. JOHNS CREEK, AS A PART OF THE ?HEROIN TRIANGLE? WHERE HEROIN OVERDOSE IS CONCERNING, IS AN AREA OF SIGNIFICANT ILLEGAL DRUG USE INCLUDING METHAMPHETAMINES WITH INTENT TO DISTRIBUTE BASED ON THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC CLIMATE AND EXCESS FINANCIAL RESOURCES. ALTHOUGH THE COMMUNITY IS A RESOURCED AREA WITH A LARGE VARIETY OF SUBSTANCES AVAILABLE, THERE CURRENTLY EXISTS NO COMPREHENSIVE AND CONNECTED SYSTEM TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES SURROUNDING METHAMPHETAMINES, OPIOIDS AND/OR PRESCRIPTION DRUG MISUSE WHERE STUDENTS PROGRESS FRO M TAKING LEGAL PRESCRIPTIONS TO ILLEGAL SUBSTANCE MISUSE AND ABUSE PATTERNS. ONE JOHNS CREEK IS AND WILL CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER, AVOIDING DUPLICATION AND SILOED EFFORTS, WHILE FOCUSING ON DATA FUNNELING AND COLLECTION TO BE MORE EFFECTIVE AND CONSISTENT, BECOMING A TRAUMA-INFORMED COMMUNITY OF CARE, EXTENDING THE ATHLETE OPIOID PREVENTION PROTOCOL TO YOUNGER GROUPS AND COMPETITIVE CLUBS, CHANGING PROCESSES AND CONSEQUENCES FOR DRUG ARRESTS AT THE CITY LEVEL AS JAIL IS NOT A COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY ALL WHILE BUILDING INFRASTRUCTURE AND COLLABORATION AROUND THE REDUCTION OF METHAMPHETAMINE AND OPIOID USE/MISUSE. THE COALITION WILL CONTINUE TO EMPHASIZE PROTECTIVE FACTORS FOR YOUTH AND MINIMIZE THE RISK FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH SUBSTANCE MISUSE FOR BOTH YOUTH AND ADULTS WHILE PROMOTING A COMMUNITY CULTURE OF HEALTH AND WELLNESS.