SAFE Yakima's annual State of Our Youth Breakfast will take place Wednesday (May 9) from 7:30-9:30 a.m. in the Ahtanum Room of the Maggie Perez Building, 111 S. Second Ave. in Yakima.

State of Our Youth is an annual event that brings together key leaders in the Yakima Valley to support youth substance use prevention.

The keynote speaker for this year's event is Dr. Steven Freng from Northwest High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas.

According to the official press release:

Dr. Freng has acquired over 30 years experience as a chemical dependency professional, having occupied clinical, supervisory, administrative and managerial positions involving both prevention and treatment services.  Dr. Freng currently serves as the Prevention/Treatment Manager for the Northwest High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), a region of fourteen counties designated by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy for special law enforcement and chemical dependency initiatives.  As President of Community Network Services, Inc. he is also active as an international consultant, trainer, researcher and clinician.

Freng's presentation will also include information on the pharmacology research on the possibility of marijuana's addictive properties and whether alcohol, tobacco and marijuana can lead to other drugs of choice.

Safe Yakima is a group of community volunteers working toward youth substance use prevention.

For more information, contact Julia Krolikowski at Educational Service District 105 at (509) 853-1113, or Lupita Carrillo at Safe Yakima Valley, (509) 248-2021.

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