Clarkston EPIC is a youth substance use prevention & mental health promotion coalition. We organize campaigns & programs to increase youth connection to family, friends & community. These connections foster healthy life decisions, prevent substance use and create long-term positive changes in our community.
Category: Who We Are
Why Does EPIC Exist?
In 2011, the Community Prevention and Wellness Initiative (CPWI) was formed in Washington. CPWI focuses on providing substance use prevention strategies through local coalitions. EPIC was formed in 2012 after a survey identified Clarkston as having an above average rate of youth substance use compared to the state of Washington. The annual Community Survey helps to guide our work as we continue to work on lowering the rate of youth...
What is Upstream Prevention?
Imagine you are standing next to a stream. Suddenly you see a person in the water calling for help! You quickly pull the person out of the water and almost immediately notice a second person in the stream calling for help. You quickly pull that person from the water but yet another person is in the water calling for help. What is going on??? While you could continue standing at...
Why Prevention Matters
The adolescent brain is quickly developing and will not reach full maturity until a person is about 25 years old. This means that just as it is easier to learn another language when you are younger, it is also easier for your brain to develop harmful habits. 90% of adults with a substance use disorder began using substances as teenagers. Simply delaying the age of first use can have a...
