About Us

A Message from Andrew P. Thomas
Maricopa County Attorney

As a father of four children, I realize how important it is to discuss with them the dangers of drugs. This subject is a difficult one and many of us just don't know where to start. That's why my office offers this website as a tool for you to easily navigate and get the information you need.

This web site will guide you as you talk about drugs with your children. You will learn what different types of drugs look like and the effects they can have on your child's body. As you go through this site, you also will be able to determine which discussions are appropriate as your child moves from elementary to middle school and then on to high school. For the message to be effective, a discussion about drugs should take place on a regular basis regardless of the age of your child. If we can keep our children drug free through their teen years, research shows that they are likely to be drug free forever.

We hope that you find our web site to be a valuable resource in ensuring that our children avoid the serious and dangerous effects of drug use.

Sincerely,

Andrew P. Thomas
Maricopa County Attorney

Our Mission

The Drug Free AZ program began February 13, 2002, with the main goal of keeping young people from starting to use drugs and convincing occasional users to stop. Our primary audiences are middle school adolescents, ages 11-13; their parents; and other primary caregivers and influential adults.

But we don't have information for just parents and kids. Drug use influences all aspects of our lives, from the home to the classroom to the workplace. In addition to the vast resources we have for kids of all ages and their parents, we provide resources for teachers to develop drug-free curriculums, and for employers to develop drug-free workplace programs.

If we can convince just one person not to take drugs -- whether they are in middle school or middle age -- we consider the program a success.

Drug Free AZ's 10 Prevention Principals

1. Drug Free AZ enhances “protective factors” and moves toward reversing or reducing known “risk factors.”  As perceived risk increases, drug use declines.
   
   
2. Drug Free AZ targets all forms of drug abuse, including the use of tobacco, alcohol, marijuana and inhalants.
   
   
3. Drug Free AZ's educational material includes skills to resist drugs when offered, strengthen personal commitments against drug use, and increase social competency (e.g., in communications, peer relationships, self-efficacy, and assertiveness), in conjunction with reinforcement of attitudes against drug use.
   
   
4. Drug Free AZ has a strong parent component that reinforces what the children are learning-such as facts about drugs and their harmful effects- and that opens opportunities for family discussions about use of legal and illegal substances and family policies about their use.
   
   
5. Drug Free AZ beleives family-focused prevention efforts have a greater impact than strategies that focus on parents only or children only.
   
   
6. Community programs that include media campaigns are most effective when they are accompanied by school and family interventions.
   
   
7. Drug Free AZ knows the "Majority Rules!" Most kids do not use drugs. Drug Free AZ strengthens norms against drug use in all drug abuse prevention settings, including the family, the school, and the community.
   
   
8. Drug Free AZ addresses the specific nature of the drug abuse problem in the local community.
   
   
9. Drug Free AZ is age-specific, developmentally appropriate, and culturally sensitive.
   
   
10. Drug Free AZ is cost-effective.  For every dollar spent on drug use prevention, communities can save seven dollars in costs for drug abuse treatment and counseling.