Greater Spokane Substance Abuse Council (GSSAC)

*The mission of the Greater Spokane Substance Abuse Council (GSSAC) is to promote the health, safety, and well being of our community with an emphasis on youth. *GSSAC educates and mobilizes our region to create safe, healthy communities by reducing substance abuse and violence. *Created by business and faith based leaders in 1982, GSSAC is steadfast in our support for positive community norms that help our youth stay or become drug free, reducing the stigma of treatment and recovery, and eliminating alcohol/drug impaired driving.

            GSSAC empowers community members to become engaged in finding solutions to the challenges of public safety and substance abuse, including underage marijuana use and alcohol abuse.  Through community education and engagement GSSAC strives to change community norms for more positive choices among youth, and in turn, adults.  

Here are three of our strategies to make a difference:

            The POWER (Prevention Outreach Wellness Education Resources) Coalition meets monthly normally on the 4^th Wednesday of the month to network, share resources, develop and implement strategies across multiple sectors of our community.  Led by community members with a commitment to supporting prevention, treatment, recovery and law/justice the POWER Coalition is open to everyone in the community with the belief that prevention works and we all play a positive role.   We are always looking for those interested in helping to join us.   

            GSSAC’s Spokane County DUI Victims Panel (Panel) brings together DUI victims and court-ordered offenders in a setting in which the offenders are compelled to learn about the terrible losses people suffer as a result of impaired driving. This encounter is thought to evoke a powerful and permanent impression in the offender of the dangers of impaired driving, and lead to a change in attitude toward driving after drinking or taking drugs.   One of the most important components of the Panel are the speakers who share their personal stories about how they were impacted by an impaired driving crash.  Note:  we always use the term ‘crash, wreck’ or colliison’—it is not an accident when someone drives impaired.   If you have a story to tell, please call Linda at 922-8383 for more information.

            Established in 1995 as a project of the GSSAC’s strategic plan to support youth making the positive decision to be or become drug free, the Washington Drug Free Youth (WDFY) program is youth leadership driven and community supported.   Currently 25 chapters in middle and high schools in Spokane, Pend Oreille, Stevens, and Lincoln counties have over 2,500 youth members actively making it cool to be drug free.   With parent/guardian permission, students sign up at their school to become a part of WDFY giving consent to participating in drug free activities, leadership development, PUPPET (Prevention Utilizing Puppets Prevention Education Training) training, photo release, and voluntary drug testing.  All of the cost of the initial and random drug testing is covered by the generous donation from Pathology Associates Medical Laboratories (PAML) so there is no cost to the students or schools.  Members are given a WDFY card that is honored at several merchants throughout the community for a discount or giveaway when the card is presented.