Ventura Center

Prevention means working upstream to reduce alcohol and drug-related problems in our community. We are involved in outreach in our communities, educating and increasing awareness about the risks and realities of alcohol and drug misuse and abuse. Read about our Prevention Services initiatives and our work in Ventura County. Misuse of prescription drugs, especially opioid painkillers, has resulted in a rising number of fatal and non-fatal overdoses in recent years, as well as serious harms associated with heroin addiction. Our goal is to reduce fatal and non-fatal overdoses caused by non-medical use of prescription painkillers. Our community has been increasingly impacted by high risk substances such as meth and fentanyl. Substance use issues can impact anyone. If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, help is available. Learn more about staying safe and getting help. These have been uncertain and stressful times for many of us, which can lead to unhealthy choices. It’s important to build healthy habits – and the time is now! Learn about the risks of substance use and mental health issues, and how to get help for yourself or loved ones. Youth and young adults have easy access to marijuana and use it non-medically with increasing frequency, in more potent forms and in a growing number of community settings, despite potential health and safety harms. Our goal is to reduce current non-medical marijuana use among local youth. Find resources about marijuana and vaping for parents and the community. Every year, thousands of individuals are arrested for impaired driving in Ventura County, causing harms to drivers, passengers and the public. Increasingly, marijuana and prescription drug use, alone or in combination with alcohol, are growing factors in DUIs countywide. Our goal is to reduce impaired driving among Ventura County youth and adults. Underage drinking is common as youth continue to have easy access to alcohol in retail, public and social settings, resulting in excess consumption and dangerous consequences. Our goal is to reduce underage drinking in commercial, public and social settings. Health equity is achieved when everyone can live a healthier life, no matter who we are, where we live, or how much money we make. And while we can’t currently ensure that everyone will be healthy, we can change the physical conditions in which people live, learn, work and play, one community at a time. By improving these conditions, everyone will have the opportunity to achieve their full potential and improve their quality of life.