Youth Drug Abuse Prevention Program (YDAPP) is a 10-month weekly leadership program where high school students engage their community and peers through drug abuse prevention. For the last 18 years, YDAPP has tackled tobacco and alcohol use by Koreatown youth.  This year, YDAPP has taken on a new emerging issue that is already affecting Koreatown in a significant way–marijuana.

In 2014, YDAPP team began an environmental scan in Koreatown for illegal and legal marijuana dispensaries. They will also conduct an opinion poll on the exposure of marijuana and its effect on crime, family relationships, and young people’s academic achievement. Koreatown has one of the highest numbers of outlets for tobacco, on-sale (bars), and off-sale outlets (liquor stores); adding illegal marijuana dispensaries to this mix could have serious consequences for the families and youth that reside in the neighborhood. “I used to wait at a bus stop in front of a marijuana dispensary,” one of the YDAPP youth mentioned, while conducting the environmental scan. “I never realized it!”

KYCC’s Prevention Education team is committed to developing youth and promoting leadership and advocacy skill sets. With these lessons learned, YDAPP plans to create a public service announcement on marijuana, which will be shown at KYCC’s Prevention Education’s Town Hall. Please check our website for more details!