L-R: Worden, Carroll, Orange County DA David Hoovler and PJ Pride member Niki Jones
PORT JERVIS – Funded with $3,500 from the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, Operation PJ Pride will be launching “Reality Tour” in the City of Port Jervis.
“Reality Tour” is a program aimed at students to help prevent substance abuse among young people, with a series of vignettes illustrating the consequences of substance abuse, said Lindsey Carroll, project coordinator for Operation PJ Pride.
“The scenes will be a peer pressure scene that kids may come in contact with in school, next would be a jail scene and then an overdose scene at a party, then a hospital scene and a funeral scene, so it is things that could potentially happen to someone,” Carroll said.
The program has the backing of Police Chief William Worden.
“We believe the Realty Tour, which is an evidence-based drug prevention program will have an important effect on reducing substance abuse in our region,” Worden said.
Catholic Charities Community Services of Orange and Sullivan Counties has agreed to pick up the cost of the funding on an annual basis once the DA’s initial commitment has expired.
