The Graphic Truth

Articles of Organization


{The Problem}
The pattern of illicit Drug use among the students in suburban towns and urban cities in New England has become a deadly epidemic which has caused the overdose deaths of students who were previously classified as "low risk" for substance abuse. We were contacted by the Superintendent of one of the local School systems and asked to develop a prevention program that is effective. Working in the substance abuse and mental health field for the past several years, I had previously comprised an outline of a program that may be one of the most effective drug and alcohol prevention program to date. In our research, we discovered that many current programs are actually drawing more students into experimenting with the type of drugs previously reserved for "seasoned street addicts", by educating students about the effects of individual narcotics, yet leaving out the tragic and destructive consequences that follow.

{The Solution}
We have developed a three-point program providing a very factual and graphic understanding of addiction.

1) : It will be hosted by person who has personally faced addiction, and has used every reason, excuse, and rationalization why they believed they could handle and control the use of alcohol and drugs. Additionally, they will utilize extremely graphic re-enactments of true addiction via PowerPoint presentation of professionally produced commercial spots of the situations active addiction leads to.

2) : Followed by a medically-based, elementary level animation of how our Brain becomes Addicted.

3) : This is followed by a Medical Professional who will utilize Colorful Visual Graphics to explain, in simple terms, how subtle the addiction process is and why no one knows when they have crossed that line until it's too late, which will address the query: "I can stop whenever I want" or "How Come they don't just quit".

We learn more when more senses, and parts of our brains are stimulated, which causes greater retention. Therefore, the overall effectiveness of our program is based on the inclusion of sight, sound, violence, fear, Action, Volume, shock, contemplation, color, graphics, drama, reading, live presentation, and truth.
The 20 minute presentation will be followed by questions from the students.

{The Administation Process}
As stated in our bylaws we have created this organization in the simplest fashion, which will be managed from our Wethersfield, CT office. A service Director will be in charge of the day to day operation with the help of an administrative assistant who will coordinate the specifics of each presentation and be the liaison for the schools and the presentation team. We have a pool of trained volunteers, who will form three teams of presenters who will travel from school to school presenting our program. Additionally, we will film and produce DVD and VHS copies of actual presentations and versions produced containing each individual part without a live audience for use in numerous venues such as smaller school systems, Juvenile Detention Facilities, Treatment Centers, Detoxification Hospitals, or for personal use. Both the Service Director and Administrative assistant will initially work as volunteers, but as the magnitude of the requests increase and funding is secured, our Board of Directors will secure an accounting firm to develop salaried positions in concert with the need and the financial resources. We believe this will happen within the first 90 days, as we have been in touch with many funding resources who are awaiting our 501 (3) (c) status.

{Funding & Public Exposure}
Our organization will be financed through private contributions, organizations, local and federal grants, and various community fund-raisers. Our program will be introduced at a press conference in front of the Connecticut State Capital with the support of the Politicians who have encouraged our efforts, Celebrities who have personally experienced drug & alcohol addiction, School Officials, and direct participants within The Graphic Truth. Additionally, we will be announcing a musical event fund-raiser in memory of a the local young man, Ian Wells, an Honor student and Musical Prodigy, who died from a Heroin overdose, and whose death prompted the Superintendent to secure our services.

Several media personalities have supported our efforts and have actively participated in the production of many of the taped audio/visual presentations and tools we will be using throughout our service and efforts.

This is a simple, hard-hitting approach that is different than any other program model. We believe it is simply because it is graphic, it is violent, and it is the truth...and is patterned after the very effective "Scared Straight" crime prevention programs of the 1970s.

School systems are facing a deadly problem with very little effectiveness, and this is our effort to reveal every aspect of addiction and to convey the reality of drug/alcohol addiction from every side, with no gimmicks or slogans...just the evidence, the facts, and the truth.

{Future Plans and Program Enhancements}

We have begun development of additional media productions showing actual conditions, locations, and consequences of
addiction in real-life situations, which will include interviews with people currently in the grasp of various substances, where they came
from, and the mind-set they believed that led them to the places and circumstances in which they now live through and experience
within their day to day lives. These plans include the production of more very graphic re-enactments of analogies of the destruction
drugs and alcohol brings to not only the individuals, but the families, children, friends, employers, and communities, that become
secondary victims of the consequences of addiction.

Further plans include documentaries of the overall burden dependencies of all kinds place on our communities, towns, cities, and States
and the resources expended to address such problems...from Police to Hospitals to Treatment Centers to the strain on our Medical
Communities, and ultimately the financial weight and expenditures our States must bear.

One of our initiatives is our goal to follow addiction from the first cigarette, to the first drink, to the first drug, to the
first hospitalization, to the first crime, to the first arrest, to the first incarceration...and all the incidental problems
that one vain causes people, places, institutions, and budgets. This entire issue ultimately leads right up to
the tax-payer's door...which will methodically illustrate how crucial and critical it is to provide the
most effective Drug and Alcohol Prevention, before the whole chain is activated.