Central MetroWest Substance Awareness & Prevention Collaborative
Uniting communities through connection and collaboration to prevent youth substance use and misuse, foster a culture of wellness, and ensure every young person has the support they need to thrive.
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of youth haven’t vaped or used alcohol in the last 30 days
%
of youth haven’t used cannabis in the last 30 days.
%
of students report having a supportive adult in their lives.
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Uniting Communities through Connection & Collaboration
Whether you’re a parent or caregiver, or youth looking for guidance, an educator seeking resources, or a community member eager to create change, CMSAPC brings seven communities together to build a healthier, united region.
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Support for parents, caregivers, and youth
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Educational resources for educators
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Community health and prevention programs
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Opportunities to lead local change
Explore Our Local Coalitions
Ashland
Hudson
Marlborough
Natick
Northborough
Southborough
Westborough
View All Communities
Youth Substance Use Prevention Resources
Community Events
View our Events Calendar to stay informed about workshops, training sessions, and wellness activities happening across Central MetroWest.
Follow Us & Join the CMSAPC Online Community
📣 Parents & Caregivers: We want to hear from YOU!
The 2026 CMSAPC Parent/Caregiver Attitudes on Youth Substance Use Survey is now open, and your thoughts, experiences, and ideas can directly help shape prevention programming for the young people you care about.
As parents and caregivers, you have an important perspective on the challenges youth are facing, the conversations happening at home, and the kinds of information and support families actually need. Your feedback helps us make sure our programs and messaging reflect the real experiences of our communities.
This year’s survey is shorter than in previous years and there is one regional survey for all CMSAPC communities.
✅ Take the survey here:
trendline.questionpro.com/CMSAPC2026
Please consider taking a few minutes to participate and sharing the survey with other parents and caregivers. The more voices we hear from, the better we can understand what families need and use that information to guide future youth prevention efforts across our region.
Thank you for helping us make sure parent and caregiver voices are part of the conversation. 💬
💬 “Everybody at school does it! Why can’t I?”
We’ve all heard the classic response:
“Well, if everyone was jumping off a cliff, would you jump too?” 🙄
It might be a classic, but let’s retire that one.
Responses like this can come across as dismissive and can insult the intelligence of our teens. More importantly, they can shut down a conversation when what we really want is to keep our teens talking to us.
Welcome to our new Talk Early. Talk Often. Q+A with Your Teen series, where we’ll take real questions and comments parents may hear and offer another way to respond.
Instead of the cliff:
💚 “It might feel like everyone is doing it, but most teens actually aren’t. What matters most to me is helping you make choices that are healthy and safe for you.”
You don’t need a clever comeback. Listen to what your teen is actually saying, respect their ability to think for themselves, and keep the conversation going.
🗣️ Talk Early. Talk Often.
🔗 cmsapc.org
#TalkEarlyTalkOften #CMSAPC #ParentingTeens #ParentingTips #YouthPrevention ParentResources PreventionWorks MetroWestMA
IN FOCUS: Fall for Wellness is September 27th. Among many incredible things happening, attendees will have a chance to attend a 20 minutes Narcan training, provided by the Greater Boroughs Partnership for Health. It could literally save someone's life. Check it out and everything that is happening at westboroughconnects.org.
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