Craig Daily Press

It is the elephant in the room no one wants to acknowledge.

No one wants to say it. Everyone wants to just move on.

But there has been a problem with Grand Futures in Moffat County.

This is not to lay blame, but it is the editorial board’s opinion that the organization was losing, or had little, presence in our community.

In short, it was struggling to achieve its purpose: That is “to engage our community to create and promote positive, healthy lifestyles as alternative choices to substance abuse through education, collaboration and activism,” according to its Web site.

This is an important purpose and that is why the words coming from Mary Rupert-Housely, the Grand Futures Prevention Coalition tri-county executive director, are so good to hear.

She wants more of a presence in Moffat County. She wants to work with other groups.

And this is what needs to happen. It takes a collaborative effort to deal with drug use and underage drinking problems.

Perhaps no group is better positioned to do this than Grand Futures.

Although groups such as Communities Overcoming Meth Addiction and the Substance Abuse Prevention Program are in full swing with preventative measures, they could use Grand Futures’ resources, including Grand Future’s area director position to further all of their causes.

They need to work together to continue to make these issues relevant and let them get lost in the background noise. The fight against substance abuse and underage drinking is a long one, and fresh ideas are needed to keep it top of mind.

They need to work together to focus on finding alternatives for youths. There is debate about the effectiveness of prevention programs, but the editorial board believes words of caution can only do so much.

Giving youths something to do is important.

They need to work together to inform the public that they cannot do it by themselves. Ultimately, as with most issues, responsibility starts and ends with parents. These organizations should be tools for parents to use.

And let’s make sure to take a look in the mirror and see if we’re being positive role models. At the first Youth Wellness Initiative meeting, several teens talked about the hypocrisy of parents telling them not to drink, but then drinking themselves.

Many adults bristle at this notion, that it is more of a do-what-I-say not-what-I-do concept.

Only you can decide the best route to take in teaching your children the consequences of underage drinking and substance abuse. But, we encourage you not to discount what our youths are saying.

Ultimately, if we act individually and as a community, we can continue to address these problems.

We can have a grand future, one and all.