Be Aware. Be Strong. Be Healthy™ Mesa empowers students, parents, and educators to recognize the risks of opioids and counterfeit pills, promote mental wellness, and take action through education, kindness, and prevention.
Together, we can create a culture of safety, awareness, and compassion throughout our community.
A New Model for Prevention
The City of Mesa and The Be Kind People Project® have launched an innovative prevention and outreach initiative that unites youth, families, schools, and communities in a shared mission of resilience and hope.
The Be Kind People Project was selected to receive a portion of the City’s opioid settlement funds specifically directed toward youth programming and prevention education because of its track record of using evidence-based methodologies to connect with students and support a vibrant school culture.
The core campaign messages (Be Aware, Be Strong, Be Healthy) emphasize healthy habits, confidence, and resilience—protective factors shown to reduce the likelihood of future substance use.
Our Approach:
Phased Outreach
Messaging is delivered through various channels in alignment with the school year, with the website BeHealthyMesa.org serving as the core resource repository.
Tiered Messaging
Content is tailored for elementary, middle, and high school students, caregivers, and educators so every audience receives age-appropriate, relevant support.
Relationship-Driven
Trauma-informed, strengths-based, stigma-reducing messaging builds trust and fosters lasting connections.
The Urgency of Prevention
Each day, 300 lives are lost to overdose. Here in Arizona, Maricopa County ranks among the top three counties in the U.S. for adolescent overdose deaths.
High-Risk Behaviors
- 13 is the average age of first-time drug and alcohol use.
- A startling 9 out of 10 addictions begin during the teen years.
- According to the 2024 Arizona Youth Survey that collected data from 42,000 students in 255 public schools across the state:
- 21% of Arizona high school students report using tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, a rate 30% higher than the national average.
- Alcohol and marijuana use remain prevalent, underscoring the link between emotional distress and substance misuse.
- Early nicotine use is a major risk factor for subsequent opioid misuse and dependence.
Fentanyl Danger
- Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid up to 100 times stronger than morphine.
- Alarmingly, 5 out of 10 fake pills—which look nearly indistinguishable from real prescriptions—contain a deadly dose of fentanyl.
- Despite this, 67% of 12th graders do not believe prescription narcotics are risky.
Mental Health Factors
- These risks are underscored by Arizona residents’ mental health struggles, where 36% of adolescents reported poor mental health in the past 30 days, and 24% contemplated suicide within the past year.
Behind every number is a student, a friend, a child. The good news is that prevention saves lives — studies show 83% of teens are less likely to misuse pills after learning the facts.
The Heart of Our Campaign
At the core of our prevention initiative is THE BE KIND CREW® — an electrifying dance and storytelling ensemble that fills auditoriums with unforgettable experiences of hope, courage, connection, and life-changing messages. Through this school- and community-based prevention program in Maricopa County, students are empowered to:
- Say “no” with confidence to vaping, opioids, and risky choices.
- Support one another with kindness, resilience, and courage.
- Believe in their worth and strength to thrive.
THE BE KIND CREW doesn’t just perform. They ignite hope, break through stigma, and empower students to change their story.
Our goal: Prevention in every Arizona school — at no cost.
Our pilot is proving what’s possible, but the need is far greater. With your support, we can:
- Bring Be Aware. Be Strong. Be Healthy™ messaging and resources to every school, reaching thousands of students with life-saving prevention.
- Expand year-round campaigns that keep kindness, resilience, and safety top of mind.
- Equip teachers and parents with the tools to reinforce healthy choices at school and home.
- Build a prevention model that can be scaled statewide for Arizona.
Why Give?
Because prevention brings hope. Every gift you make today helps a young person choose health over harm, resilience over risk, and life over loss. Together, we can change the narrative for a generation.
