Alcohol-Tobacco Conference Planned

To raise awareness about the negative effects of alcohol and tobacco on two Valley communities, Pueblo Y Salud will sponsor open conferences this Saturday in San Fernando and next Saturday in Pacoima, officials said.

During the “community action conferences,” Pueblo Y Salud officials and representatives from various government and community agencies will provide information about the type and amount of alcohol- and tobacco-related problems in the areas, said Amelia Robles, a spokeswoman for the social service agency.

The conferences will also include five workshops where participants will be encouraged to generate their own ideas and plans of action to combat the problems, Robles said. The workshops will focus on establishing Neighborhood Watch programs, nuisance abatement, billboard ordinances, crime and alcohol, and merchant accountability.

“We’ve selected these two [communities] because they have some of the highest crime rates and the most alcohol-related problems,” Robles said.

“We want to help bring to life some of these issues that residents are not always aware of.”

Several local government leaders are expected to attend the conferences, including Los Angeles City Councilman Richard Alarcon, county Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky and San Fernando Mayor Raul Godinez II this Saturday in San Fernando and Alarcon and Assemblyman Tony Cardenas (D-Sylmar) next week in Pacoima.

Representatives from the Los Angeles Police Department and Alcoholic Beverage Control will also attend both conferences, officials said.

The San Fernando conference will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday at San Fernando Middle School, 1130 Mott St.

The second conference will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Jan. 31 at the Boys & Girls Club of Pacoima, 11251 Glenoaks Blvd.

For more information, call Pueblo Y Salud at (818) 837-2272.