Real skills. Real impact.
Everything POCO does is led by teens: teaching their peers, researching what drives teen choices, and showing up for the community.
Four kinds of support
Peer-to-peer education
Teens teach and support each other, with plenty of healthy alternative activities.
Pledges and peer surveys
Students pledge to make healthy decisions and help gather data on what teens really face.
A social safety net
Friends and families look out for one another, so no teen faces pressure alone.
Professional resources
We connect teens and families with professional counseling and support when it is needed.
Teens teaching teens
Staff and professionals train youth volunteers, who start school chapters, create their own materials, teach their peers and collect pledges to make healthy choices.
Topics we cover
Fentanyl education comes with a certificate program.
Myth or fact? Tap a card.
test yourself!MythMyth, bustedVaping is just harmless water vapor.Tap to see the fact →Here is the fact ↓
Most vapes contain nicotine, which is highly addictive and can harm the developing teen brain. The aerosol carries other chemicals too.
MythMyth, bustedFentanyl is only a risk if you use hard drugs.Tap to see the fact →Here is the fact ↓
Fake pills made to look like prescription medicine can contain fentanyl. A tiny amount can be deadly, and you cannot see, smell or taste it.
MythMyth, bustedCannabis is legal for adults, so it is harmless for teens.Tap to see the fact →Here is the fact ↓
Regular use in the teen years is linked to problems with memory, attention and learning, and today’s products are much stronger than in the past.
MythMyth, bustedOnly doctors can use Narcan.Tap to see the fact →Here is the fact ↓
Naloxone (Narcan) is sold over the counter, and anyone can learn to use it to reverse an opioid overdose. POCO teaches teens how.
MythMyth, bustedPills from a doctor are always safe.Tap to see the fact →Here is the fact ↓
Prescriptions are made for one person at one dose. Taking someone else’s pills can be dangerous and can lead to addiction.
MythMyth, bustedEveryone my age is doing it.Tap to see the fact →Here is the fact ↓
Most teens choose not to use drugs or vape. Choosing out puts you in good company.
MythMyth, bustedBeer and wine are safer than hard liquor.Tap to see the fact →Here is the fact ↓
A standard can of beer, glass of wine and shot of liquor each hold about the same amount of alcohol. What matters is how much you drink, not what kind.
MythMyth, bustedCoffee or a cold shower will sober you up.Tap to see the fact →Here is the fact ↓
Only time clears alcohol from your body. Coffee might make someone feel more awake, but they are just as impaired.
MythMyth, bustedIf someone passes out from drinking, let them sleep it off.Tap to see the fact →Here is the fact ↓
Alcohol levels can keep rising after someone passes out. Call 911, roll them onto their side and stay with them.
MythMyth, bustedSniffing household products is harmless because they are legal.Tap to see the fact →Here is the fact ↓
Inhalants like aerosols and glue can stop the heart and cause death, even the very first time someone tries them.
MythMyth, bustedMolly is pure MDMA.Tap to see the fact →Here is the fact ↓
Pills and powders sold as Molly often contain other drugs, sometimes dangerous ones, and there is no way to tell by looking.
MythMyth, bustedAddiction only happens to people who use every day.Tap to see the fact →Here is the fact ↓
The brain keeps developing until about age 25. People who start using as teens are more likely to develop an addiction later.
MythMyth, bustedBetting on games is just harmless fun.Tap to see the fact →Here is the fact ↓
Gambling can become an addiction that affects the brain much like drugs do. Betting apps and loot boxes are designed to keep you coming back, and losses add up fast.
Struggling, or worried about a friend? You can call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, any time.
Programs that build leaders
Research, certifications and hands-on service: real skills teens use where they matter most.
Voices of Teens on Cannabis
As more states legalize cannabis and products grow stronger, have the risks for teens changed? Students research it and share what they find through an essay and poster contest.
Cannabis indicators on Skid Row
In Skid Row's parks, POCO teens support data collection for cannabis research led by LA County Public Health.
Narcan training
Teens learn to use naloxone to reverse an opioid overdose, and earn a certificate. We can save lives together.
Running a nonprofit
Youth leaders are trained and certified in founding and running a nonprofit organization.
Grant writing
Students learn to write grant proposals that fund real community projects.
Youth leadership
Students grow step by step into leaders who run chapters, events and projects.
Movie nights and a survey on Skid Row
With Social Model Recovery Systems, POCO teens hosted movie nights in Skid Row's parks in June and July 2025, and helped run a population survey for LA County Public Health.
See the LA County survey
Showing up for our neighbors
A yearly vaccine drive, outreach education, a flea market, a can drive and more.
Annual flu vaccine drive
With a local pharmacy group, we run a yearly flu and COVID vaccine campaign.
Outreach education
Peer-to-peer prevention lessons for local youth organizations.
Flea market
Our flea market raises money for POCO's youth programs.
Festival info booth
We share our work at local festivals like the 52nd LA Korean Festival.
Ready to make a difference?
Take the pledge, join a chapter or lend a hand at our next event.