Fighting Addiction at the Source: How CAPE Is Empowering Dutchess County Youth

Aired March 15th 2026

Dora Celestino is a community educator with the Council on Addiction Prevention and Education (CAPE) of Dutchess County. With a background in medicine and years of experience working at a Level 1 trauma hospital, she made a deliberate shift toward prevention work. "I got really tired of seeing kids get hurt needlessly," she says. "So I thought, let me go on the other side. Let me talk about prevention and educate kids." Today, she channels that passion into free programs and services designed to reduce youth substance use across the region.

What Is CAPE?

CAPE — the Council on Addiction Prevention and Education of Dutchess County — is a licensed provider through the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports and a contract agency of Dutchess County. Its dedicated staff delivers training, prevention counseling, community education, and recovery services to individuals, families, schools, businesses, and organizations throughout the Hudson Valley. Importantly, nearly all of CAPE's services are completely free.

The organization addresses a wide range of substance use issues, including alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, opioids, vaping, and even gambling. With the rise of online casinos and sports betting apps accessible from any smartphone, CAPE has expanded its prevention education to include the growing threat of youth gambling.

Education Over Shame

Central to CAPE's philosophy is replacing stigma with knowledge. Rather than simply telling young people to "just say no," CAPE equips them with real information and refusal skills grounded in science. "We don't want to shame these kids," Celestino explains. "They don't know what they don't know. So let's empower them with education, equip them with refusal skills, and tell them why it's not healthy for them, because us just saying 'don't do it' does not work."

This approach extends to peer dynamics as well. CAPE has opened a youth clubhouse at 31 Marshall Road in Wappingers, a substance-free space where students from different schools can gather, get homework help, receive snacks, and learn from one another. The goal is to build genuine peer support and develop the skills needed to navigate social pressure.

CAPE also runs evidence-based programs in schools, including Too Good for Drugs and Teen Intervene, the latter of which uses motivational interviewing over three sessions to help students who have already had contact with substances. "Our goal, of course, is abstinence," Celestino notes, "but any step in the right direction, like reducing use, is positive."

Tracking the Data

CAPE administers an anonymous Youth Development Survey to 8th, 10th, and 12th graders across Dutchess County schools. The data gathered provides a direct window into what students are actually experiencing — and the trends are encouraging. Youth substance use in the region is measurably declining, a sign that prevention efforts are working. Schools that have not yet participated are encouraged to reach out.

Keeping Medications Safe

CAPE also addresses a frequently overlooked issue: the safe storage and disposal of prescription medications. The organization distributes free medication lock bags to anyone who requests them — individuals, families, or organizations — in any quantity. For disposal, CAPE partners with the DEA twice a year to safely incinerate unused medications, providing a responsible alternative to flushing them or throwing them away. Many local police departments also maintain drop boxes for medication disposal.

Family Fun Night at Bounce!

In recognition of National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week, CAPE is hosting a free Family Fun Night on Tuesday, March 24th, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Bounce! inside the Poughkeepsie Galleria. The event is open to youth ages 18 and under and will feature games, free ice cream, two hours of free bouncing, and an information table covering topics from vaping and underage drinking to the Social Host Law.

The Social Host Law is one topic Celestino is particularly passionate about raising awareness around. Under this law, adults are legally prohibited from allowing minors to possess or consume alcohol on their property — even if they believe it is safer to have teens drink "under their roof." "It's not safe, and it's illegal," she emphasizes.

Registration for Family Fun Night is free but requested in advance at capedc.org.