Hawkins used two poor neighborhoods as examples. One is filled with graffiti and trash. The other is clean. In the first one, nobody really knows the neighbors. In the second one, there is a sense of community and community organization.
Neighbors play cards outside on the corner, in part to prevent crime problems.
Hawkins said in the second neighborhood kids run a lower risk of developing substance abuse problems despite the fact that they are poor. Top A Message from the Executive Director When you deal with the tragedies caused by drugs like heroin or brain-damaging inhalants, and the myriad social problems caused by alcoholism, it is sometimes easy to overlook another killer we don t take as seriously. This substance kills more Texans than alcohol, AIDS, car accidents, suicides, homicides, fires, and illegal drug overdoses combined. In fact, it kills more than 26,000 Texans a year. I m talking about tobacco.