BY DEBBIE PAGE

The best way to flatten the graph line of drug and alcohol misuse and various types of nicotine consumption is to stop it before it starts, and the earlier, the better.

Drug-Alcohol Coalition of Iredell Executive Director Shane Nixon said during the organization’s monthly meeting that the group will focus much of its 2023 efforts on reaching individuals age 13 to 25, with age appropriate targeted campaigns and events to share that “ounce of prevention.”

Nixon highlighted the increasing appearance of fentanyl in the community and shared an observation from EMTs that there are no long-term fentanyl users “because they die.”

He also noted that hospital emergency rooms currently do not test overdose cases for fentanyl and suggested a possible coalition effort to meet with hospital officials to investigate the cost of adding this testing to help monitor the community fentanyl presence and direct community alerts and prevention efforts.

The group brainstormed avenues to reach both youth and their parents as well as others who work with youth in the community. Noting that reaching students in some schools was difficult, some suggested offering prevention and awareness training to teachers, administrators, counselors, and other support staff to reach students through their daily teaching and efforts.

DACI is partnering with Mooresville Graded School District to share information and prevention tools with high school students this spring.

To reach students in schools, some proposed getting school permission to have interactive awareness activities during lunch periods, like offering alcohol or marijuana goggles that show students how perceptions change under the influence, students performing skits or simulations, and other activities.

Since teens are more likely listen to other youths, having teen prevention groups and drama classes at the middle and high school levels perform skits and rap messages and share information abut the dangers of substance misuse, alcohol, and vaping would be most effective.

Statesville Police Department Community Resource Coordinator Pam Navey recalled a successful, student-led coalition event at Statesville High School about seven years ago that featured musical performances, prevention skits, and a play about the stages of teen addiction.

The performers also traveled to other schools to share the prevention messages with students.

Navey said that young adults she encounters who were at the event still share the life-changing effect that the event had and how it changed their thinking about substance misuse.

Suggestions were also made to reach out to large student/parent gatherings, such as football games, graduations, and school open houses, with prevention and awareness programming.

Exhibits like mobile simulated teen bedrooms demonstrating the subtle signs of drug misuse can increase parents’ awareness of what to watch for with their children.

Another idea was offering to partner with school systems to add prevention activities, preferably shared by trained older students, at school orientations for rising sixth- and ninth-graders, sharing information about the perils of fentanyl-laced pills, the effect of substances on their bodies and brains, the decline in athletic performance with substance misuse, and the ways to say no to offers of drugs, vape or alcohol.

Events such as drunken driving accident scenes and grim reaper events were also debated, with mixed feelings about effectiveness or possible trauma. However, some said such events from their youth positively impacted their decisions to avoid substance misuse.

Reaching parents was another challenge, with some noting that participation was often low or did not reach the targeted parents.

DACI Board Chair Jerry Campbell noted that in working with parents of children who died by suicide, they will tell you, “I never thought this would happen to me.”

In retrospect, some parents realize there were indicators that they did not want to face, including withdrawal from normal activities, signs of alcohol or substance misuse, or declining mental health.

All parents should increase their awareness of the pervasive availability of substances to their children in the community and on social media. “Drugs don’t pick. It’s not race, it’s not sex, it’s not color, it’s not age, it’s not socio-economic group,” warned Karen Kidd of Foundation of Hope.

IREDELL POINT OF SALE “SCANNING”

DACI is also training and deploying some members to visit the over 200 cigarette sales outlets near schools to “scan” tobacco and vaping ads and product placement in the store, noting the placement and signage are often targeted at lower eye level and to appeal to children and teens.

After attending a recent conference that shared tobacco and store marketing efforts to appeal to children, Nixon was shocked to notice the tactics in stores, particularly those near schools. He also noted that this marketing of tobacco and vaping was more prevalent in low-income communities.

Nixon said the group will use Iredell County data to focus educational efforts and to apply for prevention grants.