Orange County, NY Program to Teach Parents Substance Abuse Signs
Orange County STOP DWI & Traffic Safety Program and The Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Council of Orange County are holding their Hidden Mischief/Drug Trends Training at 6pm on Tuesday, June 7th. The event will be held at Orange County Emergency Services Center (located at 22 Wells Farm Road in Goshen).
The Hidden Mischief/Drug Trends Training
The Hidden Mischief/Drug Trends Training aims to educate attendees (parents, school personnel, professionals, and community members) on what to look for and what the latest trends are associated with adolescent substance use. Participants will be taught trends to look for both inside and outside the house. The thing that stands out about this this training is how interactive and informative it sets out to be, simulating a teen bedroom and will try to identify signs of potential substance use. Now, I didn't engage in any substances in high school, but my room was horrendous. Sports gear everywhere, choral music strewn about, no good laundry system yet; the place looked like a bomb went off! I'm curious what this kind of training would have to say about my room.
I'm sure that the training will include signs that you and I probably wouldn't even think of off the top of our heads. Even though I've only been out of high school for six years, the times and trends change quickly, and there is always something new going on. As much as teen me probably would've cringed at the idea of my parents "examining" my room, I get that this program is trying to arm parents and professionals with the absolute best skills in order to protect and care for our youth.
The End of the School Year
The Hidden Mischief/Drug Trends Training comes at a crazy time in the school year. For teens in high school, they are prepping for finals, getting ready for prom, and for seniors, looking forward to graduation. Some students may be looking to take the edge off during this stressful season. Others may want to make their upcoming celebrations even more thrilling. Whatever the reason, teens can feel pressured into using or taking something which then has the potential to impact the rest of their lives. Back in high school, I remember attending all of those DWI simulations where they would stage a car crash in front of our school. The trainings didn't mean as much to me then, but as someone who has since lost friends and family due to reckless car accidents and substance abuse, I see the importance in all of this.
Click here in order to register for the seminar, and for further questions, please email Lauren Savino, STOP DWI Educator at lsavino@orangecountygov.com.