Hey Everyone!
Welcome back to Kim’s Prevention Korner! If you missed my first update, be sure to go back and check it out! It tells a little bit about me and about our pilot schools. I’ve been really busy out in the schools since my last post, but I wanted to share with you some exciting developments.
GameChanger is launching an education program endorsed by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration called “One Pill Can Kill“. The program is intended to educate parents and teens on the dangers of fentanyl and counterfeit pills. It includes a 34-minute video, and a 21-page Parent Tool Kit. The program is supported by an extensive social media campaign that includes “TikTok” and “Snapchat” components.
The video specifically focuses on the dangers of fentanyl and counterfeit pills and features former WVU women’s basketball player Meg Bulger and middle and high school students from right here in West Virginia. Meg and the students discuss the dangers of fentanyl. Meg also interviews a chemist, does a ride along with EMT workers and local police officers, interviews an incarcerated drug dealer, and a family that tragically lost their daughter to a pill laced with fentanyl.
The video was produced by FGPG Productions of Los Angeles, and it premiered December 6, 2022 at the West Virginia Culture Center. The video is available to all West Virginia Middle and High Schools for student viewing. The video along with the 21-page parent tool kit will be sent home with students. Parents, grandparents, and guardians are encouraged to watch the video with their young people. It will also be made available to church and youth groups.
The social media campaign will be rolled out in the very near future. You can also see more about this on the GameChanger website under the Breaking News tab.
In another GameChanging development, data collected from our pilot schools “Prevention Assessment” is now being shared with the schools. This assessment gathered data about the community with the goal of discovering the protective factors and challenges each school faces when attempting to change school cultures regarding prevention and substance misuse. The schools have also been able to view and plan how to use data from our “Student Attitudes and Behavior Survey“. This survey investigated the student’s perception of substance use among their peers. It examined actual substance use versus the students perception of substance misuse. The Survey indicates that the perception of substance misuse among students is much higher than the actual misuse.
Finally, as the new year progresses we will be focusing on developing a “Peer Leadership Program” in our middle and high schools and an “Intensive Education Program” in our elementary schools. More to come on these in my next Prevention Korner! Thanks again for stopping by!