Have you ever known another student with a drug or alcohol problem and didn't know how to help them stop? That was the focus at the Ashbury Retreat Center the weekend of April 14-15.
Sponsored by the Peer-to-Peer Drug Free Community Grant, Tonawanda High School students had the opportunity to learn about the positive influence peer pressure can have when it comes to common addictions.
There were educational presentations on alcohol, cannabis, nicotine, vaping, substance-use disorders and common addictions plaguing high schools today. There were also interactive activities and games focused on better understanding how to communicate with peers who may be struggling with substance use, bullying or other mental health conditions.
The goal was to train youth to be upstanding peers to their fellow classmates, using non-stigmatized language and role-playing scenarios that showed the huge impact fellow students can have on each other when they know how to identify a problem, then address it in a non-stigmatized and positive manner.
Twelve of the 15 students surveyed about the weekend gave it an "A" grade, while the others gave it a "B" grade. You can read more about this topic here.
