Students honored for fight against meth
|
Warren County High School?s ASPIRE team has been honored with the 2006 Meth Destroys Community Service Award.
The award was given by Tennessee District Attorney Generals for the team?s hard work, creativity and motivation to educate their peers and community about the devastating effects of meth. Notice of the award was received last week but the team?s effort spans more than a year.
At the beginning of 2005-2006 school year, the team chose to join the governor?s task force against meth. For several months, students volunteered their time to hand out brochures and place posters around school. The posters and brochures portrayed what happens when an individual consumes meth, as well as the long-term effects of the drug.
Along with posters and brochures, ASPIRE also showed a 20-minute DVD to all WCHS students. The DVD explores the meth problem in Tennessee. Before the presentation, the team talked about meth, local statistics, national statistics and the legal consequences of meth use.
While helping other high school students understand the full effects of meth, these teens are helping their community by striving to prevent other young people from becoming users of the destructive drug in the future.
?Once these high school students see the full effects of the drug,? said organization co-sponsor Lynn Seals, ?we have hope they will stay drug free. In that way, we benefit the community.?
Because of their hard work and dedication, the team was invited to attend a Youth Leadership Summit for training earlier this year. During the training, team members did a presentation on their efforts in Warren County. Also at the training was a woman who had spent time in Warren County Jail after being convicted on a meth charge.
?She spoke of her life while addicted to the drug and her time in jail,? said organization co-sponsor Kathy Ewton. ?They saw first hand the destruction they are trying to prevent. I think it made an impact.?
Warren County Sheriff Jackie Matheny offered a special thanks to the ASPIRE team for all its efforts.
?All people hear is the bad when it comes to teens,? said Matheny. ?We lump them all into the same group and act like it?s hopeless. Sometimes we feel like the Lone Ranger out here fighting the meth problem. It warms my heart to hear there are students who are in this fight with us. They truly care about their community and they want to help. We need more citizens like that. It?s going to take a community-wide effort. This gives me hope for the future. God bless them.?
Because meth use continues in Warren County, ASPIRE has decided to continue its focus on meth for the 2006-2007 school year. Among other activities, the team will be raising funds for wristbands. The wristbands will be given to students who pledge to lead a drug-free lifestyle.