Jefferson County Businesses Against Drugs has been on top of things in 2019! I met John, the head man in charge of leading the alliance that is providing drug prevention programs in Watertown New York, last year. We spoke over the phone and he told me about his big ideas he had for his community. I loved the direction John wanted to take his work. John is a local business owner and when you get to know his story, this man has really done a lot for his community. I wish there was more people like john that existed in this world. We linked up immediately after our phone call and got to work in the spring time.
They called me back in the summer time and set up a date for me to return in the fall and the fall trip was equally as good. This time around I was set to speak to 5th and 6th grade students. Which is typically on the younger side of the scale that I don’t speak to. The reason I usually don’t speak to students this young is because as a mental health and substance abuse speaker my story is very complex and some of the issues their young minds haven’t developed enough to grasp a lot of my concepts I speak on.
I modified my speech quite a bit for the youngsters and the outcome was beyond exceptional. I really focused on how “it starts” versus what happens when you do. I didn’t take them down the deep hole of despair that drug addiction and untreated mental health can take you. I focused on why and how we end up trying vaping or think that it’s acceptable. These are all things the young mind could comprehend and apply in their own lives how they might end up in a situation that is unfavorable and it never seem like they were doing anything wrong in the first place.
Jefferson County Businesses Against Drugs and I are far from over with our work in Watertown. I can’t wait to get back there and hammer down with more work! Thank you JCBAD!
Here is a new article from my time there in the fall