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The Partnership for Substance Free Youth and community partners in Buncombe County recently hosted future community leaders to learn about the current state of addiction at the 2019 Student Summit. This student-led initiative focused on ways young people can build their capacity for a healthier and safer future. The NC Student Summit on Opioid and Substance Abuse took place at the YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly in Black Mountain on March 21, 2019.
Follow the Student Summit Facebook Page
A big theme of the summit was learning how students could be peer supporters against drug use and addiction. Individuals, like youth, who share a similar social background or lifestyle are able to understand each other easier. In the field of drug prevention amongst youth, peer-to-peer communication can be effective since communication between adults and youth can involve a power struggle. Source
Last year, there were measurable improvements in learning on the important topic of opioid addiction. Since the students gathered one year ago, they have implemented strategies in their own schools to increase awareness of addiction.
2019 topics included:
- Opioid addiction and overdose.
- Vaping.
- Peer-to-peer communication.
- Leadership skills.
- Resiliency, and more.
If you are a student interested in taking part in the Student Summit next year, talk to your school about attending, follow their Facebook page, and get involved in this important, potentially life-saving group.
