by Madison Evans
“Hidden in Plain Sight, a free, interactive exhibit designed to help parents recognize the signs of youth substance abuse in their homes was held Feb. 7 at Sartell Middle School during parent/teacher conferences.
The event was organized by Stearns and Benton county public health departments in collaboration with the Sartell Police Department.
The free, interactive exhibit had a sample teenage bedroom that contained signs of risky behavior, such as substance abuse. Parents and guardians could walk through the bedroom and learn how to spot warning signs and get tips for communicating with their teens.
Sartell-St. Stephen School District Student Resource Officer Jill Lundquist helped organize the event. She said she sees the value in having the Benton County Health Department research current drug trends and then present the information to parents in an easy-to-understand way.
“It’s very important community members, especially parents who have teens, or preadolescents, know what’s out there, because it’s very different from when we or they were younger,” Lundquist said. “Our drug culture is always changing and so it’s important to stay on top of it. Sometimes it can be very confusing and exhausting. So having somebody do it for you is excellent and easy.”
It may seem surprising the event was held at the middle school but take-home brochures given out at the exhibit encourage parents to start talking to their kids about drug and alcohol at a very young age.
Children as young as 9 years old already start viewing alcohol in a more positive way, and approximately 3,300 kids as young as 12 try marijuana each day, according to nationwide statistics on substance abuse and mental health services.
The handout distributed at the event noted this: “Additionally, about five in 10 kids as young as 12 obtain prescription pain relievers for non-medical purposes.”
The event was carefully monitored to ensure people under 21 did not attend. Organizers said they didn’t want to expose kids to different drug trends and get them curious enough to turn to the internet to conduct their own research.
While this event was geared toward district parents, organizers plan to expand and host future exhibits in conjunction with other well-attended city events. Seven parents stopped by the event at the Sartell Middle School. The Sartell High School hosted the same event during their conferences when 14 parents attended.
