With the increasing number of youth exploring the world of drugs and alcohol, specifically heroin, Grant County felt it important to give their youth an eye-opening day of harsh realities if they do find themselves in a less than ideal situation.  After checking into a program used in surrounding counties, Grant County jumped on board in an effort to steer teens away from mind-altering substances.  The program, Truth and Consequences, was presented to eighth graders in two school districts in Grant County in October 2017.  The focus of the day was the horrific realities of drug and alcohol use. 

The day was broken up into 4 sessions.  During one session, the students boarded a bus, identical to the one which was struck by a drunk driver and caught fire in 1988 in Carrollton Kentucky.  The bus was filled with the pictures of the 27 people who lost their lives in that crash, as well as pictures from the scene of that fateful night.   They watched a video and discussed the safety changes that were made to busses strictly from the devastation of that night.

Session two gave the students the opportunity to see the world through (and attempt a simple task of walking a straight line) through “drunk goggles”.  These goggles distort one’s sight and makes some things look close, and other things look far away, when in reality they are not.

Session three brought students inside, where they listened to a survivor of the Carrollton bus crash.  He was only 10 that night, and lost his best friend in the fiery crash. He showed pictures and discussed how he was in the hospital ICU for about 6 weeks, two of which, Doctors weren’t sure he’d live through. He has these scars and these memories because someone ELSE decided to drink and drive.  He stressed the importance of stopping friends from driving while intoxicated, as the man who hit the bus, had left a friend’s house, and no one stopped him.

Session four gave each student a possible real life situation.  Situations that dealt with drugs, alcohol, teen pregnancy.  Situations that resulted in expulsion from school, their little sister being killed in an accident, or having to juggle supporting a baby AND school work.  Some were able to seek treatment & get help, others were arrested and jailed, creating a permanent record. A few wound up in a casket.

The response was very positive.  Several responses commented that the program was helpful and they will remember this experience when faced with a choice.  One teen wrote, “Thank you for showing me how dangerous it is to drink alcohol and use drugs. It was very helpful to know what would happen if I was really put in that situation.”  Another stated, “I believe the Truth and Consequences [program] was very important. I knew quite a lot before I went to it (my father was a cop) but I learned even more from this experience.”