From the closing of schools in Spring 2020 to the late Fall, Franklin County saw an increase of crime and emergency room visits with adolescents, according to the Franklin County Sheriffs office and the Frankfort Regional Hospital.  Most of the crime incidents and emergency room visits were related to drugs and alcohol, which led to the need and hosting of the Truth & Consequences program, virtually.  

The Truth & Consequences program is typically set up as scenarios to provide students with a simulated experience of what would happen if they found themselves in a tough situation where they had potentially made the wrong decision when it came to alcohol and a controlled substance.  The Franklin County Extension Agents and the Franklin County Schools Dropout Prevention and Volunteer Coordinator discussed options and even reached out to the community partners who had been involved with the program before.  With a quick response, the program evolved, virtually!  The Information Technology person for the school systems was able to create Truth and Consequences just as if the students were participating in person!  Every 8^th grade student in the Franklin County and Frankfort Independent schools, including the parochial schools were invited to attend.  The program was held on two separate days to accommodate the schools’ schedules; each classroom participated in a live session and a video session.  

In the live session, Franklin County community partners discussed and answered questions in real time about the specific scenario that was provided to them by the Franklin County Extension Agents and the Franklin County Schools Dropout Prevention and Volunteer Coordinator.  The three different scenarios that were divided up amongst the classrooms were related to current incidents that happened in Franklin County and had been shared on multiple news medias and the students may have been aware of.  In the video sessions, students heard from a Carrollton bus crash survivor and a local parent whose child decided to make a wrong decision, which resulted in him taking his own life.  

At the conclusion of the program, each classroom teacher role played as the parent, asking questions given to them to assist in discussion.  Students were encouraged to reach out to their teacher, school counselor, resource officer, parent, preacher, etc. if they wanted to talk to someone following the program.  After the program concluded, an evaluation was conducted to all students and community partners.  The evaluation showed more than 60% of the students who participated in the program had tried alcohol and/or a controlled substance, 47% of the students use alcohol and/or a controlled substance on a regular basis and the more than 80% of the students know someone close to them who has had an accident due to alcohol and/or a controlled substance.  From the community partners evaluation, they enjoyed having the program virtually and believe the impact was successful with the students.