Stephanie Zacharias hopes her peers will finally understand the ramifications of the drug ice, which is tearing apart users, their families and friends.
The year 12 Catholic Regional College Melton student approached deputy principal Rob Blackley about hosting a drug forum.
“The idea was to put together a forum with people who’ve been impacted by the drug,” Mr Blackley said. “We wanted someone who had initial contact with ice; for example, paramedics, doctors, police and even parents with a child using it.”
A panel of senior police, doctors, paramedics, parents and psychologists will next month give a presentation about the ramifications of drugs, and take questions from the audience.
Mr Blackley said they were hoping to educate the community, not just students, about the harm of using ice.
“It’s going to be at a secondary school where children are going to be exposed to the drug, offered it or maybe experiment with it,” he said. “Students at that age don’t necessarily understand the potential long-term impacts from a health or social point of view.”
And while there had been an increased awareness of the impact of ice on communities, more needed to be done to stress the seriousness and danger of the drug, he said.
Mr Blackley said Ms Zacharias had shown a maturity beyond her age in expressing concerns for her peers.
“She said that as an educational institution, we have a significant role to play in not only educating our student community but also our parent community,” Mr Blackley said.
Ms Zacharias said the implications of drug use needed to be unveiled and discussed, without shying away from it. “I see [ice] affecting the people around, loved ones, people I’m close to and not close to,” she said. “I’ve seen how it’s caused problems in the friendship groups, and I’ve witnessed people around me on the drugs … and it’s so scary.”
The drugs forum will be at CRC’S Performing Arts Centre from 7pm-8.30pm on August 6. Details: 9743 6522
