Centennial High School students hear the truth about substance use

Students at Centennial High School recently heard stories of addiction, overdoses and regret — but more importantly, hope.

Isaac, a presenter from Minnesota Prevention and Recovery Alliance’s (MnPRA) Know the Truth program, shared his personal story.

Growing up, Isaac had a loving family and everything that a child could ask for. But, in eighth grade, he was prescribed Adderall and began abusing his medication, even selling some to a classmate thinking it would be a onetime thing. Before he knew it, Isaac was selling Adderall to a bunch of middle school students. Within months, Isaac had made drug-dealing his lifestyle. It became his way to fit in while moving from school to school.

After being caught for selling Adderall, Isaac was sent to a summer treatment program, where he recalls, “The only thing that it did was surround me with more kids that had behavioral issues. I found my crowd.”

These new “friends” introduced him to marijuana and Xanax. The following years were filled with treatment centers, overdoses, 72-hour holds, self-harm and denial. By 17, Isaac was charged with a felony and was using Percocet during his probation to avoid positive drug test results. Consumed by anger, regret and a lack of purpose, he attempted to take his own life. He survived and attended a nine-month treatment center, but it wasn’t enough to keep him clean.

At 19, Isaac finally chose his family over his addiction. He attended a 13-month treatment program at Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge, and has just hit his one-year sobriety date. Now, he feels blessed to work with Know the Truth and share his story with students to help them avoid the pitfalls he struggled with.

Know the Truth utilizes a peer-topeer format where presenters, often just a few years older than the students, share their personal struggles with substance use. This allows students to open up and helps Know the Truth bridge the gap between students and the parents, caregivers, teachers and community leaders who support them.

Reaching people early is critical for preventing future substance use. Nearly 90% of Americans who struggle with addiction started using illicit substances before age 18, and research shows that the likelihood of lifetime substance use drops by nearly 5% for each year that initial substance use is delayed. Sadly, youth substance use continues to be on the rise in Minnesota. More than one-third of high school students reported using a substance during the past year, and more than half of students reported using or considering using substances to cope with mental health concerns.

Since the Know the Truth program began more than a decade ago, it has seen significant success in helping prevent substance use among Minnesota’s young people. After hearing the presentation, students are two times less likely to try a substance. For students at Centennial High School, this means that 94% of students said it would be very unlikely that they would use prescription pills not medically prescribed to them in a survey following the presentation.

One student said, “Hearing the personal stories was very impactful and gave me a bigger perspective on the topics discussed in the presentation.”

“Teachers and administrators often express how important the presentations are for their students,” says Sadie Brown, assistant director of MnPRA. “Our format sparks conversation and understanding. Students learn that no one wakes up wishing to be addicted, and most people who struggle with addiction don’t see it coming. Instead, little choices made along the way lead to addiction.”

Contributed

Editor’s note: Isaac’s last name could not be shared due to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).