How do you talk to teens about drugs and alcohol? Should you even bring it up? Yes! Yes, you should talk about it. 1 in 8 teens have abused an illegal substance in the last year, and over 10% of kids 12-17 have used alcohol in the last month (National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics https://drugabusestatistics.org/teen-drug-use/). TalkHeart2Heart, a group made by Region V’s Regional Prevention Coalition states, “The best thing you can do is talk early and often with your teen about the dangers of drug and alcohol use.” You can find support to help you have those hard talks at www.talkheart2heart.org.
Drug use is getting harder to spot, and things are always changing. Learning about the recent trends with drugs is key to stopping them. In the Four Corners district, we have invited Officer Jermaine Galloway, better known as “The Tall Cop,” to teach us about this. Now a Texan by choice, Officer Galloway worked in Idaho law enforcement for over 18 years. His various assignments included: alcohol compliance and enforcement, crime scene investigation, DUI task force, officer mentoring, and a field training officer. After playing Division I basketball, and receiving his BA from the University of San Francisco, Jermaine devotes most of his time educating professionals and communities on drug & alcohol prevention and enforcement. Through his company, Tall Cop Says Stop™, he has trained more than 655,000 people nationwide and internationally. He has also conducted more than 8400 community scans at a variety of locations, including retail stores, festivals, and schools. Officer Galloway has created several other community-based drug/alcohol prevention programs as well. His program, “High in Plain Sight”, a nationally recognized program, provides training and enforcement strategies for community alcohol & drug problems. Jermaine Galloway has published articles in American Police Beat Magazine and various newspapers across the nation. In 2015, his program “You Can’t Stop What You Don’t Know™” was highlighted in the book, Clearing the Haze by Dr. Christian Thurstone and Christine Tatum.
Who should be there? This event is open to all who would like to learn, but it is of great value to be at this event if you work or volunteer in: schools, drug or alcohol treatment, law enforcement, counseling, probation, corrections, alcohol and drug courts, medical staff, and members of local prevention groups.
Four Corners is bringing “The Tall Cop” to York on Friday, September 1st at the Holthus Convention Center. Registration starts at 8:30am, and “The Tall Cop” will speak 9am to 12 Noon. The event is free, but registration is required. Registration opens on August 1st. To find the link to sign up, check our Events page at: https://fourcorners.ne.gov/community-ed-training/upcoming-events-workshops/, call Four Corners at (402) 362-2621, or email info@fourcorners.ne.gov.