INDIANAPOLIS — Decatur Central High School is using Friday night lights to shine a light on fentanyl.
Over the next few months, the Decatur Township’s Drug Free Coalition is looking to raise awareness about the nationwide growing problem through its coaches versus overdoses program.
“One pill can kill,” said Justin Dixson, director of operations for MSD of Decatur Township. “Our kids have seen that, our community has seen that and our nation has seen that and it’s just important for us to spread awareness and education. We don’t want that to happen to one of our kids.”
It’s a serious problem Dixson said they are looking to curb.
The new effort provides prevention, education and awareness resources to help Decatur Township team up to stop substance abuse
“The pressures that teens naturally have dealt with over time they are experiencing a lot these days, and to try to get an escape potentially from something can be fatal and we just don’t want to see that mistake happen,” said Dixson.
Over the next few months, Decatur Township school leaders and coaches will be providing prevention materials to parents and students at all schools to help raise awareness about the growing problem that is fentanyl.
“Just talking to them about the dangers of drugs is first and foremost and what it can do to you potentially and just a little bit of a healthy fear in the negative effects that going down the road of drugs can lead to,” said Kyle Enright, Decatur Central HS’s head football coach.
The initiative includes printed playbooks and information for students to tell the difference between real and fake pills.
It’s an effort young athletes themselves said is something that’s needed in today’s peer-pressured society.
“There’s so much stuff out there nowadays and you don’t know what’s real and what’s fake so just being careful and raising awareness not only inside the community but as we go out into the real world and everything else,” said Decatur Central HS Senior Ashton Vogel.
For more on the initiative, click here.
