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According to WSAZ News Channel 3: In 2016, an average of 175 Americans, including 12 in Ohio, died each day from drug overdoses, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Two-thirds of those deaths involved opioids. The need for change is overdue but it the shift is happening now, starting with our children.
A new substance-abuse-prevention program called ” Stop To Live” at Lifetown Columbus has launched since March 2018 with Columbus City Schools. The program focuses on teaching life skills to special-needs students from around the state and Columbus is actually the first state before the national release.
The decision to start with special-needs students is from the likelihood of those with disabilities tend to become active drug users later in life due to depression and feeling overlooked. Creators of the program believe if these students are taught self-esteem then they would think twice before considering harmful drugs. Student participates in six lessons throughout the school year which also encourages family member participation. Lessons range from ways to make healthy life choices to prescription-medication awareness and after each lesson, the student will receive a superhero punch card.
Columbus currently has over 1,000 children participating in the program.
