The Improvement League hosted a public forum on drug use among youths on Sept. 15.
*** NOTE: There's a photo of meth and meth stuff uploaded here that designers can find in Adobe Stock, pull and use on page***
Whether the battle against drug use in Plant City is being fought in the streets or on the knees, one thing is certain: the kids need help.
Several groups in Plant City and Hillsborough County are looking to be a needed resource for affected kids and their parents. The Improvement League of Plant City and Safe & Sound Hillsborough have teamed up to tackle the issue and hosted a “community conversation” about it on Sept. 15. Members of the Plant City community went to Greater New Hope Anointed Ministries that evening to discuss the issue for two hours and, judging by their reaction to some of the information presented, learned quite a bit.
The Improvement League wants to raise awareness about the dangers of drug use, especially methamphetamine. It also hopes last week’s public forum can act as a springboard for future events and programs that can get young drug users and their parents the help they need from people who care.
“Three out of four children are making the right decision every day,” Hillsborough County Anti-Drug Alliance associate director Gary White said. “It’s that one that is not making the right decision. We want to make sure all of us rally with all of our tools to try to help them.”
Panelists invited to share their stories and field questions were White, Plant City Colts president Angelo Murray, TeamFit 2.0 CEO and Plant City High School teacher Wayne Ward and Sgt. Matt Lawson of the Plant City Police Department. Safe & Sound Hillsborough executive director Freddy Barton also spoke at the forum, as did Florida Strawberry Festival security manager Tim Lovett and Pastor Ricardo Coronado of La Red Ministries. The forum was moderated by Danny McIntyre, chairman of economic development for the Improvement League.
The first major talking point of the evening was information. White and Lawson explained the effects of meth, why it's used and how the drugs get to Plant City, and Lawson spoke about the police department’s efforts to curtail drug use and arrest dealers and manufacturers in town. Most of the meth in Plant City is shipped in from Mexico, according to Lawson, and many kids get access to these drugs by stealing from their parents. This is especially true of meth, which is nowhere near as affordable on a teenager’s budget as spice.
“As parents, we never think ‘that child is my child,’” Murray said. “We’ve got to educate the parents. How do we recognize what’s going on with our kids?”
Ward, a teacher and coach who works with hundreds of students every year, spoke at length about how to spot signs of drug use in the youth and how to help them find help. Changes in behavior, personal hygiene, physical appearance and an intense focus on one goal are warning signs that something is wrong, but Ward added the only way to make a kid come to adults about their use is to demonstrate trustworthiness.
“When they come to you crying out, ‘I need help,’ you need to listen,” he said.
Ward’s talk was later supported by several members of Plant City High School’s Gentleman’s Quest club, who told the audience what it’s like from a kid’s perspective. They explained that many kids will confide in their peers over their parents or coaches for fear of being “judged” by them, while they believe their friends are more likely to support them or at least still remain friends. Adults even have that belief, according to White: he said many parents of young drug users will refuse to listen to hospitals who have tested the kids and will go to great lengths to cover up or avoid the situation because of the same social stigma, a fear of “judgment” by society.
Coronado, in a lengthy speech that closed out the forum, called Plant City’s pushback on drugs “spiritual warfare” that won’t be won without a healthy dose of prayer and faith in God.
The next public forum is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 13, and future meetings could be held on the second Saturday of each month. The Improvement League and Safe & Sound are hoping for more parents and youths to attend and, if the response is strong enough, may hold a summit on the issue at a later date.
“Knowledge is truth,” Ward said. “If we don’t accept the truth that there’s a problem, then it’s going to get worse. It’s like sitting on the beach and you see the storm coming, and you do nothing to prepare for it. That storm is coming. So, as a community, what are we doing to protect our children? Because they’re crying out for us.”
