Learn About the Dangers of Drugs at the Parent Resource Symposium
By City Manager Ken Striplin
Across the nation, parents, guardians, teachers and first responders are having to address the ever-growing opioid crisis, with increasing deaths due to Fentanyl use. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, there were over 100,000 deaths in 2021 due to drug overdoses. Unfortunately for many children and teens, they are able to gain access to drugs in their own homes. Between medicine cabinets and prescription bottles left unattended, youth have unrestricted access to dangerous substances.
Having a conversation about drugs with your child may not always be the most comfortable situation, but it is critical. That is why I want to invite all our residents to attend the annual Parent Resource Symposium on September 23 at City Hall. Attendees will get the opportunity to listen to members of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Juvenile Intervention Team and Mental Evaluation Team speak about drug abuse, strategies to help your children and what trends they are seeing in our community. Additionally, attendees will be able to ask questions and get resources about drug abuse and coping strategies.
With the continual rise of social media use among our youth, parents are now having to be proactive to protect their children. From Snapchat to Instagram, TikTok to Facebook, our youth now have the ability to easily buy drugs with the tap of a finger. Most recently, our law enforcement and health workers have reported a rise in Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine. This drug is now being laced into other pills, causing fatal consequences to those who are unaware of what they are actually taking. It is through these social media platforms that Fentanyl is being sold, causing a catastrophic ripple effect. Unfortunately, Fentanyl is now being found throughout our City, and it is our responsibility to arm ourselves with the right information to protect our youth and residents from this fatal drug.
Educating not only our youth, but our parents, care-givers and residents is pivotal to helping protect our children. By learning more about drug use, you can be better equipped to notice red flags or merely have the honest conversation with your child. The City’s Drug Free Youth in Santa Clarita Valley (DFYinSCV) Program partners with local public schools to educate and empower students to make good choices and give them a fun environment to learn lifelong skills to say no to drugs. This program also provides free resources and virtual workshops to parents.
Whether you are a parent, guardian, student or teen, I encourage everyone to join us at City Hall on September 23, at 5:30 p.m. for the Parent Resource Symposium. The event will also be livestreamed on the City’s Facebook page and will have Spanish translation available. For more information about the event or to learn more about resources, please visit DFYinSCV.com
Ken Striplin is Santa Clarita’s City Manager and can be reached at kstriplin@santaclarita.gov.
