CLEARFIELD – Drug addiction is a problem affecting everyone in some way, and the Clearfield Area School District is trying to help people overcome it.
The district will be hosting Michelle Schwartzmier for two talks on drug addiction, announced Superintendent Terry Struble at Monday night’s school board meeting.
She will speak to the Clearfield Area Junior-Senior High School students Oct. 27. Students will discuss topics covered in her presentation in their classes afterward.
Schwartzmier will also give a community presentation at 7 p.m. Nov. 2. It will be held at the school’s auditorium and is for adult audiences only and not for students or children.
Struble said they want parents and community members to have a forum to ask questions that may not be so “child friendly.”
Schwartzmier will tell a “real” story about her own 20-year-old daughter, Casey, who died Jan. 15 of a drug overdose after her long and brave battle with addiction.
Before her death, Casey didn’t want to be left defined by her addiction. She told her mother that if she ever died from an overdose, she wanted others to know the truth behind her struggle.
Struble said that Clearfield Borough police will discuss current drug trends among local teens, and the Community Guidance Center will also detail counseling options that are available.
According to Struble, some parents share their child’s test results with school officials, and they also receive information from the county’s Juvenile Probation Department.
Over the past month, school officials have become concerned and felt it was a good idea to host another talk about drug addiction.
“We want to connect our kids with help,” Struble said. “It’s a tough battle … ‘Just say no to drugs’ doesn’t work with 16-year-old [students] who know it all.”
