(Wilson, N.C.) – April 18, 2024 – The SBH Middle School Student Government Association has launched a substance prevention campaign during Alcohol Awareness Month to encourage students to make positive decisions for their future when confronted with drugs or alcohol. The SGA students have entitled this campaign “Use Your Voice to Make the Right Choice” and have planned several activities to bring awareness to the risks of substance use.
On Mon, April 22 at 2pm, the SGA will host an assembly featuring a skit and a rap by the students and a special presentation by the Wilson Police Department.
Then on Tues, April 23 and Wed, April 24 from 10am – 1pm, SGA will set up a “Simulated Impairment Room” featuring a series of stations that will challenge guests to complete simple tasks while wearing special goggles that simulate impairment. Representatives from the Wilson County Substance Prevention Coalition will also be on hand to provide additional education on drug and alcohol use among youth. The materials used for this campaign, including t-shirts, posters, balloons, impaired vision goggles, etc, were made possible by a grant from the Wilson County ABC Board.
The goal of “Use Your Voice to Make the Right Choice” is to provide students with the information they need to not only avoid using substances but to also speak freely among their peers about the choice to be drug and alcohol-free.
With substance misuse being a leading health crisis in America, awareness of the dangers of drugs and alcohol among youth is key. Studies show that around age 9, children begin thinking alcohol may not be just for adults. By the time they are seniors, almost 70 percent of high school students will have tried alcohol, half will have taken an illegal drug, and more than 20 percent will have used a prescription drug for a nonmedical purpose.
For more information on youth substance prevention, visit https://www.samhsa.gov/talk-they-hear-you/about
About Sallie B. Howard School of Arts & Science
Sallie B. Howard School of Arts & Science, a 2021 National Blue Ribbon School, is a free, public charter school founded in 1997 in Wilson, N.C. that serves 1,200 students in grades K-12. Named after the legendary author, educator, playwright and actress Sallie Baldwin Howard, SBHS is dedicated to ensuring that every child – privileged or underprivileged – gets the kind of education that will allow them to become more than they ever thought they would be. With a performing arts-based curriculum, a study abroad program that has brought hundreds of children to nearly all 7 continents, a culturally diverse faculty and student body, and the addition of a high school, Sallie B. Howard School is preparing its students to become 21st century industry leaders both locally and globally.
