(Wilson, N.C.) – April 21, 2025 – For the second year, Sallie B. Howard is hosting a student-led substance use prevention campaign known as “Use Your Voice to Make the Right Choice.” The program – in partnership with the Wilson County Substance Prevention Coalition – encourages students to make positive decisions for their future when confronted with drugs or alcohol.
Middle and high school SGA leaders have planned several activities to provide hands-on experiences illustrating the dangers of substance use.
On Tuesday, April 22, SGA students will tour the Recovery Concepts Community Center (RC3) and learn about their Youth Coalition. On Wednesday, April 23, an assembly featuring student presentations and guest speakers from RC3 and Wilson PD will take place in the auditorium. All middle and high school students will wear campaign t-shirts that day.
On Thursday, April 24 from 9:30am – 3pm, half of the gym will be turned into an obstacle course of simple tasks made challenging by wearing special goggles that simulate drug and alcohol impairment. Right outside in the parking lot, a BAT Mobile Unit (Breath Alcohol Testing) will be on display offering games, field sobriety tests and education on the laws surrounding impaired driving.
The materials and activities for this campaign were made possible by a grant from the Wilson County ABC Board.
“Use Your Voice to Make the Right Choice” is not about “scaring” students into avoiding substances. The campaign aims to inspire youth to be proud of choosing to live a healthy drug and alcohol-free lifestyle.
Substance abuse is a leading health crisis in America. Studies show that children as young as 9 years old begin thinking alcohol may not just be 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
For information on RC3, visit https://www.wilcoprevention.org/rc3—recovery-center.html.
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.
