H.S. Students Command Attention at Madison County Youth Forum
Nearly 200 community members gathered in Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Meridian Ballroom on Monday, Nov. 2 to discuss ways to combat substance abuse in Madison County high schools and communities. The Madison County Youth Forum offered an opportunity for high school students to share possible solutions to the dangerous use of alcohol, marijuana, tobacco, prescription drugs and heroin.
Student representatives from nine of the county’s 10 public schools previously discussed the accessibility, usage and influences surrounding substance abuse. At the public forum, they presented actionable solutions to the growing health priority to a panel of community leaders and policy makers.
“We may be speaking for someone who is scared to speak out about a problem they have,” said Chrissi Freeman, a senior at Madison Senior High School.
“Substance abuse can lead to more dangerous activities later in life,” added Zack Haas, a junior at Roxana High School. “It’s better to be proactive now, than lead a life of hurt. It’s nice to know that we’ll be helping people and encouraging them to find other ways to have fun, or cope with whatever they’re dealing with.”
“I foresee many tangible recommendations to become reality as a result of giving our youth a voice in the problems and solutions that affect their lives daily,” Amy Yeager, health promotion services manager with the Madison County Health Department. “The best way for these problems to be resolved is to engage youth, citizens, parents, community leaders and schools in the process and work together toward solutions.”
The annual event was coordinated by multiple area agencies, and co-hosted by the Madison County Youth Board and SIUE’s Eta Sigma Gamma (ESG) National Health Education Honor Society.
Photo: A pair of students present to the panelists during the Madison County Youth Forum.
