On November 10, the seventh and eighth grade attended a Narcotics Overdose Prevention Education (NOPE) assembly about the dangers of drugs and alcohol. The assembly’s message was straightforward and unflinching: drugs can and will kill you.

An organization formed in Palm Beach County in 2004, NOPE’s official mission is “to diminish the frequency and impact of drug overdose and death through community education, family support and purposeful advocacy,” as stated in a NOPE packet provided to The Neersyde.

We even had one of our own teachers, Mrs. Carol Labzda, speak at the assembly about her son, Michael, who unfortunately passed away a few years ago from a drug overdose. “I especially hope that these stories brought about an awareness of the very real  danger of doing drugs – even a small amount and/or even ‘just one time’ can be fatal and lead to tragic consequences,” said Mrs. Labzda as she addressed the students at the assembly.

Although it may be a grim matter, the subject of drugs needs to be brought to light. Mrs. Labzda supports these types of seminars on drugs and their consequences because she feels they could prevent many tragedies like her son’s. “I do feel that…my son’s death could have been prevented had he had the chance to become more aware and informed of these powerful drugs,” added Labzda.

After the assembly, several students recognized the importance of NOPE. “I think it was a very important topic to talk about at schools,” said seventh grader Molly Sullivan, “because some students will start making bad decisions in middle school and the assembly helped us learn the consequences of under age drug abuse, and how just one time could be your last. It affected me personally because I know people who suffer from drug and alcohol problems and it was very emotional for many of students,” Sullivan added.  Although it may seem premature to talk to middle school students about the dangers of drug abuse, a 2012 study by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) found that 3.5 percent of children ages 12-13 have used illegal or illicit drugs. That number jumps to 8.2 percent for students who are 14-15 years old. Such numbers underscore the importance of drug prevention which was not lost on our middle school students.

“I thought [the assembly] was very sad,” admitted seventh grader Richard Roberson. “The knowledge that our middle school now has about drugs and how to stop drugs is incredible,” he added.

“I found that the NOPE assembly was both intriguing and depressing,” noted fellow seventh grader Priscilla Lambert. “I was extremely surprised that one of our teachers had actually lost a son, and that she hadn’t mentioned it any other time.”

Some more insight can be found in the words of the very person who arranged the assembly, Director of Student Services Mrs. Susan Poncy. “I believe it is very important to give every student the facts about the dangers of drug use, including the abuse of prescription drugs, so that, armed with accurate information, they can make informed decisions and avoid the dangers and heartbreak associated with drugs.” So something we need to focus on is not just the dangers of drug use, but also the other effects of drug use, such as breaking our loved ones’ hearts.  “…In 2012, 247 citizens died from drug overdoses in Palm Beach County,” noted Mrs. Poncy.

It may seem like a distant danger, but it can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. So, what we can truly gather from this is that drugs and alcohol have horrific, life-threatening consequences. Even one of our own teachers has lost a son to drugs, so we need the information provided by the NOPE assemblies to help us make the right choices, to say no, and to help others before it is too late.