Principal Stefan Czaporowski, Chris Herren, and Kristine Hupfer, counselor. (Photo submitted)
The issue of substance abuse continues to be a serious problem across our nation and young people are particularly vulnerable. The teen years are when patterns of behavior form and teens are more likely to be influenced by peers and role models who may glamorize the use of drugs and alcohol. According to a 2012 survey by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 6.5 percent of 8th graders, 17.0 percent of 10th graders, and 22.9 percent of 12th graders used marijuana in the past month. What is also disturbing is that non-medical use of prescription drugs and over-the-counter medicines was also identified as a significant part of the teen drug problem. In 2012, 14.8 percent of high-school seniors used a prescription drug non-medically in the past year. Other studies show that young people who drink alcohol are fifty times more likely to use cocaine than teens who never drink. While most people do not want to admit that substance abuse is a problem in their community, the reality is that it is present almost everywhere.
Last month, WVTHS students were invited to attend a school-wide assembly arranged by our Substance Abuse Counselor, Ms. Kristine Hupfer. The speaker was Chris Herren, a basketball player from Fall River, Massachusetts, who played for the Denver Nuggets and Boston Celtics in the NBA, only to lose all that he had worked so hard for to addiction. After a long struggle, Herren went into treatment and has now been sober for over five years. With the release of his memoir, Basketball Junkie, in May of 2011, Herren was contacted by hundreds of people looking for assistance in their road to recovery. Inspired by their stories, Chris formed The Herren Project to educate youth and at-risk populations on the importance of a healthy lifestyle and to provide techniques to handle pressure within their lives, their community, or their family situation.
Our assembly began with a brief video summary of Chris Herren’s basketball career and his subsequent collapse. Chris, who had been waiting backstage, walked to center stage and shared his personal experience with our staff and students. The entire audience was riveted, and the auditorium silently listened as Herren, at times, struggled to find the words to communicate the power of his addiction. After he finished, he allowed students to ask him questions. One student asked him if he ever feels like using drugs again. Herren responded, “No, but that there are times that I don’t like being me. And when I don’t like me, I don’t feel like being me, that’s when getting high comes into play. So the biggest battle today is being okay with who I am, as me, without any influence.” Herren concluded the program offering his contact information to students and then providing information about one of his initiatives, Project Purple. Project Purple was started by Herren in April 2012 to bring awareness to the issue of substance abuse. “This year over 100,000 kids had the courage and took a chance by wearing purple to school. Project Purple is about creating a sober culture within our school system. We will continue to educate, raise awareness, build self esteem and empower kids to stand up against substance abuse. To the kids who have shared their stories with me about cutting, self harm, abusing drugs or having family that do, to the kids who suffer from mental illness or have been bullied, you inspire me and you are not alone”, said Herren.
To say that this assembly was powerful is an understatement. In fact, Herren had the crowd’s full attention throughout his presentation. One staff member commented that this was the best school assembly that they had ever attended. Students went back to their classrooms and shops and were given the opportunity to discuss the overall message with each other and staff. Our school library, which had acquired films and books by and about Herren in anticipation of his visit, couldn’t keep up with the demand. After the presentation, Ms. Hupfer remarked, “This was an incredible investment that our students will never forget. We are already experiencing the results and I firmly believe this may have helped save lives by intercepting destructive decisions that lead to destructive behaviors. Chris Herren couldn’t have done this better for our students than the way he did today.”
For local support, Hampden County District Attorney Mark Mastroianni is co-sponsoring Learn to Cope, a statewide network for parents and family members affected by addiction. The Western Massachusetts chapter kickoff event will occur on November 6 at 7:00 p.m. at the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield. The featured speaker of the evening will be Chris Herren. All students and parents from high schools all across Hampden County have been invited to attend. In the meantime, parents should be talking with their children about substance abuse. Studies show that teens whose parents talk to them regularly about the dangers of drugs are 42 percent less likely to use drugs than those whose parents don’t. However, only a quarter of teens report having these conversations. As a community, we need to work together to educate our teens with the knowledge they need in order to reduce the risks of drug and alcohol abuse. Parents seeking more information can go to www.teens.drugabuse.gov/parents to learn strategies on how to talk to their teenagers about substance abuse.
