Miss Washington talks drug and alcohol prevention at Hoquiam High

Miss Washington 2014, Kailee Dunn, gave a presentation Wednesday to a group of Hoquiam High School students known as the Grizzly Prevention Squad, discussing the influence tobacco and alcohol advertisements can have on teenagers.

The Grizzly Prevention Squad, referred to as GPS for short, is a group of students that aims to educate their peers on the dangers associated with using drugs and alcohol.

After Dunn gave the presentation, the students practiced facilitating the same talk, which they plan to give to middle and high school students within the next three weeks, according to Izzy Chavez, a substance abuse counselor with True North which coordinates the group.

“The earlier we can inform them of the dangers (associated with drugs and alcohol), the higher the potential is we can stop them before they began to use,” said Chavez. “Prevention is huge.”

Dunn was in Hoquiam to present “Media Awareness: How the Alcohol, Tobacco and Marijuana Industries Target You,” as part of a partnership with Educational School District 113 and said as Miss Washington, she tries to travel to 40 schools around the state each year to present.

The presentation focused on the ways the mainstream media targets young people with advertisements and how the alcohol, tobacco and marijuana industries aren’t any different.

Dunn showed the rapper Snoop Dogg promoting an herbal vaporizer as well as colorfully canned energy drinks that contain alcohol. She also stressed the fact that many tobacco products come in different flavors to attract a younger market.

At the end of the presentation, Dunn told students about the physical and emotional side effects associated with early alcohol and drug abuse. She prepared the group to think of ways to convey this information to other students effectively.

“These are heavy facts, but take your time and let them know what you’re trying to get across,” said Dunn in referring to statistics within the presentation that detail the health affects of alcohol and tobacco use.

The idea for starting GPS began when students told Chavez they wanted to take part in some sort of drug and alcohol prevention group. Chavez responded to students’ requests and the group formally started in September.

Ever since, GPS has met every week to discuss prevention as well as put up posters around the school, done surveys among students relating to substance abuse and are now focusing on the media awareness presentation.

“We’re just trying to get some awareness out,” said Chavez.

Students in the group are dedicated to preventing substance abuse and some have experiences with the issue first hand. Freshman Jeleny Jimenez says that one of her friends began using drugs and is now addicted.

“I don’t want that to happen to other people,” she said.

Emily Lash, also a freshman, said she’s known people who struggled with drugs and alcohol and hopes she can convince her peers to abstain. “I care about other people,” she said. “I want to teach people how they can have fun without doing drugs or alcohol. I’m just trying to prevent it.”