NORTH READING — The North Reading Police Department recently partnered with the North Reading High School Parents Association and Community Impact Team’s Youth Substance Use Prevention Coalition to offer a free educational event.
The two-part community outreach featured an adult presentation on Tuesday, Feb. 7, which was followed by a Feb. 8 series of presentations to all North Reading High School students in Grades 9-12. About 40 members from the community, law enforcement, and school administration attended the adult presentation. During student presentations, North Reading High School counselors were available on-hand to field student questions and concerns privately if needed.
Featuring information about community threats related to fentanyl, counterfeit pills, and high-potency marijuana, all presentations were hosted by North Reading School Resource Officer Detective Paul Lucci Jr., Detective Michael Marra, and North Reading Police Mental Health and Substance Use Clinician Laura Miranda.
“The threat of fentanyl and counterfeit pills is no secret,” said North Reading Police Chief Michael Murphy. “Luckily, our young people seem more aware than ever about the threat, but we need to make sure it stays in the conversation.” He added, “It’s important to have the same awareness regarding concerns about high-potency marijuana.”
In addition to key information about drug threats, the group spoke about the connections between substance use disorder and mental health. Clinician Miranda spoke about the documented correlation between the two as well as the impact high-potency marijuana can have on someone with existing mental health concerns. She also shared data on how these substances can affect one’s mental well-being even if they did not have a pre-existing mental health concern.
Science-based information was also shared about the manner in which high-potency marijuana affects the developing brain. Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Director Amy Luckiewicz explained, “Over the past seven years, and especially with decriminalization of marijuana in our state, we’ve documented a more casual attitude about youth marijuana use. This is a trend nation-wide, actually, with the idea that marijuana today is the same as the 60s and 70s. Some people think it’s safe for youth to use, and that’s just untrue.”
The North Reading Police Department would like to thank the volunteers who assisted with the event and North Reading High School Parents Association for their support of the workshops. DFC Director Luckiewicz noted, “This was definitely a team effort and we’re very grateful for our community partners and to those that have a great passion for prevention and education.”
As part of both the youth and student presentations, local data was presented to the community related to youth substance use trends in Grades 6-12. To access that information, please visit www.northreading.gov/CIT and click on “Data.”
To learn more on how to access treatment resources, please contact Laura Miranda at lmiranda@nrpd.org or call 978-357-5038. Youth can access additional resources through North Reading Youth Services at 978-357-5281.
