Sheriff Meyers took a moment to address Mrs. Ingram's health class during his visit to Southern Garrett High School to oversee the first implementation of "The Hard Truth" program. The new program is intended to be a high school version, and continuation, of the WINNERS program which has been taught locally in the middle schools for several years by the Sheriff's Office School Resource Officers.
The WINNERS and The Hard Truth programs focus on educating students about the dangers of drugs and alcohol. Also, as part of this new program, both the Sheriff's Office and the high school coordinated with Missy Clark, Associate Director of AHEC West, to invite guest speakers to share with the students their personal stories of addiction and recovery. Both guests now work at AHEC West assisting others with their path to recovery, as well as conducting outreach and education with inmates and offenders on pretrial release.
"My office believes that an age-appropriate continuum of education, paired with strong enforcement, is the key to combating the drug crisis on a local level," said Sheriff Bryson Meyers. "Initiatives like 'The Hard Truth' provide valuable information that empowers our students to make safe decisions."
The guests (pictured) were Shalynn Cline, Harm Reduction Coordinator and Peer Specialist, and Jim Murray, Program Director and Certified Peer Recovery Specialist.
