Carrie Gentry says drug traffickers are waging a war on the youth of Henderson County and the nation.
“It’s a war on our children and we’re fighting back,” she said.
Gentry, the community addiction awareness director based at the Recovery Resource Club of Henderson, hosted a substance abuse education parent night at the RRCH, located at 437 First St., last week with a goal of educating parents about what’s really going on with drugs in the community.
One of the main points for parents to be aware of what’s here in Henderson County—marijuana, methamphetamine and opioids, including fentanyl, are very prevalent here, she said.
She also wants to erase the thought in some parents’ minds that drug use and addiction couldn’t happen to their children.
“It can hit even the best of families,” she said. “(I want parents to) be aware of what’s out there.”
One point Gentry spoke at length about was the prevalence of vaping among students and products that are designed to look like other everyday items but, in fact, are vapes.
In one slide of her presentation, a picture showing dozens of common items was displayed and Gentry asked members of the audience to count the number they believed were vapes. Most counted five or six or even 12. The actual amount was more than 40.
She also showed an NBC news segment called “Vaping in Plain Sight” in which parents and teachers were asked to walk through a classroom and find the vapes. They were largely unsuccessful. It was revealed that the vapes were hidden in pens, hoodies, Sharpies and watches, among other items.
Gentry explained that vapes aren’t being used for only nicotine. She said some add THC to vapes, and some contain fentanyl. She also said children as young as second grade have been caught with vapes.
Gentry also presented information about products containing THC that children can buy online and get delivered to their homes. The products, containing legal levels of THC, are marketed to appear like candy, including similar logos and brand names as popular products, such as “Keef Kat” instead of “Kit Kat.”
A couple of statistics she mentioned regarding fentanyl is that Kentucky has the third-most fentanyl deaths per capita in the U.S., and fentanyl is the leading cause of death for people aged 18-49 in the nation.
Gentry also urged parents to talk to their children about drugs starting when they are young and to continue that conversation as they grow.
She has a guide for parents to talk to children about vapes and drugs that contains appropriate conversation topics to use when talking to age groups 0-5 years old, 6-11 years old and 12-18 years old.
“You’ve got to have these conversations,” Gentry said.
The final portion of the evening, a question-and-answer session with those who are in recovery, included some brutal truths of drug use.
One 17-year-old said he had gone to an addiction recovery center in another state, and upon his release, he and12 other friends formed a Snapchat group chat with the goal to stay in touch, encourage each other and stay clean. Now, only five of those 13 are still alive, he said.
Gentry said if anyone needs assistance, they can always call the helpline at 270-826-0030 and someone is always available to talk.