BRISTOL, Tenn. (WJHL) – Parents were given the opportunity to look through a replica of a teenager’s room to see where adolescents may attempt to hide drugs and paraphernalia.
The Army National Guard Stashed Away drug prevention trailer was in the parking lot of the YMCA of Bristol on Wednesday.
“The trailer is set up like a kid’s bedroom and bathroom, and it’s educational for parents,” said Kristie Coleman, supervisor of student services for Bristol Tennessee City Schools. “They walk through and learn about drug and drug paraphernalia and how students are hiding this from their parents.”
Coleman said while the trailer was informative, parent involvement is vital to preventing teen drug use.
“Be aware of what they’re doing,” Coleman said. “They should be aware of social media, really. They need to be an active part of their lives and have family engagement with schools and anything they can do to keep their kids active, whether it’s athletics or sports or clubs or intramurals, anything they can do to keep kids active.”
The event was held with the assistance of the Sullivan County Anti-Drug Coalition, the Bristol Tennessee City Schools Resource Center, Frontier Health and local first responder agencies.
Food trucks were also on-site for those who visited the trailer.
