Photo By Sgt. Finis Dailey | Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee listens as Staff Sgt. Robert Swanson, a combat medic assigned...... read more read more
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Army National Guard’s Counterdrug Task Force displayed their “Stashed Away” informational trailer during the 2021 Drug Endangered Children Conference at the Opryland Gaylord Hotel, Aug. 24-27.
The trailer, which simulates a child’s bedroom, provided examples of places where children could potentially hide illicit drugs and presented information on illegal drug abuse among Tennessee minors.
“Many people that go through the trailer, are blown away by the ways minor children can hide illegal drugs and alcohol,” said task force member Staff Sgt. Robert Swanson. “They are really amazed at what they find here, but they are also made more aware of the warning signs to look for.”
The hiding places were subtle, and not ones where illegal drugs and paraphernalia would be readily visible. While many of the hiding places are traditionally identifiable, a significant number of them were camouflaged in modern items. Many of the attendees who toured the trailer were surprised at the ease with which illegal drugs and alcohol could be disguised as regular items.
The trailer also contained informational posters with findings from the 2018 Tennessee Together survey regarding drug usage among minors. It also contained a television that displayed information on the prevalence of illegal drugs in 80 of Tennessee’s 95 counties. This information included statistics on the most common illegal drugs by county and the average age where children in Tennessee typically begin experimenting with illicit substances.
“In 2018, the state put out the Tennessee Together survey, which interviewed 2,600 students about their use of drugs and perception of harm,” said task force member Tech Sgt. Empathy Guerin. “What we found was the average age where they began to experiment with drugs was 13. We want parents to understand that they need to start having these conversations about drug use before their children hit that age.”
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee gave remarks at the conference. He toured the Stashed Away trailer with task force members. Because the Tennessee National Guard’s Counterdrug Task Force is a program administered by the governor’s office, highlighting the trailer allowed the task force to present the governor with a visible tool in its efforts to combat illegal drug use in the state.
The 2021 Drug Endangered Children Conference featured various organizations that work to combat alcohol and illegal drug abuse. Conference attendees participated in workshops and heard from keynote speakers on curbing these activities among minors.
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| Date Taken: | 09.01.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 09.02.2021 12:04 |
| Story ID: | 404424 |
| Location: | NASHVILLE, TN, US |
| Hometown: | NASHVILLE, TN, US |
| Hometown: | SMYRNA, TN, US |
| Web Views: | 572 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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