Presented by Crescenta Valley High School, CVHS PTSA, Prom Plus and CV Weekly

In partnership with CVHS, CV Weekly and PromPlus, CV PTSA co-hosted an evening event and senior assembly focusing on life after high school, college safety and having a safe social life.

There were some very useful tips given to the seniors during the assembly as well as the evening event.  

Parents and students, we strongly encourage you to engage in a dialogue about this topic and the tips below.

Tips

From a parent:

• Ask questions about campus police/safety office and key phone numbers. Get to know the security guard.
• Don’t leave dorm room open/unlocked.
• Make sure someone knows where you are going.
• Ask for help.

From an addiction counselor:

• Even small quantities of drugs can impair your judgement and cognitive abilities.
• People build a tolerance to the level of drugs used over time, thus needing more for the high.
• There is a fine line of use that can lead to overdose.

 From a High School counselor

• Parents, help your children be good people, know their limits, know what to do in difficult situations.
• Just listen without judgment. They need a safe person to talk with.
• Children need to experience the real pain of life before they go out in the world otherwise they won’t know how to cope in a bad/sad situation.

 From alumni students in or graduated from college:

• You are no longer in the cocoon of your home with a parent guiding you. It’s all up to you.
• You will have many friends that are over 21 that can legally drink.
• Hold yourself and friends accountable and help each other… be good humans.
• Be aware of your surroundings and people around you. Establish a buddy system with friends.
• There is alcohol and drugs everywhere. Set rules/boundaries for yourself.
• Know your resources on campus, keep key campus (like police) phone numbers in your cell.
• Advocate for yourself.
• Parents – be approachable, nonjudgmental. Give your phone number to your kids’ friends and get their phone numbers (like roommates or fraternity/sorority mates).

 From Greek Life volunteer:

• Greek life gives an instant and close-knit community, brothers/sisters watch out for each other.
• Most Greek communities are very supportive. News stories report the outliers.
• There are specific policies/procedures for each house on alcohol and drug usage.

 From college counselor and safety officer:

• There are services available for students for both counseling in group and individual.
• Many campuses offer some free counseling sessions, and conduct awareness campaigns.
• Cleary Act of 1991 - Any college getting federal funding must disclose campus crime statistics annually. Parents – ask for a copy!
• Colleges must keep a daily crime log and issue crime and emergency bulletins as needed.

Resources

www.awareawakealive.org  - know the signs of alcohol poisoning and help be accountable to get help.

• “MUST HELP”
  • Mental confusion
  • Unresponsive
  • Snoring/gasping for air
  • Throwing up
  • Hypothermia
  • Erratic breathing
  • Loss of consciousness
  • Paleness/blueness of skin

 College campus

• Police: look for department names such as Police Department, Campus Safety Police, University Police, Public Safety
• Counseling: look for Counseling Services, Student Counseling, Counseling and Psychological Services, Mental Health and Counseling Services
• Greek Life: look for Fraternity and Sorority Policies, Greek Life, Greek Houses

 Suicide/Crisis Lines:

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 24 hours– 800-273-8255
• Crisis text line 24 hours – text “HOME” to 741741
• Trevor Project – LGBTQ Crisis Help – 866-4-U-TREVOR
• Teen Phone line – 6p to 10p – 310-855-4673
• Teen Line Text and Chat – http://teenlineonline.org

Impact of drugs - click Drug Info Sheet for a comprehensive look at different drugs and the impact on a person.