ORANGE PARK – The Clay Action Coalition’s purpose is educating children against drugs with a variety of ways to treat the increasing rates of drug use among children, and it has since grown to be an educational tool for both parents and educators.

The coalition works predominantly with children who have either experimented with or been exposed to drugs. Currently, the top drugs affecting Clay County children today are marijuana, alcohol and nicotine in vape.

Stephanie Geoghagan, the Project Coordinator, describes how the Action Coalition helps children.

“We do environmental strategies to reduce drug use among youth. And so sometimes that work means that we’re working with parents and talking with them about how they can safeguard medicines and alcohol and things in their home to reduce access at home because we know most children will experiment at home first and if not at their own home then at their friends home,” she said. 

Another way the coalition helps to combat drug use is through educational programs that both the child and parent are required to attend together. Oftentimes the parents do not know the warning signs or ways to effectively prevent drug use in their home. The coalition requires parents to attend these programs to not only help educate them on drug use but also show the child that their parent is there for them as well. 

As children become exposed to drugs at earlier ages, it’s becoming more important to educate children about the harmful effects of drugs. Typically, children are exposed to drugs at 10 or 11 years old, but recently Action Coalition has noticed children being exposed to drugs at a younger age.

Geoghagan wants parents to understand that drug use starts in the home. Typically, children don’t immediately start experimenting with hard drugs first but will instead turn to their parents’ medicine cabinet to look for medication they can take, specifically opioid medications. Along with opioid medications, children might also become interested in marijuana or alcohol use if they see their parents using those drugs. It’s important to keep opioid medications locked away and marijuana and alcohol out of reach from children.

Although tobacco use has decreased dramatically in children it has since been replaced with marijuana. The drugs affecting Clay County adults are methamphetamines and fentanyl due to how easily and cheap they are to produce and buy. Although these drugs are not yet affecting children in Clay County, the coalition is concerned that these drugs may be mixed into marijuana without the children realizing it. 

Small amounts of fentanyl are now being added to many other drugs, including marijuana. The reason being is because people can build up a tolerance to marijuana.

The goal for drug dealers wouldn’t be for people to overdose on their product, but to develop an addiction and keep coming back for more. Fentanyl is also a cheap filler product that can be added to other drugs. Children who’ve never smoked marijuana before would not be able to recognize regular marijuana or marijuana that has been laced with something else.

Famous celebrities who’ve died from fentanyl overdoses include Prince, rapper Mac Miller and Amy Winehouse.

“People build up a tolerance,” Geoghagan said. “You know, people ask me why would a drug dealer sell marijuana with fentanyl in it knowing he could kill his clients? And it’s because they try to get that fine line between the super good high and not killing the person. So if one person overdoses then they know they need to take a little out. They’re willing to take the risk.”

Donna Wethington, the Executive Director, hopes educating children and parents will help to decrease drug use in children and adults.

“The goal has always been for parents to raise their kids drug free. And so, it’s always been youth driven...you have to have the parents involved in giving that message,” Wethington said.

Parents and adolescents can go to their website, https://clayactioncoalition.org, for more resources to learn more about Clay Action Coalition.