‘These are our kids’

By Katlyn Proctor
Eagle Times Staff
CLAREMONT, NH — To borrow a phrase from the “Screenagers” documentary, today’s youth suffer from a “dopamine deficit” thanks to modern-day luxuries like Wi-Fi and cell phones. Not surprisingly, adolescents experience a major disconnect from one another and often turn to abusing substances like alcohol, cannabis and even tobacco to mask their emotions.

Thankfully, several groups are working to thwart that from happening to Sullivan County children and teens.

On Tuesday, Oct. 17, a crowd of roughly 50 mixed-age attendees filled the Stevens High School auditorium for an hour-long viewing of “Screenagers Under the Influence,” followed by a panel discussion with experts from local nonprofits. The idea was to educate the community (especially parents and role models) on healthy conversations surrounding substance abuse and mental health during this tech revolution.

“It is scary. These are our kids and we’re so invested in them. It’s terrifying to think about what kind of things they’re getting in to and what those consequences might be,” said Stephen Pascucci, SAU 6 restorative education support team coordinator. “How do I listen better? Even though the teens are pushing us away in many respects as they socialize in their groups, they still need us desperately.

“We’ve got to be there for them, and part of being there for them is doing everything we can do to hear them,” he added.

Additional panel members included Chris Pratt, principal of Stevens High School; Courtney Porter, SAU 6 social worker; Heather Inyart, executive director of Media Power Youth; and Kylee Plummer, sophomore at Stevens High School.

Parents and adults should be aware of the warning signs of depression and substance abuse in children and teenagers, such as sinking grades, lying and extra sleepiness.

One way SAU 6 is working to combat burnout and mental health issues stemming from digital devices is through a no-phone policy utilizing Yondr pouches. Students maintain possession of their phones that are placed in a locked pouch during school hours; devices can be digitally unlocked at certain stations upon leaving school.

“Just by seeing the difference that we’ve seen with the phones away, I can say the school is controlling it, but it’s not solving the problem once they leave the doors of this school,” said Chris Pratt. “We talk a lot about the effects of vaping and drugs and alcohol, but technology is also an addiction.”

Stevens High School is the first in the state to try this initiative and so far, the results have been impressive. More on this will be detailed in the Saturday, Nov. 4 issue of the Eagle Times.

As said before, it takes a village to raise a child.

“My experience when I was in this building in the late 80s and early 90s was nothing compared to what students are experiencing right now. Right now, life is really hard; we can do our best to listen. We don’t get what they’re going through because we haven’t been through it; this is a generation of new stuff,” said Courtney Porter, social worker. “We got your back. Do the best you can and reach out when you need help.”

There’s a plethora of resources available for families in the area, too. Oasis Teen Shelter is located on Main Street in Claremont and is run by Shea Davis.

Prior to the film screening and panel discussion, adolescents and parents meandered around a vendor fair that included TLC Family Resource Center, Youth CAN, Turning Points Network and Greater Sullivan County Public Health Network. Pizza was provided by Tremont House of Pizza and the Stevens High School Class of 2024 sold snacks.

Overdose prevention kits were among the candy, pens, pencils and games handed out to teens and parents at the fair. Promoting the kits is part of normalizing the conversation around substance abuse.

The Youth CAN Coalition (CAN is an acronym of Claremont and Newport) was formed in January 2019 to address youth substance use in those two communities. The resulting partnership between Claremont and Newport was a natural fit due to shared commerce, media and social services. Tuesday’s event was sponsored by Claremont School District, Youth CAN, Turning Points Network, the Greater Sullivan County Public Health Network in partnership with Dartmouth Health, and TLC Family Resource Center, with generous funding from the NH Charitable Foundation.

“I’m really proud of Claremont,” said Scott Blewitt, prevention coordinator with Youth CAN. “It’s really been on the up and up.”

These agencies and more are offering a slew of community events to progress the mission and support Red Ribbon Week, Oct. 23-31, a nationally recognized initiative each fall with an emphasis on prevention education and commitment to living a safe, healthy and drug-free life.

For more information, visit wcbh.org/youth-can-program.