Arlington coalition shines light on youth drug use, addiction

ARLINGTON — It’s time to shine a light on drug problems here and learn how to help, officials say.

The Arlington Drug Awareness Coalition is hosting an evening event called Out of the Shadows to share stories, advice and resources for preventing youth drug use and fighting addiction. The coalition includes representatives from the school district, city, Stillaguamish Tribe and Cascade Valley Hospital.

The group has prepared a video in which students and young adults in Arlington speak about their struggles with drug abuse or the addictions of friends and family. To protect their privacy, they have been silhouetted, or shadowed, in the video. That’s why the event is called Out of the Shadows.

It’s important to have that perspective from local students and families to make it clear that drugs are a close-to-home problem, district spokeswoman Andrea Conley said.

“We all say it can’t happen to us, it can’t happen to my family,” she said. “But great families with great children find themselves in this situation.”

Shanna Crookes is a guidance counselor and a prevention and intervention specialist for the Arlington School District. She helps hundreds of students plan their classes and graduation goals each year. She also counsels about 50 students every year as they grapple with their own drug addictions or the effects of having parents, siblings or friends who are addicts.

She’s been doing the job for seven years and said she hasn’t seen much of an increase in drug use among her students. However, she has noticed that the community seems to battling more heroin use and drug-related crimes.

“I see it as a constant and a steady problem,” Crookes said.

She teaches her students how to cope with a roller-coaster of emotions and think through tough decisions in stressful moments. It’s important for people to understand what they can and cannot control, then focus on the things they can, she said. She also refers students and families to resources like Catholic Community Services, Cocoon House or additional counseling.

There was no specific catalyst that inspired the coalition to put on this event, Crookes said. Drug abuse is a long-standing problem volunteers have wanted to address for a while.

“I think you just have a community of people who see a problem and want to know: How can we help?” Crookes said. “How can we deal with this?”

Crookes is speaking at the event, along with the mother of a young drug addict, the owner of a treatment center, local police officers, the superintendent, mayor and a representative from Cascade Valley Hospital.

People want to “be part of the change in our community,” Conley said. “If we all pull together, we’ll be able to support others and take away the stigma for getting help.”

The evening starts and ends with the Healthy Families, Healthy Communities Fair where people can learn about different resources and support groups in the Stillaguamish Valley. Cascade Valley Hospital is providing information on how to recognize different drugs and signs of drug abuse. Police are hosting a take-back program that accepts unused prescription drugs. After-school clubs and youth organization also have information about programs to keep kids busy and safe.

Out of the Shadows originally was planned last year, but the district postponed it after the deadly Oso mudslide.

“It wasn’t good timing for anybody,” Conley said. “People were dealing with the aftermath of a disaster.”

Crookes expects people to approach the evening with different mindsets. Some are concerned about a loved one’s drug abuse, others about the security of their homes and safety of their families. Some have been victims of drug-related crimes, while others may have committed crimes to fund their addiction.

“I think the whole Arlington Drug Awareness Coalition wants to approach this from a place of compassion,” Crookes said. “There are people struggling in our community. We need to know how to educate ourselves and, once we’re educated, how do we help.”

Kari Bray: 425-339-3439; kbray@heraldnet.com.

Out of the Shadows starts at 6 p.m. Tuesday, with presentations at 7 p.m. in the Byrnes Performing Arts Center at Arlington High School, 18821 Crown Ridge Blvd.