By Hannah Parker
News Editor
Manhattan Beach Middle School and MBMS Families Connected, an organization that teaches drug and alcohol prevention tactics to students, held an anti-drug and alcohol education class for current eighth graders on Tuesday.
MBMS organized the event to take place during eighth graders’ physical education classes. Speakers from Straight Up, a group that spreads awareness regarding underage drinking and drug use, taught students about the harm that can result from abusing drugs and alcohol through interactive iPad activities such as a jeopardy game and the myth busters.
“The purpose of the activities was to introduce the middle schoolers to drug and alcohol issues in an engaging manner,” MBMS Principal Jon Jackson said. “We were just looking for a way to educate kids since they are going through a time of their lives where they are growing up and changing, so we just want them to be prepared for what is to come.”
Earlier in the school year in April, MBMS found two eighth graders on campus under the influence of alcohol and marijuana. MBMS did not organize the anti-drug student talk entirely in response to the recent events on campus, but the events did encourage the decision to hold the talk, Jackson said.
MBMS also decided to hold the student talk because it wanted to educate middle school students about drug and alcohol prevention before they enter high school, Jackson said.
Next school year, MBMS will likely plan several more student talks as well as similar talks for parents in order to continue to inform students about the harms that come with using drugs and alcohol, Jackson said. Furthermore, if the talks’ methods seem ineffective, MBMS will continue to look for other methods to prevent substance abuse both on and off campus.
“With these talks and activities, our goal is to find something for the kids in the middle school that is both informative and also prepares them for the peer pressure that will be present in high school,” Jackson said.
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