ROSENDALE, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Parents and other adults learned the signs of drug and alcohol use through a life-size exhibit of a teenagers bedroom.
The event is part of the Drug Take-Back Campaign throughout Fond du Lac County.
A typical teenagers bedroom may have soda cans, a laptop, and clothes that haven’t been put away.
But Lynn Seibel of Fond du Lac tells FOX 11 don’t be tricked.
“There were so many things in “Hidden in Plain Sight” that we were like ‘oh if only we would have known’.”
Seibel had no idea her 17-year-old daughter was using heroin until it was too late. After she attended the “Hidden in Plain Sight” event, she began to piece the puzzle.
“I wish it would have been available for us five years ago because then we would have seen the big soup spoon that was missing from our house all the time; people use it to heat heroin.”
Justin Weisbecker, with the Fond du Lac Sherriff’s office, tells FOX 11 people are able to hide drugs into little compartments like a soda can.
“Fake markers, fake containers, maybe hand sanitizers that actually open up and have compartments in them.”
A “Fond du Lac County Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug” survey said the average age youth begin to misuse any prescription drugs is between 13 and 14.
“Definitely have these conversations of drugs and alcohol way before grade school and keep conversations going as a teen is growing,” explained Stephanie Kikkert, a clinical substance abuse counselor.
Kikkert explained that boredom and mental health is a huge trigger for teens to start using drugs.
According to the state’s department of health services, deadly drug overdoses are up by 300 from 2015 to 2017.
“Participate as many community events like this as you can, educate yourself, encourage kids to have that good behavior,” said Seibel.
She added that it’s never too late to help.
