More than 200 attend event on drug use in county

More than 200 parents and youth attended an event this week that tackled the issue of drug use among students in the county.
The guest speaker talked about his journey with drugs, explained Krystal Lomanto, the county superintendent of schools, in an email to the Free Lance.
Parents also had the chance to visit information tables during the “Above the Influence” event, which lasted from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Veterans Memorial Building, 649 San Benito St.
Discussion topics included the signs of drug use, drug prevalence in the community and steps to take if a parent thinks a child is using controlled substances. The San Benito County Office of Education, San Benito County Behavioral Health Services, The Youth Alliance, Hollister Police Department, San Benito County Probation Department, San Benito County Sheriff’s Office, Gang Prevention Policy Committee and San Benito Public Health Department worked together to host the event.
The office of education also provided event attendees with a resource guide of services in the county. Each family received a packet of information and a copy of the presentations in the language of their choice, which could be English or Spanish.