Pontiac, Mich., Sept. 24, 2014 – Bob Stutman, the former head of the nation’s largest DEA field office, will speak to Oakland County high school students, physicians and the community about the emerging problem of prescription drug abuse among youth on Oct. 28.
“Every day, 2,500 teenagers use a prescription drug to get high for the first time,” Stutman said. “Our society has nearly pre-destined our children to use drugs. With only four percent of the world’s population, the United States consumes 60 percent of the world’s drugs. We see this play out in our teenagers, given, in 13 years their illegal drug use has doubled, and high school students are now describing their schools as drug infested.”
This issue was brought to County Executive L. Brooks Patterson’s attention by 51st District Court Judge Jodi Debbrecht Switalski, founder Regional Anti-Drug Education and Outreach or RADEO program. She saw a pattern among the youth appearing in her courtroom involving prescription drug abuse. Patterson directed Oakland County Health Division to raise awareness about the problem. Oakland Community College has stepped up to be the presenting sponsor for Stutman’s appearance.
Stutman will speak to students at 9 a.m. at Walled Lake Western High School. That event will be available to Oakland County high schools via a live stream. From 3-4 p.m., he will host a one-hour discussion with physicians and nursing students at Oakland Community College Royal Oak Campus in the Lila Jones-Johnson Theatre. In the same location at 6:30 p.m., Stutman will host a community forum that is open to the public. Registration for all three events can be found at www.oakgov.com/health.
Stutman made a 25-year career as one of America’s highest profile drug agents at the New York City DEA office. Now, he shares his expertise with parents, students and communities. He addresses the dangerous shift from a society that abuses illegal drugs to a society that abuses pharmaceutical drugs in alarming proportions. Stutman presents in a practical, no-nonsense manner, these issues and shares his thoughts on how to cope and potentially resolve this devastating and debilitating problem in our community.
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