According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, in 2021, the leading cause of death for people ages 18 to 45 was fentanyl overdoses. As frightening as this number is, this statistic shows just how important it is to be proactive when it comes to talking to our children and teens about alcohol and substance abuse. For years, the City of Santa Clarita has offered hard-hitting drug prevention programs to help keep our community safe and healthy. Part of this is achieved by working directly with our local students through the award-winning Drug Free Youth in Santa Clarita Valley (DFYinSCV) Program.

DFYinSCV is a free drug prevention and education program that works with students in elementary, junior high and high schools across Santa Clarita. This dynamic program invites our local students to participate in fun and engaging monthly activities, join student-led club meetings and listen to a wide variety of speakers give informational presentations about substance abuse. Each year, DFYinSCV will visit numerous campuses from each of the school districts to help spread its message about the dangers of drug use.

Experts say that the earlier we start to teach our children the importance of not using drugs, the better. In our elementary schools, DFYinSCV holds Good Choice assemblies for 4th and 5th graders, which introduce saying no to drugs and alcohol through fundamental concepts that include making good choices, character building and the consequences of drug use. As students progress through grades, so do the assemblies. For 6th grade students, they will attend Lifeline assemblies which will equip students with refusal strategies, provide awareness of the DFYinSCV Program and encourage them to continue to make good choices.

As they transition into Junior High and High School, students will begin to learn about gateway drugs and opioids and the long-term consequences of drug use. Additionally, they can become members of the DFYinSCV Club at their campuses, learn leadership skills and participate in team-building activities.

By talking with our children and engaging in their everyday lives, we can better understand the pressures they face both at school and on social media. Implementing programs like DFYinSCV not only helps but prepares them for the real-life situations they may face. By giving them the support and guidance they need, we can all work together to help them succeed in and outside of school.

This fall, I encourage all of our local parents and students to attend the annual Parent Resource Symposium at the Santa Clarita City Hall on Sept. 23, at 5:30 p.m. This free event will feature speakers from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Juvenile Intervention Team and Mental Evaluation Team, who will cover topics like prescription drug abuse and strategies to help your children cope with the many pressures they face at school in the media and online.

As we embark upon this new school year, I hope all of our students and parents know that there is always a place to find resources and a helping hand about substance abuse through our DFYinSCV Program. For more information about DFYinSCV or the Parent Resource Symposium, please visit dfyinscv.com.

Ken Striplin is Santa Clarita’s City Manager and can be reached at kstriplin@santa-clarita.com.