Photo Gallery DEA Officer Shows marker containing pipe Gregg Feldberg won the bed offered in a drawing to parents attending the program. The bed was donated by Rent-a-Center in Plano.

Sometimes a lipstick isn’t a lipstick and sometimes a highlighter isn’t a highlighter.

As FISD wraps up Red Ribbon Week a group of parents and educators gathered at Frisco High School Thursday, October 29, to look beyond the fun of pajama day and into the depths of the lives of teens hiding substance abuse from their parents and friends.

The program was entitled Bedrooms, Backpacks and Beyond presented in partnership with the Frisco Police Department and the FISD Counseling Department. The Frisco High School auditorium stage held a mock teen bedroom complete with dirty clothes and hidden drug paraphernalia.  Frisco High School graduate and long-time DEA officer Vic Routh brought a sample backpack that contained a CD case that held a digital drug scale, a lipstick that concealed a drug pipe, and assorted everyday items that could conceal drugs.

School Resource Officer Tony Rike presented the statistics for Frisco. He noted that marijuana is still the drug of choice for people age 16 to 20 but that the big rise the Frisco PD sees is abuse of prescription drugs – specifically pain killers.  Overdoses on prescription drugs obtained from the medicine cabinets of parents or friends is a growing problem. “There is a downward trend in illicit drug overdoses and an upswing in prescription drug overdose,” Rike noted.

But Rike also cautioned that alcohol is still the most dangerous substance available to teens. It is easily available in most homes and can lead to addiction or fatal accidents involving drinking and driving, he noted.

The evening was filled with personal stories from law enforcement officials, a recovering addict, the experience of a parent of two young adults who survived their addiction issues, and counseling professionals.

“You are the people who needed to be here tonight,” said Patrice Dunn, a parental support coordinator for FISD and one of the organizers of the event. “You need to help us spread the word.”

 Rent-A-Center of Plano, located at Parker Road and Avenue K, donated a king-size bed frame, mattress and box springs to be won by persons attending the event. The winners of the drawing for the bed were Robyn and Gregg Feldberg, parents of a Wakeland student and a Griffin student. Brenda Russell, Director of Guidance and Counseling, thanked Rent-A-Center for providing the bed to the event.

FISD is actively working to prevent substance abuse by students. Teamwork by teachers, resource officers, counselors and parents is vital to success of all students. Programs to educate students about the dangers of substance abuse begin in elementary and continue through high school.