Governor challenges Ohio schools during friday night football

OREGON, OH (WTOL) -
Soon drug prevention and awareness could be making its way under the Friday night lights, at least if Governor John Kasich has his way.

It started with a tweet from Governor John Kasich. He's challenging high schools across the state to talk about the dangers of drugs before they kick-off the football season.

"I mean anytime you have a large crowd or anytime you can make an impact and we have a lot of parents here and a lot of community members,” said Oregon City Schools Superintendent, Hal Gregory. “We're going to take him up on that and basically what we'll probably do is just make announcements about what is happening and have parents talk with their kids about the drug epidemic. It's real and it needs to be done."

It's something parents and students say could be effective in the fight against drugs.

"Sometimes like students they just kind of push it off and they don't think it's really going to happen to them so I feel like it could benefit," said Tori Gallaher, a senior at Clay High School.

"What kids respond to is adults that care about them and are telling them the story,” said Hans Giller, parent of at senior at Clay. “I think that's where the impact comes."

Oregon Schools already has several measures in place regarding drug and alcohol prevention from programs, to clubs, school resource officers and more.

"I definitely think they are helpful,” said Madi Vriezelaar, a senior at Clay High School. “It's kind of really scary actually to see the results of some of the drugs that people, even at our school, use so yeah it’s crazy."

So while Big Board Fridays might be a bit different from now on, school leaders say they will do whatever it takes to make sure their students get the message.

"We're just trying to educate our kids the best that we possibly can,” said James Jurski, Clay High School Principal. “And arm them with some mechanisms in the future when they are done with Clay High School and give them the knowledge to say no."

Governor Kasich hopes schools and families will start talking, something Oregon is taking very seriously.



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