The Town of Greenfield will open its community center to any parents looking for an education on identifying teenage drug use on May 29 from 7-8 p.m. The Prevention Council’s “Right Under Your Nose” program provides a nuts and bolts demonstration of how a parent can recognize signs of current drug culture and trends.

The program will be held at the Greenfield Community Center, 25 Wilton Rd. in Greenfield and is open to residents and non-residents. The program will be offered first-come first served to a maximum of 75 people (adults only), or to secure a spot you can register in advance by calling 518-893-7432 ext. 307.

Participants will walk through a mock teen bedroom and try to identify signs of drug or alcohol use or drug culture. Erin Webster, prevention specialist at the Prevention Council of Saratoga County, explained that a couple of minutes is about how long a parent may have in a teen’s room such as when dropping off laundry or doing something similar. In this limited time, a parent might not notice what might be right under their nose. It is enough time, though, if a parent is educated on what they are looking for. The program exposes many trending hiding spots a teenager uses, shows parents how to recognize drug culture, particularly with clothing and other pop culture items and most importantly, how to start an open dialogue with teens about this issue.

Webster said teens are finding exceedingly creative ways to hide these behaviors by purchasing containers that look like typical items in a bedroom at novelty giftshops and on social media sites like Instagram and Tik-Tok. Teens can conceal paraphernalia and drugs in items like undergarments, purses, apparel, snacks and more. Participants also learn about the importance of staying abreast of what your child is learning from peers and on the Internet and why this is so detrimental to their health.

 “Parents need to be realistic that even if their child is not experimenting, they have friends and acquaintances who are,” said Webster. “This program gives parents the information they need to open the lines of communication with their teens about these important issues.”

“Teenage minds are very much still in development of their critical thinking skills,” Webster said. “When they are exposed to drugs or alcohol at a young age, the addiction rates skyrocket.”

The Alcohol and Substance Abuse Prevention Council of Saratoga County, Inc, is a nonprofit, community-based organization. Its mission as prevention specialists is to provide education, information and referral services on the subjects of alcohol, tobacco, other drug and violence prevention to individuals and communities throughout Saratoga County. The Prevention Council offers educational programs for school children of all ages and adults, free support resources for families, Healing Springs Recovery Community Center in Saratoga and more.