Three years after its launch, the Lenape Regional High School District’s DEFY the Issue campaign presents former NBA star Chris Herren, national speaker and author of “Basketball Junkie” to talk to the district’s students.
Herren will share with students the compelling and unvarnished story of his struggles with substance abuse and his journey to sobriety during presentations in November and December at each of the district’s four high schools.
In addition, Herren will give a presentation geared specifically for all parents of LRHSD students at the Lenape Regional Performing Arts Center at 7 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 18.
Herren, a basketball legend from Fall River, Mass., realized his dream to play for the NBA, only to lose it all to addiction. He has been drug- and alcohol-free since Aug. 1, 2008.
In 2009, he launched Hoop Dreams, a basketball player development company and, in 2011, he founded The Herren Project, a non-profit foundation that assists individuals and families struggling with addiction. According to Superintendent of Schools Carol Birnbohm, bringing Herren to the district gives students and parents a rare opportunity to hear a first-person account of how substance abuse and addiction can destroy the dreams of someone who is gifted, talented and intelligent.
“Substance abuse is a serious threat in any community and to any type of student, including the ‘typical’ happy, well-adjusted, active high achiever, ” Birnbohm said.
Research studies by organizations including the National Institutes of Health and the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse have found that substance abuse is a serious and growing problem among teens, including the use of prescription drugs and pain relievers in addition to illegal drugs and alcohol. A new trend known as Academic Doping, the abuse of prescription stimulants by high achieving students, has surged nationwide over the past two years.
Equally important, research continues to show those teens whose parents talk to them regularly about the dangers of drugs are 42 percent less likely to use drugs than those whose parents don’t. However, only a quarter of teens report having those conversations.
“We want every Lenape Regional District student and their parents to hear Chris Herren’s message and have those conversations with their children,” Birnbohm said. “As a parent, I’ll be at the Nov. 18th presentation and encourage every parent to join me that evening.”
Tickets are $1 and can be ordered only online at sjtheater.com or purchased at the door. Proceeds to benefit the DEFY the Issue campaign. For more information, visit www.DefyTheIssue.org.
