President’s Letter: Addressing Addiction’s Dangers

Greetings, Georgia school counselors.

I hope you are enjoying the glimpses of spring that we are getting. Before we know it, summer will have arrived and we will all be wondering what how in the world we have completed yet another school year.
 
This issue of the newsletter is challenging! The statistics surrounding the opioid epidemic are sobering. Unfortunately, this issue is huge in our state. In 2017 the Abuse Research Alliance (part of the Georgia Prevention Project) reported that Georgia ranks 11th when it comes to the most prescription opioid overdoses and saw 549 from opioid abuse in 2015. Georgia also has 29 counties where the overdose rate is higher than in the rest of the United States. The rate of deaths from overdose increased 1000% (Yes, three zeros is correct) from 1999–2014, 68 percent of which were from opioids and heroin. The Department of Public Health shows that deaths related to drug overdoses are almost equal to deaths due to motor vehicle accidents.
 
There is some good news. Georgia’s Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) is administering the Georgia Opioid State Targeting Response Program and is focusing on prevention, education and recovery. However, we know that we, as school counselors, are on the front line of identifying those students who are at risk or who have developed a dependency/addiction to these drugs. I encourage you to take advantage of the information in this newsletter to help you as we work with resources throughout our community and state to combat this abuse and help change the trend in Georgia.
 
In addition to the information you find in the newsletter you can get additional resources here from the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities.
 
On a happier note, as your school year comes to a close, I encourage you to take the time to look back at what you have accomplished since August. I know our tendency is to look at what we have not done, but focusing only on that leads to discouragement. Regardless of what was on your agenda that didn’t get done, you have all accomplished great things for the students of Georgia this year! Celebrate those accomplishments.
 
It has been a privilege to serve as president of the greatest school counselor association in the country. Thank you for the opportunity and experience. Your dedication to our students is inspiring and I am so fortunate to work with such a strong group of school counselors. Enjoy the rest of the year and enjoy the summer break!
 
Leslie Hamilton is GSCA President 2018-2019. Contact GSCA