by Diane Ross, M.Ed., Senior Field Account Manager with Realityworks
As I work with teachers throughout the year, one of the most poignant moments of my career is showing teachers the RealCare™ Drug-Affected Baby. Realityworks has been carrying the Drug-Affected Baby as a part of our RealCare™ Infant Health Trio (Shaken Baby, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Baby and Drug-Affected Baby) for several years. This past year we added a new unit in the curriculum that covers Methamphetamine, which makes this product more relevant than ever before.
We’ve all seen the news stories of young parents, passed out in their cars, using meth, while their young children are present. Children are losing their parents in an alarming rate in our country overall to drug abuse.
Recently, my college coach, who is now the Executive Director of the School of Medicine at Marshall University, my alma mater, posted a news story created by a classmate about the increased drug problem in Huntington, WV. After watching the news story, I saw the parallels to our own curriculum concerning drug affected babies and their families.
I am convinced that every student, whether in West Virginia or any state, should see this video. It is not a dramatization, but reflects real lives, real people affected by heroin, meth and any other drug. Watching what this small town has had to do to combat the rising drug rate, as well as the rising number of infants born ‘drug addicted’ is alarming.
I challenge you, as a teacher, to spend a class period watching this video and discussing it with students. Many students will become child care givers and even more will become parents. Education is power. I think this lesson will be one of the most important. I welcome your comments and would like to get your feedback on how students have reacted and some of the conversations you have with your students. I’d like to share the comments in this forum, as well as in sessions you may attend or lead during your conferences and meetings.
As a teacher, you may underestimate your influence on society. I look forward to hearing your stories on how you continue to positively impact your students’ lives.
We would love to hear from you – please leave your thoughts and experiences in the comments below!
Diane Ross, M.Ed. is a Senior Field Account Manager with Realityworks. She graduated from Marshall University with a degree in Broadcasting, then returned for a Master’s in Secondary Education.
Babies are abused and the mothers of the baby are either doing herion or meth, a use of other type of drugs. the babies are losing their parents while they are passed out in the car.
The summary of this blog is how drugs are affecting families, most importantly how they affect a baby. How the rising number of babies born drug addicted is rising.