Students Take Harrowing Look into World of Drugs

They were words and screams that no one wanted to hear.

But the Lake Fenton officials and The Community Parent group didn't want another "Just Say No" campaign. They wanted something that would have a lasting and perhaps even terrifying effect.

Officials played a recording of the actual 911 call after Briona Jawhari, 17, of Fenton Township died last month from a heroin overdose. The horrifying sounds left many in tears, and several students had to leave the auditorium.

The Community Parent put on a program Monday for students, and it didn't sugarcoat the dangers of drugs; it embraced them with real-life incidents as part of a drug-prevention plan. Several community members spoke about loves ones lost, officials played a real 911 call, and images of rotted teeth and scars were shown.

"We don’t want to be naïve. Drugs are part of our community, whether it's a large problem or a small problem," said Tony Simmons, Lake Fenton assistant principal. "We don't want to ignore that, we are trying to hit that head-on.

"This program today was a huge step in hitting it head-on,” he said.

The Community Parent, which includes Fenton Township and Lake Fenton school officials, was to help combat drugs in the Fenton area in the wake of three recent overdose deaths among young people.

Before the program started, Genesee County Sheriff Robert Pickell told the students, “What you are about to see is real. It happens every day in Flint and Genesee County. This is so riveting, it is going to suck the wind right out of you.”

The presentation started with grotesque images of bodies that had been disfigured or scarred through drug use. Then the 911 call was played.

While many were in tears, no one likely felt as much pain as Sam Jawhari, Briona’s father, who participated in the program and shared his daughter’s story.

“It was very emotional for us,” he said. “Today it felt like we were burying my daughter again.”

Jawhari said he took part to help make sure what happened to his daughter would not happen again with another student.

“We wanted to send them a message. We want to reach them before they get started,” Jawhari said. “Our kids are hurting, and we wanted to make a difference. We wanted to let them know if they turn to drugs, all that’s there is a casket.”

The program continued with local parents and family members speaking about how drugs tore their families apart. Also, officials acted out what a drug overdose scene would look like and later wheeled in a casket to simulate a funeral.

Freedom Center Pastor Jim Wiegand then shared his story of how he was a 16-year-old addicted to drugs and living in a car before he turned his life around.

He also talked about performing the funerals of young people who had died from drugs.

“Maybe this will be a reminder that will stick in their heads and their hearts,” Wiegand said.

Some of the images stuck with senior Michael Goatz, who said he had lost family members because of drug abuse. He said the drug overdose scene really got to him.

“It was hard to watch,” he said. “I had to watch my aunt go through that, and it tears you apart.”

Seniors Mariah Manchester and Breanna Ruff said they were friends with Briona in middle school, and while they thought the program was powerful, they said nothing was as strong as seeing one of their friends in a casket.

“She lost her way,” Mariah said in tears.

Simmons said he believes the program had a strong effect on students.

“I’ve never seen an assembly where the kids were unsure of what to do,” he said. “They weren’t sure if it was over, if it was time to exit. They had so much respect for the people in that room.”

Fenton Township Trustee Tony Brown, who has helped lead The Community Parent, said the group is committed to doing whatever it takes to keep children safe.

“Whatever platform or venue we have to use, we will,” he said. “If it’s here, if it’s legislative action, we’ll figure it out, and that’s the way we’ll go.”

School officials plan to take a harsh stance against drugs. Simmons said six students were disciplined after an incident with marijuana last week.

“We want to keep drugs out of our schools and away from our kids. Period,” Simmons said.

The Community Parent will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the .