Peabody to hold Wellness Program for Class of 2008

PEABODY – Peabody’s Health Department will kick off one of its Wellness Programs Thursday, targeting high school seniors by day and their parents by night.The entire class of 2008 will go through drug and alcohol training led by nationally recognized speaker Peter DeGiulio. A presentation on drug-facilitated sexual assault will follow by Marilyn Belmonte, a local expert from Drug Abuse Recognition for Communities.”We did a similar program last year,” said Director of Health Sharon Cameron. “But the expanded topics this year came as a result of last year’s seniors.”The presentation originally focused on female health and safety, Cameron said. However, students who participated expressed concern over widening the coverage to include more timely issues that benefited males, as well.Salem State College Professor of Sports, Fitness, and Leisure Studies will present “Bigger, Faster, Stronger, But at What Cost?” to all senior boys. He’ll discuss using steroids and human growth hormones and the effects they have on the body.Senior girls will participate in their own discussion on eating disorders, body image, and self esteem with speakers from the Multiservice Eating Disorders Association.”(Seniors) are the perfect group to target because a lot of them will be leaving (for college),” said Cameron. “We want to give them the tools to make good decisions when out of the view of their parents.”And, to help parents maintain a positive influence over their kids, a special adults-only seminar on communication skills will be held at the high school later that night.From 7-9 p.m., parents can attend “Double Jeopardy: Alcohol and Prescription Drugs,” a free presentation led by Belmonte. The event is designed to make parents aware of the many substances used and abused by teenagers, as well as give them the skills to effectively discuss the topic with their kids.According to the Office of the National Drug Control Policy, 70 percent of teens say the greatest risk involved with using drugs is upsetting their parents. By communicating with their children, parents can have a positive effect on their children’s decision to use drugs.”Although Peabody is a wonderful place to live, the problem of substance abuse touches all communities,” said Mayor Michael Bonfanti. “Drugs and alcohol can affect educational achievement and hurt our families and our communities. I strongly urge all parents to educate themselves about how to help protect our children from the harms of substance abused.”Both events for students and parents were funded by the Peabody Institute Lahey Foundation, which Cameron calls a “very charitable organization” working to promote community health.”They’ve been a wonderful partner,” said Cameron.Although the program is designed for high school parents, middle school parents are more than welcome to attend, as Cameron said, “It’s never too early.”